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Tag Archives: Western Australia
Australia day 40 – Wyndham to Spring Creek camping ground , WA
Now, what was it I was saying about frogs? This morning we find a little green one sitting on the engine manifold when we open up to check the oil and water (which we now do every day), and he doesn’t want to budge! Wyndham is about 55km north of the Savannah Way along the Great Northern Highway and as we retrace our route to contiinue our journey west towards Halls Creek. We stop to make a detour to the Grotto 2km down a dirt track. Here is a deep pool set in a gorge and accessed by 142 steps leading down from a sandstone pavement. In the wet a large waterfall cascades into it, but today the river bed is dry and only a few drips of water are tickling into the pool. It’s a lovely cool spot and it is supposed to be safe to swim here, but we are not about to risk it, particularly as the debris on the surface doesn’t make it seem that inviting.
Further on we turn off down the Gibb River Road – the iconic 4wd outback challenge which links Wyndham with Derby on the west coast. We drive about a kilometre before turning back, just so we can say we’ve been on the Gibb River Road. Perhaps some day we’ll come back in a 4wd with all the gear and do this route! There is, of course, the option to take an adventure tour if you have a few $1000 dollars to spare, or if that doesn’t appeal there is, incredibly, an hop-on hop-off bus on this remotest of tracks, which runs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays! Which rather seems to destroy the romance.
There are two roadhouses on the next 150km stretch, at Doon Doon and Turkey Creek, and we stop at both to top up with petrol and for Andy can collect his free coffee. There is a ‘Revive and Survive’ scheme throughout Australia to encourage drivers to stop and rest at regular intervals and the enticement is a cup of free coffee. So why not, particularly as Andy is a caffeine junky? The Turkey Creek Road House aka Warmun is on the edge of an Aboriginal settlement which can’t be visted without permission. This is quite a common arrangement and is intended to protect the privacy of the indigenous communities.
We invested in a book of free camp grounds before we left Wyndham and tonight we are going to give one a try. We have ear-marked a site just south of Turkey Creek but as luck would have it there is a major highway upgrade programme underway which involves constructing new bridges across many of the creeks that cross the highway and the site has been a casualty of this programme. As has the next one and we are beginning to wonder if we are going to find anything. But there are a surprising number of stopping places along this road providing basic facilities such as picnic tables, bqs and pit toilets and we eventually stop at Spring Creek. At first site it appears to be a rather unattractive lay-by, but at the far end it turns down into a small shady area by the creek- perfect! A few other people think so too; there are four other campers here making this little site quite full!
Posted in Australia, Western Australia
Tagged Australia, Spring Creek, Western Australia, Wyndham
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Australia day 39 – Wyndham, WA
We are always on the hunt for a power point to charge up laptops, camera, monkey etc and it can be quite a challenge when you are camping (impossible on free sites, of course). We end up on the computer in some unusual places as a result. Kitchens are the best place, but not many sites here have them, then there’s the laundry and sometimes even the shower block, but it’s necessary to take a chair. On some of the quieter sites, we leave our stuff charging, but on others we sit either blogging or, in Andy’s case, playing games and kill two birds with one stone. But you can get some funny looks! We caught up with an old boy we camped alongside in Spring Vale (Katherine) today. He’d also arrived here via Kununnurra and wasn’t too impressed with the Wyndham site, but what had really pissed him off was being pulled over by the police for not wearing a seat belt and fined….$450 (£225)!!! The crocodile farm in Wyndham has feeding time at 11.am so we decide that if we can’t get to see a ‘saltie’ in the wild we will just have to pay to see one in captivity – after all we can’t come all the way to northern Australia and leave without having seen one. The tour is worth every cent! The farm’s breeds crocs for their prized underbelly skin which is sold mainly to France for Gucci shoes and handbags. Apparently the estuarine croc is only found in Australia and their skin is highly valued by the fashion industry. As a sideline, the farm runs daily tours of their breeders. There are 30 magnificent adult corcs looking deceptively docile as they rest, submerged and absolutely still just under the surface of the water. But this belies the speed and ferocity with which they can launch themselves several feet in the air to seize any food that might be on offer. There agility, speed and sheer bulk and power is awesome. Some are in the smallest of pools, completely undetectable until the food brings them flyig up through the water in the blink of an eye. It brings home just how vulnerable you can be standing on the edge of even the most innocuous-looking little outback pool. There is an internet cafe tucked away in a residential street and we spend some time researching our onward travels. India is top of the list at the moment, although according to all the information the summer months are the worst time to visit – too hot and wet – all but the hill stations in the north and Kashmir. So it maybe Kashmir – although the air fare from here seem incredibly expensive (as is all air travel from Oz). We need to organise visas and further jabs. We are waiting for the Indian embassy to confirm that we can get visas in Perth, but despite sending several emails they don’t seem to be inclined to respond. On the other hand we have received a reply at last from Wicked. They would be happy to undertake a full service on the van in…. Alice Springs!! We point out that this is just a tad out of our way. (Someone hasn’t bothered to read our correspondence or they would be aware we are on our way to Perth via Broome.) We await further instructions! As the sun starts to set we head for the Five Rivers Lookout aka The Bastion Lookout. 350 m above sea level. The panorama is amongst the most spectacular we have seen with far-reaching views of the Cambridge Gulf midflats and the five rivers that converge in this area. Once again the emptiness of this vast country is just staggering. But despite that, it is still hard to be alone for very long and we are soon joined by several other people who have come to watch another beautiful sunset.. Continue reading
Australia day 38 – Wyndham, WA
A chillax day. A swim in the pool followed by a visit to the pontoon jetty on the estuary for Andy to do a bit of fishing, whilst I catch up on some blogging. But the fish aren’t biting and there’ll be no fresh barramundi for dinner tonight!
There is a so-called ‘park’ of aboriginal statues in the town. The park turns out to be a tad disappointing; a bit of scrub land with a few picnic tables and five giant dreamtime statues, some of which are looking decidedly uncared for.
On the other hand 36,00-hectare Parry Lagoon Nature Reserve turns out to be well worth the 8km drive down a rather uneven dirt road just off the Great Northern Highway There are spectacular views of the huge lily-covered wetland area from the car park on Telegraph Hill; one of several small basalt hills n the Ord River flood plain.. There are also the ruins of a wireless station here, built to assist ships entering Wyndham port. A little further on and there is a metal walkway and bird hide right on the edge of he idyllic Marlgu Billabong. It’s late afternoon and the fish are jumping and there are birds galore.
Frogs, frogs and more frogs (and toads). There is certainly no shortage of frogs in the north of Australia. We hear them hopping through the grass at night and they like to congregate in the amenities block. They are partial to the toilets and it is not unusual to find one staring up at you from the bowl (cane toads especially like to sit in the bowl). It’s always advisable to check under the seat as well as they often crouch there. But small ones can go unnoticed under the rim only for their legs to dangle down when the toilet is flushed. They also like to sit on the taps and if you’re not vigilant it comes as bit of a shock to come nose to nose with a frog when cleaning your teeth. The really tiny ones can even hide up in between the handle of the tap and the tap itself. They also like the showers and we’ve often come across them waiting for us there. But the little blighters can jump great distances and touching them can kill them, so it’s best to let them be and make for a frog-free cubicle (if there is one)!
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.
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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!
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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.