Derby/Birdwood Station/Gibb River Road (Part 1)

5 June

Boab Prison Tree

I headed off to pick up Thomas from Adam's house nice and early so we could be on the road early to head to Derby while Linda and Declan packed up our camper trailer. When we arrived back at our campsite Linda and Declan had finished most of the packing up and we quickly hooked up the camper trailer and made tracks for Derby. On the way we stopped at the Boab Prison Tree - a hollow Boab Tree where European Settlers used to keep Aborigines overnight after arresting them for killing the cattle that were ruining their waterholes.

Derby Wharf

 Our next stop was at Derby where we visited the wharf. It is a horseshoe shape that allows you to drive around one way and view where they load minerals on a barge to be taken to a ship sitting a long way off the coast. The water was flowing at an amazing rate as the tide in Derby has the largest variation in Australia and one of the highest in the world - at a particular time of year it can vary about 11.8m.

Declan and his horse Mighty Mouse

After looking around the town we decided to go a short distance down the Gibb River Road to Birdwood Station. This is a working cattle station and has campground accommodation. We decided on staying here as they offered horse riding as an activity. After setting up camp we made a booking to ride their horses but Tom decided that he would prefer to do something else. Declan, Linda and I were introduced to our horses and brushed them while they were being saddled. We then took a 1 hour ride around part of the property, that ended up being later than we had planned, and ended up watching the sunset on horseback. We all loved the ride and I think Declan would have loved to have taken his horse home.