Broome

The passage from Cygnet Bay to Broome is approximately 140 nautical miles. There are several possible anchorages along the way so we had the choice of three quite longish 40 to 50 mile days or two very long 70 mile days. In true ‘end of trip’ fashion we chose the quickest option possible and ploughed on, stopping for only one night at Beagle Bay. So when we finally arrived in Broome at Gantheaume Point and gratefully tied up to a hired mooring buoy we were well and truly exhausted, yet happy, relieved and satisfied.

Broome marked the end of one of the major sections of our circumnavigation. We had been on the water for 61 days since leaving Fannie Bay in Darwin. It was undoubtedly the most remote and isolated part of our trip, and in that time we had spent 34 days completely on our own and had spent time with only 15 other people. For almost all of July and August we had no internet or phone reception and no contact with our friends and family back home, except for the extremely important weather updates that Matt’s brother Trev provided to us on our SAT phone.

We had been completely self-sufficient and living off only what food we’d put on the boat in Darwin, plus the odd fish we caught here and there. We had had to rely on ourselves and each other for pretty much everything. And we had absolutely loved it. We knew how fortunate we were to be free when so many of our family and friends were having their freedoms curtailed and their lives disrupted.

But after eight and a half weeks, there was no fresh food left and we were both feeling a bit rundown and particularly craving fresh fruit and vegies. So we were very excited to be in Broome, where fresh food and civilisation awaited us. Unfortunately, our highly anticipated stop in Broome turned out to be very uncomfortable and we fled south after only three days.

The guidebooks had warned us that the anchorage at Gantheaume Point, off the famous Cable Beach, could be uncomfortable. But how bad could it really be?, we thought as we dismissed the warning, we don’t really have a choice, we need fresh food and supplies, diesel, gas, a laundromat and to get rid of rubbish. And so we organised to hire a mooring and Sandra sorted out a hire car for us to share.

And I think that if the weather had have played nice, it might’ve been ok. But as it was, the wind blew strongly and the swell rolled in and our poor little boat rocked and rolled and bucked and bounced. The first morning, after a night of very little sleep, we escaped to the beach early and spent the day on land; zoom calls with family, breakfast at a café, a bus into town and a wander through the shops.

I was not at all keen to head back to Cool Change but we eventually made our way back to the beach and battled big breaking waves soaking us as we pushed the tinny through the surf and out into the lumpy water.

Another uncomfortable night followed, with even less sleep, and I felt hungover in the morning as we once again made our way to the beach early to escape the rocking and rolling. On this day we picked up the hire car and then the four of us worked hard to get as many jobs done as possible. We did a big grocery shop, ditched bags of rubbish and filled up gas bottles. Sandra and I did loads and loads of laundry, while the boys visited a range of stores to source the various spare parts that they needed.

The huge tides in Broome meant that when leaving your tinny for any amount of time, you either needed to pull it a long way up the beach if the tide was rising, or you returned to find it a long way from the water, if the tide was going out. Since we had a hire car, the boys figured why strain ourselves lifting and carrying the heavy tenders when we can simply attach them to the back of our hire car and drag. In this way, I think we provided much comic relief for all the tourists gathered on the beach with their picnics and their sundowners.

That evening we had been hoping to head back out in the car to treat ourselves with a meal out, but on arriving back at the anchorage with our final jobs done, and seeing the state of the sea, the huge swell rolling through and waves crashing on the beach, Brian and Sandra opted to stay in the safety, if uncomfortableness, of their boat. And as for us, there was just no way we wanted to be on the boat for another night, so I hastily shoved camping and sleeping gear into a backpack and we made for land.

We had dinner at a deserted Chinese restaurant while I googled last minute accommodation, but only two rooms were available in the whole of Broome, for an exorbitant cost. Oh well, beach camping it is! The emptiness of the restaurant in the middle of an overpacked town should have told us something, but by the time we’d sat down and opened up the menu to see the staggering prices, we were too exhausted to care. We ate our expensive dinner at Wings Chinese restaurant, which reminded us so much of the Crook family’s favourite Wing Ho Chinese restaurant on Phillip Island. The 70’s décor was identical, if not the prices and dearth of customers.

Still, I was grateful to be off the boat and grateful that I wasn’t cooking. We made our way back to the now empty beach where I set up my sleeping bag in the back of the car and Matt camped on the beach. We woke to blessedly calm waters in the morning, and after a quick trip to Bunnings and coffee from a gorgeous little local café, we hauled our camping gear back to the yacht and descended on Sealeaf to discuss our plans.

Brian cooked us all bacon and eggs and we discussed our options. We had all been hoping to head out to the Rowley Shoals, a remote reef some 150 miles and two days sail from Broome, but there was no sign of the strong winds letting up and a remote, isolated reef with no protection is the last place you want to be in wild weather. So we regretfully abandoned that idea and decided to head straight for Dampier. This change of plans meant that Sealeaf wouldn’t need any extra fuel, and in fact had enough to spare for us, so that neither of us would have to wait around until Monday to purchase diesel off Zorba, the fuel guy here in Broome.

So we bought 200 litres of diesel off Brian and Sandra, and while the boys filled up our jerry cans, Sandra gave my hair a much needed haircut. We drove the car into town and Sandra and I wandered around the shops while the boys headed for the pub. After finishing our final tasks of filling up a jerry of unleaded and the all important booze shop, Sandra and I picked up the boys and we headed back to Sealeaf for dinner and drinks. Matt and I toasted our brand new nephew, gorgeous little Frederick, born the previous night to Kate and Trev. Congratulations guys!!

The brief respite in the weather was well and truly gone as the mega swell returned. It was very tricky, if not a little dangerous, getting back onto our boat that night. But we didn’t care, we would be leaving the next day. We had completed all of our essential jobs and now could leave this horrible rolly anchorage. Brian and Sandra were staying for one more day; to get Tilly the dog a haircut and to return the hire car. We would catch up with them in Dampier.

We hadn’t had a great time in Broome, which was disappointing, but that’s just the way things go sometimes. Time to move on and see what else is in store for us…….

Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional.

Roger Crawford