We had planned to stop at another roadside camp area, but when we checked the tour time for Mimbi Caves (8am), we decided to head straight there and the adjacent Jarlaloo Riwi Campground. The cave tours and campground are a local indigenous initiative, a work in progress for several years. We loved the campground. Well spaced out, modern facilities and great views. It felt remote, yet only 5klm’s off the highway. We didn’t unhitch, primarily because our jockey wheel had seized up and the nearest town that might have one was Fitzroy Crossing (in reality we had to wait till Derby). We are so used to the weather up here – sunny days and cool nights. We haven’t seen rain in over four months and our tracky daks haven’t seen the light of day for a year, though you never get blasé about the sunsets and the starry nights.
In WA at the moment, the sun comes up at around 5:30 am so we were awake in plenty of time to get to the Mimbi Caves gate. Our guide Ronnie rocked up in a worse-for-wear Commodore Lumina and we followed him in, a conga line of assorted rigs, RV’s and vehicles kicking dust in the face of the poor soul following. Ronnie is a natural. Self-effacing, down to earth and a great story teller, he quickly had us immersed in the dreamtime, the culture and the practicalities of desert living.
I’m sure most of us had wondered how survival in desert environment would be possible, but after seeing the cool Mimbi Caves with permanent spring fed water, in my mind, it got a whole lot easier.
The tour was wrapped up with some billy tea and damper with a couple of tunes thrown in. It was a great experience and we’re looking forward to another cultural tour or two when we get to the coast.
Fitzroy Crossing was only an hour away and with the last Swans game of the regular season the next day we were looking to settle somewhere close to town. Fitzroy Lodge was recommended and has all the bells and whistles you would hope for including pool, bar and restaurant but internet is not great. I seems that once again, Telstra have skimped on bandwidth for a rural town. It’s like seagulls fighting over a chip anytime before midnight. Still, Broome is getting closer everyday and we’re down to our last few hundred k’s. Things held together with glue and cable ties are still holding, except for the hot water tank that had it’s first pin hole leak back in Darwin. We managed to source a replacement at Coast to Coast RV in Brisbane and it’s on it’s way to Broome as we speak, as well as a few bits and pieces from Jayco in Darwin. We’ve lined up Ron a mobile caravan repair guy in Broome to do the install while Tamika is back in Melbourne.
Next stop Derby.