May 21-22 Cape Keraudren on the road to Broome

Early morning fog at Cape Keraudren

Took 2 days to get to Broome from Karijini. We overnighted at Cape Keraudren just out of Port Headland. A beautiful beach location with a rather disconcerting Ranger running the show. We when we arrived with the Serisiers and Webbs (friends of Sam and Kate’s that we had met in Karijini) in tow the ranger was pointed out to me as the guy drinking the beer chatting to a couple of folk at a nearby caravan. I wandered over and before I could speak he asked me if I had brought my baby oil. I thought “righto here we go next thing he’ll be asking about is the bikini” He went onto explain in great detail that due to my feminine hormones I am very attractive to the local sandfly. The only thing to save me from extreme discomfort would be either baby oil or to cover up with long pants and sleeves. He said he couldn’t talk to me any further until I had covered up. The boys/ men apparently don’t have to worry about the sandflies because of their less attractive hormones. Still not sure whether he was pulling our legs with the sandfly thing, but needless to say everyone covered up.

With beer and fag in hand, he proceeded to regal the children with stories of the area’s importance to aboriginal women. Sacred caves that only women can ever find. An area of great importance to the Gnaraloo women who come to the cape to give birth. What to do in the event the kids come across a snake. How to escape a charging croc (apparently you run sideways to the croc). Kids loved it.

Woke to heavy fog in the morning. The evening dew and early morning mist had been so heavy that it seeped through the tent and dripped onto us all night. Drip drip drip

Left the Serisiers and the Webbs to take the slow road to Broome as we hightailed it out of there so that we could fit in a trip to Cape Leveque north of Broome before meeting up with Judy on Monday.