I heard it said the first day we returned to Derby (with our sick car) that people come to town and never leave. I was told that ‘you don’t pick Derby, it picks you’.  And, most worrying, was being told that the last people to break down in Derby were still there two years later. After ten days in town trying to organise another vehicle, I really started to fear we would be there for ever. People started making comments like ‘rent is very expensive here, you need to buy’.

Now let me first make it clear that, after ten days, we could understand the appeal of Derby.  Everyone was kind and helpful; we discovered a great cafe that sold the best coffee, scones, jam and cream (The Tasty Cafe); we were invited to dinner at the fabulous Jila Gallery Cafe; we loved the two art galleries (Norval and Mowanjum); and we found the history fascinating, if disturbing. Yes, Derby has a lot to offer that you don’t tend to see as you drive through. John even loved the golf course, but he had to check it out a few times to be sure!

I have already mentioned the kindness of Liz and Pete who were very generous in encouraging us to stay at their place for as long as we wanted. We loved it there!  Other friends, Anne and Pete Brown took us out for dinner to Jila and what a great night we had! It was packed and everyone knew each other.  We were made so welcome and had a real glimpse into the social life here. In fact, Anne told me she could socialise every day if she wasn’t so busy with her beautiful b and b.

On day ten, we got a call to collect the car (a Volkswagen Amorok) we had bought after the Nissan was towed back to Perth. We had had to have electric brakes installed. Much as we loved Derby, we were keen to get moving and see more of the country. So we said our goodbyes to Liz and Pete and drove off in the direction of Fitzroy Crossing hoping that our car troubles were well and truly behind us.