with one of them being the relocation to a much nicer caravan park at Roebuck Bay (see pics). The sites are far more spacious than where we were and have a look at these views! There is a fair bit of history associated with Roebuck Bay with it being one of the sites of the numerous ship wrecks off the West Coast of Australia. A careful look to sea at low tide shows shallow areas and some rocks that could prove lethal to a vessel caught unaware. Thankfully today we have the benefit of good oceanographic maps and the all too familiar GPS systems to keep us out of strife. If you have a close look at the middle photo
you can see a number of vessels moored in the bay, enjoying the calm water off of the Broome Coast. 
While there we did, however, get the experience of the wind the locals complain they get, causing accelerated drifts while bottom fishing. Personally I think they have it pretty good as they say they can typically get to sea all but a handful of days each year, and the fishing is even good for the vast majority of those! We also appreciated the friendly atmosphere at Roebuck, even bumping into someone from Ballina, just a few kms from home. More on that later...Another highlight of our time in Broome was the travelling Questacon Exhibit from the National Science and Technology Centre in Canberra at the local library. This is a brilliant exhibit with a broad diversity of interactive science related information for children of all ages. The design of the presentation / activities makes learning about science & technology great fun!
Speaking of fun, we sometimes make our own and few are better at this than Christian.
All he needs is a good angle on a curb to make a BMX track and he is airborne! (See pic)Maree also had the chance for some two wheeled fun on this scooter. It had been hired by Rick, the fellow from Ballina NSW who just happened to be on the caravan site behind us at Roebuck Bay and was kind enough to give Maree a lend of it for a couple of laps around the park. Just one look at the grin on her face is enough to tell you she was really enjoying herself. (It is good that the flies are not thick there at this time of year. :) )
While in Broome we also bumped into Marilyn, a friend of Maree’s who also works at the hospital in Ballina. What a small country it is at times. Marilyn and Daryl had come straight across from the east coast and were planning to see the west coast in 8 weeks, so were on a mission, with their days packed with tour
s and sightseeing. This was of great benefit to us as they could give us some guidance of those which were good or otherwise.The children just get easier and easier to travel with. Mariah has become very responsible and is quick to offer to help with anything from making meals to setting up the site when we arrive someplace. She is also good about attending to independent schoolwork such as her reading. She just grabs a folding chair and her book and gets started on her assignment.
Christian has a harder time staying focused but I think we were all probably more distractible at age 7, (especially with every bump looking like the beginnings of a BMX track). Incentives work well for Christian so “work before play” is a well used strategy.
I also think that the children have become much closer since the start of the trip. They have become more skilled at resolving differences and due to the close living quarters, absenting oneself can be a pretty limited option at times so they are inclined to discuss matters and then move on.
Just a few hours drive south of Broome is a little spot called Port Smith, located 20+ kms down a dirt road where there is reportedly good fishing and they even rent out bo
ats. This sounded like an opportunity not to be missed, though I had some serious reservations as the road was very soft in areas and was graded to form a “V” shape. This is not too much of a problem if there is no oncoming traffic (for the 1 hour drive in) and you can maintain speed in the soft sand and stay in the middle of the road. If however, someone comes along and you need to drive up along the incline it is downright dangerous in a tall vehicle with a high centre of gravity, especially in soft sand. For this reason alone I would recommend avoiding it unless driving a 4WD vehicle with a low centre of gravity. Once on the road there was no place to turn around so we ploughed on through the sand and got there intact.Immediately after checking in to the caravan park we hired a boat and load
ed up with bait and gear recommended at the shop to catch those prizewinning fish. They told me that it was impossible to miss out on a feed so we headed forth with great anticipation, fishing the areas mapped out for us. The conditions were cold and windy but we were not deterred, determined to catch our dinner. To our credit we all caught fish, but the largest was still smaller than some of the bait we use on the east coast. We tried everything, from using the different baits to using lures to changing hook sizes and rig configurations, all to no avail. We fished the mouth of the river at the bar, areas just off the beach, the islands, and the estuaries. From rocky outcrops to mangroves to fallen logs to sandy bottoms we fished them all, but the big fish just refused to make that journey from the cold, murky, croc infested depths to a nice warm dinner plate. :)
Fortunately we still had a tin of baked beans and loaf of bread in the cupboard so didn’t go hungry but it wasn’t quite the baked fish dinner we had hoped for.
For those who do have the 4WD and tinnie, the Port Smith area has a dirt track that extends to the river where one launches their boat. (Ref photos) As you may have gleaned from the above, there is a broad diversity of marine habitats here and I would expect that either local knowledge or a net across the mouth of the river may assist in getting fish in the boat, (though the latter may come with one of the resident crocs and / or a visit to the local slammer). To my way of thinking, there are a lot more areas that are far easier to access where people actually catch fish, so if I had to do it over again, I wouldn’t.
For those who do have the 4WD and tinnie, the Port Smith area has a dirt track that extends to the river where one launches their boat. (Ref photos) As you may have gleaned from the above, there is a broad diversity of marine habitats here and I would expect that either local knowledge or a net across the mouth of the river may assist in getting fish in the boat, (though the latter may come with one of the resident crocs and / or a visit to the local slammer). To my way of thinking, there are a lot more areas that are far easier to access where people actually catch fish, so if I had to do it over again, I wouldn’t.
From Port Smith we ventured down the coast to 80 Mile Beach, which is only a short 10 or 12 km drive
in on a dirt road that was in pretty good shape. Upon arrival we registered and went to our site, only to realise that Marilyn & Daryl were just two sites away from us and had already been there a day. This was terrific as they could tell us the best times to go fishing and the best bait to use. I grabbed my fishing rod, bait, a couple of lures and headed for the beach. 
The first impression of 80 mile beach is the expansiveness of it. It literally goes much farther than the eye can s
ee.
in on a dirt road that was in pretty good shape. Upon arrival we registered and went to our site, only to realise that Marilyn & Daryl were just two sites away from us and had already been there a day. This was terrific as they could tell us the best times to go fishing and the best bait to use. I grabbed my fishing rod, bait, a couple of lures and headed for the beach. 
The first impression of 80 mile beach is the expansiveness of it. It literally goes much farther than the eye can s
ee. The beach is also a "shell beach", with literally millions of shells and sandollars. The children immediately began combing through them looking for those that would make good souvenirs.
Now to say that this is a popular place for beach fishing is an understatement. 
There would have been about 100 of us lined up along the beach but they tell me that during peak periods it can be two or three times that. In spite of this, there was still a spot to be had for me to wet a line. I then noticed that the 4WD’s were coming onto the beach from the caravan park and driving one way or the other to get away from the crowds. The target fish for the beach fishing here is threadfin salmon, which are supposed to be good if eaten fresh. I was determined to catch a feed and my enthusiasm was buoyed even more when after just a brief 1 ½ hours I saw a fellow two down from me pull a fish out of the surf.
Following my miserable performance as “hunter and gatherer” at Port Smith I pulled out all the stops and sent the children on a mission to see what bait he was using and how his rig was configured. They did a magnificent job, advising me that his bait was similar
to that I was using but cut a bit smaller and he had a little more weight on his line. I then looked at how far out he cast, his retrieve speed and the amount of tension he kept on his line. Armed with this knowledge I adjusted my rig to match his and waded out deeper than he had, cast a bit farther and retrieved at the same speed. When he put fresh bait on I discreetly changed my bait, but still did not get so much as a nibble. Another hour went by without anyone else within sight catching a fish and then the successful fisho’s wife landed a fish and once again my trusty spies took a casual stroll up the beach to check her bait, rig, etc. She was using the same set up as him so I then watched her cast distance, line tension and retrieve speed, but it seemed that she was copying her husband. They packed up shortly after as did the other 98 fishos, but I stayed the course thinking that with every departed fisho my chances improved. 
As the sun set into the ocean the cruel reality set in that I wouldn’t need to get out the filleting knife and we may once again be digging the baked beans out of the cupboard. In the end I was rewarded, not by fish but by a magnificent sunset!
Fortunately Maree was prepared for the worst and prepared a terrific dinner, for which I was most grateful.
Next week we move farther south to Port Hedland, Point Samson, Karratha, and Dampier, a few of the key areas fuelling the West Australian economy. We also celebrate Mariah’s 10th birthday at the “Staircase to the Moon”, so don’t miss it.
There would have been about 100 of us lined up along the beach but they tell me that during peak periods it can be two or three times that. In spite of this, there was still a spot to be had for me to wet a line. I then noticed that the 4WD’s were coming onto the beach from the caravan park and driving one way or the other to get away from the crowds. The target fish for the beach fishing here is threadfin salmon, which are supposed to be good if eaten fresh. I was determined to catch a feed and my enthusiasm was buoyed even more when after just a brief 1 ½ hours I saw a fellow two down from me pull a fish out of the surf.Following my miserable performance as “hunter and gatherer” at Port Smith I pulled out all the stops and sent the children on a mission to see what bait he was using and how his rig was configured. They did a magnificent job, advising me that his bait was similar
to that I was using but cut a bit smaller and he had a little more weight on his line. I then looked at how far out he cast, his retrieve speed and the amount of tension he kept on his line. Armed with this knowledge I adjusted my rig to match his and waded out deeper than he had, cast a bit farther and retrieved at the same speed. When he put fresh bait on I discreetly changed my bait, but still did not get so much as a nibble. Another hour went by without anyone else within sight catching a fish and then the successful fisho’s wife landed a fish and once again my trusty spies took a casual stroll up the beach to check her bait, rig, etc. She was using the same set up as him so I then watched her cast distance, line tension and retrieve speed, but it seemed that she was copying her husband. They packed up shortly after as did the other 98 fishos, but I stayed the course thinking that with every departed fisho my chances improved. 
As the sun set into the ocean the cruel reality set in that I wouldn’t need to get out the filleting knife and we may once again be digging the baked beans out of the cupboard. In the end I was rewarded, not by fish but by a magnificent sunset!Fortunately Maree was prepared for the worst and prepared a terrific dinner, for which I was most grateful.
Next week we move farther south to Port Hedland, Point Samson, Karratha, and Dampier, a few of the key areas fuelling the West Australian economy. We also celebrate Mariah’s 10th birthday at the “Staircase to the Moon”, so don’t miss it.
