23 March 2018 - Day 20 - Broome to Halls Creek

The Lodge has pretty strict rules regarding alcohol use. Alcohol from the outside cannot be brought past the main door. In bold letters it is written on the floor and at eye level at the entrance. However, one can buy alcohol from the store of the Lodge and consume. But, if a guest of the occupant has to consume in the room he has to be signed in. Mark told me that these rules were brought in to stop untoward incidents. The Lodge was indeed a cozy place, but the shared toilets could be better maintained, I thought.

By 5 am I was ready leave. When I was checking in the previous day I was told that I would have to deposit AUD 10 for the key. The amount was waived when I told the lady that I would be checking out very early the next day. Mark had acquiesced with a firm statement that I should not forget to drop the key in the box when I checked out, as they were short of keys. Therefore, I made doubly sure that the key was safely deposited in the box before I left the Lodge.

I had never before, in this journey, left before daybreak. I wanted to test it out as I would have to repeat it the next day on the trip to Katherine from Halls Creek. Besides the 875 km to Katherine from Halls Creek, there would also be time zone change upon entering Northern Territory, where it is +9.30 GMT. All went well for the first 35 km from the Lodge, then there was water on the road and speed restrictions. There was only one side of the road available in some sections and, therefore, single lane traffic. Suddenly, in the midst of navigating such stretches the windshield became foggy and I could see nothing despite the use of wipers and blower. It was a tough one hour till it became a bit sunny. 

A few km before Derby the road turned right for Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek. Almost immediately thereafter the landscape changed and it became greener. There were many warnings against forest fires and the need to be vigilant about the use of fire in these places. One of the signages said, “We Like Our Lizards Frilled And Not Grilled”. As I was reading I noticed a biggish lizard sitting at the edge of the road and it was not bothered when I stopped and reversed to take a closer look at the Pilbana Goana. A few more crossed my path during the trip. Fortunately, none of them came under my wheel. They seemed most fearless and strutted around as if they own the place. The Boab tree is the Australian Outback equivalent of the coconut tree – is used as food, for art and even as accommodation. That is the versatility of the tree, which takes over 50 years to mature and some survive over hundreds of years!  They shed their leaves in the dry season, yet I was lucky enough to see many with bright green leaves on them.

Fitzroy Crossing was the midpoint, almost, of the day’s schedule. When I dropped by at the Ngiyali Roadhouse I came across a lot more people of aboriginal origin. And they didn’t sound very friendly either. I did not want to hang around the place much even though I had the intention of taking a short nap before proceeding to Halls Creek.

Halls Creek itself is a nondescript town with little modern day significance attached to it. The town took the name of the person who led the gold rush, Charlie Hall who discovered a huge nugget of gold. Large number of Europeans were drawn to the town in search of gold. The inhospitable terrain and weather claimed many lives. The prospectors very soon turned their attention to the areas closer to Perth and the Old Halls Creek town was virtually abandoned and is now no more than a few pitiable ruins. Halls Creek serves as the hub for local indigenous people.

The hotel where I stayed, Kimberley Hotel, is highly overpriced with hardly any facility to command that kind of price. It doesn’t even have Wi-Fi connectivity in the rooms. It is available just in the reception and Bar area and even that signal is weak. Mark was right when he told me that the town has nothing to offer. Yes, it has absolutely nothing. A town and hotel better skipped. If I had the saner advice of Mark at the time of planning I may have driven another 300 km to Kununurra. Maybe next time!