Wide open spaces

After escaping from the gale forced winds of Cape Leveque we headed back down the undulating, corrugated dirt road and were more than a little relieved when we pulled into the caravan park in Broome as it meant no more big stretches of dirt roads for a while. We enjoyed a couple of lazy days in Broome, cleaning up and restocking, before my mum arrived. The kids were super excited and had made a welcome to Broome sign which they proudly held up at the airport as she walked through the door. After we said our hellos and the kids opened their Kinder Surprises from Nanny, we headed back to the caravan park and enjoyed a BBQ dinner together.  The kids were keen to sleep over at Nanny’s villa and we were obviously amenable to the request as well so we helped them set up their beds and bid them farewell before retreating to our quieter than usual tent for the night. They enjoyed the next four nights staying at Nanny’s house which was a treat for all involved.

The next morning mum, Kat and the kids headed to the town markets while I went to sort out some stuff with the car.  After a successful morning all round, we met up and headed to a cafe for lunch. It was so nice to hang out with mum having not seen her for over 4 months. The kids were loving the extra attention and had so many things to tell her. Oli had bought a yo-yo from the markets so spent the afternoon practicing before we all walked down to the beach to enjoy a spectacular Broome sunset over the water.

We wandered down to the beach cafe the next morning to indulge in a coffee while the kids played in the park. Oli continued to practice his yo-yo skills while Em clambered all over the play equipment. After lunch back at the villa the kids and Kat headed into town with Nanny to buy the kids a couple of treats before we packed the car with a table and chairs as well as some drinks and snacks, and drove down onto the beach to enjoy the sunset. Though it was like a car park down there, with everyone making their nightly pilgrimage to the beach, it was still an amazing experience, sitting on the beach enjoying a drink and watching the sun go down. The kids had a ball playing in the sand, not really taking in the amazing sight in front of them. After the nightly procession of the camels wandered past, the sun dropped below the horizon and the light faded, so we packed up and drove back to camp. Once the kids were down, we enjoyed dinner together, able to catch up without the constant chatter of small children.

The next day, after again enjoying “real” coffees, we claimed a spot on the beach then headed into the turquoise water for a swim. The kids caught a few waves on their lilos while the rest of us cooled off in the shallows.

Mum had been keen for us to enjoy a night out while she was here so late afternoon we took ourselves off to the Cable Beach Club Sunset Bar which overlooks the beach to have a couple of drinks and an early dinner. Mum treated the kids to a round of putt-putt golf at the caravan park before taking them out to dinner at the cafe for burgers – such lucky kids. Kat and I spent a lovely few hours chatting while watching the sun go down over the water. We decided we would never tire of seeing west coast sunsets, they are just so spectacular. We had a great dinner before finally heading back to Nanny HQ for a chat and a wine before bed.

After another nice sleep in, Kat took advantage of the oven in the villa to do some baking (as well as looking after the kids) while I headed for a solo coffee with mum. Catching up with her while the kids were around was next to impossible, so it was really nice to have some one on one time without the usual distractions in tow. We eventually strolled back to camp (having been tempted to just stay down there all day) and after lunch Nanny and Em headed to the pool for a swim while I took Oli to buy his first boogie board. His lilo had had a hole in it for a while and he was really keen to upgrade to a proper board. We found the perfect one and after buying it we raced home and went straight down to the beach to give it a test run. It was a complete success and he was really pleased with his new toy. After cleaning ourselves up we all jumped in the car and drove to the night markets they put on each month to coincide with the full moon. Due to the massive tides at Broome, the ‘staircase to the moon’ spectacle has become a monthly event. The low tide over the mud flats creates a mirror like stage for the rising of the full moon, and the reflections as it rises above the horizon create a staircase. We enjoyed a snack and drink as we waited for the magic moment, and with the crowds brimming around, jostling for the best vantage point, I climbed a tree which gave me a great view above the crowd. The moonrise really was amazing. It was bright orange and the reflections were ever changing as the moon climbed higher in the sky. We watched in awe for about 15 minutes before packing up and heading home to dinner and bed.

We awoke to a very misty campground on Nanny’s last day, and all helped pack up her villa and move the kids and their mass of stuff back into our tent. Once the kids moved back home, we loaded mum’s bag into the car and drove down to the beachside cafe for a final coffee together before the kids and I took her to the airport. We said our goodbyes and saw her safely onto the plane. It was so nice to have spent 5 days with her in Broome and we were all very sad to see her go. The kids amused themselves that afternoon drawing their favourite Pokémon and Shopkins characters before we headed down for a pre dinner swim. After we watched another sunset we wandered back to camp for dinner and bed. As much as we had enjoyed a few days without the kids in the tent, it was nice to all be back in our little home together again.

Although Kat’s back had been feeling better over the last few weeks, she was keen to keep on top of it so made an appointment with a physio in Broome. She was all ready to head over there the next morning for her appointment but as she hopped in the car, it wouldn’t start. The battery was dead for the second time in as many weeks. Luckily she had planned to get there early so she jumped on her bike instead and raced over there. Broome is fortunately really well set up for riding, with bike tracks all the way into town so she made it with a couple of minutes to spare. I took the kids down to the beach to catch some more waves before we reconvened for lunch. That afternoon, after charging it up from the solar panels, I took the car to a local auto electrician to get the battery checked. Although it passed all the tests they could throw at it, I still got it replaced as it was well past its used by date being the original battery, and I didn’t feel like any more battery dramas over the next few months.

The last few days of our time in Broome was spent playing at the beach, doing some sewing with the kids, catching up on journals and enjoying the nightly sunsets by the beach. We really enjoyed our time in Broome, and agreed we would happily return some time if possible (but not on this trip).