BROOME

After a week at Barn Hill Station we headed off to Broome. We stayed a night at the Sandfire Roadhouse caravan park on the way up. Very rough and ready. The servo had been burnt down and they had replaced it with Atco type huts and as for the powered sites - we were lucky to find one with the wires still attached that worked, this spot also has huge potential but lacks the passion (ohh for the opportunity to own one of these places).

We decided to stay at a place 27kms out of Broome. It is called Gateway B&B. It was quiet, not crowded and they take dogs. We found out about this place because we had enquired about a job there as caretakers. When we rang we found out that it wasn't so much a caretakers job - but contract cleaners. So we said no thanks, but wil still stayed there for 3 nights, generator power only but it had tap water, another gold mine waiting to happen.

We did a drive around Broome, seen it now so don't care if we don't go back again. Yes, it has nice beaches, etc. but it is too busy - there are plenty of other places close by that are just as nice if not better. It is okay if you want to go there for the Resort lifestyle and partying but it is very hard to do a bit of quiet fishing or to watch the sunset in peace.

BARN HILL STATION

We stayed at Indee Station for 3 nights and then decided to head up to a place 130 kms south of Broome called Barn Hill Station. It is a station on the coast that has diversified (with great profits) by having a caravan park on the cliffs overlooking the Indian Ocean.

It is a beautiful spot with great views. It's a shame the same can't be said for the way they run it The powered Caravan park side of the business has been around for a long time and utilised by the same group of people for that period, if your not in the click then you live up the other end without power and with the most basic facilities. Now basics don't bother me but when you see the money going through that place it wouldn't take much to put a little back - but we still enjoyed our stay. The dogs loved going in the surf every day and we loved going swimming every day. I still can't get used to the idea that we are swimming in the ocean in Australia in the middle of Winter. The water is so warm. I must admit, it is always in the back of your mind that there could be a croc around. They say that they generally don't go down the coast that far, but you can never be 100% confident.