This is our 9th day now at Barn Hill Station and I think we’ll probably be here about another 9. The fishing here was supposedly great before we arrived, but since we’ve been here they seem to have gone off the bite, and not just for us. Others are struggling to catch them off the beach as well. Someone said it’s because the water has cooled down a bit. So far we’ve caught one ok sized Queenie, and that was good eating, but nothing else that’s been worth keeping.

However, Lucy and Wally are keeping us supplied with enough fish to supplement our protein supplies from their boat fishing and they still seem to be catching plenty off shore. The people with boats agree on a time to leave, and all go out in convoy for the sake of safety.

Wally is hoping to go out tomorrow and is taking Paul, which is something I’m sure Paul’s looking forward too, as so far, whilst my fishing has been pretty grim, Pauls has been even more dismal. Mind you, he does spend valuable fishing time rigging up my line and helping retrieve anything I do catch, so my catches are really joint efforts.

Someone once said to me prior to us leaving our Perth jobs that I had ‘red dust fever’. Well we’re certainly getting any hankering for ‘red dust’ well satisfied. At the days end we’re both looking really bronze tanned, but most of it disappears once we’ve taken a shower. I’m sure half of what remains could still be scrubbed out of our pores and we’d be close to Pakeha coloured again. Pakeha is the Moari word for ‘white person’.

One thing up here that’s not in short supply is fresh water. After the 10 km trip in initially, a trip into Broome one day, and another to Eco Beach meaning two more return trips on the red dusty road from the highway into the station, our ute was looking more red than white. Paul attached the water to his car cleaning broom this morning and gave it a good wash. I should have taken a photo of it at the stage when he had the front door cleaned and half the back door washed. The difference was hilarious.

We’re still thoroughly enjoying it, and despite a never ending battle of keeping red dust and insects out of the caravan we don’t have a hint of being ready to move onto more civilised territory yet. We do want to get onto Kunnunnurra, Katherine and eventually Darwin though this season so we won’t be able to stay here for too much longer. We can see why people make the drive to here from all over the country, and stay put 4 – 5 months each year. Some of them even plant little vege patches on their site. There’s something about all this red dust that gets into one’s blood, and 4 – 5 months of it a year wouldn’t be at all difficult to live with.

We’re about to set off down the beach for a walk, a swim, and to take some photos. The beach here is stunning with red cliffs against pale golden sands and clear, deep water. The sand’s firm and there’s lots of rock pools at low tide that make for interesting walks. Dotted here and there along the red cliffs are some impressive rock formations. It is a beautiful beach.