Ellendale Rest Area

Day 132 - Ellendale Rest Area

Broome, Ellendale

Thursday, 30 May 2013
Up early, had breakfast, a walk and packed up by 7.30am. Said goodbye to my neighbours and hit the road.

Decided to chance the road to the Broome Bird Observatory and drove out along 30km of dirt road with the occassional mudhole to traverse. Arrived at a small office/shop and said hello to some of the staff/volunteers, gave Tuka food and water in the van and went bird observing. Walked down to Roebuck Bay. The tide was out so plenty of small birds out walking and wading inthe muddy areas. Saw some black-faced cuckoo shrikes on the mangroves, babblers up in the woodlands and raptors in the air. Met a couple on the beach that I had last seen a couple of weeks ago. They were camping at the Observatory ($15 per person).

While driving along the hundreds of kilometres of the Savannah Way we past by thousands of 3 to 4 metre spindly gum trees, grasslands with many termite mounds and a few cattle and of course the Boab trees which tell you that you are in northern Australia.

Eventually stopped at a rest area at Ellendale (about 90km from Fitzroy Crossing). It is a three tiered camping area with bitumen surface and toilets. Plenty of caravans and motorhomes there when we arrived. Ten more arrived after we had set up, had a snack and a drink (water for Tuka, Coopers for me).

	Broome Bird Observatory office/shop [Map]		Fantail at the Observatory [Map]
	Low tide at the Observatory [Map]		Mangroves on Roebuck Bay - looking towards Broome [Map]
	An old boab tree [Map]		Raptor on a boab tree [Map]
	Upper level campsites at Ellendale [Map]		Lower level camp sites [Map]