Broome

Endlich Urlaub! I took one week off from work and hopped in a plane (6 hours flight) all the way to the far north-west of Australia, to Broome in Western Australia. On the way I had a 2-hour stop in Adelaide, for breakfast with my friend and last year's travel mate Cori!

The climate in Broome is much hotter than Sydney, and dryer too. Much of the ground is dusty red sand. With day temperatures in the 30s and night temperatures around 20 C, it's perfect weather for a camping holiday.

Another reason why I chose Broome is that I'm visiting my friends Peter and Toni there. The two have taken up a job as wardens of Broome Bird Observatory. The area is a mekka for birdwatchers as hundreds of different bird species live here, or make stop here on their journeys to feed at the nutricious mud flats before going on the long way to Asia (Siberia) for breeding.

Peter and Toni could take three days off from work and we three drove together into the great Kimberley, an area the size of Germany with a total population of 35.000. We passed by the coastal town of Derby, noteworthy for its high tides of up to 12 metres, and made stop at the Boab Prison Tree, more than 1000 years old hollow boab tree that has actually been used as a prison in the wild 1800s.

After a 350 km drive east, about half on bitumen and half on dirt roads, we reached our destination, Windjana Gorge. This gorge, carved by a river, cuts right through the Napier Range, a massive mountainous rock formation that stands as a geological curiosity with vertical walls in the otherwise flat landscape.

The scenery is magnificent. The gorge is also quite lush with vegetation. It's best to start early in the morning for the walk before it gets too hot in the afternoon. In the river we saw about 10 freshwater crocodiles. (They are not dangerous if you leave them alone.) We also saw a gecko and many birds.

We camped for two nights in a campsite just outside the gorge. Peter and Toni have a camping trailer, and I slept comfortably in a little tent. We sat around a campfire in the evening with guitar and songs. This is the real life!


Near that place we also visited Tunnel Creek National Park, where a creek runs through a natural tunnel in the mountain. It is possible to walk through this tunnel, which is 750 metres in length. You will be waist-deep in water (so best go in swimwear) and you should bring a torch (Taschenlampe) to experience this amazing walk -- it was a fantastic adventure! There are bats in the tunnel and stalactites that look like they might break off any minute.

The creek on the other end of the tunnel is very pretty too and perfect for a bath! (No crocs here.)