Boab Country

Tuesday 30th June
Last day of the financial year and I'm not even there to enjoy it.
We left Broome and headed 220km to Derby which isn't much of a town but claims one of the highest tides in the world.
The Prison Boab Tree is well worth the visit, it is estimated to be 1500 years old and has a 14mt circumference. It is said that the tree was used as a prison to hold law breakers on their way to Derby.
Boab Trees are a fascinating plant, apart from the Kimberley the only other place the can be found they can be found is Madagascar. Although Boabs are found in Broome they are all planted as their natural boundary is around 100km east of Broome. Many people make beautiful carvings in the nut like Boab fruit - we bought one from an Aboriginal Man who came around to sell them at the caravan park.
The other interesting feature near the Prison Boab Tree is the longest water trough in the southern hemisphere - it was built to water 500 bullocks simultaneously and is fed by a Windmill pumping water from a 322mt deep bore.
A quick shopping trip to Woolworths proved that many of the fresh fruit and vegetables we are used to are a bit hard to come by up here - no Avocados and no Garlic.
Tomorrow morning we are on a 6:50am pickup to the airport for a flight to Talbot Bay and a 3 day cruise on board a sailing catamaran arriving back to Derby on the 4th July.
We are going to be a fair way from civilization and there will be no phone reception so for the next 3 or 4 days there will be no email contact or updates to this blog.