The North West Highway, Karratha and Broome

It was a shame to leave Dampier, Karratha, Brad and the privateers coast, it had been fascinating and there was still much to discover in this industrial mining area but also one of the most beautiful coastlines we have visited. The mining companies actively discourage visitors here and it will remain so as long as they have a strangle hold over the available accommodation, the economy and the land...so be it. It seems that big companies will hold the glove in the north of Australia and its mineral resources with much of the money going overseas.
We set off for 80 mile beach which is the half way mark to Broome. We arrive at dusk, the road to the Caravan Park is red and sandy ...we slither to the gate and get our spot right by the beach. Its dark, the moon is large lighting up the beach which is covered in white shells. Its even more beautiful in the morning, the sun hot and high and fisherman all along the beach. The high tide is the time to catch the blue nose trout and the whole campsite must have been knee deep in water on the shoreline. A quick swim in the water, breakfast and on the road to Brooome. The road is red and long and we arrive late to the Roebuck Caravan park in Broome, we get an unpowered site and settle in. We walk down to the beach and the stairway to the moon is allegedly taking place this evening. The moon rises over the mudflats and is reflected a thousand times in the shallow water giving a path to the stars. Actually its slightly inclement for this to take place but 3-4000 people have gathered to watch from the town beach and its a beautiful white moonlit evening.
Broome is a great little town surrounded on all sides by beach. The town beach below the campsite has beautiful waters and allegedly...crocks. a lot of people stand on the edge of the water and look doubtfully at the sea..a few brave ones have taken the plunge...crocks or no crocks. The other beach is cable beach on the east of the coast. It is gorgeous and the popular beach in the town. We spend days lying on cable beach just chilling...its serene.
If we were going to visit the place Dampier anchored to careen his boat Cygnet in 1688 we had the not very difficult decision to make – shall we go and stay in Cape Leveque Koolmajan Resort? The answer would always be yes once visited and we flew to the tip of the Dampier Peninsula over flat bush, stunning inlets and beaches –to an exclusive, simple, peaceful and serene lodge/campsite where food and really comfortable accommodation is provided - and you are left to your own devices.
We made a rendezvous with Eric Hunter one of the Bardi people who runs the Tag-a-long tour and a boat hire business at the resort and hired him to take us to Karrakatta Bay near One Arm Point. The location of Dampier’s harbouring and cleaning of the Cygnet in 1688 has been fiercely discussed by historians for many years but the conclusion is the remote Karrakatta Bay which you can only approach in a hefty 4WD driven by someone who knew where he was going – and we luckily had Eric guiding us. When we arrived through a wood of paper-bark gum tree – Melaleuca, I was stunned to see the bay so wide and at very low tide exactly as Dampier described it – with mangroves and a wooded area, with low dunes where the crew set up their tents and repaired the sails. We were joined by thousands of soldier crabs all scuttling the same way across the wet sand, on serious manoeuvres, pincers to the sky. How could somewhere so beautiful be unvisited or not attract any inhabitants? Eric divulged that the Aboriginal Tourist Commission had considered setting up the resort there but the bay contains sites of ceremonial significance for the Bardi people who decided to settle for Cape Leveque.
We had an opportunity to walk the whole beach and photograph the aboriginal sites before we made our way to the community of One Arm Point the central settlement for the Bardi people. Here we bought water and snacks in the shop before Eric took us to the hatchery where we were entertained by Barry and Eric who explained how the fish and turtles were having a helping hand in their conservation and Barry very kindly presented me with a beautiful shell as a gift to a Dampier…..
On our way back to the log cabin we stopped at a viewpoint for Kings Sound where Dampier sailed and first touched base with the unknown country New Holland in 1688. It was on one of the islands here he met and conversed with the indigenous people of this exotic arid land, the first white man to record such a meeting, and later the native Australians were to be termed Aboriginal people, and where he wrote the description that was to last to present times and mark his place in history. Dampier had been to many countries and spent time with different cultures and native communities – but this was the first time a ship and white men had ever been seen by the long resident indigenous indians and it would change their destiny and history for ever.
I had an illuminating chat with Paul Sampi, Erics uncle and aboriginal elder of the local community Bardi people and I learned how some of the traditional practices of hunting and gathering are still used every day. Just as we were talking Bulla came by carrying his fishing spear back from a hard mornings work and gave me a quick demonstration how to catch my breakfast. In the 20th Century both Paul and Eric were brought up on a strict catholic mission in Lombardina and recalled several tough stories from their childhoods. Paul was proud to reveal he had 8 children and 36 grandchildren and how important they were to him – a good catholic through and through.
Back at our log cabin we had 2 more blissful days chilling writing and swimming with various creatures to comfort us – notably the green tree frog that lived in the loo cistern. We cannot recommend the Kooljaman resort and the friendship of the Bardi people high enough.
Back in Broome there is much Dampier memorabelia which is scattered around the town. There is a memorial park which houses a memorial to Dampier and gives some spurious information about a landing and buried treasure...all tosh i think.
Broome is a town with a real feeling of Australia which has been lost in the cappucino capitals around the rest of the country. Its refreshing and there is a spirit of freedom here being surrounded by thousands of miles of desert and bush.
The problem of booze and indigenous people getting 'out if it' is rampant here and its the worst i think we have seen. Still don't know whether there is an answer or it will just bumble not being addressed as is the policy it seems.
It is a sad day but we have to hand our beloved van back so we hire a load of equipment from Shane the camping Mafia. On the saturday it seems like the whole town is off to the 'Broome Races' (including Shane Belafonte) and all our campsite. We decline but the town is deserted as is the beach. Later that night there is much hilarity and champagne giggledrops and the couple next door to our tent have won the the 'Pearl necklace classic'...they bandy the trophy around and we get a shot, a horse shoe encrusted in pearls...quite a trophy. They have dressed for the occasion and all this around a dusty track on the northern spit of the town...Ascot, eat your heart out.
This is the busiest time of the year in the north and it is impossible to get flights, hotels, campsites and the flight to Darwin costs a 'kings ransome' The morning we leave 'Shane Belafonte' is unavailable after a skinfull at the races and we hang around..meanwhile i do my back in...brilliant!!! We set off for Darwin and the great 'Top End' and home of the Salties....new place, new adventures.