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Friday, July 6, 2012

Wyndham Caravan Park



We are now staying a couple of days at Wyndham Caravan Park. Wyndham is the
most northern town in Western Australia and has the hottest annual average
temperature in Australia. It has a population of just 800 mainly
Aboriginal. Like the rest of the Kimberley region, there are many boab
trees. It is also famous for barramundi fishing, not that we can confirm
the abundance of these. This would require us to spend time fishing!

We are staying in the caravan park which also provides housing for the local
mining companies. Soon after we had finished setting up camp Peter called
me to see something - sure enough there was a donkey wandering around the
camp. I had earlier seen a photo in the office of the donkey as he had
appeared on Getaway or similar.

He wanders around the camp all day. Last night we saw him standing at the
door of a campervan and the lady inside was quite concerned. Not every day
you have a donkey wandering around.

I have mentioned before the amazing boab trees which are seen throughout the
Kimberley region. Apparently this is the only part of Australia they are
found and it is believed that the seeds originally came from Africa. There
is a particularly large boab tree within the caravan park and it is thought
that this tree may be 2000 years old.

Yesterday as we were pulling out of the only fuel outlet in town an
Aboriginal man came up to the car window. He was carrying a carved boab nut
which he was wanting to sell to us for between $30 and $50. It was well
done but we were aware that we wouldn't be able to take one back to New
Zealand, and I am sure the authorities don't want selling in this way
encouraged. It is unusual for the adult Aboriginal to speak to us so we
were most surprised.

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