I had always wanted to visit Wyndham. Someone I knew had worked as a teacher there and it sounded like quite the experience. We had planned to visit when we did our big trip in 2021 but, while we were camped at Kununurra, Darwin was going to lock down due to Covid-19 and we had to rush onto the track to Nhulunbuy. So, we missed out but on this trip we made a point of going to Wyndham. What surprised us both on the road between there and Kununurra was the number of Boab Trees! We lost count. They were everywhere.
On the way, we stopped off at a lookout called Maggie’s Valley named after a white lady in the 1920s who drove a Chevrolet into that area with an Aboriginal man to go bird catching. No-one else had ever gone into the valley.
We continued on into the town which really had nothing going for it at all! However, I found it interesting to read that the first Indigenous people arrived there in 45,000 BCE and the first Europeans in 1819. In 1886, at the time of the gold rush, Wyndham became a town. We drove around and found ourselves at Five River Lookout overlooking the rivers and mudflats. What a view! Quite spectacular.
I had noticed a tiny sign that read “Deamtime Statues” so we went looking for them and found them in the middle of town in Warriu Park. They were definitely worth hunting down.
We left Wyndham, happy to have visited, and headed for Doon Doon Roadhouse. We had stopped here for fuel before but hadn’t camped. It was a pleasant stay as the camp was basic but quiet.
Vanessa had recommended we stay at Larrawa Station which was between Halls Creek and Fitzroy Crossing. It was a good suggestion. To access the camping area, we drove a couple of kilometres off the highway on a dirt road. Larrawa is a working cattle and horse station and the camping area was a paddock with two corrugated iron toilets and showers. It was lovely and peaceful with just the mooing and neighing of the animals in the distance.
We camped the next night at Willare Roadhouse. Again, it was a pleasant enough stay. The surprise was that, in the evening, we heard large drops of rain and thunder in the distance. The staff said they hadn’t had rain for more than three months so they would have been delighted that it poured down for most of the night – but we woke to blue skies.
John suggested we spend a couple of nights at Barn Hill Beach Camp near Broome. We had never been before but followed the 12km dirt road off the highway. Wow! What a lovely surprise this place was. It was packed with all sorts of caravans and campers but it didn’t feel crowded. There was lots of space. The camp is so well set up right on the beach with a café which offers pizzas in the evening and freshly baked bread in the morning. It has a play area for the children and some farm animals for them to pat. We didn’t realise that a dog and trainer from the tv show Muster Dogs were giving a performance. People told us it was fabulous and they hold the shows two or three times a week. What a pity we missed that.
On the first evening, the State of Origin game was shown on their large screen at the café and they had burgers for sale. I wasn’t interested in the rugby but John went down to watch for a while. The following evening, our football team, the Dockers were playing the Sydney Swans and we watched the first half before retiring to the camper for the night. There was also a bowling green at the camp which was in use every time we walked past. Apparently they run competitions which are extremely popular.
For us, the best thing was walking on the beach. It seemed to go on forever, with soft sand and lots of rockpools. In the evening, the sun set over the water and it was just beautiful.
We could have stayed longer than the two nights but John wanted to keep moving. He suggested spending the next two nights at Cape Keraudren in the Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park. We had never been before and I had never heard of it. Once again, we were surprised by a beautiful camp area at the edge of the Indian Ocean.
And again, the amazing sunsets!
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