Derby to Fitzroy Crossing

It may be hard to believe but we have not heard much country music since we left home. Very few radio stations play country, and there are hundreds of kilometres where there is no radio reception. So it was good to hear Alec Beckett last night at our caravan park. He played country classics but forgot his lines a couple of times.

We drove to Fitzroy Crossing today and set up camp at the Fitzroy River Lodge which is beside the Fitzroy River. It is a pleasant park and we again scored a shady site when I explained we had no awning to provide protection for our dogs.

I went on a boat tour of the Geike Gorge which was fantastic. Anita stayed in the caravan park with the dogs because the Gorge is in a national park and dogs are not allowed. The Gorge is the only place of interest near Fitzroy Crossing other than the confluence of the Fitzroy and  Margaret Rivers which have very little water at this time of year. The Gorge has water all year round and it would be sensational to see it during a flood. It has been estimated that the volume of water passing through Fitzroy Crossing is so high it would fill Sydney Harbour in 4 hours. The sand washed up from the bottom of the Gorge scourers the limestone cliffs and leaves them white up to the water line. There were a few fresh water crocs resting along the banks.

We came here 16 years ago as part of a 4WD tag-along-tour. The reason the tour guide took the group to town was to watch the Aboriginals leaving the pub early in the morning, and to view the mountains of beer cans. We were disgusted this was considered some form of entertainment and did not participate. Today I asked at the information centre about the current policy regarding liquor and was told the only alcoholic drinks that can be sold in town are low alcohol beer (no more than 2.7%). It is against the law for people to bring other alcohol into the town and sell it, but it is ok to bring it in for personal use.

The women elders instigated a community ban on most alcohol about 8 years ago after 50 people had died either from domestic violence, assaults or suicide. There has been a great transformation to the town but it still has to deal with the consequences of previous alcohol abuse such as of foetal alcohol syndrome disorders.