Travel Diary

Silver Leader is introduced to bourbon, the way I like to drink it, in a 500mil tin mug with enough Wild Turkey to be able to taste it against the Coca Cola filler. He tries one, then tries another and the is glad he is not driving back to the park actress the dam wall.

This is a big park. Big enough that management afford entertainment at night. Not that the entertainment of Silver Leader trying to manoeuvre their van into place did not cause much merriment and once his heckles had been soothed Silver Leader joined in on the mirth.

The red dirt and rock glows in the fading sunlight. The white of the stunted ghost gums contrasts the encroaching darkness. Perched in a spot where I have an uninterrupted view of the setting sun, Robyn joins me and we sit, enjoying the show Mother Nature is putting on

Happy hour tends to suggest half price drinks. Not here under new management. The discount is reduced to only 20%. It does not stop us from wetting our whistles

But fun must end, and we return along the river to the ramp, hugging the shade. As part of the ride we had been offered bubbly and orange juice. Just enough to take any edge off. Soon enough we are done and back at the ramp

The dirt is now encaked all over me as I scrambled under the car vainly trying to position the jack. I emerged in a cloud of the clinging particles.

Sure enough the girls return from their exploits with stories of the capture on film of rare birds. The leader of the tour was amazed at the number of twitchers she had, including a couple of young boys, hellbent on plying their trade.

They still have pizza on the table – a far cry from the repast we had just enjoyed. I get talking to some. They all love Shaun. He is hoping to do a trek into the wilder Kimberley during his time off and tells me of the preparations

Out of Halls Creek the topography goes very flat for a long time. Then all of a sudden, as if you have emerged from a volcano crater of millions of years in age, escarpments rise from the tableland.

How a tree used to incarcerate the Aborigines can be spoken in the same breath as religious significance is a little beyond me.

Given our planned stay, I look to set up the “office” fully. Engage the TV as a second screen and attach the 101 keyboard and external mouse. The plan seemed like a good idea when I was thinking about it at home, but here, in the confines of the van, it doesn’t really work.

Its Broome Cup weekend and space is limited. The residents beside us in the park have only been lucky enough to secure two nights and with tickets to the race meeting which happens to be on their last day, they will need to move their van before they can go to the races.