Wandjina dreaming - Kimberley trails

[bPeteb]

Next was a visit to Ivanhoe Crossing Ivanhoe Crossing | Australia's North West that had some faily serious croc warning signs around it



before a stop at a rock shop Rockalong Gallery Some seriously beautiful and strange rocks. The wine racks just a tad heavy for our checked luggage




Lunch was on us in Kununurra while the boys did the second shop, but first stop for me was one of the local camping/sports gear shops for some new shoes. I expected a hideous mark-up but the boots I bought are the same price online as I paid there. Super lovely lady has had the store for 34 years!! If you are in Kununurra and need camping/gear/clothing supplies go in to Red Run Sports Red Sun Sports and Casual

Lunch in a local cafe then we went to the pub for a few cooling ales. Bought some top up beers before the boys picked us up beside the bottle shop and then it was off to Lake Are-jeel

 

[RooFlyer]

Some seriously beautiful and strange rocks.

I bet you went phwoar! over those (like me).

 

[bPeteb]

The last part of the road into Lake Argyle Tourist Village is again, quite spectacular, as the lake starts to come into view.

The tourist park itself changed hands/management in the last couple of years. It's now a Discovery Park Lake Argyle | Discovery Parks

The concensus is that it has lost it's charm and it's more about the money than the campers. The space available to KWE is very constricted and when it has been very busy they have had vans right up againt the tents leaving no space for groups to sit anywhere. Saying that, the facilities are excellent with great bathrooms, a pool, and a tavern. Helicopters operate from there during high season as well.

As they did at El Questro, KWE has a trailer parked there with kitchen supplies - tables, big pots etc.



We got there early enough to set up then go for a swim in the famous 'instagram' infinity pool



yeh, no



I was in charge of the bbq. Four very different sausages, and yet again, the two guys who were being starved were up for seconds before I've even had firsts!



look at us all glued to our phones

 

[bPeteb]

We were up early and went down the track to the lake for a swim. It was surprisingly warm

Pat's swag


Zane's tent and Pat's swag


a treat for brekkie, bacon and egg rolls. It was made clear there was only enough eggs for everyone to have two and no more. Plenty of bacon though and that's all that I cared about!! Coffee from the tavern


then it was off to pay for the much hyped sunset cruise and on to the dam wall and power station outlet.

It's a giant rock and fill 'triangle' (bad description) Lake Argyle - Wikipedia.

the rock was blasted from where the dam sits and at $22m seems incredibly cheap in the scheme of large construction

 

[bPeteb]

then it was on to the Argyle Homestead Museum and the relocated homestead of one branch of the Duracks. Argyle Homestead Museum - Home of the Duracks Super interesting

 

[bPeteb]

a few more from the homestead

this is the owner of the bower in the garden. Loves his shredded carrot


so many desert roses. These had apparently been looking very sad when a vistor recommended chopping them right back to nothing. Back they came


very cool ant nests


after lunch and swim we boarded an old Brisbane City Council bus (very easily identifiable) that took us to the boat ramp for our sunset cruise. I'd seen pictures of a very swish boat but we were on the other one. Nice, but definitely not swish SUNSET MAGIC - New Lake Argyle Cruises

We found out later that the super grumpy skipper had just got back from taking out a very difficult group. Customer service 101 says move on but he clearly hadn't.

His manner put a dampener on a pretty special cruise. Lake Argyle is gigantic and can continue to grow by raising dam and overflow. Should it be? The jury is out on that one as the economics are not really stacking up for the Ord Scheme as it is.

 

[bPeteb]

some of the 20,000+ freshies in the lake


a black-necked stork, not a Jabiru

 

[bPeteb]

of course the cruise was all about the sunset, and being in the water to see it. Beers or bubbles handed down. Food on esky lids. The skipper finally started to chill when he realised how chilled we all were



bAlt and Pat


and us


more sunset


dinner was own cost at the tavern. Very nice meals and nice staff. Backpackers one and all.

Graham ordered the prawns but had not ever seen prawns served in the shell like they were. I peeled them for him. Should have asked for one as payment


My barra was excellent even if well hidden.

 

[bPeteb]

no surprise it was another early start to get us to Purnululu National Park/the Bungle Bungles.



back to Kununurra to fuel up. LGBT support in the most unusual of places


Sealed road until the turn off to national park


the early starts taking their toll on all of us, energiser bunny bAlt included


Doon Doon roadhouse for a loo stop


the inside of the storage area. Bags on one side

gear on the other

 

[bPeteb]

just love this scenery


the usual lunch of wraps with cold meat, falafels and salad. We're stopped at the rest area just near the entrance to the park


your drive through two cattle stations on the way into the park. Random bull


lookout as we enter the park


signs at the visitor centre. The most important thing for many was the coffee machine. Seriously? We bought icecreams

 

[bPeteb]

KWE has it's own tented camp at the northern end of Purnululu.

A few years ago the parks service put the site up for tender for someone to build a fixed, full facility camp. KWE put in what they thought was a winning tender, but along came Intrepid who gazumped them. Intrepid then realised, after buying all of the materials for the camp, that it didn't have the budget or resources to bring the materials up from Perth and to build it. The owners of KWE made Intrepid an offer they couldn't refuse. They took over the lease, and bought all of the materials. They brought it up on trailers, driving during the night, beacuse apparently the trailers were way overweight, and constructed it themselves.

It's fantastic. A huge kitchen/dining block, a bathroom block, small solar farm that provides 240v power and 12 permanent tented sites. Each is screened and has solar lighting. And it has quite the view.

 

[bPeteb]

Our full day at Purnululu was definitely my highlight. Of course an early start, this time to drive the 40 corrugated kilometres down to the south end of the park, first to visit Cathedral Gorge, then helicopters flights, and finishing at Echidna Chasm. What a day! We took 400 photos and video between us.

Dawn from our tent




Zane's most prized possession, a piece of rock from Jack Hill, potentially the most important geological site in the world. A zircon crystal inside a metaconglomerate, it has been dated at between 4340 and 4406 million years old!



and yet more beautiful rock art

 

[bPeteb]

 

[bPeteb]

then it was helicopter time. Three choices 18 minutes for $319, 30 for $479 and 42 for $589. I was always going to do the 42 minute flight and was glad when Al decided to do that as well. Weight distribution saw us on different choppers but that gave us different experiences and meant if the worst happened at least one of us would enjoy our life insurance



bAlt is up and away


with me following a little while later


it was truly incredible

 

[bPeteb]

close to the best 42 minutes of my life

 

[bPeteb]

After a quick lunch we drove north to Echidna Chasm. I was able to sit in the front seat of the truck. Very cool. Such a different ride to the bus cabin



Echidna Chasm, cover of September Q magazine was incrdib;e. The contrast of the colours. The amazing conglomerate boulders. Just wow

 

[bPeteb]

 

[VPS]

Thankfully after the helicopter ride you get to stay together and not bother the insurance company. Fantastic photos and TR as usual

 

[bPeteb]

back to camp for another gorgeous sunset. No sign of the resident dingo or any other mammalian wildlife.



another cheese platter



Pat's dinner surprise, nachos. Deeeeeeeeeeeeeelicious


I'd had enough of the do nothing gang. The previous day I'd said on the bus it was time the guys did the kitchen clean instead of the same group of people. No offer on the first night but before dinner started I got everyone's attention and said no women in the kitchen after the meal. The guys would be looking after the washing up. I knew it wasn't an issue except for the two Mikes.

People were still finishing eating when I saw movement through the servery. I went in and told the usual suspects, the Finnish sisters and Ally, to go out and relax. They said they'd already started but Zane had followed me in and told them to go outside and just take in the atmosphere.

I went back out and said "ok guys, washing up time. English Mike just sat there and said "I haven't finished yet. I haven't finished my tea". I told him it wasn't going anywhere and to please get up and help. Surely I'm not the first person to have told him to do something. Maybe I was. Anyway, we all got in there and got that kitchen done. The whole excercise had a positive effect at least on English Mike because he was much more helpful for the last few days.

We played a funny impromtu murder game. I wish I'd taken a picture of our story line. It was heaps of fun. Then we sat there and had a few drinks. I finished off the chocolate rum liquor, Pat gave his Aniseed version a good nudge, and bAlt a few beers.

Unfortunately during the night Colin misbehaved for the first time. We'd come prepared and it was no big deal. At least it gave me an excuse to sit outside and stare at the most amazing sky I will possibly ever see.

 

[bPeteb]

Despite being told we could actually sleep in a bit (5:45) people were wandering around at 5. Just why? I know the mornings are glorious but gee!!!

Some pics from around the camp before we departed. Our second last day



group photo time
on the way out we came across a young dingo wandering along the side of the road. He was far from healthy. He padded along beside us for quite a while then turned into the bush