For one last hurrah we decided to have dinner out at Azuki’s fusion Japanese Restaurant. Sheets of light rain had engulfed the area so the daily highs of 30 + temps had descended to the low 20’s – giving us all a relative chill. We had booked an outside table but fortunately it was covered for just such a weather situation. Directly next door to the restaurant was the fast food outlet called Chicken Treat which offered some interesting viewing due to the rain. Hordes of Aboriginals had collected here to get some shelter from the rain and a bite to eat. One thing must have led to another and sure enough the Police paddy wagon showed up and shouting erupted. It wasn’t quite ‘Cops’ of TV popularity but made for some interesting dinner time drama. The fare was comparable to our favourite sushi eatery in Sydney – Kobe Jones, with melt in your mouth sashimi, massive salmon and spicy tuna rolls and your classic Japanese dessert – Sticky Date pudding (with coconut ice cream) – that must have been part of the fusion theme. Back at the palace we furiously did one last clean up and then crashed in our lovely big beds for one last snooze in comparative luxury. It took us a few hours to pack up the caravan the next morning but still gave us time to hit the Courthouse Markets for a proper coffee, some smoothies and freshly squeezed fruit juice and a few maple syrup crepes. The rains persisted as we said our goodbyes to Broome en route to Fitzroy Crossing – about 400 kms up the road.
Fitzroy Crossing is a tiny little town predominantly populated by Aborigines. Its claim to fame is the Geike Gorge, 18kms out of town as well as the Fitzroy River which runs the length of the town and through the Kimberleys to the ocean. The Fitzroy drains about 70 % of the Kimberley Basin, which for the most part, used to be a massive coral reef some 50 million years ago (during the Devonian Era). The Geike Gorge – soon to be the Darbunga (or something close to this) Gorge – its aboriginal name - is demonstrative of the incredible limestone formations gouged out in sections by the river, wind and acidity in the rains. The textures and reliefs are amazing. When driving in to the area for a cruise along the river, we were struck by the almost animated look of the layered rocks – sure at any second they would come to life and clamber over to our vehicle to crush it under the weight of thunderous steps. We must be watching too many movies like the Transformers or Lord of the Rings. Some of the peaks of the formations appear to be almost suspended or precariously balanced on a precipice. The cruise up the river, although a tad damp from the spitting rain, was beautiful, with the boat very nearly undercutting areas of the cliffs which towered some 20 to 30 metres straight up from the river. The boys counted in the order of 10 fresh water crocs as we made our way up and back. The Freshies – as they’re called – are actually much smaller than their cousins, the Salties – and as such tend not to be a danger to humans. They have a narrower snout and tend to inhabit most of the inland riverways and creeks where the Salties haven’t taken up residence. We’ve got a few days to get ourselves up to Darwin so will take our time in places like Kununurra for a good look around and a visit to the Bungle Bungles if the weather improves and the Purunululu National Park opens again (gotta love the names!) The Mitchell Plateau will also be a must as it is our namesake and touted to be spectacular. Will keep you posted.
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