Kununurra to Broome April/ May 2011 Part 1

  Although we still hadn't got our mail we decided that we couldn't wait anymore and it was time to move on. However before we left Kununurra we made a slight detour to the Banana place and bought some bananas and watermelon. This is a Christian Radio place and they sell fruit as a sideline.

Morning tea was our first stop at the rest area at the junction of the Great Northern Highway and the Wyndham road. We then continued down the road to our lunch stop at Turkey Creek ( Warnum) which we had in a lovely shaded area in front of the roadhouse. We treated ourselves to takeaway.

 Our  overnight stop for this leg was at Spring Creek rest area which is opposite the turnoff to the Bungles which were not open to driving traffic when we were there.We set up camp down by the river/ creek which was flowing quite well but the water level had obviously dropped considerably as the sandy bottom could easily be seen. Mike , Kerry and I went for a walk up over the bridge and then went down under the bridge and found a safe place to paddle in some fast flowing water that was surrounded by rocks.
Anywhere in the north I don't trust the water as you never know where the crocs are .

 Kerry having a paddle at Spring Creek

 Spring Creek

 Although we were first in and a number of travellers came in to check out the spot we only ended up with another 4 camps for the night .
The next day we continued on to Halls Creek where we  arrived fairly early in the morning  and fueled up the vehicles and ourselves before going to the Tourist Information Centre . At the Centre we were advised of a visit to the Meteorology dept who send up a weather balloon each afternoon and were happy to have tourists attend.

 We generally found the Centre very informative about the road conditions  and had lots of brochures and souvenirs,. As we planned to watch the balloon go up we booked into the caravan park  and set up the 2 vans so that we had one large shaded area between us. Kerry was looking forward to seeing the Wedding and the boys wanted to watch football being a Friday night.

 Old Engine at Halls Creek

 We duly turned up at the Bureau and watched the balloon launch before heading out to old Halls Creek . We decided to head straight out to the old township and then stop at the other places on our way back. We also thought we might go out to Sawpit Gorge but Mike and Kerry decided that they had had enough of the rough road and opted not to go.

 Preparing the Weather balloon for release

At Old Hall's Creek  we wandered around the ruins and also visited the old cemetery. The caravan park seemed to be operational but very run down with only a few permanents there.

 On our way back we found the road to Carolines Pool which was poorly marked but looked a nice spot.

There were a few backpackers making the most of the water for a swim etc and  2 guys having a go at catching some of the very small fish.

 We then continued to make our way back and stopped at China Wall before returning to the Park.

Caroline Pool

 China Wall

For tea that night we made a Curry each and then shared them . The men then watched their footy while Kerry and I watched the the Royal Wedding .

Kununurra April 2011

 After our lovely cruise on Lake Argyle , it was time to move on to Kununurra.
We stayed at Hidden Valley caravan park and were pleasantly surprised to receive a seniors discount automatically. We have stayed here before and found it to be a reasonably priced park close to the shops etc but rather quiet and with a reasonable swimming pool.
 One of our main objectives for both Mike and Kerry and us was to collect mail which we had organised to be sent from interstate. Mike was waiting for a new keyboard and I was waiting for some wool to be sent.
However the mail had not arrived by Easter so we had to stay some extra time in Kununurra.

 We put this time to good use to allow us to see a few sights we hadn't seen before which included a visit to the Sandalwood factory where we had a wonderful mango smoothie. In fact we tried Mango smoothies in a number of places and still reckoned this place did the best ones. We also revisited Ivanhoe Crossing and found that  the water was still very high.



Floodwaters at Ivanhoe Crossing



Below Diversion Dam



 While staying at Hidden Valley we took the opportunity to take an early morning walk in the Hidden Valley national park which we accessed through the back of the park. This allowed us to visit a few places that were blocked off if you came through the main entrance,although we were not aware that this would happen before setting off.

Hidden Valley as seen from Caravan park



 Hidden Valley national park

 One day while Kerry was shopping she met a lady who runs a Kangaroo Rescue Centre and she invited us to visit and help feed the animals. The animals were mainly wallabies but some kangaroos and came in all sizes from small ones with hardly any fur to bigger ones that were nearing release. Out the back she had a number of animals that weren't for release as they were blind or impaired in some way that precluded their release. 2 wallabies were  wearing casts after having their broken legs fixed.



 Mike ,Kerry and owner feeding the wallabies



 one of the many orphans



 Nankeen Kestral



Baby sugar glider

 This is a voluntary operation that relies on donations from visitors. Her house was overflowing with all the orphan creatures. It was only a duplex unit but had a large backyard that was being utilized to the max.
As the photos show not only were there wallabies but also a sugar glider and a Kestrel. The owners also had 2 very large dogs that were extremely tolerant of all the extra animals that their owners were caring for. They had plans to move to 40 acres which I'm sure would ease the overcrowding considerably.

During our time in Kununurra we also visited the Zebra rock gallery and saw the catfish at the fish feeding area below the gallery. We enjoyed our time in Kununurra as we were ahead of most of the tourists but were disappointed to find a lot of attractions still closed.

Wyndham Day trip Good Friday April 2011

  As our time in Kununurra had been extended while waiting for mail we decided that a day trip to Wyndham would be a better option than moving there for a day or so. On the way we stopped at the Grotto and Mike and Kerry walked to the bottom but as Lynn is still having trouble with his knees we opted to walk around the top.

The waterfall at the Grotto





 Looking over the waterfall



 At Wyndham  we were greeted by the "Big Croc" which was built about 20 years ago and sits near the entrance to the town in a lovely park.



The big Croc

 We made the Five Rivers Lookout our next stop  where we got wonderful views out over the gulf . There was lots of water but we weren't sure if it was flooding or high tide.

 View from the Five Rivers Lookout

 Once back in town we found a cheap source of fuel as the local service station had diesel at 20cents cheaper than Kununurra and Mike found some nice barra.

 We then explored the Wharf area and visited the "big boab" before picking up the Barra and heading back to Kununurra.



 Big Boab






On our way back we decided to visit Parry Creek Farm . The road was very rough and boggy in places and the managers were waiting for the road to be graded so that access for tourists would be improved . We had a lovely time wandering around the elevated walkways alongside the creek with lots of bird life and even a small freshwater croc. We finished off our visit with ???? you guessed it a Mango smoothie which we had  in the shade on the upper deck looking out over the billabong.

 

 The walkway at Parry Creek Farm





Timber Creek April 2011

 Any followers would possibly realize that I have jumped a bit from the NT to WA . Yes I forgot to mention that we stopped at Timber Creek and in fact were there for a few days.

 Initially we stopped for a night in the caravan park which enabled us to fill up on water and do any phone calls etc before heading off to Big Horse Bend Camp ground in the Gregory National Park.

 While we were in Timber Creek Mike and Kerry were planning on doing a Victoria River Boat Cruise but when we enquired at the office they said they didn't have the appropriate licenses to carry tourists yet and wouldn't be starting their tours till a bit later.

 When we were at Matison's rest area waiting  for Mike and Kerry to catch up after playing tourists at Katherine I  finished sewing up etc a jumper for my mother -in-law and while we were at Timber Creek I posted it off to her for Mother's Day . She lives in NZ.

 So while we were there we visited some of the highlights around Timber Creek which included a drive to Policeman's point and then up to the Lookout. we also took the opportunity to check out the campground and suss out a good spot to set up the 2 vans together. Fortunately when we moved down there the next day our selected spot was still available.

 Boab tree at our site

 Boabs at Big Horse Bend

 Mike had been very keen to put his boat in the river and go catch a Barra so we unloaded the boat from his car top and used his dinky wheels to transport the dinghy to the boat ramp. As the wheels only attach to the boat we had to tie the boat to the car with rope , so it was a slow careful trip to the boat ramp but it went off without a hitch .

 As it had taken most of the afternoon to get organised  Mike and I went for a short time just trolling near the rocks about 200yards from the ramp. We saw an 6-8 ft crocodile on the far bank of the river and a small 3-4 ft crocodile on the near side bank but we didn't catch any fish.  Kerry doesn't like fishing and Lynn now has trouble with his back sitting in a dinghy so it was left to me to go fishing with Mike which was okay with me as I love fishing.

 The next morning Mike was keen to give it another go so we went out about 9 am and went upstream instead. Again we weren't lucky in catching any Barra  but we saw a very big crocodile; approx 12ft.
 As we were coming back into the boat ramp we saw a beautiful white bellied sea eagle taking a keen interest in the activities at the boat ramp, obviously hoping for a free feed.

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Kimberley Heather

 Timber Creek from the Lookout

 While we were here, Lynn noticed that we were starting to get some very small ants inside the van and a check underneath revealed 2 nests which we suspected have been there since we were in Darwin as there was a lot there and they were a real problem at times. They were ginger ants and they bite!!! A concerted campaign to get rid of them  bought success.

 Lynn ,Mike and Kerry at the Bradshaw Bridge

 Looking down the Victoria River towards the Bradshaw Bridge

 It was quite humid at Big Horse Bend so on the Sunday we moved on as with only fans for cooling Mike and Kerry were struggling a bit with the heat.

Lake Argyle April 18 2011

 Moonlight on Lake Argyle

 Many years ago we visited Lake Argyle briefly and moved on to Kununurra and while we were there we went on a Cruise of Lake Kununurra so this time we made sure we stayed at Lake Argyle for a couple of nights and went on a cruise there so now we can say we have done both the lakes.

 When we arrived and after setting up we went for a bit of a wander around the grounds and had lovely views over the Lake especially late in the afternoon when there was a wedding being held on the banks/clifftop next to the pool with the most magnificent backdrop of the Lake .







 What a magnificent backdrop for a wedding



another view from the clifftop

 Spillway creek

 The time difference meant we were up early with the heat already turned up, although it had been fairly cool during the night. After breakfast we decided that a visit to the Lookouts where we hoped to get a view of the dam wall etc was in order and that a trip back down the road to Spillway creek for morning tea would be the go.
 Our trip to the Lookouts  rewarded us with great views of the Lake and the dam wall and the Ord River . However we were unable to drive down to the wall due to the high level of the Lake . Next stop was Spillway Creek for a cuppa and a good look at the water that is surging  past the bridge there at over a million litres a second. It really was a sight . while looking around here we found a family fishing from the banks of a backwater there but they weren't catching anything.

 Fishing the backwater at Spillway Creek for Barra

 On our way to the bridge both Mike and I had noted some tracks leading off to interesting spots on the left hand side of the road so on our way back we checked them out.
The first one led to a rock shelter with Aboriginal cave paintings  which appeared to be in quite good condition.

 Mike ,Lynn and Kerry at the cave entrance

  The next track went into a rock cliff where there was a tiny pool of water that had lots of native frogs around it and there was also a tiny stream running back towards the car parking area which had lots of frogs and water insects in it.

The afternoon after our excursion around the area  we went on the Lake Argyle Cruise with Triple J Tours. The cruise commenced with  viewing a video about the building of the Dam and the associated structures. This involved a large workforce which worked in very hot conditions through 3 "dry seasons" to build the dam  etc.

The tour commenced with a bus ride down to the boat ramp. However we were left sitting in the bus for a while as the bookings were sorted as it appeared that they had over booked and needed some people to pull out . Once sorted we were under way to the boat and were soon out on the Lake .

 We were  given a close up view of the dam wall and the intake structure which allowed for the funnelling of the water to the powerhouse and then flowed down the Ord .



 Intake structure-- 7 stories below water level

 We then went around the corner to Homestead Falls which were  at the end of a small cove . on the way to the falls we passed a number of caves which served as shelter for some Euros and we did see some in a cave high on the hilltop.



Homestead Falls

  after viewing the falls we continued out across the lake looking for some of the 30,000 freshwater crocodiles that live in the lake but couldn't find any so we went past the Kites nest that has a couple of chicks in it and was well guarded by the parents.


 Some of the amazing rock formations in the area


 From there it was a 20 min run at about 2oknts across the Lake and the bay of Islands to Hagen Island where we were lucky enough to see a crocodile basking on a rock at the waters edge  and then we found a colony of Fairy Martin's nests under a rock ledge. As it was rather windy in the bay we went back around the point and stopped so that those who wanted to could have a swim.

 Small Freshwater crocodile

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 Fairy Martin nests

 Most people went in for a swim including a number of the young children, the young ones took great delight in being able to jump from the roof of the boat into the water.

 Sunset

 Just after everyone was back aboard we ran out of daylight but were then treated to a spectacular show of the moon rising over the back of the hills.  Prior to that the sky had turned some amazing shades of pink.
 the moonrise was awesome and when it was fully up it lighted our way back to the boat ramp.

 We were a bit skeptical about the cruise due to the disorganisation at the beginning but it turned out very well and provided us with lots of lovely memories.









On the road again ! April 2011

 After 14 weeks in Darwin through their biggest wet season on record we finally managed to get back on the road again.
 Lynn had been itching to get on the road since we arrived but I knew we would be staying a while to see the twins arrival and watch them grow a bit. So it was rather sad when we had to leave them behind . However it wasn't so bad for me as I am going back to Darwin in July  and then going with them all to Adelaide. for 2 weeks.



 ready to go???

  The weather had settled a bit when we left so that afternoon showers were the norm, but they could be quite heavy. As we neared Pine Creek we ran into quite heavy rain from about 20klms out and it was still raining a bit when we set up in the same spot as when we "escaped  Carlos". However this time a few other vans etc came in to keep us company.  Some of them had come from the West so we checked on the road conditions with them as there had been a lot more rain recently in that direction.

 On the second night we were there we had a huge storm that lasted most of the night with lots of lightening and thunder  and 97mm of rain.
In the midst of this huge storm our loo failed so that the valve that allows for fresh water to flush after use became stuck in the open position and kept flushing so that the en suite was awash. I got up just after going to bed and hearing some water running, expected to find that we had sprung a leak due to the storm and got quite a surprise but not as bigger one as the next morning when I felt wet carpet in the kitchen area when I got out of bed and found the en suite awash again!!!. The only reason the water had stopped flowing was there was no water in the Caravan park due to a burst pipe outside the park.

 Consequently Lynn had to do some running repairs to prevent it happening again and we spent the morning getting everything dry. Luckily the rain had stopped after a brief shower just before daylight. We also took the opportunity to get a few loads of washing done .

 While we were at Pine Creek we registered our new Digital Satellite receiver system for the TV . With the new rules it needs to be registered in a place that does not receive Digital TV . There is no cost involved only the cost of the receiver.

 After 4 nights at Pine Creek we headed off to Katherine to stock up on a few groceries before going to King River Rest area to wait for friends who were coming from Alice Springs.

 While we were there we noticed lots of large black/brown butterflies which would occasionally land on us . There was also a number of other butterflies, blue ones and yellow ones .

 We had a bit more rain at King River but mainly  in the evening or at night. Our friends arrived on Sunday afternoon and we spent a pleasant evening catching up on each others news. However as Kerry had broken a tooth they needed to see a Dentist in Katherine before heading west. So they went to Katherine for a few days to get things sorted and see the sights while we just made a quick stop there to get a new satellite dish and a few other things. Our dish had blown over a few times and was no longer in true shape which was making it difficult to get a signal.

 Our next stop was Mathison rest area about 100klms west of Katherine. We were on our own when we set up and thought it would stay that way but a couple of other travellers came in after dark and then left very early. The weather had really started to change as we had a much cooler night and it was quite crisp in the morning . We were beginning to feel that the "dry season had arrived.

 Judging by the condition of the roads the "dry " can't come soon enough so that the road crews can fix all the pot holes .  Some of the pot holes are real tank traps; we saw crews mending the roads but wiht it still raining wondered how long their efforts would last. We also came across plenty of water over the road signs but the water had mostly gone. There was just a few places further west.




 Sunset at Mathison Rest area

Kerry and Mike caught up with us again at Mathison and stayed the night before we both headed west. Yes the Biz wizards and the NT Nomads are travelling together . So for those that follow our blogs you will find that there is probably a bit of a double up on the information and pictures. 
The next morning we felt like we  were truly on the road as we headed off to Victoria River Roadhouse which as to be our morning tea stop. On the way we ducked into Sullivan's Creek  but as Kerry and Mike were having radio problems we were unable to alert them to this little gem of a waterhole.

 Sullivan's Creek waterhole at Campground

 The campground was quite wet and boggy but drying out after the rain and flooding. We caught up with the others at Vic River and the first thing Lynn did was fix their radio so we had better communication between us. It was wonderful to see the red bluffs,bastions and mesas that are in this area . They are not only picturesque but we just love their raw beauty and their colours. 

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 Morning tea stop at Victoria River Roadhouse

 The red cliffs of the north