Fitzroy Crossing to Derby

In view of all the dire weather warnings and possibility of flooded roads, the wisest course seemed to be to turn round at Fitzroy and head back to Broome. It would not be too hard to make one quick detour to Derby where I could visit the Mowanjum Art Centre. That was my plan for the day.

Late yesterday afternoon, I was alerted to the fact that two large bulls were eating their way across the grass in the camp ground, having wandered in from a nearby station:

I had a tasty dinner in the bar: crispy skin barramundi on a bed of roast vegetables (not at all bad for such a remote spot):

This morning, I had a chat with my neighbour on the other side. (They have made this a little female conclave: we are all quiet and well-behaved in a potentially problematic area I suppose). She was visiting her sister who used to run an animal rescue shelter which was completely destroyed in the January flood. Apparently, she spent a couple of days before the waters hit, transporting her animals by canoe to a small property in town owned by her partner. They are still there because she lost everything. What a sad story!

The Greyhound Bus waiting to pick up passengers at 9.30 am. on a very wet morning.

I needed to fill up with petrol, but discovered that the town was not allowed to sell high octane because the local kids use it for sniffing. It was the same story in Derby. I had to put in 91 octane and let it mix with the half tank I already had. How ridiculous! There must be a better way to address this problem.

I got to Mowanjum just outside Derby at lunchtime, after several hours of driving though heavy rain. When I was last here with JL, he bought a painting by Donny Woolagoodja which used to hang on our wall at Burswood. His son claimed it last year in memory of his father, a request I couldn’t refuse. Donny died earlier this year and there are no more of his paintings on sale, but I bought a biography, maybe an autobiography, full of pictures of his life and doings.