Day 26 Derby

The sign at the end of the Northern Hwy where it meets the Savannah Way reads Broom with an arrow pointing to the left, and Derby to the right. Underneath the word Derby, some wag wrote “Don’t Bother”. Sadly, that would be fairly close to the truth, unless you chose to stop at the Kimberley Entrance Caravan Park and got the chance to meet the owners, Ian & Julie.
I woke at 4:30 again and tried to get the laptop out of the car to update the blog. When the car wouldn’t unlock, I began to wonder, and finally accepted that the car battery was flat. No problem I thought. I’ve got the You Beaut Car Starter with charge stored for just this sort of problem. I relaxed with breakfast, then brushed my teeth and while in the amenities block, I chatted with Ron.
Ron also has a Jayco and he’d noticed our van while in Halls Creek. We got chatting about van stuff and I mentioned my disappointment at missing Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge and Ron invited me over to his and his wife’s van where they showed me their photo’s of both locations. They’d driven around the Road Closed signes along with many others, the day before and explored both Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge. I explained that I had a city wife who was convinced that we’d all be eaten by the crocks and when they finished laughing, they showed me more photo’s before I headed off to the reception desk to check in. No-one there so back to the site where I began trying to convince Jacqui that we could still explore, even if the road was closed. She warmed to the idea and began getting the boys prepped while I read the car starter instructions. Sounds easy I thought. After 4 attempts, I realised it wasn’t and with Jumper cables in tow, started looking around for a Jumpstart Candidate. I’d left it a bit late and with the park near enough empty of human form, I headed for the reception desk.
Here is where I met Ian and Julie. Julie had registered us when I called in on my second attempt earlier this morning and this time, I found Ian answering to the annoying sound as the door slid open. “Sure” he said. “I’ll be there in 3 minutes”. 3 minutes later a ute rolled up and while we chatted about a how you get to be a Derby Caravan Park owner, we both came to the conclusion that the car wasn’t going to start. As Ian began detailing the local emergency service numbers, I saw the germ of an idea form in his face when he asked how long I’d had the leads. “Why don’t we try my set” he asked. Sure enough after more good conversation as we walked over to the shed, and then back to the car, with Jacqui in the driver’s seat, the engine came back to life. Ian gave us more of his time detailing how to get to Windjana and Tunnel Creek, and after a quick stop for fuel and supplies, we headed out of town at about 11:30.
Tunnel Creek was the furthest from Derby so we made it our 1st stop with a plan to work our way back to town. We got there a little after 1pm and we had the place to our selves which made it just a little daunting. A few people around would have allowed us to stop worrying about the crocks but never-the-less, off we went. The entrance was easy to find and we made our way in while keeping an eye out for any sign of movement in the water. Jacqui was certain every silent shadow was a large Freshie just waiting to make lunch of one of the boys but with a little prompting we got into the cave as far as we could before I needed to turn on the head-torch. Shoulda brought spare batteries. We hunted around for a while in the cave before heading out the way we came in. The cave was impressive and although I’m sure we missed the best parts, I’m overjoyed to have got in there at all. Jacqui showed genuine bravery to cross the Road Closed signs and potentially to tackle a crock with no Rangers or support on hand.
Next stop, Windjana Gorge. We missed out seeing the Freshies at Tunnel Creek but this never going to be the case at Windjana. From the moment we spotted water, we also spotted crocodiles. I thought Jacqui was just being a bit skittish but as we got closer to the billabong, it became clear that the dozen or so logs and sticks floating in the water where in fact Freshwater Crocodiles. When we saw the 2 meter mother race over to settle next to 3 20cm babies, it became clear that hatching season would guarantee no-one would be swimming here today. Apart from the crocodiles, Windjana would have to qualify as one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen and I hope the pictures do it justice. Although the temperature got up into the high 40’s, we all had a great time looking around and we’re grateful firstly to Ron and Karol for convincing us we could still get out there, and secondly to Ian, for making the trip possible.
This part of the country has some interesting Sale of Alcohol restrictions. You can only buy full strength beer, wine or spirits between midday and 8pm and only up to certain quantities. You also need to show your drivers license which is scanned and the purchase recorded to ensure you don’t move from shop to shop. After a stressful day, Jacqui was determined not to miss the buying time so we raced back to town and did a little shopping. As we arrived back at the van, Ian, who was still working, generously popped his head in to see if we’d had a good day.
Jacqui miraculously whipped up a quick Chicken and Red Curry for dinner despite a complete power blackout, and then we called it a day.
With the day beginning so miserably with a flat battery and yesterdays emotional hangover, but ending with us all sitting around enjoying a good meal and a quiet drink reflecting on a day of adventure, it’s clear that every day is a gift.
Cheers,
Jorg