Not long after leaving Katherine boab trees started appearing in the landscape.

Sometimes called bottle trees because of their shape they are like a signal that Western Australia and the Kimberley’s are not too far away.

I love the variety of shapes! Some are sleek and elegant while others are old, bulbous and gnarled.

Legend has it that the boab was very vain and arrogant and looked down on other living things so to teach it a lesson it was tipped upside down with the roots growing out of the top, and these photos certainly support that theory.

Carved boab nuts are sold as souvenirs by aborigines in parks and areas frequented by tourists and some are quite spectacular. I bought this one from a Miriwoong woman who carved it using a vegetable paring knife. This one is about the size of a large orange.

As we approach Derby in a few days time there is a boab tree that is so big they say it was used as a prison back in the old days, although that claim is now disputed.

Boabs may not imprison people these days but they certainly capture my imagination!