17 June - 24 June – Gibb River Road

17 June - Tyre fixed, re-fueled again, Gibb River Road take 2. The views of the Cockburn Range are stunning all along. Successfully negotiated the Pentecost River Crossing & headed to Home Valley Station – just 9kms of corrugations past the crossing. A lovely setting with views of the Cockburn Range. Had a short walk before dinner. Listened to the guitarist singer at the Dusty Bar & Grill – though his audience was small he was very good.

The weather has been amazing – cool nights & beautiful days of 25 to 28 degrees & no rain.

Pentecost River crossing

 18 June – kicked off the day with a walk to Bindoola Gorge – very rocky terrain but a beautiful waterhole in the gorge. Plenty of wild flowers & birds.

Then another 120 kms of Gibb River Road – the corrugations are endless, poor car & also crossed more fords including Durack River. Next to Ellenbrae Station for the ‘best scones, jam & cream in the Kimberley’ (they were very good). Set up camp in a real bush setting with hot water from a “donkey“ system (ie chuck a few logs in the furnace, light it up, wait 5 minutes – then beautiful hot water for your shower). Had a pre-dinner walk to Sandy Beach Gorge – had the place to ourselves so had a skinny dip – loverly?

The countryside here is certainly harsh – rocks, sand, struggling plants – but then some beautiful waterholes, escarpments & rivers. A real land of contrasts. I am in awe of the early explorers & settlers – a very hardy lot. Mind you, the current residents need a bit of resilience too.

Durack River crossing

Some 'light' Gibb River Road dust

Rocky landscape at Ellenbrae

19 June – an early morning stroll to the nearby swimming hole but too early for a swim. Then back to the endless corrugations – about 80 kms without a let up. Finally they eased up & we got some smoother kms under our belt. Just when everything seemed to be going well the red light started flashing on the dash. Our radiator was boiling - & this on the good stretch of road??? No mobile reception but some kind passing travellers offered assistance. We managed to get a ride to Mt Barnett Roadhouse where we could make some calls to arrange assistance (nearest garage Derby 300kms).

A truck was returning from Drysdale River Homestead but could not be contacted by radio so we had to hitch a ride back to the car then flag him down in the dark & tell him the boss had asked him to pick us up. He then drove to the Roadhouse to unload his existing cargo then returned to get us. A wonderful night at the Mt Barnett Hilton (maybe 1 Star).

Sick Suby

20 June – Bacon & egg sango & coffee for breaky from the Roadhouse then into the truck for over 4 hours of bumpy driving to Derby for repairs. The scenery is always harsh but continues to change with different coloured soils, different vegetation & changing rock formations – really fascinating (even from a truck seat). The driver, Pat, has had an interesting life – as a stockman mustering cattle, to helicopter pilot & now a truck driver. He had lots of info about the areas we were travelling through.

Everyone has been very friendly & helpful but there was heaps of mucking around with RACV to organise a hire vehicle (Toyota Hilux twin cab ute) & accom. The radiator is stuffed (a rock through the back of it??) so a new one ordered from Perth which will not get here until Wednesday.

The day ended well with dinner at our friend Marita’s with her partner Ian, his brother Clive & friend Tom (they are all heading off in a few days for a back country hike – sounds hard but fun). Back to the tent for a well needed sleep.

21 June – first needed to work out how to pack all our stuff in the new car – limited space in back seat & not wanting to put too much in the back of the ute due to dust & limited ties to keep it down. Decided to return to Mt Barnett & head to the camp ground at Manning Gorge. The termites around here employed a different architect – they are all like big blobs with growths – quite strange. Manning Gorge camp site is a lovely spot & close to the waterhole where we had a refreshing swim. Then back to the tent where our friendly neighbour had fired up his bloody generator (they are allowed up to 8pm). Talk about destroy the atmosphere!!

Termite mounds

22 June – up early & headed off on a 3 hour return walk to Manning Gorge waterfall. Started with a small tinny powered by a rope pulled by hand to cross the river. The walk included a few hills & rock climbs but was well worth it. The falls & waterhole were stunning & the water beautiful for swimming. On the return trip we had another dip at the river before heading for the next gorge. Checked petrol price at Mt Barnett which was the highest yet at $2.50/litre so waited for the ‘cheaper’ fuel at Imintji ($2.36). Next stop Galvans Gorge - smaller but still stunning with a 2 tiered waterfall & a boab at the top. Another beautiful swim before moving on to Silent Grove for the night. So many gorges but all different & great.

Manning Gorge

Rob pulling punt

Galvans Gorge

23 June – a 10km gravel road followed by a half hour rock climb took us to Bells Gorge – another beauty with a waterfall cascading over multiple levels to a crystal clear swimming hole. The water was magnificent & many water monitors watched us from the surrounding rocks. We stayed in the pools for ages. The only downside was the masses of humans about also enjoying the environment.

Back to the corrugations & a visit to Tunnel Creek, an aptly named water course which literally runs beneath the mountain & we were able to walk through the tunnel from one side of the mountain to the other with the aid of a torch. Frogs, fish, bats & freshies share the tunnel & we had to climb over a pile of rocks then wade through water up to knee deep. Really interesting rock formations & stalactities. Witnessed another beautiful sunset on the way back to our camp site at Windjana Gorge & enjoyed an after dinner wine with a couple from Bermagui we met along the way.

Bells Gorge

Tunnel Creek

24 June – a 3 hour walk along the spectacular Windjana Gorge. Sheer walls of black, white, orange & yellow towering above the meandering waterholes. Yet another stunning gorge but no swimming this time due to large numbers of freshies – some very large. Then back to Derby to pick up our car & re-group for the next stage of the adventure. Two nights with our friend Marita, fish (barra) & chips on the jetty.

Windjana Gorge

14 - 16 June – El Questro

14 June – stocked up on supplies, lunch at Pumphouse then off to El Questro & our first crossing of the Pentecost River. We have a “private” camp site on the edge of the Pentecost. A beautiful & quiet location – no other people in sight or sound - & no facilities. A pair of blue-winged kookaburra’s sat on a log beside us & occasionally dived into the grass for a bug. Beautiful.  Popped up to the bar at the Station for a drink after dinner to listen to the entertainment – a really good singer on guitar plus a corny guy doing rope & whip tricks. A great atmosphere & lots of fun.

Pentecost River Crossing - Yes our little Subaru made it across here

One of our friendly kooka's

Our 'Private' tent site

15 June – headed along a 4wd track for a look at picturesque Chamberlain Gorge & saw several colourful kingfishers & caught a distant view of the El Questro Homestead (cheapest rooms $1,800/night??). Then to the Zebedee hot springs for a therapeutic soak. Anne followed up with a somewhat cooler dip in the river at the Station.

We then headed off on the Explosion Gorge guided tour along a serious 4wd track – very rough & steep (not for our little Forrester). The guide was very informative about history, plants & animals plus some geography. We had a boat ride along the steep sided gorge which was spectacular, then headed to Branko’s lookout to watch the sun set while sipping wine & tucking in to cheese & bikkies. Just amazing.

Explosion Gorge

Branko Lookout

16 June – packed & topped up with petrol at $2.30 per litre. Ouch! Next stop was a walk to Amalia Gorge – an interesting walk over rocky terrain with a few difficult sections & it was quite hot. The reward was a water fall dropping in to a magnificent rock pool. We both had a swim in the cool water – very refreshing.

We then drove to Emma Gorge which was a similar walk with high red cliffs surrounding a beautiful water hole & water fall. Only Anne ventured in this time – getting too cool for me.

So Gibb River Road - here we come. Just 11 kms along the dusty, corrugated, gravel road we blew a tyre. Drat! Had to unload the back to get the spare then drive back to the nearest tyre repair shop at Kununurra – a frustrating back track of about 100 kms & the tyre shop was closed. Booked in to a cabin.

Amalia Gorge

Amalia Gorge

9 to 13 June - Kununurra

9 June – a quick walk to see an aborigine ‘eagle catching’ shelter then we had to check we’d eaten all our fruit before passing through quarantine (had to give up some honey – not Anne!) then to WA & on to Kununurra where we set up camp & caught up on domestic chores. Barra Burger for dinner – very good.

Eagle trap

10 June – an early start, mainly due to the other early bird campers making a racket. First up was a walk to Kelly’s Knob - Kununurra lookout, then Zebra Rock Gallery (very old & unusual striped rocks made into art pieces, jewellery etc), fed some fish in the Kununurra Lake while slurping a mango smoothy, then visited a few tropical fruit farms to stock the larder. Next stop Ivanhoe Crossing (the old Ord River road crossing now closed to traffic but not fishermen on foot – seemingly with no fear of crocs?), next we visited the Hoochery Rum Distillery for some samples (the choc/coffee flavoured version was pretty good), next to the Sandalwood factory (perfume, shampoo, moisturisers etc) and finally a few walks in the Mirima National Park – another mini Bungle Bungles – quite spectacular.

Everywhere we go up here we meet hordes of grey nomads – mostly very nice but I wish I could meet more youngies like myself??? 

Cat fish at Zebra Rocks

Ivanhoe Crossing

Mirima National Park

Mirima National Park

11 June – off to Wyndham. First stop, Five Rivers Lookout which has a spectacular view of the Cambridge Gulf, the mud flats & the 5 rivers entering the Gulf. Wyndham is primarily a port with many road trains going to & from the Port. There are 16 (4 trailer) road trains worth $1mil each working for the local iron ore mine. They do about 4 trips each per day travelling to & from the mine (about 140kms). Wyndham also has a “Big Croc” in the main street, some strange Dreamtime Statues badly in need of repair & a giant Boab at the caravan park. Other than that, the town has not much to excite a tourist though we did buy a kilo of prawns for $20 direct from the trawler.

On the way back to Kununurra we stopped at “The Grotto” where we walked down 140 stone steps to a natural amphitheatre surrounded by cliffs with a deep pool at the base. Anne had a swim but I chickened out. Pretty groovy place though & would be more so in “the wet” when water cascades into the Grotto from several sides.

Five Rivers Lookout

12 June – Wow! What a great day. A bus ride to the Durack Homestead (moved here after the lake filled), followed by a dip in the “infinity pool with a view” at the resort (at least Anne did – too cold for me). Next was a catamaran ride on Lake Argyle (19 times the size of Sydney Harbour but the dam wall is quite short - check google if you want more of the million other stats). It was an amazing ride with spectacular scenery (again), we had a dip in the lake (me too as the water was 25 degrees) followed by a terrific spread for lunch including BBQ catfish from the lake & plenty of beer & wine. We then changed boats for a cruise down the Ord River. Truly awesome!

During the day we saw croc’s (many), rock wallaby’s, euro’s, sea eagle, a lonely jabiru (lost his mate a few years ago & still builds his nest in the same place every year & waits – very sad), osprey, jacana’s, darter’s, cormorant’s, pelicans etc etc. We passed through dry areas, tropical sections and rocky sections with high red cliffs. The tour finished with a beautiful sunset for Anne & an incredible fly past of millions of flying foxes - a truly remarkable sight.

Ord River

Ord River

Flying Foxes over Ord River

13 June – Off into the air today. Took an 8 seater plane along the Ord River route north from Kununurra to Wyndham & the Cambridge Gulf. We then followed the coast with a brief detour to the King George Falls – pretty speckie. We landed at Kalumburu (a small indigenous community) for lunch & checked their museum & art gallery before inspecting the wreckage of two WW11 aircraft bombed by the Japanese by mistake (they meant to bomb the then secret air force base at Truscott).

Then a fly over the spectacular Mitchell Falls, the Cockburn Ranges, Home Valley Station and El Questro Station before returning to Kununurra. Arrived back tired & stiff but very happy. Celebrated with a drink & meal at the Pumphouse restaurant.

King George Falls

5 June to 8 June - Victoria River to Keep River

5 June – early rise & off for a walk up the Escarpment for great views around the area – real Kimberley scenery (even though we are not strictly there yet). A steep but rewarding walk. Then to Timber Creek to set up camp followed by a dip in the pool before heading out for a boat cruise on the Victoria River – lots of crocs (freshies & salties), wallaby’s, kites and our favourite, a white bellied sea eagle – a magnificent creature. The skipper dropped a line & caught a few cat fish which he fed to the eagle & kites.

Victoria River from escarpment walk

White Bellied Sea Eagle

6 June – a slower start after being woken early by a cacophony of birdsong. Headed off to Bullita Homestead down about 50 km of dusty dirt track with a number of creek crossings. A very interesting history at the homestead which was part of a large cattle station. They had some great photos, stories & copies of letters on the walls with stories of the tough times they endured with floods & droughts. Certainly a tough & isolated life. Had a walk along the nearby East Baines River & saw our first Jabiru.

We then drove in to Limestone Gorge along a very rough track followed by a couple of walks – up to the lookout, to the picnic area & billabong & to the “Calcite Flow” (an extraordinary dry waterfall that looked as though it was covered in snow). It was hot walking & the billabong & river were very tempting but we are in croc territory so had to wait for a dip in the pool back at the camp ground. Wandered down to Timber Creek to watch the croc feeding – there were 3 or 4 crocs. A great day.

Roo family on road to Bullita

Big Boab at Bullita

Calcite Flow (there's no water)

7 & 8 June – Travelled to Keep River National Park & set up camp in a magnificent spot with views of the surrounding beehive like mountains. A basic site with pit toilets, no showers or water but open fires allowed. Idyllic! Had some quiet time to read & catch up on blog etc but also managed three walks Jarnem 7km, Gurrandalng 2km & Jinumum 3 km. The scenery is quite spectacular & includes aboriginal middens & art sites plus a view to die for from the Jarnem lookout. Heaps of parrots, red tailed black cockatoos, white cockatoos, galahs, brolgas, egrets, kites, honeyeaters & many smaller birds plus one lonely roo. A lovely quiet camp site.

Our tent at Keep River

Keep River Nat Park

Keep River Nat Park

2 June to 4 June - Alice to Victoria River

2 June - An early start then off to the UFO display at Wycliff Wells (interesting??), then Devils Marbles, followed by Renner Springs for lunch with a peacock minus his tail who was after our sandwiches. Eventually arrived at Daly Waters for a pre drinks dip in the pool. The pub had happy hour (Red Monaro’s for the girls) & ‘entertainment’. Had dinner in the camp ground where we could easily hear the entertainers.

3 June – Off to Mataranka. Set up camp in the lovely Elsey National Park, our first true bush camp. Had a great walk along the Roper River to the Mataranka waterfalls followed by a dip & ‘spa’ in the small tributary (no swimming in the Roper River due to croc’s). We then headed off for a soak in the thermal pools before dinner accompanied by red, white & beer. All slept well apart from the noisy donkeys & early morning birds & bees (there were thousands on the flowering wattles next to the tent).

Mataranka

Mataranka

4 June – Started the day with a dip in the thermal Bitter Springs pools – quite different to the Mataranka pools. We then bid adieu to Ross & Rose before heading to Katherine to restock the fridge & then off to Victoria River. The scenery here is just like the brochures – red cliffs, green trees & a wide river. Multiple parrots, kites, honeyeaters, cockies, galahs etc.

Farewell Ross & Rose

Victoria River

27 May to 1 June – Home to The Alice

Packed the car & it all fitted (even the new you-bewt Waeco fridge & battery pack) – miracle?? Then hit the road about 4pm (1 hour later than expected). Drove to Horsham & stayed in a cabin.

28 May - A day of driving. Horsham to Murray Bridge (lunch on the banks of the Murray with the pelicans & fishermen) then through the Barossa & Clare valleys without any winery stops??? and on to Port Germein. Occasional showers & periods of bright sunshine along the way. An early evening stroll along the super long jetty then dinner & a glass of red before bed. The countryside has looked really green & lush the whole way with new crops rearing their heads everywhere.

29 May - Drive. Drive. Drive. Amazing greenery, straight roads, road trains & long trains as we drive through the semi-desert country between Port Augusta & Coober Pedy. A lovely red sunset (Anne’s favourite) then a night underground.

nth of Coober Pedy

30 May - Drive. Drive. Drive. Again! Arrived in The Alice about 5pm & met up with Ross & Rose at the “Winter Sun” caravan park. Set up tent & had a few celebratory drinks.

31 May - Off to the footy to watch the mighty Dee’s in action (yes AFL in The Alice??).  Dee’s put up a fight but not good enough. A great sunny day for footy with a crowd of 5,000+ & a real picnic atmosphere. Back to camp ground to drown our sorrows.

Go Dee's

1 June - An early morning trip to the Alice Springs Desert Park, a really great nature reserve with heaps of native birds & an impressive nocturnal animal enclosure. A great place to visit. We then headed north again to do some more driving. Camped at Taylor Creek wayside stop along with about 40 to 50 caravans, 5^th wheelers, fold-out trailers etc – a small “town” with a population of about 100. We were entertained by a “sing-a-long” group accompanied by an accordion. The backing group were a flock of galahs settling for the night & the dulcet tones of the local brahman bulls. Woken very early by the campers keen to get on the road ”in the dark” (why?) &, of course, the galahs, parrots etc. Real good country life? 

Alice Springs camp

at Desert Park

Taylor Creek sunset