24th - 30th October - Broome

After the adventures of the Kimberleys checking into a 12 bed dorm seemed like a bit of luxury!  Broome is a very small town and seems to be the gateway to the Kimberleys.  It also has a beautiful beach called Cable beach named after the telegraph cable laid between Oz and Java in 1889 which I planned to visit in the first couple of days there - unfortunately a saltwater croc had the same idea and the authorities decided to warn people from bathing there for a couple of days.  The tour group have become a real unit and on the second night there we decided to have a picnic on the beach and hope the saltie wouldn't gatecrash the party.

After the first couple of days I moved from the YHA hostel I was at as it seemed more like party central or a workers doss for the travellers who were working there and head to the hostel where most of the others in teh group were.  Beaches is new hostel with a great chilled atmosphere and facilities are more like a hotel than hostel.

Broome is a funny place as they have a 95 year old open air cinema which is quite impressive and so we took in a movie one night.  This was a real comedy moment as in this historic site settled in with popcorn and coke, watching trailer for upcoming movies came a real 3D experience.  A large jet flew over at no more than 100m up above us.  This is the other strange thing in Broome.  The airport is slap bang in the centre.  So planes coming in give a birds eye view of the town, and passengers can probably work out whats on at the cinema, and where the local chippy is.

I also discovered another fantastic place to chill in Broome - Matsos.  This is a small brewery which is now sending beer all over the country (sounds like the Coniston brewery), and further.  On three seperate occasions a couple of dedided to head to the Broome museum and for one reason or another got side tracked heading to Matsos.  I blame the heat!!!

I was starting to feel that life was getting to luxurious again so have decided to head out with Suzie and Cally to Cape Leveque for a bit of outdoors camping and 4x4 fun and games.  We have rented a 4x4 and have some plans to see some more beauty spots on the coast.  Iam not sure if it is the sites I want to see or that I cant used to the luxury of a mattress again!!!  I guess I will have time to work that one out on the drive up.