Leaving the East Kimberley and heading back southwest

The Kimberley is WA's sparsely populated northern region.  It was the last region to be opened up during the Covid regional border closures in order that the more vulnerable indigenous people not be exposed to the virus.  It is noticeable how many fewer vehicles, RVs and all we are seeing going northwards, in the direction from where we are coming.  In mid-August, the temperature in the Kimberley is climbing.  

We are re-tracing our steps back towards Broome and here we are spending the night at Mary Pool, one of the nicest rest areas.  We managed to get another shady spot, maybe even nicer than last time.

Misty the 14 year old cat who travels with her owners.  She is allowed out of the caravan and she never strays but stays put.

And at Ngumban Cliff Lookout again.  Windy but a lovely view.

Here we are back at The Lake at Ellendale parked right on the water on the other side.  We actually went for a dip which may not be such a wise thing to do when cows are near a waterway with the water not actually flowing, but when it is as hot as it is here, it is very difficult to resist going into any pool of water that does not have a saltwater crocodile in it.

We arrived back in Broome for a one day and night stay.  We headed back to our favourite haunt, The Dragonfly Cafe.

This is the most expensive bridge session we have ever participated in.  Not in terms of table money but in order to play on the very last Tuesday Broome bridge session, we booked into the insanely expensive RAC Cable Beach Holiday Park ($62 per day).  The bridge in Broome is only on while the snowbirds from the cold southern cities all migrate up the coast for the winter months and this week is the last session as most are heading back south.  It was an enjoyable afternoon of bridge and afterwards we headed back to our small camp site but able to enjoy the salt water pool in the park.

This is the reason we don't stay in caravan parks very often.  It is not just the expense, although obviously that has an effect.  It is the cheek by jowl living that we dislike.  The people who come here, book in for several weeks and have to live in such cramped quarters listening to their neighbours breathing, watching tv, or just talking.  At the rest stops we choose, we generally have quite a big space to ourselves which affords privacy.  At this expensive park, this is the smallest space we have had anywhere.  Two weeks ago when we were in Broome on the way north we stayed at Discovery Park at Roebuck where the camp sites were much more spacious, the park was on the edge of the bay but no swimming pool.

On the other hand, this is the reason we are here.  Not all caravan parks have swimming pools but this one does and that is the reason we are splurging.  And doing the washing and general ablutions which we certainly do not get at rest stops :-)