Saturday 29 September 2012

Zebra Rock Mine

Sadly we farewelled the Leonard's and set off on our trek back to Broome. Reality started to set in that we wouldn't be catching up with the Leonards or Backsons for quite a while, finishing an integral part of our trip.

The kids have been briefed on the length of the trip back with the promise of special treats if they travelled well.

After 6 hours of travelling we turned off the Victoria Hwy and headed to Zebra Rock Mine & Campground. Following a 10km dirt track into the campground we found a beautiful camping area surrounded by a dry creek bed.

Zebra Mine is only a relatively new setup for campers and tourists, previously solely focussing on the mining of Zebra Rock, but with lovely friendly staff, some great and well priced tour options (not that we have a chance to explore these in our whirlwind race back) and Devonshire tea for just a donation this is truly a spot which will continue to grow.

Matt, Zach and Abbey enjoyed fossicking in the dry creek bed, and later were shown by the owner, Ruth, how to smooth and polish the rocks they found using wet/dry sandpaper. Matt spent at least an hour polishing one rock, sitting beside the campfire as he did it. Once again I was reminded of how the vast difference between our life at home where we would at this time in the evening, be sitting in front of the TV instead Matt is sitting polishing rocks, Josh is reading a Matthew Reilly book, Zach and Abbey are teaching the farm dog to sit and shake hands while Nick and I chat around a campfire.

Ruth, the owner drove over to our campsite to deliver some firewood. She was driving a "bull catcher" which Milton Jones (From the TV show "keeping up with the Jones" owned- this being one of Zach's favourite shows) Zach's eyes lit up when he was offered to jump in and help deliver firewood to the other campers in a bull catcher owned by Milton Jones. Abbey jumped in too and they both loved bumping around the vehicle.

Another service on offer here is fish & chips with freshly caught silver cobbler from Lake Argyle. Zach brought us our fish and chips which Ruth had cooked once the firewood deliveries had been done. What a luxury, eating yummy crunchy fish and chips around a blazing campfire beneath a starlit sky.

We've already decided that this will certainly be a place to come and holiday at during our time living in Broome.

Once packed up we enjoyed a decadent breakfast - Devonshire tea and hot milo before hitting the road again.

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