The water in the duck pond didn’t start to rise until 21:30
and I got up several times in the night just to make sure everything was tickerty-boo
(which it was), and then went back to sleep.
We woke up around 06:30 to the sound of the waterfall only
ten meters away and the most incredible clean and crisp air you can imagine
thanks to the negative iron generating waterfall.
I climbed up on the cliff to take some photos during the
magic hour and after breakfast I did a few odd jobs around the boat.
By ten o’clock it was hot, still and very humid and I needed
a swim, then suddenly a dingy comes around the corner from another cruising
yacht.
I climbed up to the top fresh water pool for another swim
and chatted with the other cruisers who said there was a large tourist boat at
the entrance and shortly there will be lots of people arriving.
I didn’t really care and I sat in the pool while the other
cruiser's did a runner before the tourist's arrived.
It didn’t take long when all of a sudden, my serenity was
shattered when another fifteen people summited the crest and joined me in the
pond, spreading a scum of sun screen on the surface.
I chatted to a few of them and also had a long chat with the
main man from the tourist boat. They were up from Broome for fourteen days.
The water was cool and refreshing and you could easily
identify the cruising yachtie as he was washing his cloths while he was
swimming. A small water monitor swam past and for a second, I thought it was a
fresh water crocodile.
Around 11:30 I started to remove some of the ropes and at
12:00 we slowly departed the duck pond and headed back out the river system to
Yampi Sound and around to Silver Gull Creek only about four miles away.
We cautiously made our way up to the head waters on the high
tide and found the old BHP watering station and moored alongside. The old rusty
structure was barely poking out of the water and we pulled the long hose out of
the water and sure enough, beautiful crystal-clear water was flowing hard and
fast.
We washed the whole boat down removing all the sea salt and
red iron ore dust from Port Headland. Then we did all our washing and we both
had a shower, and then I filled both water tanks. It was so awesome to have
such luxury in the middle of this wilderness.
Everything is so nice and clean now and tomorrow I am going
to clean all the windows, hatch’s, port holes and the dodger clears and the old
girl is going to look so nice.
I was conscious of the falling tide the whole time we were
washing the boat and as the head waters dries out, I had to move the boat back
out towards the entrance and drop the pick.
Then I packed a few beers and headed off in the dingy to the
squatter’s camp for a swim in their famous water tank.
An old couple lived here for years (Phil
& Marion) until Marion died in recent years and Phil then decided he
was too old to keep the camp running on his own, so the entire camp has now
been handed over to the local Aboriginal land holders and has since fallen into
disrepair.
Phil & Marion were famous in the cruising circle and for
years cruisers would bring them some fresh food in return for a swim in their
water tank.
The camp is currently abandoned, but all their possessions
are still where they left them; including generators, TV, fridges, food and bedding.
There were two new glamping tents setup (last dry season)
that the native title owners are going to use for bringing paid customers in, but as yet nothing has happened.
The same water source that supplies the old BHP hose is also
piped into a huge concrete water tank. It has a shade cloth roof, a spiral
staircase leading down to the water, a central table and a large hole cut in
the side with a magnificent view out over the harbour.
Water flows into the tank like a small waterfall and then
cascades over the side through the window cut in the side, so the water is
always fresh and clear.
I sunk a few frothies in the tank while looking out the
picturesque window while solving most of the worlds issues and then headed back
to Sirocco in the late afternoon.
We decided to stay where the boat was anchored as the wind
dropped to nothing and it was a pleasant anchorage. Tomorrow I wanted to head
back for another swim in the tank before we decide to head off to a new
location.
Putu made a huge cinnamon scroll that was delicious and we
chilled out listening to all the fish splashing and popping, birds calling and
the odd crock growling in the distance.
Track Sirocco’s
progress
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