A sad time.....

All my other posts have been of my happy adventures .... this time my post is written with a heavy heart.  Tom and Petra have lost a dear friend from Lyndon Station.  On the weekend at the cattle station there was a single car accident involving 3 of the overseas workers.  Dear Emma (from Ireland)  died in the accident and the other two were injured. (one being a friend of Emma's who had come out from Ireland to spend time with her).   My heart goes out to her parents who would have received the phone call that no parent wants to receive.    Petra was down at the station with the Brian and Julie for the weekend.  Tom and I were here in Karratha as he had to work on the weekend.  I intended to head down to visit soon and catch up with everyone  (the girls I had only just met at the rodeo the weekend before).   I will still go down to the station to see Cath, Sean and the kids.  It will be a sad time.  Emma had worked there for over a year at first as a nanny and then as the cook.  In memory of Emma.

More photos

picnic at Mairie Pool

Looking over Karratha

Dampier Salt

Pannawonica Rodeo

We drove about 2 hours down the road to the Rodeo yesterday.  Pannawonica is a small Rio Tinto mining town.   It was a 3 day event but we just went for the Saturday.  There is a huge camp area with lots of people set up for the night.  It was interesting to go as I have never been to a rodeo before but I don't think it is very kind for the bulls or horses.

Tom, Petra, Julie and me in the big shovel at the Pannawonica turnoff

The boot tree

Breakfast time - nearly everyone has packed up and left

cowboy

It is a big event and people come a long way to watch and compete.   In the evening there were a couple of bands and one was the Sunny Cowgirls who were great.  I went back after the band finished to have my first night in a swag.  I think I just got to sleep and the partying continued in the camp area to the early hours so I didn't get much sleep.  It was so nice in the swag though looking up at the moon and stars.

Hi from the Pilbara ( and pics of my visit to Broome)

Town Beach Broome (don't know the little boy - he just happened to hug the Japanese thing as I was taking the photo)  Does anyone know what it is called???

Sunset at Cable Beach

Gary, Denise and Elizabeth cooking at the backpackers (Beaches of Broome)

I am still chilling (well chilling probably isn't the word as it quiet hot here - well relaxing)  in Karratha.  We did stairway to the moon at Hearsons Cove last Sunday night.  Heaps of people go and we had a bbq on the beach waiting for the moon to rise and reflect on the low tide of the mudflats.  I didn't get a good photo of the moon rise.  There was also poetry readings and a choir singing as it is part of the Red Earth Festival.    It was also interesting to see the gas works, flares and lights at night..  We are off to Pannawonica tomorrow for a Rodeo so that should be fun. 

Up and Down Hills

Hi have been relaxing this week and reading some books and going for walks with Petra and the little dogs.   Last night we all went to the open air cinema and saw Ted (very funny but silly - imagine a movie about a talking teddy bear!).  It was fun and we took pizza and drinks.  Today Tom and Petra took me 4WD up very rough hill tracks and done again of course.  I wasn't very brave and screamed a bit and closed my eyes.  Did some hyperventilating!  During the week I went to some agencies re jobs and a couple of other places to drop off resume.  I got offered one job but due to being with WA gov job it would take 4 weeks to get paperwork done and that is too long and I don't want to stay here that long.  So I will just go with the flow and see what happens or move on after awhile.  Stairway to the moon is one here - full moon rising over the lowtide mud flats.  We might go tonight or tomorrow night.   I hear there has been very cold weather and snow down south in Beechworth/Stanley - hope spring has sprung by the time I get home!  

Karratha

On Sunday, after a swim in the ocean, then the pool, and the market and town beach, I left Broome. On the way out I called in at 12 Mile Cafe for some fruit and ice cream (incredible ice cream).   I enjoyed my stay at Beaches and met heaps of lovely people.  I stopped at a free camp spot a few hundred ks out of Broome.  It was a huge area and a few tents and caravans there.  In the evening there were little fires alight and I chatted to 3 backpackers (one from Canada, one from The Netherlands and one from France).  They were toasting marshmallows - and having them with chocolate and biscuits.   There was also a snake around someone was chasing - I think the snake survived.  I also met a couple that have been travelling and working for 12 years (with their pet budgie).  After a good night's sleep on the road again - I must say the next 600 ks is not the most interesting landscape.  I managed to get radio reception and it made a difference being able to listen to ABC RN.  I arrived in Karratha about 5.30 pm very tired and  very happy to see Tom and Petra.  The next morning Petra and I went with the dogs for a walk to the water (It is sort of a beach with mangroves) which is not far away.   We met Julie at the airport last night (she had been in Perth).  It is Julie and Brian's house and very kind of them to let me stay so I can have time with Tom and Petra.  I met Julie and Brian when I visited Tom at Lyndon Station in 2009.  Julie was the cook there (and a very good one!) and has since married Brian and made Australia her home.  

more pics

Horizontal Falls

A little owl that resides at Beaches of Broome, Cable Beach, during the day

Cape Leveque

On the little plane Kimberley Aviation