Matthew, who has done most of the itinerary planning for our
days in Broome, had discovered that due to the tides, we needed to out to
Gantheaume Point before 8am if we wanted any chance of seeing dinosaur
footprints, so it was another early start.
We got there before 8am but not by much and the carpark was already full
and there were lots of people rockhopping down at the water's edge looking for
footprints. We basically therefore
cheated and just headed to where groups of people were clustered and took
photos of depressions in the rocks that might (or might not have) be dinosaur
footprints. Apparently there are about 6
different species of dinosaur that have left only footprints but some of them
just look like round holes so not sure how you know if it is one or just a
round hole in the rock. The only ones
you know for sure might be left by dinosaurs are the three toed ones that look
like a giant bird has made them.
After about an hour, we decided that most footprints were
probably underwater as the tide started to come in so we clambered our way back
up the rocks to the car. Took the dirt
road around the back of the racecourse and we saw a few racehorses out on
morning training rides. One went right
past the car (we stopped as they passed) and the jockey could only give us the
tiniest of thank you waves as he was hanging on for dear life as the horse was
fighting the bit and was obviously ready for a bit more galloping! Continued on and checked out the port before
heading back into town and to a cafe Matt had read about that did breakfast
burritos. They also did nice egg and
bacon rolls and coffees so a late breakfast/brunch was happily consumed.
We then ummed and ahhed about what to do next. We had thought to go to the Crocodile Farm
but we discovered (and luckily, before we drove all the way out there) that it
is only open between 2 and 5pm and at this stage it was only about
10.30am! Instead, we decided to go to
the 12 mile birdpark which has a big display of Australian parrots as well as
finches, budgies, cockateils etc etc.
They had lots of parrots and cockies who liked to talk, dance and be
scratched so Jenny did her best Doctor Dolittle impression and 'talked' with
all the birds by imitating their screeches (very effectively at times it must
be said) or making them dance, ring their bells and tell us how pretty they
are. We stayed as long as we could to
get our money's worth which was about 45 minutes and then headed on over to the
Mango Place. It was a lovely spot set in
the shade of lots of mango trees and it had lots of mango related products -
mango jams, chutneys, wines, ports and so on.
We sat in the shade and had mango mojitos which were really lovely and
very refreshing and then perused the shop and bought some chutney. We then decided we might as well try the
wines/ports so paid for a tasting paddle each and then found another table in
the shade to try them. They were quite
nice but not fantastic enough to tempt
us with their $30 price tags so back in the car and back into Broome.
By now it was early afternoon and quite hot so we decided to
head back to the van and get our bathers and have a swim at Town Beach which is
right next to our caravan park. It was
lovely and shady and a nice cool breeze was blowing back at the van and, after
Matt had walked up to have a look at what the tide was doing at the beach and
seen the crocodile warning signs, the temptation of a chair under the awning
just looking at the water was too much and we just vegged out at the caravan
for a while.
We roused ourselves at about a quarter to 3pm and piled back
in the car and back down to Cable Beach for our booked camel ride. Larry and Jenny got to ride together on
Aslan, the alpha camel of the herd and roughly 37 years old with Matt on Akabar
right behind us. Akabar the camel was
probably about 10 years younger than Aslan but quite smart so would orientate himself
with his head on the shady side of Aslan and next to Jenny's leg so that she
could lean over and give him the occasional scratch on the head. It also meant that Matt was off to the side
of Larry and Jenny instead of behind them and hence was able to chat as we
wandered off up the beach.
It was a lovely ride and made even more special by a couple
of whales just off shore breaking the waves every so often. Still, can't say we were sorry for the ride
to be over towards the end as the saddles started to rub in inconvenient
places! We braced ourselves for the
descent off the camels. They sit down by
bending the front legs first before tucking under the rear legs so first you
are tipped forward and then tipped so far back you feel you are going to fall back
over the tail (and you also end up with your head worryingly close to the mouth
of the camel behind you!) but we survived and staggered off for a restorative
beer on another stretch of the white sand where we could watch another gorgeous
Broome sunset.
Our camel ride came with some discount vouchers and so for
dinner we bought wood fired pizzas from a truck along the main drag called
M&J's and got a free garlic bread.
They were very yummy and very big - enough left for lunch tomorrow. Took them back to the caravan for our dinner
and then resumed our positions in our chairs under the awning. Larry drove Matt back to his B&B a little
after 9pm as we were all tired after our day of sun, sea and animals.
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