This Adventurous Age

FRIDAY 4 AUGUST     HONEYMOON BEACH

There was quite an exodus this morning, especially of what had become our little group – D and R and the three Argyle Mine workers.

It was hot again, and too windy in the morning for fishing trips.

Les went to town, leaving John and aboriginal R to mind the place!

The combined house, office and workshop

John had wanted to have a quiet day, pottering about and doing some packing up, because we had decided last night, that it was time for us to leave also. Seductive though some aspects of the lifestyle here are, we do have other places to see.

I washed some clothes.

John went to make some more signs that he’d promised Les. He was not really in the mood for doing them, so it was an effort.

Some of the camp area, looking towards the Bay

At midday, R came to find John – there was no water! They went off to the bore, checked the pipes – couldn’t find a leak. They tried to keep the system pumping, but probably should have turned the water off to camp and let the tank build up a bit. There was a trickle of water some of the time, but not enough for showers.

I made roti bread for lunch, with enough over for another day or two. Did some preliminary packing up.

After lunch, we went for a drive out along the bore track, to try to tape record the noises of the red tailed black cockatoos. We’d already taped the raucous calls of the blue winged kookaburras, which had been particularly active for the past few days.

Late in the afternoon, we went for a farewell walk along the beach. R had earlier said that a person out fishing had reported a very large crocodile cruising around the point and into the bay.

The beach at Honeymoon Beach

This evening, there were only four other lots in here camping, so the place felt pretty quiet.

Les got back after dark and turned all the water off. He’d apparently found a leak, back up towards the tank, then got up during the night to pump water. He had told us, at some stage earlier in our stay, that frogs get into the works up at the bore and prevent the solar panel tracking the sun, which then means that there is no power for pumping. Hence his need for a large genset.

So, it was a mixed last day here for us.

Dusk light over Napier Broome Bay

Tea was pasta and bottled tomato sauce.

John radphoned his sister H – it was coming up towards her birthday.

It was not good to go to bed feeling grotty, with no shower. I’d wanted to wash my hair too.

I was definitely feeling this night, that it was time to leave here. I’d had enough of aboriginal ad-hoc-ery, and red neck white men.

Les had previously, quite seriously, said that “teacher John” as he calls him, should stay and work here. Presumably just for the pleasure of being here! It would be alright if I went off travelling, but John should stay! I think part of John was flattered, but he has had enough, too. It has been a real insight into some of the issues in such places. We really admired Les, for trying to get this enterprise going, and for his hard work. It was sad that so few of his family, apart from his wife, helped at all. We could only hope – as Les does – that some in the coming generations will show more interest, and willingness to put in consistent effort.

TUESDAY 1 AUGUST     HONEYMOON BEACH

I was woken at 5.30am by noise from the slobs in the lower shed.

After breakfast, we drove into Kalumburu to get “stores” for ourselves. I especially needed potatoes, SR flour and dried milk.

On the way back, we put up the billboard sign and two of John’s Honeymoon painted tyre signs. It was hard work in the heat, but a good thing to do for the place.

Why some signs are needed!

There is real rivalry between Honeymoon and McGowans Island people, with the latter apparently telling travellers that Honeymoon is hard to find, the water supply issues, and so on. There are elements of truth to such statements – but we have now made the place a bit easier to find! Certainly, when we first drove this way, we were very unsure if we were going the right way.

McGowans may attract campers just because it is closer to Kalumburu and the way is obvious, so we put a Honeymoon sign at the McGowans turnoff!

Putting up a new sign

Of course, every Wet season is likely to cause a change in the location of the tracks, as well as their condition.

There was a bit of traffic on the track today. The Argyle men had landed the task of driving to town to fetch Les’ fuel, today! D went with them for something to do, because the two R’s had taken the boat out with fishing trip customers.

Les’ wife went into town and back and several of the family came out from town.

Les spent much of the day trying to fix tyres! And, I suspect, keeping an eye on the men in the lower hut.

On our way back from town and putting up signs, we met the town garbage truck, stuck in the sandy track, not far from the Pago turn off. The driver said he’d taken a friend out to Honeymoon. The travel mates of the Greek men were stopped there – they were leaving today. They were cross at the delay, but pulled the truck out of the sand.

Now the track was even harder to negotiate.

The track to Honeymoon Beach

Back at camp. Les was not happy. He said the lad who came out on the garbage truck should not be there. Apparently, he was after booze and drugs from the slobs in the shed. They were remembered for same, from two years ago! Obviously, word had gotten to town about them.

D said they offered her ganja yesterday!

Les was trying to find a way to get the lad back to town, as he did not want him hanging about out here, indulging.

Ironically, there was to be a big meeting in town, tomorrow morning, to discuss the drink and drugs problems.

We had a late lunch, then lazed about for the rest of the afternoon.

Tea was “flake” in curry sauce – very nice.

MONDAY 31 JULY     HONEYMOON BEACH

Hot and sunny.

There were some campers wanting to do a fishing trip. Les got the two R’s to take them out. Les then summonsed John and told him to hurry up because he and his wife were taking him out fishing! John got ready in a real rush.

The paying fishing party

R casting net for bait

I wrote and sewed, watched from above by my reptilian companion. Talked some with D.

The young Greek guys who had borrowed all the tools the other day, left in the late morning, when there was no one at the office to settle up with. They left some money, but it was not enough to cover their camp fees – was $20 short. They didn’t pay at all for the tool use. They were not nice people.

I was getting more and more annoyed by campers who seemed to think they could swan in here and get away with such things – just because the family is aboriginal.

The respective fishing parties both got back about 3pm. White R  had a big red emperor. John had hooked one, but it broke the gear and got away. They also had some smaller fish and a small shark that John had kept for us. The others had a couple of big cod. It had been a good day out for most. John seemed to have enjoyed himself. This trip was Les’ reward for all the work the men had been putting in around the place.

John with cod caught by someone else

Then there was the usual fish cleaning flurry. We had three or four more fish meals from the day’s catch.

In the afternoon, a party of obnoxious men came in and camped in the lower shed. Some of the party had been here two years ago. They were loud and foul mouthed. They insisted on joining the water pipe to the shed back up, despite being told not to do so. Les turned the water off altogether, at that point. There were people in the shower at the time, who were not happy!

We had fries and golden trevally for tea.

D and R BBQ’d the red emperor on the fire of the three men from the Argyle mine. It took ages. They had asked Les and wife, R and Les’ girls to tea, but wife and the girls got sick of waiting and went back to their shed.

There had been no mention of D’s hide today – I thought  it may have been consigned to a deep hole, somewhere!

SUNDAY 30 JULY     HONEYMOON BEACH

A hot and sunny day – no surprise there.

I radio-phoned K and left message about where we were. Phoned my brother and talked to him and nephew. They clearly found it impossible to visualize this place!

The men worked about the place. This had almost become the norm. I guess they liked being useful, but we were still paying to be here!

I wrote, and lazed, got scared a few times by the evil lizard, then went for a walk on the beach later in the day. It was such a beautiful area, with the turquoise sea. We were getting used to having the blue sea in the background, down the hill from camp, and tended to take it for granted, somewhat.

Napier Broome Bay, from the campground

John made some more signs – pretty good looking ones too. He took a considerable liberty, putting five stars on the tyre signs! He then had to explain the concept of star ratings to Les.

More signs…

D was cross because the two R’s were working and fishing, and she was wanting Aboriginal R to help her with the hide and peg it out for her.

Tea was fries and golden trevally – very nice.

SATURDAY 29 JULY     HONEYMOON BEACH

Hot again, but not as windy.

The men spent much of today working. There were problems with the bore this morning, and hence no water for the campground. As campers still use the toilets, this can become quite unpleasant!

Apparently, the water table has dropped since the bore was put in, and it is silting up. With the help of a welder from the Argyle Mines, who is camping here, they put another 3 metres onto the bore pipe.

So, there was no water all day, because the work took that long.

Then, after it was all on again, they discovered that the pipe to the lower fishing hut had broken again – so that was where all the water that should have been in the overhead tank, had gone. That pipe was shut off and all was well again.

I am finding the recurrent water issues rather tedious. It must be incredibly frustrating for Les.

Aboriginal R took the hung meat to town, to freeze. He left in the morning and had two flat tyres on the Nissan, on the way. What was it that Les said about never having flat tyres?

Some fishing people in camp gave me the back half of a golden trevally. There would  be two meals there, at least.

I cooked roti bread for lunch – very good.

D spent all day cutting bits of meat off her cow hide. She sustained several cuts to her fingers and became quite cross. The flies didn’t help!

I sat round camp and sewed, and read.

There was a critter – a lizard of some sort, almost a metre long – that lives in the dead part of a tree right near the tent. It had a habit of dropping into the long grass and making loud rustling noises. Scared the bejesus out of me, every time. I swore it grinned, too!

Reptile watching me from on high

Reptile climbing back up its tree for another go at scaring me!

Tonight John wanted bacon and eggs for tea. He was sick of fish! We had chicken noodle soup first.

WEDNESDAY 26 JULY     HONEYMOON BEACH

In the morning, Les took John’s namesake’s group out fishing.

The camp had been having ongoing plumbing issues, with the water tank that gravity fed the taps and amenities, emptying out during the nights. John and the two R’s worked on trying to fix the other water pipe leaks and weld up a leaking copper pipe. They initially made it worse, but eventually fixed it. John reckons the problems stem from the fact that Les had used whatever he could lay his hands on, and pipes of different diameters are joined up. The water pipe down to the lower fishing hut was apparently hastily cobbled together, when a tourist group demanded that they have water down there. It is that one that springs the leaks at night that drain the tank.

John put some metal pieces on the gaps that were in the toilet doors, to make them a bit more private.

We were beginning to realize that, if we want even vaguely clean amenities, we will mostly have to clean them ourselves. The family women that are up at the big shed house only make a token gesture at doing this, occasionally.

I made us savoury pikelets for lunch.

Our camp set up at Honeymoon Beach

In the afternoon, I persuaded D to have a go at cutting my hair. It was really annoying me, in the heat. She was rather hesitant, but did a really good job on it.

John phoned his ailing brother and had a chat. This current adventure is exactly what C loves hearing about.

The fishing party had a very successful expedition. They brought back huge black lipped oysters that Les had promised us. John went down to the fishing hut and opened them down there. J had washed them for us – very good of her. We had about 18 of them.

So, for tea, we had an oyster entree, then a Greek salad. Very filling.

The remains of our feast

After our tea, J and J arrived with plates of oysters Kilpatrick – so we had more! They were very good. J and J were having a break from the other members of their party, who were grating on them. We talked for a while before they went back to the hut.