The Trikojus Clan hits Broome, finally into the Kimberly, and quarry men with guns

On the following evening the Trikojus clan arrived in a whirlwind of presents, hugs and general excitement. Sash was so excited to see them that he forgot that he had been expecting their entire book collection and was very content with his new firework PJs and puzzles. Zara quickly squeezed her sleeping mat into beloved Aunty Nina's one-person tent and announced her intention to move in permanently. The next day was spent catching up, making endless plans and shopping lists for our Kimberly adventure and keeping cool in the freezing caravan pool. The others picked up their hire car and we visited the Broome supermarket and bought so much stuff that it was surprising that anything was left on the shelves (or in our bank accounts). Not only did we have to buy enough to feed all 7 of us on for our 2 week trip, but also enough provisions for Kate, Bill, Zara and Sash to survive for up to a month in the Kimberly after Jane, Sasha and Nina had returned to Melbourne. That's a lot of long-life milk, tins of tomatoes, tuna and even instant mashed potato...

That evening we had a lovely time gallivanting and watching the sun set on Cable Beach and then munching down fish and chips back at the caravan park. Next day we packed up and, after a few false starts finally headed into the Kimberly. We drove in the direction of Fitzroy Crossing then turned north towards the Gibb River Road, stopping to camp at an old quarry that Nina knew from a previous visit to the area. We were slightly disconcerted to discover a group of workmen near the entrance to the campground and even more disconcerted when a bloke holding an enormous gun in one hand and a beer in the other gave us friendly directions to the camping spot... Made for slighly nervous camping but fortunately the night was peaceful with no sounds of gunshots or partying. It was Little Sasha's turn to share Nina's tent and they rose with the sun the next morning to clamber around the rocks above the campsite. Unfortunately Big Sash discovered during the night that he had been attacked by sandflies in Broome - his arms were covered with itchy welts which continued to torment him throughout the trip.

We stopped at Tunnel Creek in order to explore the underground creek. It was pretty cool wading through the sometimes-deep pools wondering whether we were brushing up against fresh water crocs, and checking out the bats in the roof of the caves. The history of the place is interesting - the famous aboriginal outlaw Jandamarra hid there for 3 years until the troopers caught up with him and shot and decapitated him at the mouth of Tunnel Creek in 1897. It was amazing to think of him living in the darkness for so long.

We travelled on to Windjana Gorge, enjoying the vistas of boab trees, red rocks and spindly gums as we drove. We were surprised to find the Windjana campground had flushing toilets and hot showers - we had been expecting to rough it in the Kimberly and yet the campgrounds had more luxurious facilities than we had seen outside a caravan park for a very long time. The next morning we headed into the gorge where we climbed a rocky path through caves and along ledges until we found groups of freshwater crocodiles basking in the sun on the banks of the water. We were able to get within metres of the crocs which was pretty amazing.

After returning to the campsite, we packed up in the hot sun and then hit the road. Soon enough we turned onto the actual Gibb River Road - famed for its bumps and ability to break even the toughest Landcruiser. After checking out a few campsites, we finally decided on a little spot next to a stream lined with pandanus. There was no one else there which was lovely as the kids could make noise and we could enjoy a short break from the crowds of Kimberly tourists. Nina and Jane braved the 'croccy looking' stream for a cooling swim and Bill and Nina set rods in the hope of catching some dinner. Nina, a knowledgeable birdo, was excited to spot a rare purple-crowned fairy wren.

Apart from some stress about having enough petrol and poor Big Sasha's itching arms, it had been an inspiring start to our time in the Kimberly - lovely landscape, shady campsites and the general excitement of spending some time with family after such a long time on the road.