BROOME

Cable Beach from Gantheaume Point

The tribe overlooking Cable Beach from Gantheaume Point

A windswept Sarah, Gantheaume Point

The Hansens at Gantheaume Point looking out over the Indian Ocean

Tess and Bridgie overlooking the Indian Ocean

Father and Son surveying the horizon

Beth at Gantheaume Point

Ben at Gantheaume Point

The happy couple working out how we are going to find the dinosaur footprints

The sea turtle at the Port of Broome

DAY 53 – BROOME                                                            Wednesday, 24^th August

Another day in Paradise!!!!!  Went off this morning to explore Gantheaume Point and the lighthouse and then the Port of Broome.   Gantheaume Point is beautiful; a really rocky outcrop with a fantastic view of Cable Beach and then southwards as well.   Got some great pictures, which, as usual, don’t really give a good indication of just how perfect it is.  The Gantheaume Point lighthouse, albeit not the same building, has been on that site since 1905.  It still operates today but, interestingly, has become the nesting place for a pair of osprey who are currently feeding chicks there.  Apparently, the nest weighs half a tonne!!!

Gantheaume Point is also the place from which you can walk out to view the 120 million year old dinosaur footprints which can only be viewed at very low tides, fortunately, next week for us!!  Apparently, there is no indication of where they are.  You just have to go walking and be prepared to run to the shore when the tide starts coming in.  There is a huge differential between low and high tides here – up to 9 metres!  So that ought to be a bit of fun on Sunday!!

The Port of Broome is very busy and we took a walk out along the pedestrian access where we saw a beautiful sea turtle just swimming along in the clear, blue water!  Trip was cut a little short by a fall by Bridgie who then had blood dripping all down her leg and was loving the sympathy being heaped upon her by all the family.

We were lucky enough to meet up with Lizzie Bannister for a drink at the Divers Tavern in the afternoon – a familiar face who knows people from home!!!  It was great to see her and in particular to hear all about her work with Aboriginal children’s health up here, where she works in clinics for a couple of months each year.  It was so interesting to talk to someone who deals with so many aspects of Aboriginal welfare included foetal alcohol syndrome and the constant presence of domestic violence.  I continue to feel that the more I know, the less I have any idea of how to address the inadequacies of the government’s plan regarding the imbalance in the lives of Aborigines compared to white Australians.  It really is a disgrace.

Won’t continue to bore you with the “stunning sunsets, wave-catching and wines and cheeses on the beach” which have become our afternoon staples!!!!!  But it is fantastic!!!!!!  David and I still have to pinch ourselves!  Even SARAH thought the water was warm today!