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Tag Archives: Kununurra
Australia day 37 – Kununurra to Wyndham, WA
There is a park in Kununurra called Celebrity Park where a number of trees that have been planted by famous people who have visited the township. The park is situated alongside the beautiful Lily Lagoon which as it’s name suggests is covered in pink lilies. Each tree has a plaque with details of the ‘famous’ person responsible for planting it. Many, not unsurprisingly, are Australian personalities who we have never heard of. Somewhere is Rolf Harris’ tree but we don’t find it. The most famous person we’ve heard of is Princess Anne who planted a tree here in 1985.
On from Kununurra to Wyndham, along the way passing a majestic escarpment running at 45 degrees to the road and stretching off into the distance. Wyndham is a small township (pop 1000) on the Ord River estuary 110km north of Kununurra. Geographically this is the northern most township in Western Australia and a significant port serving the cattle industry, the Ord Irrigation Project and many mining companies. The estuary is home to some of the largest saltwater crocodiles in the world although we have yet to see any ‘salities’ anywhere. Perhaps we may spot one here? The town is split into two, with the old town and wharf area across the mud flats of the estuary and the main, newer part further inland. The ‘old’ town has a hotel and a couple of shops, but it has obviously seen better days and some of the commercial buildings are either falling down or boarded up. The main part of town is surprisingly well served with two or three shops, a police station, civic building, petrol station, and a few other small businesses. The caravan park has a pool – and our first priority is a dip to cool down. The park itself is a little tired and unkempt, but we have the whole of the unpowered area to ourselves with views out onto the bush. Our second priority is to inspect the 2000-year-old boab tree at the rear of the park. With it’s 20m girth this is an impressive sight.
Another beautiful sunset with pink and orange skies over the bush beyond our van. Later we hear the crackle of dry grass on fire; there is a large bush fire raging about 300 yards from the other side of the camp site. We can see the flames leaping amongst the trees, a spectacular if somewhat scary sight. Fortunately the wind isn’t carrying it towards the caravan park and after watching it for a while we return to our van and another early night.
Posted in Australia, Western Australia
Tagged Australia, Kununurra, Western Australia, Wyndham
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Australia day 36 – Kununurra, WA
We are still trying to get our heads around the time difference between the NT and WA. This is a bizarre shift which means we gain one and half hours but it’s now dark at just after five instead of 6.45pm and sunrise is somewhere around 4.45am. As our eating and sleeping patterns are governed largely by sunset – after dark it’s difficult to cook and the insects make life unpleasant – we are now going to bed even earlier and today are woken by the dawn chorus around 5am. The sky is a beautiful pink and the air is still cool, but there is no going back to sleep once the birds are awake, their noise just won’t allow it!
Early to bed and early to rise does have its advantages and by 7.15am we have had breakfast and are starting out on what turns out to be a three hour walk around Mirima National Park. The track conveniently starts from just behind our pitch and takes around the spectacular sandstone formations which tower over this small (by Australian standards) park. Billed as the mini Bungle Bungles, the walk meanders around massive red outcrops formed from sand dunes deposited more than 350 million years ago, through gorges and under overhangs. The cool shade, long shadows and early morning sun are a delight.
If this sounds similar to yesterday’s walk that’s because the geology is the same. Orange sandstone and conglomerate in layers often blackened as a result of an outer skin of lichen. But not, as the tourist literature would have you believe, that similar to the Bungle Bungle range whose black and orange beehive domes rise 200 metres above the plain in Purnululu National Park further west.
By the time we return at 9.45 it’s too hot to do much more than potter around camp followed by a wander round town and a bit of shopping. My favourite green flowered dress has finally had its day after over 15 years of services. Two large rips are beyond repair. My old sarong is going the same way, so replacements are urgently needed! We pick up a dress in the local charity shop along with a Hawaiian-style shirt for Andy that Paul would be proud of. All for $12!
As sunset approaches we drive out to Kelly’s Knob on the outskirts of town for another wonderfully rich and dramatic sunset which spans the horizon and lights up the clouds. The colours change from soft pinks to deep burnt orange as the sun disappears. The sunsets in the north are something else!
Posted in Australia, Western Australia
Tagged Australia, Kununurra, Western Australia
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Australia day 35 – Keep River National Park, NT to Kununurra,WA
We are up at the crack of dawn and breakfasted in time to set out for our bushwalk at around 8am. This is a glorious time for walking, the sun is still low in the sky and its warm light casts a wonderful glow casting long shadows and highlighting the deep burnt red of the sandstone outcrops. This the most magical walk meandering round sandstone and conglomerate rocks that has been weathered over millions of years into impressive curves, deep crevices, caves and overhangs. The path, by turns is fine, soft sand or pebbles takes us through 8 foot tall yellow cane grass and mounds of sharp green spiniflex, between rocky outcrops shaded by eucalypts and up over the top of the escarpment. There are splendid views over the countryside and. only the bird calls can be heard resonating around the area. This is the beginning of the East Kimberley. Such a delightful and atmospheric hour’s walk.
On our way out of the park we stop for the short walk to Ginger’s Hill where there is a small stone structure typical of many built by Aboriginal groups through the area as hides from which to catch birds of prey. They would light a fire somewhere close by and wait in the hide with a lure. When the birds approach initially attracted by the smoke and then by the movement of the lure, the hunter would grab the bird through the branches of the roof. A technique that must have required considerable patience and skill..
The border crossing is uneventful. The quarantine officer makes a cursory inspection of the food we are carrying and checks we have no honey.. We’ve been unable to dispose of our organic waste from last night’s meal and I have to separate it from the non-organic and place it the designated bins – lovely job! And then we are on our way again.
The scenery changes almost as soon as we are over the border – the savannah is interrupted by ranges of hills many with horizontal sandstone escarpments protruding. The dry bush belies and bush fires belie the fact that this is still the tail-end of the wet and some roads are still closed.
Lake Argyle, about 45 km from the border, is our first stop in Western Australia. This 1000 sq km of water is the largest freshwater lake in Australia and was created when 1 million acres of pastoral land was flooded in 1971 after the damming of the Ord River. The reservoir supports a huge irrigation project in Kununurra 71 kms away. It is certainly spectacular nestled among the peaks of the surrounding hills which drop straight into the deep blue waters. But it’s hard not to wonder how much more beautiful this area must have been before the building of the dam and to feel regret for the loss of Aboriginal sacred sites and a way of life.
At this time of year there is little happening here; the unpowered camp pitches are closed, there are no tours running and the petrol is so expensive that the owners feel obliged to place a sign on the pumps apologising for the price! We stop to have lunch in the shady park overlooking the river gorge just beyond the dam and then head on for Kununurra and a welcome and refreshing dip in the camp pool.
Kununurra – pronounced Kananarra – was founded as recently as 1961 and is one of the youngest townships in Western Australia. The township was developed to service the Ord Irrigation Scheme which has created 17,000 hectares of arable land which produce sugar cane, melons, mangoes, pumpkins, sandalwood and seed crops. Despite its recency, Kununurra looks much like any other small north Australian township – wide roads, little traffic, one storey buildings many raised above ground level and lush vegetation. Like other places along our route there is a large Aboriginal community here many of whom seem to have little to do but hang around on street corners or sit on the grass under the shade of the trees. There is however, little sign of the drunkenness we were led to expect, nor is there any sense of hostility or tension.