We returned to Broome and the Cable Beach Caravan Park to meet up with my parents and the kids were very excited to see their Grandparents.

Grandparents and the Family on Cable Beach

We spent the next few days catching up with the Grandparents and the children enjoyed being spoiled as usual by Grandma and swimming in the pool.

Loving the caravan park pool

Bianca started swimming without her safety vest…growing up.

We did a ‘pearl luggers tour’ and got the history of Broome which was built on the trade of buttons in the late 1890s and early 1900s. The history of diving for the pictada maxima mother of pearl shells which were exported over the world for the production of buttons before the invention of plastic buttons.

Broome had many divers from Japan using the new iron helmets and diving. Many divers died from the bends or drowned little was know about diving and the impact on the human body and we visited the Japanese cemetery where there are nearly a 1000 old graves.

Aaron in the diving helmet

Old diving equipment the boots they wore weighted 15kgs each

A 22mm pearl

Pearl buttons cut from pearl shell

Pearl safe for the occasional natural pearl found in the shells 1 in 100,000

Girls next to a shark and pearl lugger boat

Holly in the Japanese Cemetery

After the down turn in pearl shell the cultured pearl industry then took over and is one of the main industries in Broome today apart from Tourism.

We all enjoyed eating out and catching up with Grandma and Grandpa and the sunset views over cable beach.

Sunset drinks at Cable Beach

There have been camel rides on Cable Beach Broome for over twenty years and we followed the tourist trail and went on an afternoon camel ride which was an experience we all enjoyed! They are funny creatures Andrew, Aaron and Biancas camel ‘Amos’ made a lot of loud noise as they got on and then he tried to bite me as Holly and I got on our Camel ‘Issac’ who rather looked like he was old and tired of camel rides and needed a bottle of water poured on his head to get him to stand up…they assured us this was okay…all part of the fun. The camels walk approx 30km a day from the farm and along Cable Beach but this is not too far for a camel. Thankfully we only opted for the half hour ride as both Andrew and I were glad to get off the rather uncomfortable saddles. Camel rides in Broome…definitely a once in a life time!

An iconic view in Broome

Walking on the beach

Andrew Aaron and Biancaon camel Amos

Holly and I on the camel Issac

Meeting a camel…this one was friendly to pat.

Our camels

The children had a two nights sleep over with Grandma and Grandpa in the air conditioning, something we don’t have in the tent! They enjoyed some TV and quality time with the Grandparents and Andrew and I enjoyed a couple of sleep ins and nights alone. A welcome break after 9 weeks. Broome is almost our half way mark and we had the car booked in for a 10,000km service during our stay.

Good bye to Grandma and Grandpa

Sadly after four days we said goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa as they flew back to Perth to visit with our cousins. We stayed in Broome for another couple of nights to see the staircase to the moon. The Staircase to the moon is a phenomena that occurs with a full moon each month and the light shining on the mud flats which looks like a staircase up to the moon. There are great markets with food and tourist items for sale.

Staircase to the moon cool to watch hard to photograph

At the markets

On the night we were there a great drumming group from Freemantle arrived and we enjoyed listening and watching them in their lights dancing around.

Cool drumming group at the night market

Whilst in Broom we had issues with our computer and it turned out we had a melt down literally. Due to the battery in the Apple mac over heating the the computer had not been operating correctly and needed major repairs. The part was ordered from Sydney and would take 3-5 days to arrive.so we headed up the coast and planned to return when the computer was fixed.