One of the absolutely cutest caravan parks we’ve been to, the 80 Mile Beach park has rows of trees separating the sites. and hedges and flowers at the ends of each row. There’s a big dune separating the park from the beach, which creates a sheltered space where the sound of the ocean wafts overhead.

After setting up camp we walked along the beach for a kilometre or so. The beach is covered in shells, cars and people fishing. Looking out at the whole beach, the impact of the cars has impacted the beauty of the beach; but looking at just one patch of beach there are some many interesting shells that the beauty kind of returns. And so we begin collecting shells and arranging them on the beach.

At sunset the wet sand create sky-sized reflections right out to the horizon. Even though the sound of footsteps travel far across the ground, there are minutes of silence as we take in the shifting hues of this magical scene.

As the post-sunset light keep the sky light we join a group call to my brother and his wife. Bec gave birth to Atticus a few weeks ago (premature) and today is his expected-birthday. They have been wrapped up in the complications of NICU and COVID, but finally have Atticus at home. I’m really proud of their resilience to such trying circumstances and it’s great to talk to them, and the extended family. (Even though the data coverage is shit)

Any time we get a glimpse of the water in Broome one of us has called out “Blue!” I wasn’t sure how far down the coast we might lose that bright blue excitement, but we haven’t lost it yet!

Our first stop down the coast is Barn Hill, it’s a station stay with plenty of sheltered site, but only a few looking right over the cliffs to the water. We manage to take the last one, and it’s the last in the row, so we have a huge view out to the north. There’s also a resident Sicilian pizza chef (why not?)

We arrive in the afternoon in time to order pizza for tonight and go for a walk along the beach. At night we watch a lawn bowls comp while eating pizza and drinking beer. What’s not to love?

In the morning we cook breakfast while looking out over the beach. Our camping neighbours are bird watchers so we exchange stories from our trips so far, Kakadu is a shared favourite.

Then we head down to the beach and find a shady place to laze and read all day. After lunch we walk to the far end of the beach, studying the curious rock shapes the whole way.

At the end of the day we hop between rock pools, like kids at Bar Beach.

The pizza is too good to pass-up, so it’s two pizzas in two nights!

Huh? Where am I? And where have I been? I have officially lost track of time, days, dates, maybe even years. Broome really has been a total reset. We’ve been here a few more days than the blog records, because some days aren’t really blog worthy. Relaxing is restorative, even if it isn’t exciting.

Today is the day that we head south down the coast. It feels like a little turning point in the trip, though we’re not halfway yet!

We stop a few times on our way out of town to look out a the infinite blue ocean and it’s ridiculously coloured water. It ain’t right. But it’s quite something!

Donna’s booked in for an oil change today, we’re more than 10,000km into the trip and she deserves a little treat. Extremely slow taxis give me time to call Mal at work and catch up on things (mostly not work related!).

A lazy lunch at home, then Cable Beach sunset is fast upon us. 

It’s low tide and we walk along the fine wet sand that stretches far away to the waves.