Sun. 12th Aug., 2012 - A day in Derby

At 7.30am., we were still luxuriating in bed with the prospect of a relaxing day ahead of us - we didn't have to get up!  Through partially-drawn curtains, we could see that the sun was up, the sky was blue & we'd never seen such red soil, not even at Uluru.

After a late breakfast, we went to the Visitor Centre, which was very attractive, then drove to the Wharf over a causeway that crossed the mud flats.  Derby has the highest tides in Australia, with variations of as much as 11 metres.  Wool & pearl shell were the original exports, followed by live cattle.

Next, we drove 7km out of town to the Boab Prison Tree, which is believed to be about 1500 years old & was used as a staging point for prisoners being walked into Derby in the early days.  The prisoners were kept inside the huge hollow trunk until their journey continued (not such a great resting place, since snakes also frequented the tree!)

Close to the boab tree was a cattle trough, built around 1917, which could handle 500 bullocks at one time.  We also saw Frosty's Pool, built in 1944, as a bathing area for troops stationed in the area.

We moved on to have a brief look at Derby's Waste Water Wetland, which attracts wetland birds & waders.

Finally, we visited the Centenary Pavilion, where a mosaic was created in 2001 to celebrate 100 years of Federation.  The making of the mosiac was a collaborative community effort involving 370 children & adults who together laid 30,000 tiles.

 

Just before 5.30pm., we hurried to the Wharf, hoping to enjoy barramundi & chips while watching the sun set.  However, we were almost too late & only caught the tail end of the colourful event, which happened really quickly.  We bought our supper & brought it home, since the light was fading fast & it was easier to eat in the caravan.