Easter in Broome

April 18th to Broome 609 km

Woke up 05:00 am and then breakfast 05:30 am. Did not finish in time for departure 06:00 am as planned but at 06:17 am we left. Caught up with Neil, Dave and Noel and Helen at the first petrol stop after 200 km. Raoul changed car went with Neil as a passenger the next stop. Which was the Sandfire Roadhouse. On the way we passed the exit to 80 Mile Beach. Neil commented that it was the wrong place. It turned out later that it was the right place and we missed it! When we discovered the error, it was 41 km to drive back. 82 km back and forth.

The rented house in Broome worked well. Plenty of space for ten of us. We cook ourselves but don't have to clean after the stay. Ended the day with a trip to Cable Beach to watch the sunset. It was not special today.

_{The boats must be big in order to manage the waves on the Ocean.
Sandfire Roadhouse in WA.}

_{Sunset in Broome first night.}

April 19th Good Friday in Broome 26 km

Breakfast in decent time, ie at eight o'clock. We decide to take a walk in the car around the city. We went down town and stayed at the lookout at the Chinatown. Then we head out to the lighthouse. There is a footpath out to the cliffs which are fantastic. The sea has really shaped these cliffs. Then we go to Cable beach and walk a little above the beach. It's high tide. We have a coffee at Zanders by the beach. Then we decide to go down to the Port, i.e. the big harbor. We saw a nice restaurant right there at the pier that we walked out on as far as we could. There were some fishing enthusiasts standing and fishing.

We also visited a place nearby where people drop in and pull up their boats when they go out fishing. Then we went back to town and visited the Japanese cemetery. It is very aesthetic in Japanese way. Difficult to read on the stones as in most cases it is written only in Japanese, but beautiful. and well kept compared to the Anglo-Saxons beside. The heat hit us and we went back for some lunch in the house. After lunch we went down to Cable Beach and had a swim together with Neil and David.

_{This sign was at the boat ramp.
The beach at high tide.}

The tide had changed radically so it was a bit to go on the beach before reaching the water. The water was really hot, so it felt like a single big bath! We saw the famous camels on the beach! Since it is Good Friday today we ate fish and chips for dinner. Good!

April 20th Easter Eve in Broome

Taken it easy. Be on display of pearl capture and pearl cultivation. Bought a two small smart bags. Cecilia bought three small bottles of fragrance on the market. Hot today a rain came in the afternoon evening and gave some relief. Staircase to the Moon occurs this night.

There was a market in the city today, so we went there. It was much like most markets, clothing, crafts and food and drink. Very hot. Then we were on a guided lecture about luggers, ie about those who picked up pearl oysters from the bottom of the ocean outside. Lugger are the boats they used and on which they could be out for several weeks. The divers were dragged though the seaweed by the boat.

They had to pick the oysters they could reach. the speed of dragging was determined by the boat or rather the captain of the ship. Workdays could be many hours under water every day.

But it was a hard life as a diver. Many drowned or got the diving sick. The working days were about 10 hours. They could not go to rest during that time. Peeing was made in a bottle. In order not to have to do number two as they say here, they used opium. So some became addicts too. Very interesting lecture.

_{The Luggers were small boats.
Air pump and a diving suit.}

The pearl in the shell mainly used for buttons. The pearls became a by-product, you might say. Eventually, the pearl buttons were outclassed by the plastic. Then the pearls became important and they started to grow pearls instead. It was a Japanese who figured out how to do that. After this tour we took a turn on the town in the heat. Came back to the house eventually. Ate a little lunch. Suddenly, a heavy rain came.

Tonight is the full moon and tide coming in, so we will look at "The staircase to the moon". You gather on a special beach and watch as the moon rises. So we all went down. There were a lot of people. But great when the moon came up! Unfortunately a bit cloudy so the steps were not so clear. Then back to the house where we ate left overs.

_{The staircase to the moon.
"Leftovers" - only wine left?}