Aug 24, 2014
A smoky pink sunrise haze shrouded Cable Beach as the boys anchored Whale Song at 0605. Soon, the final stages of packing and de-mobilising were in full swing and at 9-ish the first run of people hit the beach to commence a day of logistics, including personnel transfers to the airport with carloads of equipment and resupplying Whale Song for her journey southward.
Hmm, arriving in port on a Sunday (as is our way…) only mildly cramped my style. Clearly posting was off the agenda, but fortunately the Sunday Markets were all go, so I opted to bail from the taxi at the Courthouse Gardens, as my first port of call. Wandering under the trees and winding my way through the market, I was at once amazed and interested in the consistency of the trade and traders. I recognised many of the same stalls, stall-holders and even their positioning within the garden, from 19 years ago! This stability is indicative of people being comfortable with their chosen artistic and business lifestyle. A quick bog-lap around Chinatown in Broome also yielded familiar businesses in familiar places with familiar faces. I was impressed with all the traders, at the markets and in the shops being most polite and helpful. I guess in that game, if you want to survive, you must understand the principle that the ‘customer is always right’.
Another smoky sunset reminds us of the proximity of fires to north and south of Broome.
I had to have a Mango Thingy (blended frozen mango) in honour of M and T. This was always one of their favourite must-dos, when at the Broome markets. The roar of wind rustling through the trees and a cloud of dust every 20 minutes or so, spiced up the morning at the markets. Leaves whistled and dry palm fronds rattled – a clear and present warning to secure yourself and belongings. The gusty easterlies swirled through the stalls sending hats flying, products lifting off the tables and stall-holders smiled (but just to cover the grimace of the possibility of sheer disaster) while holding tightly, white-knuckled to the poles of their individual stall shade tents… I carefully shielded my mango thingy downwind, for fear of adding a new flavouring – mango with pindan, if you please!
After a quick lunch of Turkish bread with salad and a Cappuccino, I began the grocery shopping. With our shopping bags from around the world and the list in hand, I crossed items off as the trolley filled… Pretty soon, with one full trolley, already I needed help. So I called the crew for back-up. Resty came to my rescue and we completed the fruit and veggies with two more full trolleys! Back in the black with onions and milk – life will be good again! After 4 weeks at sea we were ready to resupply. At the checkout Carrie helped and then kindly Leighton and Dean took us by car back to Cable Beach loading the bags into the zodiac, enjoying the warm water. It wasn’t the first time that day I had been wet… I went into town with sopping wet pants from our morning beach arrival. Fortunately, my clothes only took 20 minutes or so to dry, keeping me oh so cool along the way!
Skipper is totally relaxed after a crazy morning at the beach, still sleeping off his excitement!
During the gear transfers from Whale Song ashore, Skipper was able to play on the beach under Doug’s watchful eye. Round and round he scampered at full pelt kicking up the sand and up and down at the waters’ edge he raced! His sadness at all the bags appearing in the main salon, indicating people were leaving, was mildly abated when he realised that Daffy wasn’t going. However, when he hit the beach, he was supremely happy and all fore-boding of any sort was lost! When Resty and I returned around 3pm with the groceries, he had half an hour of excited activity and then somebody took the batteries out! Skipper was stretched out on the couch on two layers of cushions, his head down, belly higher and legs all spread-eagled and unkempt. ‘Is Skipper all right?, I queried. Everyone replied, ‘Oh yes, he has just run and run and run on the beach, he’s exhausted! ‘ And that he was. He was so tired, he didn’t even have his usual ‘mental half hour’ chasing his bone after his dinner!
With a quiet bbq meal at anchor, our remaining crew of 7 enjoyed and toasted the beautiful sunset and the successful expedition, turning in for an early night before our departure on the ‘moro.
From within the deep red sunset hues we are reminded of the wild country surrounding Broome. Feeling very fortunate to have been here,
Mich
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