After a week spent in Broome watching sunsets and moonrises, Fitzroy Crossing seems another world away but it is to there we have to return to pick up our trail. We spent our morning there walking along the banks of the Fitzroy River after having tried - and failed - to get there by 8am to take a cruise up the river to Geike Gorge. We were there by 8.10am and it was lovely and cool as we ventured upstream towards the gorge and we walked at a leisurely pace with me bird spotting and Jude having endless fun 'cracking' the hard sand left from the last time the river was full. Eventually we made the curve in the river that pretty much signified the end of the gorge and stopped in the shade to rest and see just how far we could throw sticks into the river. The trip back was a bit hotter with much less shade and increased temperatures but with a little motivation (some may call it bribery!) my little trooper made it back to the van some 2.5 hours after we had left.

Into town and to the local IGA for supplies and we ran into a family that had been in Kununurra with us and they had taken the Gibb River Road across (all 4wd) and hit the big time in the Barra stakes and generously offered us a fillet. Now I am not a fish eater but Barramundi is certainly the exception to the rule and when we fried it up in a little bit of butter that night for dinner Jude and I were both in raptures. (In fact when Jude woke up the next morning the first thing he asked for was some of that fish for breakfast and fortunately they had given us such a big piece I was able to oblige).

The drive that day was not terribly long and despite my desire to free camp there really wasn't anywhere to stop that had anything to recommend it (this was a theme for the next night too so we are still waiting on that free-camp) and we made it into Derby by mid-afternoon to start our tour there with a visit to the famous Prison Tree and the less famous but equally impressive Longest water trough in the southern hemisphere (possibly, they are not 100% sure of that fact.) However at 120m I reckon it is in there with a chance. Not used anymore of course because all the cattle that used to be driven to the docks are now trucked there and stopping a couple of kilometres out of town to let them all out for a drink does not seem a popular idea.

The Prison Tree was literally that, a huge boab tree with a hollowed out centre that they would put (mostly innocent it seemed) people in while on their way into town. It was the done thing then to kidnap our Indigenous brothers and sisters from their tribes and force them to work at local stations or in the pearling industry and should they decide that they would like to return home then they were put in shackles and marched back to town using trees such as this boab as temporary prisons on the way. What a sad history we have. And this isn't old history, this isn't hundreds of years ago history, this is last century history.

Now Derby is famous for its huge tides so on the morning after we arrived we decided to walk to the Jetty and see for ourselves. It is a 1.5km walk on a path through mudflats to get to the jetty so Jude and I set off in high spirits and with a promise of a treat at the end we managed our big walk with nary a murmur of dissent. First sight of King Sound had me fooled into thinking that the tide was so far out that just further mudflats were in sight, but then I wondered at all the flat-bottomed boats sitting in the mud and then I realised that it was water but so thick and so brown that it looked just like a mudflat. We did come back again the following day before leaving town and drove around the jetty but the water was in exactly the same place and so we left Derby without having seen the massive tide movement but with the full moon here tonight in Broome we have more than made up for it (more on that later).

We left Derby with only a 2-hour drive or so to Broome and as such arrived around lunchtime going straight to our caravan park here at Roebuck Bay. And what have we done in the last week? Well we have wandered into town (a bit far for Jude, the second time he voted for his stroller) met some new friends (Hello Max, Tessie, Jasmine and Mark!) that meant Jude had a lot more kid time, taken the bus on a round trip which meant out to Cable Beach and back (but we have yet to get onto the beach and we have yet to book our Camel Ride) and woken up to see the sunrise which was awesome but somewhat cold (tho not for long.)

Part II

Well a few days on and a few more Broome accomplishments under our belt.

We caught the bus back out to Cable Beach and this time we got off the bus and down to the beach and the water is as pale a blue as you can imagine and crystal clear and the perfect temperature for a swim. Jude and I plunge in tho the concept of waves that break over your head is a little foreign for Jude and he tries to back out and run back up the beach but do I let him - oh no no no. I am the mother with the somewhat hysterical child in my arms as I reassure him that I will help him 'jump' over every wave and soon he gets into the swing of things and with him in my arms we make it pass the break and are soon floating merrily in the sea being 'bounced' by the waves as they pass us by. Out for a snack and then back in for a second swim, making sure for the first time in my life to stay well within the flags (I had been told a few days earlier that the beach had been closed due to sharks so wanted to stay where I knew they were watching it closely).

We have witnessed two 'Staircase to the Moon's with the biggest tides you can imagine and km long walks out over the mudflats at low tide to see the wrecks of the Catalina or Flying boats that were bombed in WWII. Jude as always a little trooper in the walking stakes tho a little nervous when the mud sinks up to our calves and I can't quite convince him to walk all the way to the sea once it is a 1.5-2km walk from the beach.

The full moon we have just had was apparently one of the biggest in a long time (10 or 100 years depending on who you listen to) and it is certainly a gibbous moon as it rises in the dark night and starts off the staircase phenomenon that Broome is famous for. I am sitting here trying to find the words to describe it but I think I will just leave it to the photos and hope that they in some way do it justice. If you ever get the chance, please take it.

And yesterday we finally got on our Camel - Rodney, the hot rod - and took the iconic ride along Cable Beach. It was pretty cool and Jude, for whom I had chosen the half hour afternoon ride thinking that would top out his time sitting on a camel, just wanted to get straight back on the 1 hour sunset trek that left upon our return. Next time Jude.

Back home and a look around the markets that coincide with the full moon before seeing another 'Staircase' and then today just mooching around home. We have another 3 days before we leave Broome and I have to say I really do love the place. Really a country town still and so much beauty here. There are stickers and signs everywhere at the moment against a gas plant to be set up out in the bay and yes I know we need the gas but can we please just spare this one accessible spot from an industrialised skyline??

NIMBY? Yes but this is a backyard for all of us. Find another spot please.