DAY 81 - KUNUNURRA – KEEP and MIRIMA NATIONAL PARKS

19 May 2008

DAY 81 Pilbara – Kimberley Trip

KUNUNURRA – KEEP and MIRIMA NATIONAL PARKS

Today is our last day in Kununurra. So we decided to go over the border to Northern Territory to see Keep National Park.

We were only able to go as far as Gurrandalng campsite as the road further ahead is closed due to severe road damage.

The campsite is nice. From here we were able to go on a 2km walk that weaves through sandstone rock formations.

The Gurrandalng Walk, otherwise referred to as Brolga Dreaming, is considered to be the park’s most dramatic landscape.



It is truly dramatic and diverse and is of cultural significance to the Mirriwong and Gadgerang people.

You weave your way through conglomerate sandstone honeycomb domes, spinifex cushions and diverse woodlands. Then tall livistona palms appear as one climbs higher.

You come to an area that has a dreamtime significance for the local people. The story is that during dreamtime two aboriginals travelled from the sea to the area. They collected grass and bushes to make a big nest. They started to jump around and make noises like the brolga. As the country listened they changed into brolgas.

There were parts of the area reminiscent of Purnululu domes.

Tropical Red Box was growing out of cracks in the rock. It was a truly spectacular landscape that had its own uniqueness.

We then drove back down and had a short walk to Ginger Hill. There is a stone structure on top typical of ones built by Aborigines in the area. It is a bird hide bout 1m high and with an internal diameter of 1.5m. It is covered with twigs. An Aboriginal would sit in the hide and entice the bird with a lure. When the bird perched on the hide they would spear it.

After lunch we returned to Kununurra via the quarantine station. We had left our vegetables at the campsite to avoid losing them during this crossing. They checked our fridge and sent us on our way.

Our next stop was Mirima National Park - a little gem right in Kununurra. It has interesting sandstone outcrops that are of significance to the local Aborigines. We followed the well sign posted Looking at Plants trail and continued on to Derbe-gerring banan lookout trail.

At this stage we re-assessed what we were doing and decided to go to the Salad Bar Café to stock up on some local produce and then went on to Zebra Rock Gallery. As we were there just before sunset Elephant Rock was beautifully lit up.

We returned back to the campsite via the lovely boab trees alongside the road.

I am now sitting outside trying to catch up with posting to the blog.

DAY 80 - KUNUNURRA – LOWER ORD RIVER

18 May 2008

DAY 80 Pilbara – Kimberley Trip


KUNUNURRA – LOWER ORD RIVER


Can’t believe we have been travelling for 80 days already. How time flies.

Today is also the day when my younger brother would have been 50, but he passed away after a heart attack at 40. Since then I live with the attitude every day is special - live for today as you don’t know what tomorrow will be.

After a late start we got picked up after 9.00am this morning for the Lower Ord Cruise. All I can say is that it was another magical day. All the tours we have taken here have been worth every cent. We have covered everything one can experience in the dry. We both agree that we would love to come to Kununurra in the wet and see the water cascading off the rock cliff faces and see the force of the water as it makes its way down to the Timor Sea.

Anyway back to the Lower Ord. It is very different to the Upper Ord. The vegetation alongside is very different. We started the tour with a visit to the local agricultural area and a stop at the Salad Bar café for beautiful mango slushies.

We continued with the bus tour through Carlton Hill Station to the tour bush camp on the banks of the Lower Ord. Boab tree on boab tree delighted the senses.

Just love the boab. We took a bush track

to see a boab that is thought to be thousands of years old.

After a relaxing barbeque lunch and entertainment by the yellow spotted monitors,


particularly when the two males decided to fight it out for supremacy we set out for a tour up river.


River Red Gums lined the river in places.

We spotted quite a few salties, some up to 5 metres long.


Some are very well camouflaged.

We saw some freshies too.

We saw cattle

along the river as we continued on to Terrara Bar where we saw some striking scenery and ancient rock formations.


On our way back we had to give a tow to a boat that had engine problems.

After afternoon tea back at the bush camp we continued downstream for more croc spotting and past Mack’s Burra camp and more great views.


There were great reflections in the water.

We saw an abundance of wallabies,

birds including the jabiru.



We saw a rather unsuspecting cow grazing just a couple metres from a salty in the water who appeared to be just waiting.

Finally we got back to the camp just as the sun set and what a sight.

Again, what a lovely day.

DAY 79 - KUNUNURRA

17 May 2008

DAY 79 Pilbara – Kimberley Trip

KUNUNURRA


Today is market day in Kununurra. So we trotted off to the town green to see what it was about. Lots of local produce for sale including boab roots which are very delicious. As we want to go to Keep National Park we decided not to get any till we came back from there so as not to loose it to WA Quarantine people.

We then lined up in Coles with everyone else for the roasted chook. You need to take your own food and drinks tonight.

Finally we set out for a self drive tour of Kununurra. We drove pass the main irrigation channels

to Ivanhoe Crossing.

It is still closed and the water is running quite strongly over the road.

Regardless of the warning signs about crocs ie salties there were a few people fishing in the water. We then decided that we really really did want to see some salties and booked in by phone to do a Lower Ord River Cruise tomorrow.

We backtracked and went along Research Station Road past the Salad Bowl Café, as we knew it was on tomorrow’s itinerary. We drove through different irrigated fields – there was sandalwood plantations, mahogany plantations, melon, maize, chick pea and so on. We stopped at the Hoochery - a small pot distillery where rum is made. During the tour of the distillery we learnt how they made rum from the sugar cane. We returned to the caravan park for a refreshing swim in the pool before setting out for the Airnorth Kimberley Moon Experience.

Armed with our chairs, nibbles, dinner and drinks we lined up at 3.00pm with everyone else from the caravan park for a free bus pick up. Some people were taking huge eskies onto the buses. We headed of for the Kununurra Community Ampitheatre on the shores of the lagoon where with 4,000 others we settled ourselves in for a night of entertainment.

At 3:50 pm the event kick started with Chris Mathews performance. Adam Harvey was the MC. The Mirima Dancers performed Welcome to Country. After a few speeches the Muster choir with the District School choir performed a superb bracket of songs. I wasn’t expecting anything of this calibre here form a choir that was predominantly school children. Well done!

This was followed by an enjoyable performance by Rode Worx, a local band from Wyndham, and then the muster idol. The Australian Army Band Darwin was fabulous and very entertaining. Blue Shaddy, a band from Perth followed – they were good but I got tired of watching one of the members. Finally the culmination of the night – Jimmy Barnes. It may have been the culmination but my poor hubby’s ear drums were painful from the level of sound produced by the band. Even the ground was vibrating. It was LOUD. It was some decibels above what is comfortable for listening. Part of the way through the performance we moved to the back hoping that the sound would be a little less loud. After the fireworks the music continued with Peace Love and All That Stuff until the crowd had dispersed. We got back just after 10.00pm and could hear this last lot in the caravan park several kilometres away. Again problems with power – lights. The problem is with the charger and we can’t do anything about it here.

DAY 78 - KUNUNURRA – LAKE ARGYLE

16 May 2008

DAY 78 Pilbara – Kimberley Trip

KUNUNURRA – LAKE ARGYLE

We were very happy this morning. After breakfast we drove to have a look from the local lookout Kelly’s Knob. It provides a view over the town and some of the agricultural area. We continued to Warigarri Aboriginal Arts which is a wholly aboriginal owned art centre established in the 1980s to promote the work of local artists.

Visited the Visitor’s Centre as we decided to get tickets for tomorrow night’s Airnorth Kimberley Moon Experience as part of the Ord Muster.

We headed back to the caravan park to get ready for our Lake Argyle Cruise. As we were not sure that we would have our car we had booked the tour with a pick up in Kununurra. We went by coach to the Durack Homestead near Lake Argyle. Before the lake had filled they had dismantled part of the Durack Homestead and rebuilt it above the water line. As the lake had taken only 3 months to fill only part of the homestead had been moved in that time. A delightful little museum.

From here we continued to Lake Argyle Tourist Village for lunch before having a tour of the area and a video of the building of the dam.


It was interesting to look down on the Ord River below the dam.

After the video we set off for a sunset cruise on the lake.

It is unbelievable how big it is. The water in the lake currently would fill Sydney Harbour 21 times.

We explored the northern end of the lake.


We saw rock wallabies,

fresh water crocodiles, wallaroos and catfish feeding frenzy and the amazing spitting archer fish.

It was strange cruising amongst what were the peaks of the Carr Boyd Ranges not so long ago. Now they are islands or part of the untamed coastline.




In one place we saw these amazing spider webs on the limbs of trees that have been submerged.

Some amazing scenery once again.

As the sun set we stopped at a lovely spot and those that wished could go for a swim. Champagne, beer and nibbles were served. Those swimming enjoyed the champagne in the water. What a sight and what a great moment.

Again another fabulous day until we got back to the Oka and found that it had no power. Initially we were not sure what caused it as we are connected to power at the caravan park. Hubby got it going but it was temperamental from then on for the rest of the night.