Derby 20-22 September 2013

After our brief sojourn at Tunnel Creek it was on to Derby where the Prado Spotto scores were suspended at Len 191, Hazel 189.
First stop after settling in was the pier and one amazing sunset (again - I know....).





Seeing it was Friday night we decided to treat ourselves to barra and chips for dinner, so off to Derby Fish and Chips, where we met Mrs New Best Friend and caught up on all the stories since we parted at Mount Barnett while her dad cooked our dinner.
Next day was a day of catching up on the washing, shopping, and rewiring the fridge in the truck so we can have cold beer and wine again without having to throw out some of the food in the camper fridge! It's all a matter of priorities. Also had a look at the driving lights which have not been working since Painted Desert. Turned out to be a broken wire and a blown globe - bloody Vibratum! Murphy is not completely absent though as the reversing camera has now gone on the blink. GRRRRRR
Went back out to the pier to see what it was like with the tide almost out. Turns out it's quite muddy,and there is lots of old pier and boat related rubbish lying around.

Next day we saw the tourist highlights of the Boab Prison Tree (where aboriginals may have been chained up when on there way to gaol - gotta love the definitiveness of the local history), and Frosty Pool which was built during WWII (after suggested by a corporal Frost - duh) as a place for the hot troops to cool off.

The simple pleasures of days long gone

Had a three quite different encounters with the traditional owners and their culture while in town. We spent a couple of hours at the Mowanjum Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre, which was fascinating. Most of their artwork features Wandjina creator spirits and the original people (Gyorn Gyorn) who they passed on their culture and laws to. Some of the Wandjina realy look like they could be spacemen or aliens.

Wandjina

 The second encounter was when I was sitting outside a dress shop (as you do if you are not a woman, but are married to one ...) and a white haired gentleman of a darker pigment came and sat next to me. Colour me surprised, but it turned out that he would greatly appreciate a donation of five dollars so he could get something to eat. Funny that, but he looked particularly well nourished to me, so I declined his generous offer to increase the balance of my karma bank. He then started to point to his wrist wanting to know the time. I showed him my watch and then remembered that I had left it on Melbourne time and explained that he would have to subtract two hours for local time. "Melbourne time?" he asked. Yes Melbourne time. "But we livin' in 'stralya Brudda. Not Melbourne." and with that he shook his head and went back to his own seat a little way off. Soon his significant other rocked up with a shopping trolley full of groceries (so much for needing the five bucks for food!) and he proceeded to tell her (in language) all about the strange guy with the "Melbourne Time" watch. They both walked off shaking their heads in bemusement.
The third encounter happened at around 11:45PM when I was finishing off a blog entry. From out of the darkness staggered an aboriginal woman. She was absolutely spifflicatingly stinking rotten reeling drunk and had trouble standing upright without swaying from side to side. Strangely, she also was in dire need of five dollars, a beer, or a drink of water in that order of importance. Once again I had to disappoint her. Her next question was the killer though - "Have you got a misses?" WTF, OMG, and LOL. I shudder think what her next statement would have been if I had answered "no". As it was she staggered off back into the darkness muttering something about her old man and beer....
After all this cultural excitement we packed up and headed off towards Broome, but not before I was overcome with Jerry Can Envy on the main street of Derby:

Now that's a jerrycan!

Monday morning peak hour in Derby :-)