We were due to fly out of Broome the next day. Firstly to Perth where my travelling companion and I would say our tearful goodbyes as she hopped a flight to London and I hung around until noon the next day for the apparently more difficult logistically complex task of returning me to Sydney. But our flight didn't leave until the evening so we had a day in Broome.
There was only one thing to do. At least there was only one thing for my companion to do and being an agreeable soul I did it too. In all her time in Australia she had apparently not been to an actual beach or bathed in the ocean. So off to Cable Beach we went. There I lounged on a bank while she disported herself in the waves. To be fair the waves did a good deal of disporting right back and it was a somewhat battered travelling companion who presented herself soggily to me and announced she was ready for lunch.
On the way to lunch we encountered some of our travelling companions and had lunch with them. This started a trend as we encountered virtually our entire tour group at various stages during the afternoon. Since farewells had been somewhat truncated the previous night this gave us the opportunity to say goodbye before we headed to the airport.
Broome's airport strongly resembles a colonial era railway station. It is somewhat modest in dimensions as are the aircraft which service it. At the airport we encountered the exact same travelling companions (to be fair there aren't that many flights out of Broome) and managed a bunch more farewells. We wound up having more farewells than Frank Sinatra.
Finally having been safely deposited in Perth we had to accept that the holiday was truly over and fond farewells (yes more of them) were given before my travelling companion headed off to the international terminal while I cast about to see if I could find somewhere to sleep slightly more comfortable than the floor of Perth airport.
So that's the holiday and now that it's all over I just want to say what a delight it was taking a trip with Rema, my travelling companion. We walked over Bruny Island and through rainforest, rode helicopters and waded through underground streams together. I drew the line at bathing in the subterranean pool after the guides mentioned the amount of bat excrement in the water but Rema was made of sterner stuff. To be fair she comes from Britain where the water utility companies are on a mission to make the water undrinkable. Rema is smart, strong willed and funny, I had an amazing time and I fondly imagine that she did too. We got on so well that we're planning on doing it again next year. South America may never be the same again.
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