Tuesday 29th June - Broome

Broome has the biggest Aboriginal population that we’ve come across to date, but unfortunately there are few positives to be seen.  There is little evidence of any work being done, with groups simply sitting around, whilst others were coming out of the liqueur store with a 30 pack of VB beer each at 10am.  The alcohol problem is such that I was unable to buy a wine box as they have been banned in the Kimberley, and the liqueur store has a sign saying “Only one sale per person per day” and another saying “No shoe, no shirt, no sale”.  Most of the surrounding Aboriginal communities are dry, so the people come into Broome to buy their alcohol.  However, we have also been told that some younger members of the Aboriginal community do take advantage of the many government schemes on offer and learn a trade and work in Broome, so hopefully there will be fewer problems in future.

After another day of sorting out bits and pieces and updating the blog, we met up with Kane and Fi overlooking Cable Beach to watch the sun set.

It was great to see them again, having waved goodbye to them outside the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul last November. They’ve been back in Broome a couple of months, having returned from Europe in order to earn some money before they relocate to Cairns in November (where house prices are half that of Broome).  We had drinks at the Mangrove Beach Club where we would have had a prime seat overlooking the mangrove and mud flats for the last night of Staircase to the Moon, had the clouds not spoiled the show.  It was amazing how quickly the place emptied out when people realised that the moon was obscured, even the didgeridoo player couldn’t persuade them to stay.  Having seen the spectacle on Sunday we weren’t too bothered, and soldiered on with another couple of beers.

Luckily I didn’t fall off the Land Rover when putting up the roof tent when we got back to the campsite; I don’t think Anne would have been too impressed.