The Kimberleys & The Northern Territory
March - May 2008
By: Dennis & Joan Thornton
Preamble
It was an ominous sign – It was raining heavily & the A'van refused to budge from the carport for a 9.30am
departure. Five days earlier a mechanic had left a rag on the manifold of
the 4WD during a final service. We had pulled into the driveway with the
smell of smoke & as we lifted the bonnet we removed a smouldering rag just as it caught fire . Now, four hours
later after an auto-electrician callout, replacement of the Hayman-Reece brake
controller and $340 poorer we finally got away in the pouring rain at 1.45pm.
Week 1
It rained all the way to Cootamundra.
We had overnight stops at Narrandera,
Wakerie and Woomera. We left Woomera and soon came across a
very big stubborn eagle that refused to budge from its road-kill (a kangaroo).
Even as we passed on the wrong side of the road at 110kmph it still did
not move.
We lunched at Coober Pedy and then
progressively drove until reaching Kulgera in the Northern Territory. Today we had
travelled 784kms and 2338kms since leaving Canberra 3.5 days ago. Initially
it was quiet night until a road train arrived after dark with three trailers full
of bellowing cattle. Sleep was impossible until about one hour later when
the truckie moved on.
The following morning we passed an old-timer walking beside a decrepit old car
being pulled by two camels. As we pulled into the Stuart Wells Roadhouse we saw an embarrassing sight, a road
train was stranded in the driveway & the driver was pouring diesel from a
container into the tanks.
It was at Stuart Wells that we learnt all about
‘Dinky – The Singing Dingo'. Other tourists arrived & asked
if Dinky was going to sing today. Whilst they videoed and Joan played the piano, Dinky jumped up onto the
piano keyboard and started singing, (howling). Apparently this act is
world famous and Dinky has his own ‘Yahoo' web
site. All proceeds go to the
RFDS (Royal Flying Doctor Service).
Soloist Dinki accompanied by pianist Joan
Having visited Alice Springs before
we confined our trips to specific areas. First we spent about 5hours at
the Alice Springs Desert Park in the three areas – Desert Rivers, Sand Country & Woodland. Each area
had species of animals appropriate to the diverse nature of the land.
Desert Rivers encompass river red gum
trees that are home to red-tailed black cockatoos and other unique desert birds.
The Sand Country is the land of
the spinifex, thorny devils, legless lizards and tall termite mounds.
It's the Woodland that is home to the
desert's largest creatures, the emu and red kangaroo.
The former Alice Springs Gaol
(1938 - 1966) has recently been refurbished and reopened as the National Pioneer Women's Hall of Fame.
It is well documented with a social history of the building and the needs of
prisoners, staff, town & society. It is also a museum dedicated to
preserving and displaying material relating to pioneering Australian women.
Outside were two aboriginals, a younger one up the ladder painting in the hot
sun, the other older one sitting the shade. I said, " you've got the best
job" to which the reply was "I'm the
supervisor".
Week 2
After leaving Alice Springs we were soon at the
Aileron Roadhouse, a feature being the giant Aboriginal statue poised
on a hill above the roadhouse. As we travelled towards Ti Tree we called into the
Red Centre Produce Farm for fresh frozen mangos & ice cream.
The area north of Ti Tree is spotted with granite outcrops & an outstanding
feature is Central Mount Stuart.
At the historic Barrow Creek Telegraph
Station we took many photographs but access to the main building was
not possible as it was deemed structurally unsound.
For the evening we decided to stay at the UFO capital of Australia – Wycliffe Wells. This area is renown for
its regular documented UFO sightings. There may be another reason – the
pub also has the largest commercial range of beers in Australia.
It was a hot 35C as we travelled towards Tennant
Creek. Our first stop was the
Devils Marbles just outside Wauchope
.
Their big - Devils Marbles
These huge rounded boulders balanced precariously are believed
by the Aborigines to be the eggs of the Rainbow
Serpent. In reality they owe their shape to millions of years
of erosion. In the evening at Tennant Creek we went to a bush tucker &
poetry reading show conducted by a local celebrity
Jimmy Hooker who, after reading a few poems, introduced us to bush
tucker. Joan tasted roasted witchery grub, (tastes like chicken) but found
it unappetising.
The main attraction in Tennant Creek is the
Battery Hill Mining Complex but all tours have been stopped as the
underground tourist mines are being refurbished. Defaced town murals are
commonplace.
We returned to the A'van & found that extremely small ants had invaded us
and they were in everything - linen, biscuits, bedding etc. Like our
fellow campers we all had to empty our vans and wash down the walls.
As we progressed north along the highway isolated roadhouse are a great opportunity
for photo's, each having their individual displays of caps, bra's, undies, etc.
hanging from the bar ceiling, and the loo's spelt out in different languages.
Daly Waters Pub
The landscape is progressively changing from open plain to extensive thick shrub.
At Elliott we drove 3kms off the
Stuart Highway to the historic town of Newcastle
Waters, a former town sited on the junction of three major stock
routes & a great gathering place for the drovers. There are a number
of old buildings, all accessible, the main ones being the Jones Store and the Junction
Hotel. The National Trust's historic Jones store built in 1934
is now a museum. Display boards scattered around the buildings highlight
its heyday and a disappearing relaxed lifestyle.
At Daly Waters we visited the historic
hangar built prior to the 1930's and used by
Qantas as a refuelling stop at Australia's first international
airfield. A lot of WW11 memorabilia placards are around the internal walls.
It was late in the day when we booked in at
Mataranka & made the mistake of leaving the lights on and door
open. Soon the roof area was full of insects and beetles.
From Mataranka to Katherine it was
only 276kms. We booked into an ensuite site at the Knotts Crossing Resort about 1km from town at $30 per night,
highly recommended. In the afternoon we drove out to the Cutta Cutta Caves (about 34kms). We had
the guide to ourselves as we toured the underground limestone caves 15metres
below the surface that has stalactites and stalagmites. These caves have
a solid metal frame walkway for the full length of the cave to cope with unexpected
flash flooding. It was very hot & humid underground, and although we
carried water with us, it was great to get to the surface for some fresh air.
It was great to flick the switch on the air-con as we got into to the A'van.
We visited Nitmiluk NP (formerly Katherine
Gorge) for our 2 gorges cultural tour. The
Jawoyn Aboriginal Tribe have full control of these gorges and that of
Leliyn (Edith Falls). Arriving so recently after the ‘wet season' everything is
still green. As we travelled along in the double pontoon vessel we learnt
about the history of the area, freshwater crocodiles, Jeddah's Leap, & environmental conservation. At
the Katherine Museum we learnt about
the extensive 2005 flooding. It is hard to image the flooding of the Katherine
CBD when you consider the height of the road & rail bridges above the Katherine
River. The following day we drove the 61kms to the Leliyn (Edith Falls). With the temperature at about 30C we
walked the 2.6kms Leliyn Trail Loop that
climbs quite dramatically at the start and then goes across the escarpment before
reaching the higher waterfalls at the upper pools and then descends back to the
car-park. With fantastic views from a couple of lookouts the water was
flowing very fast over the rapids and waterfalls. This was a very strenuous
2.5 hr walk & we drank copious quantities of our bottled water.
Edith Falls - Katherine
Week 3
Travelling towards Kununurra (WA) we
came across spear grass taller than the 4WD. We stopped briefly at the
Victoria River Roadhouse and noted for
the first time, (but not last), controlled burning of the scrub. The
escarpments along the way were quite unusual with
‘China Wall' features. At Kununurra we had an ensuite site at
the Big 4 Ivanhoe Crossing CP.
The 6am news said that Kununurra was going for a top temperature of 39C after a
rather chilly night of 17.1C.
Since arriving we have heard that a lot of the outback roads are closed due to an
exceptionally ‘wet' season this year. Later we took a tour of The Hoochery, (the oldest legal still in Western
Australia). As the only ones on the 1 hour tour we found it very interesting,
and especially invigorating afterwards at ($1 per shot) of the local vintage.
Another nearby attraction is the currently closed
Ivanhoe Crossing. This is a concrete causeway over the Lower Ord River, about 15kms north of Kununurra.
The river is running too fast and is therefore very dangerous to cross.
Crocodiles are still possible along the water's edge.
The following day we drove the 70km to Lake
Argyle. This inland sea was created in 1971 by damming the mighty
Ord River for the ill-fated cotton project. It now provides irrigation to
immense areas of the East Kimberley region. The tour primarily gives you a
history of the building of the Ord River Dam and the creation of Lake Argyle.
Later we drove across the dam wall & viewed this massive feat from the
lookouts.
Lake Argle / Ord Dam Wall
As we were departing we called into the Durack Homestead and Museum, the homestead being relocated
from its original site 16kms away that is now under the waters of Lake Argyle.
Just outside Kununurra is the Mirima (Hidden Valley)
NP, a small park with sandstone cliffs and valleys similar in appearance
to parts of the Bungle Bungle Range. Some rock formations resemble the
more famous beehives (hence the local name of ‘mini Bungles'). Sweat was
pouring out of us as we climbed to the lookout, (about 1km from the car-park).
Our next stop was Wyndham (100kms)
calling into The Grotto on the way.
The Grotto is a natural amphitheatre swimming hole with dripping water
accessible via a rock staircase of 140 steps. The track to the bottom of
the amphitheatre was very precarious and you really had to look where you were
walking, but the coolness and beauty at the bottom was worth it.
When we arrived in Wyndham there were few people around being a Saturday, not
that that would make much difference anyway. One of the attractions in
this area is the Crocodile Farm.
This is being revamped but we were still able to see a number of ‘salties' being
fed each with half a chicken. They also have a rogue one that needs to be
treated with a bit of respect.
The whole area of Wyndham Port is rundown
and really needs an extensive overhaul if it is going to attract more tourists.
We drove up to the Five Rivers Lookout
to get some idea of the view and again later at sunset for some great photos.
The next day we drove to Halls Creek
with stops at Doon Doon and Warmun.
At Halls Creek we drove out to the ‘China Wall'
a natural white quartz formation protruding up to 6m from the surrounding surface.
From there it was a short drive to Old Halls
Creek, home to the first gold discovery in Western Australia.
The main attraction is the ruins of the Old Post
Office made of stone & mud brick. However in trying to preserve
this heritage structure authorities have now covered it with a large metal roof
to keep the rain off and encircled the site with high chain mesh fence.
A classic case of ‘overkill'. In the evening we walked across to the
Kimberley Hotel restaurant for a three course carvery tea – 2 soups, 3 choices
of meats, hot vegetables, and deserts of fruit salad, chocolate cake & cream -
what luxury.
With a strong tailwind we drove straight through to Fitzroy Crossing (289kms) & booked into the upmarket
Fitzroy Lodge Hotel/Motel & CP
complex. We were told that all tours to
Geikie Gorge were cancelled due to the ‘wet season' flood damage.
With little else to do we decided to drive down to the area anyway and check it
out for ourselves. The cruise boat launching area was still covered in
dried mud and the CALM rangers had tried to burn-off intrusive undergrowth.
A lot of work needed to be done before the area would be up to scratch for the
tourists.
Week 4
Departing early from Fitzroy Crossing we arrived in
Broome about midday. We have an ensuite site at the Vacation Village CP. Soon after setting
up we were invaded by ants, we assumed from overhanging trees, so manually moved
the A'van sideways by a metre. Whilst doing this activity in the hot sun
Ken Greenwood rang asking if we were
having a good time.
Over the next 8 days we visited many local attractions including Cable Beach to see beautiful sand & crystal
clear waters. Many families are taking the opportunity to walk the beach,
or swim in the shallows. In this paradise the drawback is the ‘stingers',
jellyfish that can cause excruciating pain, and in some cases death, as they wrap
their tentacles around the body. A bottle of vinegar is always at the
nearby ‘stingers first aid' post. We also pre-booked a 2hr tour on the
Double Decker Bus that takes you
around the sights of Broome. Visiting Chinatown we called into the
Sun Pictures Open Air Deckchair Picture
Theatre that is right at the end of the main airport runway.
We also drove to the Deep Water Port
at the southern tip of Roebuck Bay.
There is a separate walkway along the jetty for pedestrians and anglers.
With a nice sea breeze it was pleasantly cool whilst walking in the sun.
Nearby is an area called ‘The Pindan
Soils' where distinctive red soils meet white sand and blue seas.
Departing early for Cable Beach we arrived just as a number of ‘camel
trains' were setting off along Cable Beach with their passengers. We drove
onto the sand negotiating a soft sand area where many vehicles were having
trouble. The ‘camel trains' walk a considerable distance north along the
beach before they turn around as the sun progressively sets on the horizon.
It is surprising how quickly darkness descends as soon as the sun sets.
Camels - Cable Beach, Broome
On the Double Decker bus tour we were the only passengers and sat on the top deck
at the front of the bus. We had great views with an interesting documentary
from the driver down below. We visited many areas such as Cable Beach, The Buddha's Sanctuary, Chinatown, Town
Beach, various upmarket housing developments with $2million houses,
locations of museums, markets, shops, Japanese
(pearl divers) Cemetery, Chinese Cemetery, Broome Port and was told
the best viewing area for the forthcoming
‘Staircase to the Moon'. The Saturday Courthouse Markets had plenty of exotic & Asian food,
soft drink & ice cream, clothing stalls, art gallery displays, jewellery and
unusual stalls. Plenty of tourists and locals make this a colourful event
with the aroma of cooked food wetting the taste buds.
Tour Bus - Broome
In the afternoon we drove down to the Broome
Historical Museum that concentrates on the pearling industry in Broome
and the effects of Japanese raids during WW11. We returned to Gantheaume Point and found Anastasia's Pool, created by a former lighthouse
keeper who had an arthritic wife. To assist in the treatment of this
ailment he chipped a metre wide small pool in the solid granite so that she
could sooth her aching bones.
Anastasia's Pool - Gantheaume
Point, Broome
Cliffs in this area are very crumbly and
dangerous. Back in town we made a couple of tour bookings, one for the
Pearl Luggers, the other a visit to
the Willie Creek Pearl Farm about
42kms away in the swampy tidal area north of Broome.
At Cable Beach we drove around to Buddha's
Sanctuary (an area of enlightment) for all those who believe.
The light rays through the slotted roof were quite effective. The Pearl Luggers tour identifies ‘The Sea, The Men, The Legend' – a journey into
the historical foundations of pearling in Broome whilst Joan was happy to hold
in her hand a pearl valued at $100,000. We then watched a short film
displaying the harshness of hard-hat pearl diving at the turn of the century.
Chinatown has a profusion of
shops displaying precious pearls as well as pearl and pearl-shell jewellery.
From there we walked across to the Gecko
Gallery, Broome's premier gallery for aboriginal fine art. At
4.30pm we set out for Town Beach to watch the natural phenomenon called ‘Stairways to the Moon'. This is where
moonlight reflects off mudflats creating an illusion of a staircase climbing
skyward. Tonight the show was scheduled for 5.59pm. The area soon
became crowded with people but unfortunately the moon decided to stay behind the
clouds to everyone's disappointment. Apparently a cyclone off Christmas
Island is creating immense cloud across the Kimberley.
Sunset - Broome
Week 5
We left early for the 42kms drive to Willie
Creek Pearl Farm. Our introduction was an insight into the
anatomy of a pearl shell and an explanation on how cultured pearls are created.
After morning tea and beer damper we then boarded a pontoon boat that
travelled the adjacent waterways. The skipper explained the cleaning
process and the maintenance of oyster shells during the 2year ‘growing' period.
Overseas backpackers on 6-month contracts do much of this work.
They work 2 weeks straight on a boat and are paid $1000 per week, but some monies
are retained to ensure that they fulfil their contract obligations.
In the evening we again went to Town Beach
but wasted our time as the cloud cover prevented any ‘Staircase to the Moon'.
Rather than waste another day for the ‘Staircase' to materialize we decided to
leave Broome a day early. Another hot night but with our recent air-con
modifications the cooling system had improved immensely.
Seven kms from Derby we stopped at the Boab
Prison Tree. The tree is believed to be about 1500 years old and has a girth of 14.7 metres.
It was used as a staging point for prisoners being walked to Derby in the
early days. Nearby is Myall's Bore
Trough, built in 1917 and can water 500 bullocks at any one time.
We notice that the marsupials are very laidback as a couple of goannas casually
walked across the road oblivious to our 4WD. It was very hot & humid
by the time we reached the Kimberley Entrance
CP at Derby. We had timed our arrival perfectly as tours of
Tunnel Creek & Windjana Gorge had
just commenced the previous day with the partial opening of the Gibb River Road.
Another tour was on tomorrow so we made an immediate booking.
After setting up camp we travelled down to the jetty to see the water level at
high tide, (and later at low level) taking photos for comparison purposes.
At the Old Derby Gaol we were shocked
to look at the open grilled prisoner cells that Aboriginal prisoners were expected
to live in, in such a hot & humid climate.
At 8am we walked to the front of the CP and waited with two other backpackers
for the tour bus. We saw a bus pull up, noticed that it was a 4WD school
bus, so we all returned to the CP. A few minutes later the driver informed
us that we were going on the Windjana Gorge &
Tunnel Creek Tour in the brand new 4WD school bus recently picked up
from Perth. This was its first tour and even the school kids had not
ridden in it, (school children being on holidays). It was painted a bright
reddish orange colour, easily seen from the air if it broke down.
Derby school bus
After picking up more astonished passengers we travelled the 145kms arriving at
Windjana Gorge for morning tea,
coffee & biscuits. Windjana Gorge is a 5km gorge containing some of
the best examples of fossil reef complexes in the world. As we walked
along part of the gorge (about 1km) we saw one baby crocodile, noted fossils in
the sandstone gorge walls and took many photos of the terrific scenery.
Windjana Gorge
Lunch comprised a platter of various salads, a number of meats washed down with
orange juice. Later we set off for the 36km trip to Tunnel Creek, an eroded 750 metres walk-through limestone
cave of the Napier Range. The
road between these two locations was extremely rough even though it had just been
graded. Many floodway crossings were full of rocks. Upon arrival
we were all issued with lanterns as the tunnel is pitch black in some areas.
In 1992 you were able to just walk into the tunnel, however since then
there has been a massive cliff collapse at the entrance. Now it is
necessary to lower yourself over massive boulders into an unknown depth of water.
Fortunately the tour driver went first to identify the actual depth of
the water that was thigh high (for me anyway, somewhat higher for Joan).
Fortunately the water was not really cold, but there were many rocks to negotiate.
As we progressed the tunnel became eerie dark and only the torch lit the
way. We were constantly going into ankle and knee deep water moving from
one side of the tunnel to the other. Joan was not taking any chances and
followed in the footsteps of the tour driver. After about 300metres we
came across the roof cave-in and daylight, the area surrounded with green trees
and undergrowth.
Collapsed roof half way along Tunnel Creek
Re-entering Tunnel Creek
We then pushed on for another 450metres, back into the dark tunnel with no natural
light until we came to the other side of the Napier Range. This area had
stunning photographic material and I was the last to return. In the tunnel
we saw many fish and evidence of freshwater crocodile tracks (there are 2 in the
tunnel but they are timid). We spent about 2 hours in Tunnel Creek, an
area we would not have ventured by ourselves without the aid of an experienced
tour guide.
It was 3.30pm when we continued along the track to the Lillimilura Police Station that was built in the 1890's
because of Aboriginal attacks on white settlers. It was after 6pm when we
returned to Derby.
The following morning Bev Lednard, a
long time resident of Derby; (we met her on the tour) called around to give Joan
a print of a Boab flower, (very rare as it only flowers for about 24 hours).
Before departing Derby we again took photos of the jetty with the water
showing the mudflats. We arrived at Fitzroy
Crossing about midday with all shops shut. Geikie Gorge remains closed to tourists. It was late
the following day that we arrived at
Warmun. Facilities are very basic and old yet they charge $28
per night for a powered site. However if you want to leave you're A'van
somewhere so that you can drive into the Bungles, then you have no choice but to
pay.
Left Warmun at 8.30am after securing the A'van. Arrived at Bungles turnoff, engaged 4WD and spent the next
2 hours travelling 52kms negotiating creek crossings, corrugations and washaways
that had not seen a grader since last year. This is the reason tour
operators are encouraging tourists to fly in and then get ground transport
because the road is so rough. We arrived at the Visitors Centre at 11am and then drove up to the Kungkalanayi Lookout that provides 360-degree
views of spinifex-covered ridges and the western escarpment of the Bungle Bungle Range.
At the Bellburn Bush Camp we confirmed
our overnight accommodation that provides hot showers; a home cooked evening meal
and breakfast before setting off for Piccaninny
Gorge area and Cathedral Gorge
that is about 26kms from the Bush camp. We first tackled the Domes Trail; an easy short 1km circuit walk
amongst the domes beginning at the Piccaninny
Gorge Car Park.
Beehive Domes Trail
It was great walking amongst these beautiful striped banded domes especially
when the trail went into some shade, the temperature being 35C.
Beehive Domes - Bungles
Beehive Domes
After a quick bite to eat we set off for the 2km return Cathedral Gorge walk with short steep slopes and narrow
ledges. This walk is amongst towering cliffs, banded domes, pebbles and
potholes.
Cathedral Gorge - Bungles
It is impossible to describe the massive size of the amphitheatre with huge
overhanging ceiling and walls and a centre pool of water with fish and where no
sunlight ever penetrates. For us this was the jewel of the Bungles.
Water stain at Cathedral Gorge
Mirror Image - Cathedral Gorge
Bungles Massif
Returning we briefly called into Piccaninny
Gorge to look at the numerous potholes but by this time we were both
very fatigued and just wanted to lie down. Unfortunately back burning in
the nearby hills created a pale of smoke that drifted across our area.
With other tourists still out on their bus tour tea was delayed & we were
starved by the time we sat down to roast beef, chicken, potatoes, peas, corn,
carrot & beans, followed up with a nice desert. Living in the A'van
these past 5 weeks our main concern at night was keeping cool, now we are both
cold even with an extra doona.
Main problem during the night was the cold and constant smell of smoke.
By 7.30am we were on our way to the Echidna
Chasm about 35kms from base camp with an easy to moderate return walk
of 2kms through a spectacular long narrow chasm with striking colour variations
depending on the angle of the sun. Very spectacular scenery.
Walking into Echidna Chasm
It was necessary to watch your footing on the round stones that have been washed
down the creek, otherwise you could end up with a twisted ankle. The
Livistona palms both in the chasm and along the ridges look out of place in this
type of environment. As the cliff walls gradually get closer together so
does the feeling of claustrophobia. A number of rock falls restricted our
travel up to the upper reaches of the gorge, but it was still very dark &
forbidding with a sign saying ‘Beware of rock falls'.
At about 1pm we started the slow tortious journey out to the Highway. It
took about 2 hours and we passed one elderly couple towing a brand new Odyssey
off-road camper tailer. I stopped and wished him luck, (caravans are
banned) and I think he will have more than a few scratches and dents after he
gets in, (and then he has to get out again). All drivers of hired
vehicles appear to speed, irrespective of road surface, this track being no
exception.
By 4pm we were back on the black top and soon on our way to Warmun. Just outside the roadhouse Police stopped me
for speeding. I had slowed down from 100kmph to 80kmph but I did not see
70kmph sign soon after. He realised that I had tried to do the right thing
and let me off with a caution, that's after a rego check, licence check
breathalyser – phew. We drove straight to the A'van for a rest.
Week 6
When we arrived in Kununurra we arranged
a conducted tour of El Questro & Chamberlain
Gorge as access to Gibb River
Road was still questionable. We calculated our arrival date in
Darwin and pre-booked accommodation at the Hidden
Valley Tourist Park at Berrimah. This park is close to an
expressway so that you can drive directly into Darwin's CBD missing most of the
traffic lights and speed cameras. At dusk we went to Kelly's Knob to watch the setting sun.
Early next morning the El Questro Wilderness
Park vehicle picked us up & after 70km of bitumen soon encountered
the rough Gibb River Road.
Entering El Questro the roads had
been graded, (they have their own grader), & by 9am we were at the Emma Gorge car park for the half hour difficult
walk to Emma Gorge Falls & the
opportunity for a swim in the cold water.
It was slow going, constantly crossing back and forth amongst the rocks and the
flowing stream. In the hot sun it was great to see the spectacular
waterfall ahead & then actually arrive at the base of the falls. A
number of people swam under the falls but most stayed in the shallows.
The water was very cold, and the below surface rocks were slippery underfoot,
definitely not a place to twist an ankle. Walking downstream was much
harder and I'm glad I had a pole for support.
We had morning tea at the Emma Gorge
Restaurant and then drove around to the Zebedee Thermal Springs. This area was located about
350m from the track and the prevalence of Livistona palms in such arid area is
totally out of character. This steamy environment was a great place to
relax those aching bones in the hot springs.
Returning to the Station Township we
had a great meal of beef, barramundi and salad. It was very tender and
cooked to perfection.
The Chamberlain River Cruise is a
combination of Nitmiluk (Katherine
Gorge) & Geikie Gorge except that
you can get off the boat to study geological, botanical and animal habitats.
With an afternoon snack of fruit platter and wine it was late in the day when we
got back to El Questro. Returning along the road to Kununurra a number of
mountain ranges were alight with ‘controlled burning' & in some cases the
driver was driving blindly through the ensuing smoke. After a rather hair
rising ride we finally got back to Kununurra about 7pm.
Next morning we left Kununurra for Katherine
and stayed at the same CP. Aren't we lucky – directly behind
the CP this weekend is the Katherine Country
Music Muster, 30 hours of entertainment and we have a free grandstand
view of the sounds (noise) to send us to sleep. The loud amplified music (
instrumental and singers) went on all evening and only finally stopped at midnight.
It was only then could we get some sleep.
Departing Katherine at 8.30am we soon arrived at the historic town of Pine Creek. Facilities are very old &
need a substantial revamp. After refuelling at Hayes Creek we opted for the scenic drive to Adelaide River. As we entered the
Adelaide River railway museum the GHAN
Train went by. The museum was very interesting especially the
WW11 memorabilia. After lunch we drove around to the Adelaide River WW11 Cemetery – it has quite a sobering effect.
As we approached Batchelor and Litchfield
NP there are large clouds of
smoke from controlled burns, in some cases too close to the road.
After setting up camp we returned to Batchelor to visit the Butterfly & Bird Farm. This years
torrential rains has killed off many of the butterflies but we did have the
opportunity to photograph many substitute rabbits, guinea pigs, pig, lyrebirds
etc; and one cheeky rosella. We returned to camp late in the day through
more dense smoke and roadside fires. A very smoky sunset.
Next day we left to explore the Litchfield NP attractions. First stop was
the Termite Mounds that have an unusual
external texture that looks like grey gravel with thin edges pointing north/south
to minimise exposure to the sun. From there we went to Buley Rockhole with a fast flowing creek running over rocks.
This easy accessible area is very popular with old and young tourists.
Nearby is Florence Falls with
a very spectacular double waterfall and lookout and access to the swimming hole
below, provided you walk the 134 steps/stairs to get to the bottom. From
here it was just a short drive to Tolmer
Falls that cascades over two escarpments and is an easy walk to the
lookout. However you cannot access the base of the falls.
It was lunchtime when we reached the main tourist attraction - Wangi Falls. These are very spectacular
and very photographic. It is unfortunate that due to flood damage
surrounding this attraction swimming is not allowed in the pool area, and a
number of the boardwalks and the walking track to the top of the falls are
closed. This may account for the large number of people at the other
pools. Returning we checked to find the 4WD tracks to Blyth Homestead, Lost City & Tin Mine were still closed
due to flood damage.
Wangi Falls - Litchfield National
Park
Left Litchfield NP early & it was an easy drive of 120kms to Berry Springs CP. Close by is Darwin's Territory Wildlife Park. The
concept is very similar to Alice Springs Desert Park, but this one has many more
attractions and because of the torrential rain, has dense tropical vegetation.
The first stop was the Nocturnal House
and the Woodlands Walk. We found it too dark and could hardly
see anything – Alice Springs was much better. However the separate
enclosures on the way to the walk-through aviary were well documented with plenty
of birds and manuals. The aviary was enormous but we suspect most of the
birds had done a runner – very few were seen.
After the Wetlands Walk we entered
the Aquarium, an enclosed building.
This was very well displayed and very colourful. The walk-through
glass tunnel with manta rays and swordfish swimming overhead was quite stunning.
We also saw one of the staff in scuba gear using a suction pump to clean
the floor of the fish tank. They do it every fortnight. At the
Flight Deck we saw a spectacular
display of free flight eagles, and even one cracking an emu egg with a stone.
Week 7
This is the first CP we have ever been in that does not have any security
lighting at night. It was pitch black and you needed a torch to find the
amenities block. It was late in the evening when we got water from the
outside tap to boil water to wash the dishes. It was only when Joan looked
into the electric jug in the morning did she see a brown frog spread- eagled on the element. Apparently
the frog was either in the outside tap or fell into the jug when it was filled
the previous evening and got boiled alive. Joan was terribly upset.
I had to prise the poor bugger off the element base; it was stuck fast.
Next stop was Jenny's Orchid Garden
in Howard Springs. This was an
outstanding attraction, being a nursery, display area and also seating for
Devonshire tea.
Orchids - Howard Springs
Because of the humidity the orchids are not in soil, they are suspended on racks
their roots just hanging in the air – and with such lovely blooms and colours.
We are lucky that we have digital cameras because between us we took over
80 photographs. We then walked around the Homestead and then sat down on
the patio for Devonshire tea with beautiful fluffy scones with heaps of strawberry
jam and cream.
Orchids - Howard Springs
We arrived at the Berrimah Hidden Valley
CP about 1pm. We have a 'jail type' ensuite on a grass site.
Everything is green and sprinklers are everywhere. We booked for
the Tub Tour the following day.
Very noisy night with 24hour operation of the nearby Darwin Airport. At 8am we took the freeway into
Darwin's CBD and walked around the Mall where every 5th shop is a souvenir shop.
Darwin city skyline
The Tub Tour Bus arrived at
9am and we stayed on it the longest explaining to the driver that unlike others,
we had our own transport and really just wanted to get an idea of where to find
other attractions. Indirectly we also noted any parking problems.
The tour does a circular route every hour of most of the attractions around the
city of Darwin. We stayed on the bus until it reached its furthest point
being the East Point Military Museum.
The main museum is located in the former command centre for the 9.2mm gun
emplacements. There is considerable documentation on the bombing and
defence of Darwin during WW11 (with 64 air-raids spread over a period of 21
months). We watched a video on the bombing of Darwin and the defence effort.
In the afternoon we alighted from the bus at the WW11 Oil Storage Tunnels. These are quite extensive
but were actually completed after the end of WW11. They are now in a bad
state of repair and are really only appropriate as a tourist attraction.
Not wanting to wait for the bus we walked up to the scenic lookout and then back
along the Esplanade to our 4WD.
Left early next morning for fish feeding at
Aquascene where Joan fed the ocean visitors with bread. Another
area had ‘captured' barramundi, catfish, giant lobster and other creatures of the
deep. We stayed for about 2 hours. We then drove out to the East Point Fortifications (being outside the
museum grounds) and took photo's of all of the old WW11 gun emplacements,
magazine, store & control buildings. From here it was a short drive
to Fannie Bay Gaol, a number of
buildings had been wrecked during WW11 and then rebuilt only to have further
partial destruction from cyclone Tracy. There is a lot of history related
to the buildings, included the last hanging.
At 4pm we set off for the ‘must see' Mindil Beach
Markets (the biggest we have ever seen, and of course the most
picturesque). There were many stalls selling all types of exotic food,
artists & original paintings, homemade jewellery, woodcarving and
entertainment. We were really impressed with STOMP, who played contemporary Didjeridu music.
STOMP - Mindil Markets,
Darwin
It was later in the evening that the markets become temporarily empty as most
people sit on the beach watching a beautiful sunset, and then back to the markets
for the nighttime entertainment.
After making a booking for the Jumping Crocodile
Cruise at Adelaide River we set out for the Charles Darwin NP, which during the WW11 and up to 1980 was
the main storage area for bombs and ammunition. There are about 11 dumps
in the area and one was open for inspection. They all looked like
oversized ‘Anderson' shelters'.
The one open unit had numerous placards identifying the war effort and effects
on the populace of Darwin. We then drove across town to the George Brown Botanical Gardens. Although
a large selection of tropical trees it was somewhat disappointing in that there
were few flowering tropical plants.
After morning tea we visited the Australian
Museum & Art Gallery. It's not a large museum but some
displays do emphasis the dangers of tropical waters. At 5.30pm we drove
to Mindil Beach to take photos of the
setting sun. What a difference a day makes – no market – no crowds.
It's Friday night & no shops are open, even in the suburbs.
At Adelaide River we were fortunate
to be on the top deck of the boat for the Jumping
Crocodile Show. We had many photographic opportunities for the
crocodile jumping events and afterwards the low level kite flying display.
It doesn't take much effort to encourage a crocodile to put on an act when you
dangle on a piece of string half a chook or a piece of beef.
Feeding Crocodiles
It's a nice wide river but water skiing is not encouraged. From there we
drove to ‘Windows on the Wetland'
interpretive centre of the Aboriginal
Dreamtime and its elevated site provides great views across the
wetlands.
Fogg Dam is nearby and rather than
walk across the earthen dam wall we drove, (crocodiles both sides and it was
too dam hot anyway). We stopped at the
Pandanus Lookout that gave us an elevated view of the nearby swampland
covered with birdlife, even at midday. Whilst talking to other tourists we
found out about the ‘Sticky Beak Shop'
on our way back into town. This shop next to a sand & gravel merchant
is filled with an unlikeliest lot of figurines, antiques, woodwork, ironwork,
ceramics and ancient animals of the dinosaur era. All could be purchased
for a price.
It's MOTHERS DAY as we drive around
the various Sunday markets before visiting the
Cullen Bay Marina, a very upmarket housing and sailing boat activity
area with many expensive houses & private water access. After lunch
we drove around to Stokes Wharf, D
arwin's port precinct and found out about the great meals of fresh fish that
could be purchased and ate on the wharf. Late in the day we called into
the Sunday Mindil Markets (just as
popular), but the weather was extremely hot & humid so we decided not to
stay. In the evening we again returned to
Stokes Wharf. It was a great tea of grilled barramundi and
salad, a seafood platter & liquid refreshments. Beautiful sunset.
Lone rider - Darwin
We next visited the Australian Pearling
Exhibition at the Stokes Wharf. This exhibition emphasis the
role that the Paspaley Family has been
in the past 100 years.
Paspaley Pearls - Darwin
We had already covered much of this territory whilst in Broome & the Willie Creek Pearl Farm. Next-door is
the Indo Pacific Marine – a living
coral reef eco-system. Very impressive exhibition and unfortunately with
‘No photographs' permitted and no
postcards to purchase it is hard to convey the impressive credentials of this
Week 8
Nearby is the Australian Aviation Heritage
Centre, the Home of the B52
Bomber. I can now understand why Darwin airport is so large,
(it is about 5 times the size of the CBD). The B52 could only operate at
Darwin with its long runway. Before commencing the B52 tour we walked
around the massive hangar taking photos of other aircraft such as Mirage, Sabre,
replica Spitfire, B25 Mitchell warplanes with a number of civilian types such as
DH104 Dove and a Rockwell Shrike Commander 500. There are also a number
of helicopters in all configurations as well aircraft engines. Around the
walls are many photographic reminders of the bombing of Darwin during WW11.
B52 - Aviation Museum, Darwin
At 6pm we returned to the city for the Deckchair Cinema that is close to
Lameroo Beach. If you are a
regular attendee then you know to arrive with enclosed clothing from neck to toe.
As a tourist you are not really prepared for the hordes of mosquitoes that
can smell southern blood. It
was an unusual experience to first watch the setting sun, and then the moon in a
starry sky and at the same time spraying oneself with mosquito repellent.
We literally covered our bodies with spray. It was a great Houdini movie.
On another occasion we set off for Cullen
Bay and boarded the catamaran cruise ship ‘Spirit of Darwin'. By 5.30pm we had exited the
locks and progressed along the coastline visiting areas that we had only seen
from shore. Being late in the day visibility was not 100% but we still
had a spectacular sunset, augmented with a lot of cloud effects. We sailed
around the wharf area that was now lit up and saw illegal fishing boats ready to
be sunk and burnt in Darwin Harbour. It was very dark as we made our way
back through the marina locks after 2 hours at sea.
Left Darwin early arriving in Jabiru
(Kakadu NP) at 1pm. On the way we saw a wild dingo crossing the road ahead
of us. There is a lot of controlled burning and smoke is just drifting in
the air with windless days.
Controlled burnoffs - Kakadu
We stayed at the upmarket Kakadu Lodge
where powered sites are $32. The only supermarket's food is very expensive,
but they don't have plastic bags – either boxes or brown paper bags. We
set off late in the day to visit Ubirr (54kms). There is still a lot of local burning
alongside the road and we sometimes had to drive through drifts of smoke.
Nabulwingbulwlng -
Aboriginal rock painting - Ubhirr
Ubirr is famous for its Aboriginal art sites and in the short time we were there
we visited them all before climbing the Nadab
Lookout that gives you great views across the floodplains.
Wetland - Kakadu
We purposely did not stay for the setting sun as we considered it would be very
dangerous clambering down the rocks after sunset. We quickly called into
the office and booked a recommended 4WD
Arnhemlander Heritage tour by Aboriginal elders.
Very warm and smoky night with air-con on all night. Driving along the
Kakadu Highway we called into the
Nourlangie Aboriginal Art Site and
did the 1.5kms circular walk past ancient Aboriginal shelters & outstanding
art sites. We then returned to the highway & drove to the Yellow River cruise tour at Cooinda. Only a small number of pontoon
boats are operating at his stage, being early in the tourist season. This
was a very relaxing tour as the pontoon boat moved at a leisurely pace through
the wetlands.
Wetlands - Arnhemland
The tour lasted about 90minutes and during that time we saw many species of birds
and the occasional crocodiles sunbaking on the riverbanks. By the time we
returned to Jabiru the whole sky was black with a massive burn-off in and around
the town. With fire trucks running around I don't think they expected the
wind to all of a sudden get quite strong. The smoke has affected Joan
considerably on this trip, as controlled burn-offs are everywhere, mostly
unattended.
With our Aboriginal guide, Victor &
another two couples we set off in the 4WD bus for the Border Store at Ubirr to pick up our lunches. Toilet
facilities here are atrocious. We then crossed the crocodile infested
East Alligator River at Cahills Crossing
that took us into Arnhem Land.
Permits are necessary from the Aboriginal Land
Trust to enter this area and these are very restrictive, stay on main
road, no deviation, be self contained, no fuel available and limited to a certain
number of vehicles per day. At
Kunbarilanjnja (Oenpelli) we stopped briefly to look at the flood
plains and the escarpment that we would eventually climb. Being a Sunday
the Arts Centre was closed, but Victor
convinced an aboriginal elder to come out and show us a Woomera (spear throwing device) that he had carved.
It was another 20kms before finally stopping and Victor mentioned that we would
be doing a bit of climbing. This major climb of about 400 metres was well
worth the effort with exceptional examples of outstanding Aboriginal rock art
along a precarious ledge.
Aboriginal Rock Paintings -
Arnhem Land
There were numerous examples, some very outstanding whilst others had been
tarnished or simply weathered. This ledge also gave us very good views
across the flood plains.
Aboriginal Rock Paintings -
Arnhem Land
Following our pre-packaged lunch and further photographs of the nearby East Alligator River Floodplains we then
accessed a very spiritual area for Aboriginals - a burial site under rock ledges.
We were not allowed to take photo's of the elaborate rock art directly
next to the site. In some areas Aboriginal custom restricts walking too
close to art features on the rock.
Spirit Guardians of Sacred Site -
Arnhem Land
We then returned to Cahills Crossing,
re-entering Kakadu NP and then drove around to the other side of the flood
plains directly opposite the Ubirr art sites & lookout to see more rock art.
We drove through grasses that were the height of the 4WD bus along tracks
that only Victor appeared to know about. If we had driven this area
ourselves we would have got hopelessly lost and saw nothing.
It was late in the day after many more Aboriginal rock art sightings that we
finally headed back to the CP. A great trip thoroughly recommended.
To our dismay, they were burning off all around the perimeter of the caravan park.
A woman leaving the office apologised for the smoke but said, "It has to
be done". Although smoky we were so buggered that we slept through the
haze. The air-con ran all night.
Week 9
Departed Jabiru at 8.30am arriving at
Katherine just after lunch.
The Jurassic Cycad attraction is a
perfect setting for a world-recognised collection of rare living fossil cycads
& exotic plants from around the world. Although you do see these
cycads in your travels around Australia, here you can see them all concentrated
in one small location. It was quite fascinating and some with big prickles.
Leaving Katherine we first drove to Mataranka and then decided to stop at Larrimah for lunch. This town is famous for Fran's Pies, which we sampled. There
is a big sign saying ‘DO NOT ENTER
KITCHEN'. There are no prices and its only when you finish do
you find out the pies are $7 each & cup of tea $4.50. The meat
supposedly comes from Jones Meat Mart in Katherine, but a sign also says ‘Don't forget your BBQ – Frozen Buffalo & Camel
sausages'. Joan cut hers in half and then tried to eat it.
She wasted it into a paper towel & shoved it in her handbag. When Joan
lied and said she could only eat half the pie Fran said "that's OK love, I'll put
the other half in a paper bag so you can have it for lunch later". As we
left the area, all of the pie went into the rubbish bin. You can make up
your own mind.
We then called into Daly Waters and
the historic pub, (needed a Tooheys Old to settle the stomach). We took
many photos of this area before pushing on to
Dunmarra and finally stopping at
Elliot. The place is overrun with peacocks and there is a sign
in the gas station ‘If you can catch one you can
take it'. The owner told me later that if I could catch two I
could start my own farm.
Departing Elliot early we arrived at Tennant
Creek about 12 noon. For a change we decided to stay in the
town Tennant Creek CP. In the
afternoon we went out to see The Pebbles
(Kundjarra) a smaller version of the Devils Marbles, but unlike them
you cannot physically access The Pebbles. It is a sacred Aboriginal
women's refuge and Aboriginal men are not allowed in the area. From there
it was just a matter of driving down the road to the Tennant Creek Overland Telegraph Station. This
station with its cool verandahs has been kept in very good condition and with
fresh paint is obviously well maintained. Illustrative plaques are
adjacent to all buildings including the nearby cemetery.
Very noisy and apprehensive night with nearby ‘locals' using the ‘F' word
frequently. Left Tennant Creek and drove 187kms to the Barkley Homestead Roadhouse for morning tea.
The cost of fuel is: Autogas 112.9cpl,
unleaded 197.6cpl & diesel 212.0cpl, which is quite reasonable
considering the remoteness of the location. We have paid much higher
prices in our travels up north. We finally crossed into Queensland and
arrived at Camooweal at 1.45pm.
The famous Post Office Hotel/Motel Pub
wasn't serving meals so we opted to eat at the servo. The nearby
store-cum-heritage centre museum depicts life in a remote community back in the
droving days and was full of authentic memorabilia. The current shop
continues the same décor of the 1930 ‘s. A similar ‘time warp' shop is at
Croydon (Qld). At 2.30pm we
pushed on to Mt Isa staying at the
Lake Moondarra Caravan Park about
3kms from town.
My what a contrast – yesterday the air-con was going full bore, this morning we
woke to a cold morning of 7C with the reverse cycle HEATER on, but by 9.30am we were back to hot weather again.
We first visited the supermarkets and then located the Mt Isa Irish Club. We were given a good
rundown on the founding of the club and then given the opportunity to wander
around. What with street scenes, a Melbourne Tram, plenty of pokies, bars, eating facilities
and entertainment rooms we could understand why it is the largest Irish Club in Australia, and they are still
expanding. We called in for a bistro tea – for $15.90 it was a
self-service 3course meal – 2 soups, 3 meats, pastas, vegetables, 4 deserts
(2 hot 2 cold) tea, soft drinks & orange juice. Best public meal in
town – Highly recommended.
Mt Isa Irish Club
In the morning we left early to visit the WW11
Underground Hospital Museum that had been tunnelled and set up in a
nearby hill. It had on display many of the original antiquated instruments
and the various types of beds/cots used during that time. Having spent
considerable time in Mt Isa a few years back there were only the shops to
revisit. Naturally in the evening we had another bistro tea at the
Irish Club.
We left Mt Isa at 7.30am with a short stop at Cloncurry before refuelling again at McKinley. By 12.30pm we had arrived at Kynuna. Nearby was a road-train with a
registered floatplane in parts being transported down the highway.
Seaplane Transporter - Kynuna
We took some photos at the Blue Heeler
Hotel before having lunch across the road at the Kynuna Roadhouse. Next stop was Winton where the Top Tourist parks facilities have still not
improved since we were here about 8 years ago.
In town most shops are closed so we again went out to see Arno's Wall. This modern wonder of art &
architecture contains almost every household item you could imagine.
There's everything from motorbikes to the kitchen sink.
Arno's Wall - Winton
We arrived in Longreach about 10am.
Earliest available tour for the B747 was 1pm. Initially toured the shops before
looking at the Qantas Museum.
Fortunately the B747 tour was concise and like clockwork, first discussing the
aircraft's flying characteristics and then entering the aircraft to see internal
workings. Considering the size and weight of these aircraft it makes you
wonder how they get airborne. At 2.30pm we pushed onto Barcaldine where we stopped for the night.
Week 10
Arriving at Charleville we immediately
made a booking for the Comos Observatory
Tour that evening at 6pm. The 7.30 tour was booked out.
We rugged up for the cold and spent an enjoyable 1 hour learning about the
universe and watching the galaxy and stars through 12inch telescopes.
On the way to Cunnamulla the following
day we had a few rain showers, the first since leaving Canberra. At
Bourke we saw a long line of vehicles being processed through the
only fuel depot & opted for a counter meal at the hotel. By the time
we got back to the fuel depot there was still a long line of trucks and cars.
Never known a fuel depot that actually closes for lunch 1–2pm, but in
this case the operator did not arrive back until 2.25pm. Because of this
time delay we could only travel 656kms and pulled into Nyngan late in the day.
A cool morning but it was nice driving into the early morning sun on our way to
Narromine, Peak Hill, & Parkes
before detouring across country to
Cowra. We have stayed here many times and it is a good place
to rest before doing the last 260kms into
Canberra. After returning from the shops late in the day
Ken Greenwood rang, and then
Marie & Peter Stephens walked
across to see us, they are on their way back from Busselton and are at the other end of the CP.
Soldiers Club meal tonight – no
comparison with the Irish Club, but sure beats cooking.
We left Cowra early arriving at Boorowa
just as the café was opening for trade. It was a nice sunny day and after
a quick snack we were soon on the way to Yass
& Canberra. Had a good run along the Barton Highway and
pulled into the driveway at Wanniassa
about 11.30am.
Statistics
Total Distance Travelled 14,644 kms in 67 days, primarily towing the A'van
Dennis and Joan Thornton
(November 2008)
E-mail: thornies1@optusnet.com.au
Last update 25th July 2024
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