The Freshest Oysters (21/4/14)

Today's blog starts with venting! Yesterday some new people arrived in the room, 3 blokes aged around 45 - 50 who were on an organised tour round WA. We said hello and chatted for a bit. But last night the one sleeping in the lower bunk on my bed snored the WHOLE FRIGGIN NIGHT. And he woke himself doing so repeatedly. I had to get up in the dark and try and find my ear plugs at one point. In the end I made loads of noise doing so just to wake him up and get some peace and quiet. Once I'd got the earplugs it was better but still not great. AND THEN in the morning his first words were "Sorry if I snored". OH MY GOD! If you were sorry and you knew you'd snored then you'd do something about your entirely anti social problem you fat prick! I shouted that in my head by the way because of the SOCIAL ETIQUETTE THAT I HAVE BEEN TAUGHT! And breeeeeaaaathe. OK rant over.

My plan today was to take it easy and amble around town to see a few places. I was up , of course, in time for the free breakfast. I bumped into Neil who, for the third day running, was heading off to the bike shop to try and rent a bike. My first stop after breakfast was a camping shop just down the road that I wanted to take a look round, and then after that a quick food shop. On my way there though the oil light on my bike came on and when I stopped to check the level I could only just see oil at the bottom of the inspection window. So after my food shopping I rode back to the hostel to check the Haynes manual to see what oil I needed. Once I'd worked out what SAE numbers I was looking for I had to find a motor spares shop that was open. The first one I tried didn't have what I was after but they pointed me to another one that had some oil that was close enough. Why is it you can never find exactly the oil that the manual recommends? The owner of this shop gave me a hand to get the bike on its centre stand as it weighs a ton and I topped up the oil there and then. It took nearly a whole litre. I was very lucky this had happened while I was in town and not on the highways as I doubt the roadhouses stock motorbike oil. I rode the bike back to the hostel and the light didn't come on again so it was all good once more. I then changed at the hostel out of my motorbike gear and walked into china town where I'd been the other night to take a look round the shops. There are loads of jewellery places as Broome is famous for being a pearl diving town but these days they've got a pearl farm to supply the demand. They've also got a few galleries which is unsurprising as there is plenty of stunning scenery nearby to paint and photograph. I went in to a few of these to check out what was on offer and some of the photographs were stunning. But knowing I couldn't afford most of the paintings, and I certainly couldn't get one in my bag for the journey home, I didn't stay for long. There are quite a few other quaint little shops so I spent some time looking round these and generally just taking it easy soaking in the relaxed atmosphere. Whilst crossing one of the roads I heard someone loudly saying "Hey" in my general direction from outside the shop I was heading to. I looked up to see some of the group of French people that I'd first met at the ranch in Kalbarri and then spent the afternoon swimming with at Little Lagoon near Denham a second time. There were only four of them now. Pauline and Vincent had now left them so it was just Nicko, Roman, Ronald and Steve here in Broome. It was surprising but good to see them. They were going to stop in Carnarvon for work but they said they couldn't find any and so were heading up to Darwin instead. We chatted for quite a long time and found out what each other had done since we'd last met. But knowing I had a fair few places to see today I didn't stick around for too long and so I told them to definitely see a sunset while they were here and I'd probably see them on the beach later on if they turned up. We wished each other a good journey and I left them to carry on my walk around the town. Once I'd seen all the parts of town that I wanted to I started my journey south to Town Beach. I wanted to walk along by the mangroves, next to the waters edge, but the sand here was very dry and soft which is great if you're on the beach but not if you're trying to get somewhere. Just walking a few hundred metres took ages so I found a route back to a road and took that. Before I left the mangroves though I had the opportunity, which repeated itself at various times later on during the day, to experience the phenomenon that is the talking bush. As you pass some low growing trees and bushes around town, you can hear the low mumble of voices from within the bush. Some trees branches are similar to weeping willows and so dense that you can't actually see inside. So the first time I heard it I was a little confused. But realised shortly after that it seems to be a favourite past time of the local Aboriginals. I'd already heard about their first favourite which was sitting in the park getting drunk, as well of course as going to the toilet outside the visitors centre! But this one was new to me. It seems they have nothing better to do than get drunk and in the heat of the day they find shelter inside bushes in groups and spend the time talking in low voices. It was a little disconcerting by the mangroves because I was the only one around and so I picked up a little attention from them as I walked, so I was relieved to get back to the road when I did. I continued my walk towards Town Beach amused by the talking bushes and trees and couldn't help but think of the singing bush which I think was in the film 'The Three Amigos'. Along the way I was amazed by the contrast in colour between the green mangroves, the milky blue water beneath them and the even bluer water further out to sea. I just couldn't capture it on my camera for some reason. Some of the houses along the route had great views of this everyday from their rear verandas. Lucky gits. I finally reached Town Beach which was tiny compared to Cable Beach on the other side of town but still pretty none the less. I walked a little further along the waters edge till I found a few benches that looked down onto a small patch of mangroves through a gap in the trees and bushes which formed a very picturesque frame. I sat and had lunch enjoying the peace and while I was there a few lizards darted about between the bushes and a couple of turtles in the sea kept rising for air in the gap between the beach and the mangroves. I got a really good look at them which made up for yesterdays lack of sightings but I wasn't quick enough to photograph any of them. Shortly after lunch I made my way slowly back to the hostel walking amongst the residential area and nosing in on the houses as I went. There were some really nice properties around the area and I got to thinking that this is certainly a very nice part of WA and it must be great to own a house here, although the cyclone season would make it a tad more "interesting" than a lot of other seaside destinations. Back at the hostel I changed into my motorbike gear and got on the bike for the afternoon. My first stop was at a restaurant called 'The Wharf' which is the only restaurant down at the port but I'd heard good things about it. I only really wanted to go there and have a nice cold beer by the waters edge but when I arrived I was asked if I wanted some oysters as they are half price between 2pm and 5pm. It was now about 3 o'clock but I'd already had lunch and I already had plans for dinner so I declined and took my beer to one of the empty tables. I sat and thought about the oysters. What was I doing? When in the near future would I get a chance to try oysters this fresh, and at this price, again. Answer....I wouldn't. So I scooted back inside quickly and ordered half a dozen natural oysters with a Japanese Wakame seaweed dressing. They arrived shortly after and I took no time demolishing the first one. It tasted so good and ridiculously fresh. The other five disappeared very shortly after and my beer washed them down beautifully. That went straight on Facebook. What a way to spend an afternoon. After about an hour of chilling there I left and got back on the bike to ride to cable beach for another sunset. I rode first to the part where I was yesterday, as vehicles are allowed on the beach there, but after riding down to the beach and losing a bit of grip just on the sloped entrance track I decided it probably wasn't the best plan I'd had and didn't want to get bogged so chose to ride to the other end of the beach where there's a car park and steps down to the sand instead. I was quite early for the sunset so sat on the sand and whiled away the time by having a well earned snooze. The walking had knackered me out and the beer had made me drowsy. I awoke a little later than planned but just in time to see the remnants of the sun before it disappeared into the ocean. I quickly got out my camera and took a few photo's but although this sunset was still spectacular I think last nights was better. Once the sun had fully set and the extravaganza was over I got back on the bike and rode back to the hostel. Back at the hostel I found Neil and laughed my arse off when he told me the bike shop was still closed for a third day running and he'd gone for yet another walk instead. We sat and had a beer during happy hour again and I told him about my days events. One of the instructors yesterday after canoeing had pointed out a restaurant that was doing half price tapas today so I'd arranged with Neil last night to go there for dinner tonight. So after our beer I changed out of my biker gear and we ordered a taxi to take us to the restaurant. The offer is valid as long as we order the food to be eaten in the bar and not at a table in the restaurant which was fine by us and so after checking the menu we ordered what we wanted. There was squid, fish, tempura vegetables, and croquettes and it all tasted perfect. Washed down with a little creatures pale ale it was a great way to cap my day off. It was so good in fact we ordered seconds and another pale ale before getting a cab back to the hostel. In the hostel over some more beer I found out a little more about Neil's life back in Wales and told him a little more about mine (not in Wales though) and we swapped each others Facebook details with the standard "if you're in town" statement. It was now getting late though and I needed to pack for my journey back to Broome tomorrow so I wished him a good night and went back to my room to pack. I found out on my return, from one of the other room mates, that one of the group of three blokes who'd arrived yesterday had asked to switch rooms because he couldn't handle the snoring. He hadn't slept a wink apparently. Lol poor bloke. Maybe my earplugs would do the trick tonight. I packed up what I could ready for the morning and got in bed hoping for a head start at sleeping before the snuffleuffagus returned to wreak mayhem again.