BARN HILL and 80 MILE BEACH

Heading south from Broome, we follow the trail of red dirt to Barn Hill. Barn Hill Station, situated right on the beach, has a true community vibe.

In no time at all we settle into a comfortable rhythm. Lyn, our new yoga buddy, joins us each morning. We travel with a spare yoga mat especially for these occasions. Then off to a group tai chi session, which overlooks the ocean. Breaching whales regularly distract me from my tai chi moves.

Hearing me playing ukulele, Tony and Lisa come over for a chat. Fellow uke players seem to attract each other like magnets. From then on, we have great fun making music together under the trees. Little do we realise how huge our audience is. Above us, thousands of metallic green beetles, groove to our sounds.

Barn Hill is very social, with Friday night having a raucous evening of gambling. What a hoot! Will definitely introduce this game to Perth.

Our hopes of ocean swimming are dashed, due to a large estuarine croc in the area. A swim in the lagoon makes up for it.

Lisa and Tony join us for an interesting beach walk. The rock formations are sensational, with their sculptured shapes rising dramatically skyward.

Even our feathered friends feel part of the Barn Hill community. One cheeky fella checks in for breakfast each morning, nicking my toast as I take a bite!

Having been here for nearly two weeks, we reluctantly say our farewells to Barn Hill. With summer fast approaching, we continue south, destination 80 Mile Beach. It is exactly that, a long stretch of beach, with huge 9 metre tides. As we drive over the hill our hearts skip a beat, seeing the beautiful aqua ocean. Already visualizing diving into the cool water, I am sadly mistaken. It is a haven for fisherman, very silty with loads of sharks and sea snakes.

Never mind, we have other things to entertain us. The low tide reveals its booty. A fishing trip has gone horribly wrong. Setting out at high tide, a young fisherman foolishly attempts to retrieve his boat on the low tide and bogs his ute. He then ‘borrows’ a brand-new front-end loader from the station where he is contracted. You guessed it. Two bogged vehicles and he gets fired.

It is a week of mayhem, with the vehicles totally disappearing under water each high tide. One full day is spent attaching large ship mooring ropes, constantly being beaten by the incoming tide. Back hoes and tractors work from sunrise to sunset. Then they bring in the BIG guns, a heavy recovery vehicle truck from Port Hedland.

On the morning of our departure, we watch from the dunes as they drag out the vehicles. Not without drama of the rope snapping, sounding like gun fire.

Entertainment over, we pack up our camper shrouded in mist. This time we are ready for our next adventure.

FOOTNOTES: 

Barn Hill – Barn Hill Station
141km from The Broome
Sealed road, short bit unsealed from turn off
$35 per night, powered
Flushing toilet, hot shower
Stayed – 11 night in September 2018
Our rating – 5*****
Comments: Natural camp setting, super relaxing and friendly.

80 Mile Beach – 80 Mile Beach Caravan Park
256km from Barn Hill
Sealed road
$35 per night, powered
Hot showers and flushing toilets
Stayed – 3 nights in September 2018
Our rating – 4****
Comments: Typical, neat ‘straight lines’ caravan park.