Day 9 Tunnel Creek to Broome

Damien makes bacon and eggs for breakfast.

A rainbow bee eater.

Tunnel Creek.

Most flying fox bats.

A flying fox.

The last of the Gibb River Road.

The final trough for the cattle herds that passed through here.

A female red tailed cockatoo.

The prison boab.

Sunday, September 18^th.

As usual we were up early with the birds and the sun. Damien made us bacon and eggs and then we packed up and drove off to Tunnel Creek. En route he told us about the story of Jandamarra and an aboriginal uprising. The aboriginals were upset with the invasion of the whites and their cattle and sheep. They killed some of the animals to eat because they couldn't understand that people could own animals. The whites obviously didn't like that and it caused a revolt. Tunnel Creek National Park is where there is a large cave that goes 700 metres through the mountain to the other side. Jandamarra hid here to escape the police and to recover from his wounds. And this where he was eventually killed. We walked through the tunnel and through parts of the creek that originally created it. There was evidence of crocodiles inside and at one point there was an opening and we could see more roosting flying fox bats.

When we finished we loaded up again and drove off. We traveled the remainder of the Gibb River Road through the barren bush looking at boab trees, scrub, huge red termite mounds and the occasional wallaby bounding across the road. We also saw a couple of wedge tailed eagles on road kill. They are the third largest raptor in the world.

We arrived in the town of Derby where we stopped for petrol and at Woolworth's for three cooked chickens and some buns. We drove out of town to the Derby Commanage where the cattle drivers in days of old would arrive to water and fed their herds before delivering them. I photographed a couple of black cockatoos here. There is also a large boab 'prison tree' here. It is hollow and apparently was used to detain some people years ago. We ate our roast chicken lunch at the site.

Then we boarded the truck for the final drive to Broome. When we arrived Damien gave us a quick tour of the town and then dropped us off at our accommodations. This is the end for most with the exception of Gudrun, Anja, Albert, Katherina and I are staying at the YHA Hostel. We settled in (they are all in one room and for some reason I am alone in a room for six) and showered and then met again in the lobby before walking to the Cairo Cafe for the last dinner with the whole group. We had skewers of chicken, lamb and prawns with rice.

Everyone wanted to see the 'staircase to the moon' which is a phenomenon that happens when the moon rises over the ocean and reflects off the waves. So we were in a hurry to get to the viewing site. Unfortunately people weren't clear where we were going and people didn't wait for each other. As a result the Germans and I wound up lost and finally found a different spot where we could see the water and the beach from a hill but, the view wasn't as good as it should have been. Then we didn't know where the bar was that we were supposed to meet up at again. We wandered around town and then back to the hostel where I thought of forgetting about it before they talked me into one more try. We walked back to where we ate and then to Matso's Brewery and found the others there. We sat around saying our goodbyes over a beer before wandering back to the hostel for the night.