camping up the cape

Everyone should have a cape to their north where you can head off for a few days in a four wheel drive for a bit of adventure.  In the time I spent in Queensland, I never did make it more than a little way up the Cape York Peninsula, but there was something reassuring about knowing it was always there, hanging over us with mysteries to be revealed and adventures to be had.  Over here our cape is not quite so famous but no less alluring.  We'd been up a couple of times last year, but not since Little Bird was born, and not in our car either.  But the heat and humidity of the Wet are closing in and we decided that if we were going to take Little Bird camping any time soon, then we better get out and do it.  I also had a long long weekend off work, so we had no excuses for moping around town.  We loaded up the car, strapped in the baby, and headed north.

The Dampier Peninsula is a big flat red triangle of land that sticks out northward between Broome and Derby with a sandy corrugated road up the middle of it.  We were nervous about how Little Bird might handle the corrugations, but needn't have worried.  She slept most of the way, waking at the end of the dirt just before Beagle Bay.  We pulled into the community there for a bit of a rest and to stretch our legs (photo above) and then cruised on north to Cape Leveque, at the tip of the peninsula.  Kooljaman Resort at the cape is locally owned with a full range of camping/glamping options - we decided that this time we'd set ourselves up in a beach shelter for the weekend and save some of the more glam options for something special.  Little Bird seemed to approve of the decision, as you can see from her face here as she helps me with setting up camp:

The weekend was a winner all round - cool breezes and hammocks, short walks to the beach, cool swims at least a couple of times each day, sunsets and sunrises.  I finally got my kayak out and paddled around the cape and out to see Leveque Island, and also did some snorkelling just off the beach where I was saw my first blue-spotted ray.

On the Saturday we noticed a poster for the harvest party and Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, just across the peninsula from us.  We decided it was worth a look, and we managed to score a beautiful seafood dinner, some live music from Beagle Bay, and the biggest bonfire we've ever seen.  We were probably the first people to head home from the party, but we also had the youngest party-goer with us, so I don't think we lose any cred on that one.

The drive home at the end of the weekend was a dream, with our little girls sleeping through almost the whole trip.  We got home refreshed and with that "why don't we do this every weekend?" feeling we seem to get (almost) every time we go camping.

dos abuelas

Broome is 'home' now, but it's also a long, long way from 'home'.  For six months of the year we can get a direct flight to Brisbane (one per week) or Sydney (two per week) and we can be back 'home' in a mere four or five hours.  For the other six months we might as well be in a different country as getting 'home' is an all-day flying adventure.

We feel that distance more now with Little Bird, and not just because the prospect of seven-and-a-half hours flying time with an eight-and-a-half-month-old (plus an hour or so spent in Perth airport between flights) is a bit like the prospect of an all-day visit to the dentist.  But more we feel it because we see our little one growing, learning, and changing so much in between our visits to family and friends back east.  We're really glad to be building some close connections in our hood here, but we really miss all you people and would love to have her growing up surrounded by your love.

So we're so glad for all the visitors we've had here, and especially that Little Bird's grandmas have both had the chance to come and visit recently for some slow Broome family time and to keep building their relationships with our little girl.