After Katherine, I decided to head over to the west coast, and booked a bus to Broome. I’d done a minimal amount of research: beach ✅, food ✅, place to stay ✅, and decided sure, why not? I had to check out of the hotel at 10 am, and the bus didn’t leave Katherine until 8:10 pm. That’s a lot of time to kill in a town that small. Thankfully, the weather conspired to my benefit, and it was cloudy and relatively cool for most of the day. I spent a few hours on a bench under a tree, reading, a few more slooooowly savoring a chicken lunch at a Red Rooster (the spicy chicken was quite good, possibly negating my earlier comment about Aussies and spicy food) and reading, and the rest of the time at, yet another bench in the shade – you guessed it – reading. I’d thought to spend some time in an air conditioned bar, but, apparently they are closed on Sundays, at least along Katherine’s two-traffic-light main street, they are.
The bus ride was 20+ hours. Sounds daunting, but in actuality, wasn’t terrible. It definitely was better than a cut-rate economy flight for comfort. The seat wasn’t bad, though it didn’t recline as much as a train seat, and didn’t quite have the same legroom. But, I had no seatmate, and was able to sprawl across two. The bio breaks were a fairly daunting 6-hours apart though, tough on a old-man bladder.
Pulling into Broome, and my AirBnB host was there to meet me and give me a ride to the house. That was nice, and totally above and beyond. Hilary has been the best host so far in my journeying. Her dog Tex is a lovable idiot, and she is greatly accommodating and just a great person. She made me dinner! Her place is about 1.75 km from the shopping area, which isn’t far, and I get to walk past the airport, which is always fun.
I did a wander around the peninsula, painful hip notwithstanding, and had an enjoyable day doing so. I absorbed the history of the area’s pearl industry, its painful experiences in WWII, and marveled at the natural beauty of the beaches and rocks. And I ticked a few more bird-boxes on my life list. Last night, I got to see the “Staircase of the Moon” where the (in my case nearly) full moon rises over a low tide in the bay, creating a sharp reflection. My phone didn’t do it even a modicum of justice.
I’m here for a few more days, then… I’m not sure. I’ve a plan, but it’s pending a visa, and I’ve a Plan B if it doesn’t come through in time. Stay tuned, and in the meantime, enjoy the poor representatives of what I got to see with my very own failing eyes.
The bus ride was 20+ hours. Sounds daunting, but in actuality, wasn’t terrible. It definitely was better than a cut-rate economy flight for comfort. The seat wasn’t bad, though it didn’t recline as much as a train seat, and didn’t quite have the same legroom. But, I had no seatmate, and was able to sprawl across two. The bio breaks were a fairly daunting 6-hours apart though, tough on a old-man bladder.
Pulling into Broome, and my AirBnB host was there to meet me and give me a ride to the house. That was nice, and totally above and beyond. Hilary has been the best host so far in my journeying. Her dog Tex is a lovable idiot, and she is greatly accommodating and just a great person. She made me dinner! Her place is about 1.75 km from the shopping area, which isn’t far, and I get to walk past the airport, which is always fun.
I did a wander around the peninsula, painful hip notwithstanding, and had an enjoyable day doing so. I absorbed the history of the area’s pearl industry, its painful experiences in WWII, and marveled at the natural beauty of the beaches and rocks. And I ticked a few more bird-boxes on my life list. Last night, I got to see the “Staircase of the Moon” where the (in my case nearly) full moon rises over a low tide in the bay, creating a sharp reflection. My phone didn’t do it even a modicum of justice.
I’m here for a few more days, then… I’m not sure. I’ve a plan, but it’s pending a visa, and I’ve a Plan B if it doesn’t come through in time. Stay tuned, and in the meantime, enjoy the poor representatives of what I got to see with my very own failing eyes.
RSS Feed