80 Mile Beach (1 - 2 Jun)

After all the activities at Karinjini National Park, we spent three nights at 80 Mile Beach to catch our breath. This meant scrubbing the red dirt off our shoes, doing multiple rounds of laundry and stocktaking our pantry ahead of our stay in Broome. Being veteran campers by now, we could immediately sense that the caravan park had a different vibe to it and suspected that it must have been a long weekend. We later found out that it was the Western Australia Day long weekend which confirmed our suspicions. Unexpectedly and much to Millie’s excitement, Poppy and Benji (whom she met in Exmouth) also spent a night at the caravan park. They joined us for a drive along the expansive beach where the kids had fun collecting sea shells which were in abundance. The western-most location was also perfect for watching the setting sun.

During our stay, the camp site hosted its first-ever market to raise funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Open to potential vendors, Millie summoned up the courage to set up a stall with Justin by her side. She diligently laid out and priced her bead bracelets, and spoke with potential customers some of whom generously left her a tip. With other equally entrepreneurial kids selling second-hand books and clothes (and even sea shells collected from 80 Mile Beach itself), Millie had a unique business proposition and made a tidy profit of $26 from the many late nights, in a ploy to defer going to bed, of beading.