Back to Broome (another wordy one, forgive me!)

  

We were towed to Broome’s Gateway Caravan Park, which is a good 30 mins drive from Broome itself. We are always the centre of attention whenever we arrive at any caravan park. Add a prime mover to the picture and we were well and truly famous this time! We arrived nicely in time for happy hour around the campfire and just in time for a hungry little boy (he’s ALWAYS hungry, and the giardia wasn’t helping matters!) to help judge the damper competition. 

We also neatly timed our arrival with the Crab Races the following day. It was one of the things we felt we missed out on last time, so we were pretty keen to go and see what was what.

I put a call out on Facebook, knowing that there were still a few people we had met hanging around in Broome. Low and behold, there was a table full of people when we eventually arrived and we had the BEST night catching up. Belinda and Marty and Tonia and Cameron were there, friends we had met previously in Broome. They each have 2 children, so the kids entertained themselves while we got down to the funky music and cheap beer, watching the crab races and losing a bit of cash trying desperately to win a crab. Jordyn raked in the cash on her crab, though!

The next day was yet another tow-day. Monday morning, which meant the mechanic was open and it was time to get Bertha towed AGAIN and this time to be repaired. We had to pack Baby Bertha, with horrific memories of all the times we did so in Tassie still rolling through our heads. This time we needed the tent and all camping equipment. I tried to convince Dunc it was good practice for if we make it to Cape York in time, but I’m not sure he bought it.

  

Once the car was loaded, Dunc had to steer Bertha yet again, so the kids and I made our way to Broome. The plan was to stay with our friends with many children in the SDA overflow campground. But when we got there, it was all booked out! Eek. I headed off to Broome, with a car full of children and no real destination in sight. We wanted to hang out in a café somewhere, but then I saw all the “Look, Lock, Leave” signs and I got worried about leaving ALL our stuff in the car. For the first time, I felt a little desperate. We were homeless. With literally nowhere to go! Dunc was still struggling with the second tow job – they had sent a different truck which didn’t have enough air-pressure – and he was a good hour or so away from being available. In the end, I drove through McDonalds and we sat in the car and nibbled on a cheeseburger while I tried to figure something – anything – out. Our friends from the booked out overflow popped in for an icecream sunday while I was still trying to figure stuff out.

Dunc messaged me a little map with directions on how to find our other friends from the night before. They were staying in a dodgy caravan park in Broome, which was all very ‘cash in hand’ and low key. I figured out how to get there through the image Dunc sent me, and we finally had a spot to lay our heads that night – phew! Even better, we were with Belinda and Marty, Tonia and Cameron and their assorted children and Riley had Lego for Angus to play with! BONUS!