25th July - 1st August 2016
The night before leaving Lake Argyle we went for a short 4WD to a lookout. The view, of course, was stunning. So just had to share a few more photos.
The setting sun on the red ranges is spectacular.
Looks like the caravan and 4WD expo! With all those vans you would expect noise. Not so. It was really great.
So, back to Kununurra for some shopping and a few other "life" necessities. Picnic lunch by Lake Kununurra, then 100 klm north towards Wyndham.
This is the Ord River Diversion Dam spillway.
Not a bad way to see the countryside! Sadly, not us.
Little water monitor right near us.
Couple of nights at Diggers Rest Station just south of Wyndham. What a find. Camp down by the King River all to ourselves. Not another soul in sight. Absolutely worth the 37 klm rough road in.
Feeling a little disjointed.
Boabs everywhere in this region. Absolutely loving them. Not so much the dry, dusty ground.
Yep....this will do just fine. Not another soul in sight, just us.
Sunset camp.
Complete with bush funny!
Dezzi off for the morning walk. The only thing missing was the redback spiders!
Big walk along the King River.
Love the boabs.
Back at camp thought we should try our hand at fishing. "Apparently" there is barramundi in there. Hhmmmmm!
Waiting....waiting....waiting. Nothin'.
The local emu kept us amused though.
Amazing sunsets and incredible night sky. The peacefulness was wonderful.
Sunrise from bed. Oh yeah!
Dez checking my rod that I left out overnight. Bit of wishful thinking for a Barra for brekky! Well, before we went to bed shone a torch on the river, and mr crocodile beady eyes were looking back at us. Heard a splash later in the night. Next morning, bait, hook and sinker all gone. Nothing but line. I reckon I caught a massive Barra and the croc got it. That's my story!
This is the Prison Boab Tree. It was used to lock up Aboriginal prisoners on the way into Wyndham, back in the late 1800's.
On the way out of Diggers Rest we followed a dirt road a short way and came across some rock art.
Beautiful Brolgas. Love when you see wildlife unexpectedly.
Wyndham
All set up at the local caravan park. First stop....lunch! Wyndham is yet another Australian town that is slowly dying. So sad. Pretty much all the industry has closed. Once a thriving area for live cattle export, mineral export, quite a bit of import. From what we could gather there is only once company left that imports diesel for remote areas. Don't Think it will be long before there is nothing left.
Then some local history gathering. A whole town was planned down at the Port, but never got further than one house. That didn't even survive.
Diesel tanker coming into the Port.
This is the new jetty. Just thought it was cool.
The old jetty. The tide here comes in and out at a rapid rate.
Mangrove crocodile country. Didn't see any though.
I love old cemeteries. This is the first cemetery. There are three here. This one is from 1866-1922. Life was so harsh in the pioneering years. There wasn't anyone older than 54 and most were between 20-30 years of age.
There is a "big" something all over Australia. Wyndham has the big crocodile!
Oh...that's good. No cyclones to worry about.
The main reason people come to Wyndham is to enjoy the sunset from the five rivers lookout.
The King, Pentecost, Ord, Durack and Forrest rivers merge to flow into the Gulf. The tidal flats are expansive.
Looking down to the Port.
Looking towards the mouth.
The Bungle Bungles
What an amazing place. Free camped at the entrance to the National Park. 52 klm of insane corrugated road in. Then another 50 klm within the park, then 52 klm back out. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Will let the photos do the talking.
Insane corrugations!
The first part of the drive is through Mabel Downs Station. Thought we better let this cattle train have right of way!
And then you get to the Bungles.......
Termite mounds halfway up the rock!
So, on our way from the southern walks to the northern walks we came across a young Chinaman in a Britz 4WD who had taken the corner too fast and got himself bogged in the sand. Dezzi to the rescue. Turns out he had his tyres at 50 psi ( should have been 35), car in 2WD instead of 4WD, could hardly speak English and had never driven on rough dirt before! There are so many 4WD hire cars in the outback being driven by overseas tourists that have no idea how to handle our conditions.
Buried well and truly.
Out with the shovel and told to dig, dig, dig ha ha!
Letting heaps of air out of the tyres.
Dezzi giving "instructions".
More digging.
Hooked him up to another vehicle with a winch.
And out.
Needless to say he was very appreciative.
So on to the northern walks.
The northern rock formations are completely different. All pretty much conglomerate.
The track into Echidna was very rocky.
The chasm is amazing. At the far end it is as tall as a skyscraper and really narrow. It feels like being in an Indianna Jones movie.
A massive day but so glad we came here. Another one of Australia's truly magnificent landscapes.
Our free camp. Not bad.
Just passing by.
Back to Kununurra for a couple of nights for the third time! Time to get ready to tackle the Gibb River Road adventure!
We stayed at a different park this time. Fabulous......right on the edge of Lake Kununurra. Sensational.
Lovely shady site with grass....such a treat!
Our balcony view.
Early morning visitor.
There is a resident freshwater croc. Poor old love has no teeth
!
Suprise meeting with Leanne and Gary Hepburn from the Sunshine Coast. Called for sunset drinks of course!
Looking towards our van.
Gibb River Road here we come at last!!!
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