Hitch Hiking the Bungle Bungles

Our departure from Kununurra didn't quite go as expected.
Instead of saying goodbye to a couple of friends we'd met there, we aquired them as companions for a couple of days. Our hitch hiking companions were happy to get a side trip into the Bungle Bungles with us and then get dropped off at Hall's Creek when we turned south for the Tanami.

We set off with Hazel taking pillion position on the motorbike and Sofia making herself at home in Symon's spare seat (after a little cleaning out).

About 15 minutes out of town and I was stung on the nose by a bee. Knowing I needed to stop soon anyway I ignored this and kept riding until the planned stopping point. Once stopped I checked myself in the mirror and sure enough still had the sting with me so turned around and asked Hazel politely if she could remove the offensive barb.

Brave comments along the lines of 'don't worry I don't react to bees' were to come back and haunt me when about 3 hours later I was stung again, this time the bee had ended up inside my jacket and got me on the arm.

The following morning I discovered the left side of my face was considerably swollen and here begin the adventures of Manimal as I was renamed for the 2 days it took to return to normal. (photo to come later when I get it off Rupert).

The other discovery of the morning was the resident bovines who shared our roadside camping area.

The passenger rotation scheme again had Hazel riding pillion as we entered Purnululu National Park (aka The Bungle Bungles). People had told us that the road was really bad and they had trouble with some of the creek crossings, particularly the first one which had a lot of rock.

The only trouble encountered was after about 4 easy creek crossings I decided to skirt the edge of a particular pool because it looked nice and firm at the edge. Well it seemed like a good idea at the time.
I had to get it bogged at least once on the trip right? Hazel was a trooper and we had it out in seconds, however the experience was not kind on her already despairing hiking boots which were temporarily repaired with gaffa tape for the hike up echidna chasm.

Echidna Chasm is a rather deep, long and very narrow cleft in the rock. To this point either sunglasses and broad rimmed hat or helmet had managed to hide manimal's disfiguration, however in the darkness of the chasm there was no choice but to reveal myself and Alja's gasped 'Oh my God!' did little for my self esteem.

Once out into the light of day I was able to hide my disfigurement and we went on to discover the mini palms gorge which had some rather spectacular large palms at the start of the walk, however due to flooding the previous wet season was lacking a bit in the mini palms department. There were a few, but not many.

By politely disregarding the barriers and warning signs we progressed further into the gorge than we were really meant to but were rewarding by discovering an incredible cave which was pitch black to walk into, but gradually gave up a few secrets as our eyes adjusted. The main secret was that without some serious lighting and climbing equipment we weren't going further than 20 metres.

The day was rapidly departing and so we set off into the setting sun to find a camp site, the second was the preferred option if I was capable of navigating the treacherous roads while possessing the ability to see bugger all.

Rupert's highlight of the day and possibly the entire trip was a chance encounter with an old friend he had set out from London with 5 years earlier on the first leg of his driving adventures which took him through Africa. The 2 landrovers and their owners were united for a night and tales of fellow travelers were exchanged.
The next morning we were off to see the famous bee hive domes of the southern half of the park and a hike into Cathedral Gorge.















Eventually we had to move on as we still had about an hour and a half of gravel road and creek crossings to make it back out to the roadside camp site with the bulls.
Having gotten a good feel for the road on the way in the day before I was more confident and able to push a bit harder. Positions had changed again and with Sofia holding on tight we charged out of the park, a power slide on a bend and launching into the air through a (dry) floodway were not enough to shake her off or even a squeal of terror.

That night Symon pulled out his toys and the landrover was converted into movie screen with the help of a large white screen and with a data projector and Symon's car stereo delivering clear audio we settled in with a number of fellow campers to watch the 3rd Pirates movie.

The following morning we set off for Hall's Creek and just after climbing the embankment and reaching the road the short way (the entry road was a 500m detour) I pulled out behind a pair of touring bikes and spent the next hour trying to keep up with them at an average speed approaching 130km/hr.

With some fresh supplies - our hitch hiking companions wanted to say thanks by cooking dinner for us - we set off to an idyllic camp site via a quick dip in a warmish spring.

Finally we had to return to Halls Creek so the lovely hitch hikers could find someone to give them a lift. Finally an offer was made that if 'I can get my truck running again you can come with me' and sure enough after a few minutes of dubious noises and engine cranking the old beast roared to life and our friends were on their way to Broome, and we were off to Wolfe Creek and the Tanami Rd.

Kununurra

After leaving Kununurra we finished the Gibb River Rd. It was an incredible trip and my first serious stretch of unsealed road. About 600km of gravel, sand, rocks and water crossings, plus some side trips.This photo is lacking myself and my trusty steed because I never saw these signs as I was going around a road train at this point and couldn't see much of anything with the dust. I was belting along a stretch of bitumen shaking off the dust at a somewhat illegal speed while these guys were posing for photos. After a week on gravel a bit of bitumen was a nice change.

That night we camped just outside Kununurra at a place called Black Rock pool, which was a nice quiet out of the way spot. While doing some vehicle checks after the Gibb rd Rupert was checking to see how much brake fluid he had in the reservoir, in the process of trying to clear the dust so he could see the fluid level he put his thumb through the plastic container ensuring he now had no brake fluid at all.

To avoid driving on the main road into Kununurra without brakes and therefore risking a road train up the ass, Rupert chose the alternate road which rather than having a bridge over the Ord River, it had a concrete causeway. The causeway was in 2 parts and the 2nd section was more than twice as long and a bit deeper as the first which you can see below.
This was the only point in the trip where I was on the bike and chose to go around an obstacle that Rupert went through. In fact I got there first and before the 4WDs were even on the scene I was telling them on the radio that there was no way in hell I was crossing that on a motorbike. I stayed to watch Symon and Rupert struggle though and once they were safely on the distant shore I took to the road for a 30km detour. I still made it to town only 5 minutes or so after them.

Amazingly Ruperts uncanny luck held and by lunch time he had found probably the only guy in town with a Landrover who also just happened to have a spare brake fluid reservoir and by the end of the day the green machine was once again roadworthy - I think.

Another shot of the Ivanhoe Crossing causeway, from downstream where Symon and I were unsuccessful in catching some fish for dinner.

The next day we drove to Lake Argyle for a look at Australia's largest freshwater lake (obviously Eyre when it's full is much bigger). Frankly from our vantage point it wasn't that spectacular and the dam wall was pretty small. I guess you need to get out on a boat for a day or take to the skies, both options were available, but not cheap. So we were satisfied with our quick look and watched the movie about it's construction in the visitors centre, and drove back past the dozens of bushfires and returned to Kununurra to visit the Hoochery to taste and buy some rum. Hmm Rum!!!!!

El Questro

Okay so I've been slack with my updates. I last left you at the Pentecost River Crossing on the Gibb River Rd. From there it was a short uneventful ride into El Questro.

El Questro used to be an enormous cattle station, but is now they call themselves a wilderness retreat or some shit like that. Basically they have put a lot of facilities in and with a large number of incredible gorges and mountains to walk/climb/wade through now probably make more money then they could have dreamed about with cattle. This image is a view of the area from a tough to get to lookout - numerous creek crossings and a tough climb - but well worth it.

It is a common destination for celebrities who want to enjoy a resort without the madding crowds.
We saw Hugh Jackman there, he had just finished filming the movie Australia nearby.

Anyway enough about the place, here is some of my photos and adventures there.
Maartin - The crazy dutchman I mentioned in my last post joined us in El Questro and abandoned his bicycle in favour of sharing the passenger seat of Rupert's Landy with Alja and getting driven to all the sites.

There are some delightful hot springs (Zebedee Springs), which was where we saw Hugh and his entourage. While we were there Maartin leaned against Hugh's car and left an arse print in the dust on the side of the car. There are a number of small pools along the springs, some are warmer than others and some a bit more private. We preferred the top pool, but on our second visit we found it occupied by a pair of oldies in the nude, not the best mental image.

There are a number of spectacular gorges in the area, reminiscent of Karajini but these are generally smaller (narrower and not so deep) but with a lot of vegetation growth.

When we got to the top of Emma gorge there was a group of retirees who were "Spending their Kids Inheritance" according to their printed polo shirts. There were also a couple of tree snakes swimming in the pool, which they informed me about once I was about half way across the pool.

So I had to go hunt them down of course but unfortunately hadn't brought my camera and couldn't take pictures. I actually climbed some rocks above the snakes rather than swimming through the water to find them, there was also a large water monitor.

GIBB RIVER ROAD

We left Broome at lunch time and the first day was just bitumen and we camped at Lakeside (next to a farm dam). The only incident of note was when I wasn't paying enough attention and with a combination of wind and road camber found I had drifted off the bitumen and while I took action to rectify this it was not before I took out a reflector post. Thankfully it was a new thin one and I was wearing steel capped boots, no damage was recieved (except for the destruction of the reflector post that is). Mental note, pay more attention!!!

The second day we were onwards to the Gibb River Rd.

It was built as an access road for the cattle stations in the Kimberley and runs pretty much from Derby to Wyndham.

This was the first decent stretch of gravel road for the trip (other than the 130km I did around Karajini on the 250cc cruiser) and would be a test for the new bike and my off road abilities.

We visited tunnel creek and walked under a mountain through a tunnel carved by a creek to see some rock art.

Then we went to Windjana gorge to play tag with a freshwater crocodile on the beach, he wasn't as enthusiastic about the game as us. There were hundreds of cockatoos in the trees along the gorge and as we turned to leave we saw that there were many freshies in the water, including our new friend.

From here we finally turned onto the Gibb River Rd, after only 500m on the Gibb we found a snack store and celebrated by having an ice cream.

The next day we headed in to Bell Gorge for a hike and a look. The track in had 3 creek crossings, so 6 for the day. The first was the deepest and I was reassured of the bikes abilities when the crossing turned out to be a piece of cake, albeit a cake with wet feet. Not because I had to put my feet down but even with them on the foot pegs the water was above my boots (~45 - 50cm deep). Bell creek was a good hike and a nice swim. We startled a few people by jumping off the rocks about 5m above the water.

In ice cream at Inimitji (a food and diesel stop) and then the first occasion where the distance between fuel stops (that sell petrol) and the range of the motorbike fell in favour of distance. I had done well getting 325km on a 13 litre tank (25km/l). So a top up was called for to get me through to Mt Barnett Roadhouse and then into Manning Gorge where we met up with Brock and Damon (former colleages of Rupert and Alja at Willie Creek) for the night.

The next morning we hiked in to Manning gorge which took about 45min and again went for a swim and a few short walks off some high rocks. We then teamed up with Symon who we'd met the night before and returned to the campground via the gorge rather than the loop track, a couple of hours of swimming and rock scrambling and we were back.

From here we teamed up with Symon (who ended up sticking with us for about two and a half weeks all the way to Alice) as he was heading the same way and travelling solo, so we provided a bit of company and security in the event of anything going wrong.

That night we stayed on the banks of the Gibb River a few kms up the road to Kalumburu and then we were onto the eastern half of the Gibb River Rd which has more and larger river crossings, or so we expected. The Durack River crossing was barely a puddle but finally at the end of the day we reached the Pentecost River and finally a river crossing challenge was before us.

My concern was not the depth of the river or its width but rather the very slippery rocks underneath, so I took the precaution of walking the bike (under its own power) across the river instead of riding. We spent the night on the river bank with no sign of crocodiles.

I also met another guy (Martin) traversing the Gibb River Rd on two wheels, however his bike was broken, he'd lost his motor. Crazy Dutch!!!

From here it was onwards to ElQuestro but I'll make a new entry for that.

BIG ROCKS

We've all read the email about the Psych professor who tells his students to put your big rocks (important things in your life) in the jar (which is your life) first rather than filling it with small rocks (time consuming little activities that don't add to the enjoyment of your life) and having no space left for the big rocks. So I went and found some BIG rocks, now I just need to find that jar.

For those of you who don't recognise Australian landmarks readily they are in order

Uluru (Ayers Rock)

Kata-Tjuta (The Olgas)

The Bungle Bungles

If there is anyone who doesn't understand the big rocks in the jar thing simply google the words 'big rocks jar' and you will get numerous versions of the story.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

After a sojourn in Broome of nearly 10 weeks we are just about ready to get back in the saddle (in my case quite literally) and hit the road (I’m hoping that won’t also be literally).

The planned path of advance from here is to head towards Fitzroy Crossing and take the road past Tunnel Creek and Windjana gorge and join the Gibb River Rd. Following the Gibb we will reach Kununurra, drop down to lake Argyle and then back around to Halls creek via the Bungle Bungles (aka Purnululu NP). From Halls Creek we are taking the Tanami Rd to Wolfe Creek meteor crater and then beyond all the way to Alice. After reprovisioning in Alice we are taking the loop track along Macdonnell Ranges to Kings Canyon and then down to Uluru and the Olgas. Back out onto the Sturt Hwy but only for a short burst to the town of Kugera where we once again take to the gravel and dust to Finke and onto the Oodnadatta track which will take as past Lake Eyre, through Maree and Leigh Creek (potentially a side trip to Coober Pedy – undecided at this stage) and down to the Flinders Ranges. Following the Flinders we plan to stop off in the Clare Valley for a day or three of vineyard refreshments before arriving in Adelaide around the 23^rd September (as an approximate but very rubbery timeline).

There will be a number of ‘rest days’ along the way that don’t actually mean we rest but more a chance to explore an area without doing too many miles for the day. This could include a few hours of hiking or other less than restful activities but anything not involving a motorcycle seat will probably be quite welcome.

At this point Rupert will have reached his destination and will be sorting out where he will live in Adelaide, Alja will be parting ways and moving on to cover as much as possible with the rest of her time in Oz. My plans upon arrival in Adelaide are by no means certain but will probably be along the lines of the following.

I have approximately 9 weeks before attending a wedding in Ballarat on 1^st December and will likely spend that time exploring Adelaide and the south coast of SA possibly Kangaroo Island as well. Then on to Victoria to tour around on the motorbike catching up with all (or as many as possible) old friends and a bit of exploring some areas I haven’t done extensively, Grampians, Otways etc.

Depending on time I may drop down for a week or two belt around Tasmania but probably not on this trip.

So anyone in SA, VIC and even TAS that has a spare room, or couch, or even a patch of floor and would like me to visit please let me know, likewise anyone who wants to join me (own transport required the bike will have enough to carry) for a few days travelling and camping will be most welcome.

COOL JOBS

While in Broome Rupert and I have both worked in jobs that we found incredibly enjoyable and would probably do anyway whether they paid us or not. While in essence we are both providing a similar service for the entertainment and enjoyment of tourists they are indeed very different jobs.

Firstly Rupert’s job, he was a tour guide for the Willie Creek Pearl Farm. His duties involved driving a bus, talking to the passengers along the way, doing tours at the pearl farm, talking to the people, selling pearls, with more talking to people. Recurrent theme? Well anyone that knows Rupert knows he talks all day anyway so getting paid for it works out pretty well for him. Oh and did I forget to mention that he also went to work and back in a helicopter on a regular basis.

Secondly my job, Camelier. I’ve had animals pretty much all my life, am a beach person with scuba diving and surf life saving my passions (along with travelling) and now I get paid to work on a beach with animals (and the camels really are fun to work with) meeting new people every day. No helicopters for me, but plenty of exercise walking along a world famous and quite spectacular beach every day. And upon my departure this will be the first job in many years that I will be sad to leave. I will miss the people I worked with, the camels, the faithful hound who thinks she is a camel dog (and rightly so) but also the work itself (if it could carry such a burdensome label). (Photos are both of Mission - my favourite camel)

We have both been told that anytime we return to Broome we will have jobs instantly which is always good to have and an offer I will most definitely follow through with, though likely not for a few years.

COOL PLACES

Broome is one of those towns that no matter what your reason for venturing there in the first place will captivate you and keep drawing you back again and again.

Like any place there are positives and negatives and there are certainly a few social negatives that could do with being worked out, but this is the case in nearly every city and town these days.

Unlike many places in Australia Broome has embraced its history with a passion and it has some pretty remarkable stories to tell. The history of pearling, the attacks by the Japanese in World War II, evidence of dinosaurs, even the amazing aspects of having one of the largest tidal ranges in the world.

This was the view from my bed in the morning for the first 4 weeks we were here, before being required to move to a different part of the caravan park - see post unflexible unthinking people.

The oceans are a beautiful tropical blue, the sky clear (dry season at least), beautiful sunsets every day and an amazing landscape in every direction. Every day I have been here has been fine and warm between about 26 and 31, with cooler nights and mornings.

I admit to not having been here during the wet season and realise that this would be unbearable for many, I fully intend to come back to Broome and stay for an extended period of time including a wet season. Despite the heat and the humidity I hear that they get some wicked storms – OK so some of them are big enough to get named – and I always love a good lightning display. It is also a quieter and more peaceful time of year without the endless droves of people.

The fishing is good – at least if you have a tinny, I have had limited success from the port jetty – with barramundi, Spanish mackerel, trevally and countless other species in large sizes.

One of the few things Broome is lacking is suitable scuba diving sites, basically the only alternative is the Rowley Shoals nearly 300kms off shore.

I have spent nearly 10 weeks living in a tent (I did share a van for about 3 weeks) in a caravan park, and apart from lacking a decent mattress have had no cause for complaint (caravan park mismanagement issues aside). Next time I come I would be happy with a similar arrangement (though with my own tent and mattress which are significantly more substantial than Rupert’s spares) at least up until the approach of the wet season, by which time something with a more solid roof and walls will be important.

Committed to Action

Well I have now committed myself to the action I was discussing in Wagon's East.

After speaking to a few guys I work with who have motorbikes I came to the conclusion that any 2nd hand bike from this area is going to have been thrashed and might not be reliable for a 7500km or more journey with about 2500 - 3000 on unsealed roads.

So I have done something I have never done before and purchased a brand new vehicle. I have also opted to trade my old cruiser in rather than go through the hassle of trying to sell privately.

So for the cost of my cruiser plus an extra $5200 I will have a new Suzuki DR650SE road / trail (dual sport) bike. The new bike is $8000 (inc on road costs) and I am getting $2800 for the old bike, which is less than it's worth but trade in price always is. I did however only pay $4000 for it over 20 months ago and I've done 10,000 kms on it since then. I have added new tyres, brakes and bearings but all in all I think I have definately had good value from it.

The DR650 has been ordered and will be shipped from Perth and should be in Broome by the end of the week, so next monday on my day off I will go into the bike shop and help assemble the bike to be more familiar with it. So by probably mid next week at the latest I will be on a brand new bike, registered and insured and ready for some off roading.

So I should have 3-4 weeks to get it all run in and any potential adjustments etc made before embarking on the adventure, departing Broome about the end of August.

Photos will be forthcoming once the bike is in my possession.

Unthinking unflexible people

I feel the need for a little rant, so my apologies to most who aren't really interested.

The caravan park I am staying in has a rule that you can't stay in the camping area for more than 2 weeks, and I can understand having a rule that allows you to get rid of obnoxious, noisy, messy or downright rude campers.

However all things should be flexible and when you have a situation that warrants it. We have a group of campers who have 'banded' together and are actually taking up a lot less space than any other people with the same numbers, eating meals together etc and basically enjoying eachother company. It mainly started when one of the girls who is in a van by herself was broken into and another girl by herself in a tent nearly had an unwelcome drunk visitor climb in with her at 2 in the morning. For security and peace of mind we started getting all in our group to move in next to us and everyone felt better about it.

When we came to renew our rent this week we were told that we had to leave the camping area. The fact that the camping caretaker wanted us to stay and that we were making a number of the campers feel safe and secure didn't matter. The only reson they could give us is that it lets others camp there too? In reality they couldn't, because we all knew and trusted eachother we were a lot closer together, and certainly a lot closer than you would be comfortable with a perfect stranger, and therefore everyone else has spread out a bit in our absense and the same area now holds 3 less people, while a site on the far end of the caravan park where we are now is no longer available to anyone else.

Enough ranting, some people simply don't have enough sense to see that occasionally thinking for themselves is much better than absolute adherence to unnecessary rules. It is just like being back in Vietnam.

WAGONS EAST

Well OK, a Land Rover and a dirt bike (once I get one).

Not that we are leaving yet, but I thought now that I have committed to it (at least to myself – which is the most important commitment in such decisions) I would share the planned path of advance.

From Broome we will take the Gibb River Rd to Kununurra, with a few sides trips to Tunnel Creek, El Questro etc and possibly the Mitchell Plateau, no certainty here as it will be a 3 day diversion and a tough road.

From Kununurra it will be south to the Bungle Bungles and then Wolfe Creek Meteor Crater – and no none of us has seen the movie, I think we should all watch it before we leave Broome.

Wolfe Creek is on the start of our next path, the Tanami Track to Alice Springs, with the obvious side tours to Uluru, Kings Canyon, Olgas etc.

From Alice our path again tackles the less beaten path and will be the Oodnadatta Track, which goes near (within a few hundred kms) Lake Eyre and might be worth a side trip, to the Flinders Ranges, and then through the Flinders Ranges and then a final run down to Adelaide, possibly through a few wineries in the Clare Valley, after all that travel on dusty tracks we will be a thirsty bunch.

I haven’t actually checked the details but estimate that from Broome to Adelaide via our planned path will involve probably 3500km of dirt, dust, gravel, sand and potholes and probably another 1500 of boring old tarmac. Then of course after a couple of weeks lay up in Adelaide it will be almost another 3000kms back across the Nullarbor to Perth. So the total trip including the 3500km already done from Perth to Broome will be in excess of 10,000km on a motorbike.

I’ve found what I have done so far and the fact that I am riding my motorbike every day my bike skills have gone up dramatically and the challenges to come will enhance them considerably more.

CABLE BEACH CAMEL TOURS

I have started working as a Camelier in Broome, which basically consists of catching and saddling a team of 16 camels, walking them to Cable Beach and then doing camel rides along cable beach. During the tour there will be a staff member leading the train and 2 walking along side talking to the passengers and taking photos for them etc. Then after the tour rides are done the process is reversed and once unsaddled the camels are fed and yards cleaned (aka raking out the poo).

There are generally 3 staff plus one of the managers Chris Hill who does as much of the work as anyone else during our work time and shit loads more behind the scenes. The workforce is mostly travellers and with the exclusion of the two managers and myself it is almost exclusively female, there are a couple of other guys that do help out occasionally. It seems in the past that the guys they have had work for them have struggled with taking orders from Jade who is Chris’s girlfriend. I don’t understand that, if you work for someone who has been doing the job for years and knows what to do then you do as they instruct even if it was a 14yr old girl, which Jade certainly isn’t. It seems a shame that there are still far too many people that have closed minds.

Your mind is a bit like a door, if it isn’t open, it’s just a wall.

I have found that my many years of owning horses certainly makes a big difference because I am used to working with big animals and understanding how to handle them and deal with their moods. I did however discover on my first morning when trying to catch an unwilling camel that they are indeed not horses and yet have the advantage of being trained to lie down on command, assuming compliance with the command when they are obviously in a less than compliant mood. On my first morning shift I spent probably 7 or 8 minutes helping one of the others trying to catch this camel by cornering it in the pen, and for a few minutes there were 3 of us and still no success. I suddenly had a brain wave and just walked straight at the camel and commanded it to “hoosh” and she lay down. So on only my second shift I was pretty chuffed with that effort.

I have two teams of 16 camel to learn and be able to recognise. I have the names and order in the team of all the camels memorised, and have all but 3 camels in one team pretty much figured out that I can walk up to a camel and know who it is, the 3 unknowns just look too bloody similar. The other team I have not worked with as much and can probably only figure out about half of them without assistance. There have also been a few fill in camels which are rotated in to give a sick injured or older camel a rest day, so I have actually had to try and learn 37 camels. After only just over a week I think I am doing well as I have also given the introduction talk which also consists of demonstrating how to get on a camel and the safety rules etc, and the thank you and dismounting talk at the end of the ride, something which a few of the girls who have been there a bit longer than me haven’t done yet. Though I mean a bit longer as in maybe 3-4 days.

I have to add how I got the job as it is a pretty funny story.

I had been told by some friends we’d met in Karajini weeks earlier that there was a notice in a café window about workers needed for camel tours. When I called however they had already put on a bunch of people and weren’t prepared to take on any more new people but some of them didn’t look to be right for the job and I should call back in a week or so. When I called back they said they had just been discussing that morning they needed someone else and I should come in to their shop the following morning, the address of which could be found on their brochure in any resort or touristy place. I went in to the shop that day just so I knew where it was and introduced myself to the ladies behind the counter not knowing one was the bosses wife (John not Chris). As I left I made a flippant remark that I would see them tomorrow morning and then no doubt quite frequently after that when John gave me the job, with an aside that ‘hey, I’m an optimist’.

Apparently calling back in the first place and then the visit to the shop had impressed them so much that by the time I had a meeting with the Managers Chris and John the next morning they had already decided to hire me, they had already put me on the following weeks roster and I started that afternoon.

Some times being a bit of a smart ass has got people off side, but sometimes it can land you the job too.

Anyway with Rupert and Alja working at Willie Creek Pearl farm and myself on the camel tours we look to be in Broome for a number of weeks to come.

UPGRADES

It is a shame to have to say it but my trusty Suzuki VL250cc Intruder Cruiser, which is my first and thus far only bike will not be leaving Broome in my possession, or more accurately under my posterior.

In about 20 months I have done almost 10,000 kms on the cruiser including the ride from Perth to Broome and it has been a marvellous bike. However I have made the decision finally to commit to the rest of the trip as it is too great an opportunity to pass up. Which does however mean I need a dirt bike as the cruiser could not handle the planned path from here.

To facilitate the upgrade to a more suitable bike to tackle the outback I have upgraded my motorbike licence for R-E (limited to 250cc) to an unrestricted motorbike licence. The test was unbelievably easy in Broome and the assessor could hardly fail me as he was following me in a car for the assessment (which I thought very strange until I found out why) because that morning he had fallen of his own motorbike.

The nature of the upgrade is yet to be determined, I am going to see what is available 2^nd hand but if I don’t find anything I have an agreement with the local bike shop to trade my bike in for $3000 on a new Suzuki DR650cc which will then cost me $5000. I will also have the cost of hiring a bike to do my licence test on reduced from the price.

As I have already tried to sell my cruiser with notices around town and had no interest I think this will end up being the best option. I was hoping for more than $3000 as it cost me $4000 and extra for new bearings, brakes and tyres in that time.

I’ve probably got about 3-4 weeks to try and sell my bike privately and also see if I can get a better deal on a bike either 2^nd hand or new.

Living in Paradise

I am currently living in Broome on the NW coast of WA.

Initially we were going to stop for a little while and have a look, but the roads we wanted to take beyond Broome were closed due to rain and my motorbike being a cruiser could not handle the gravel, the mud, the dust and the occasional river crossings.

With Alja needing a job during her travels in Australia and I wanted to hang around a few weeks for the Broome surf carnival, and Rupert with a previous offhanded comment from a tour guide that if he should be back in Broome and looking for a job to call the Willie Creek Pearl farm we decided to stay a bit longer and check it out.

After a few weeks I have had a number of different contract labour jobs involving moving furniture, monitoring the heating of a batch of bitumen, stocktaking in a hardware store, digging post holes, concreting in posts for shade sails, unpacking and packing up Grinspoons gear for a gig.
We are now approaching 3 weeks here and we are settled in for a while longer. We all have jobs in the tourism industry;
Rupert is a Tour Guide at Wille Creek getting paid for doing his favourite activity - talking his ass off.
Alja has two jobs, one in the Cafe at Willie Creek and one waitressing at Matso's a brewery / restaurant.
And I have a job with Red Sun Camels doing camel tours along Cable Beach.

So since it is winter everywhere else in the country and every day is high 20's and clear blue skies and we have beach front views from our campsite, we have decided to put up with living in Paradise just a little longer.

It is amazing how plans change and are recycled only to be changed again.
In original plan I would be backpacking in Europe right now, but when an opportunity came up to travel South America and onwards all the way to Alaska, starting next year and quite possibly a couple of years, I couldn't resist.

That decision led to a cancellation of the Europe and Nth America trip I was planning and in it's place I went to Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos for 6 weeks.

During that trip I decided to join Rupert on his jaunt up the west coast of Australia as I figured I was homeless and jobless and single so why the hell not.

A random encounter among many during our travels and we had a dutch girl "Alja" join us on the trip.

And it is this combination of events that has led us to being in Broome for the tourist season, Rupert and Alja working at Willie Creek Pearl farm and myself doing camel tours on Cable Beach.

After all, we could all use some income while travelling - Alja in particular needed a job while in Australia - and since it is winter in the rest of the country we have decided to stay in our little patch of paradise just a bit longer, maybe a couple of months worth.

And again a decision made changes the previous plans and so we can enjoy ourselves on this trip and give the next trip due care and consideration we have decided, well it is still under consideration, to start the South America trip a summer later, but go a couple of months earlier to give ourselves more time to explore and enjoy.