Kakadu to Kununurra

Day 126

Time to pack up and leave Kakadu and first thing is to face those 40KM of rough road back to the bitumen again. No better on the way back and if anything seemed longer (and rougher) than on the way in.

Finally arrive back at the tarmac and a short drive and we leave Kakadu National park. All in all we both came away thinking that maybe we were here a bit too late in the year, the very end of the dry season was a bit (a lot) too hot to really do much during the day (except swim). They do recommend that you visit the park again at the opposite time of year to see the complete change and we will definitely visit again (in a 4WD).

A bit more backtracking (think of those extra KM’s) now that we are on the highway again and heading back to Katherine but as its on the way (20 KM off the highway) we decide to stop at Edith falls for some lunch and a swim.

Complete the drive to Katherine and head to a campsite right next to Katherine hot springs and as soon as we are set up we head off for a swim in the natural spring water. I don’t know about the ‘hot’ part of the hot springs but they are lovely, fringed with tropical trees and grasses and the water is crystal clear and very refreshing.

Day 127

Up and straight back down to the springs (I’m not calling then hot anymore) for a morning constitutional.

Then we jump on the bikes for a riverside amble along the Katherine river and into town. It is already getting pretty hot and by the time we get back we are roasting alive and just want to jump straight back into the water but decide to drive into Katherine to do some shopping with the promise of a swim when we get back.

Decide to try the campsite pool when we do but soon wish we hadn’t bothered as its rubbish.  Do manage a quick cooling dip tho and then its back for some dinner and bed.

Day 128

Up early as we are heading onwards today but not before a final dip in the springs.  Beautiful first thing in the morning (before the hordes arrive) and with a spring in our step we pack up and head further West to Timber creek.

Call in at the National parks information and head just a bit further up the road to Gregory National park and set up camp amongst the Boab trees.

Amazing trees and funnily enough the two places they occur naturally in the world (North West Australia and West Africa) have similar stories about how they came about. The story goes that they were arrogant trees and got turned upside down to teach them a lesson! (Wonder if that works on people too??)

Set up but with the absence of a pool (or showers) it is far too hot and we spend the afternoon wetting ourselves down from a bucket and a trick from Carmen’s childhood, flannel in the fridge (heaven). Plus we were eating all our fruit and veg in preparation for crossing the border into Western Australia (Your not allowed to take in any fresh fruit or veg or honey).

We have been hearing tales about how strict the customs men are (searching through your van etc) as they do not want fruit flies and other bugs coming in from other states. Not wanting any trouble we were sticking to the letter of the law on this one.

Day 129

Up at the usual and on 200 KM to the border crossing into WA. As expected everyone has to stop and a man comes out of a little building with a clipboard. He’s a nice bloke though and we open up the van and he’s straight in, opening cupboards and looking in the fridge but he doesn’t find anything (We had eaten everything except 2 onions and a soggy bit of lettuce).

We had heard WA was like another country and here was the first evidence, I’ m surprised he didn’t ask for our passports!

40KM into WA is Kununurra, a town that didn’t exist before 1960!

It was built to service the Ord river irrigation project including the construction of a huge dam and the biggest man-made lake in Australia and is said to be the ‘Gateway to Kimberley region’, a very rugged, inaccessible (in polly) region of Australia.

Did our usual lap and eventually (for a town built in the 60’s the town planning is shocking) found the information. Opted for a lakeside campsite at a place called ‘Kimberley land’ (I was expecting a small theme park). Found our way there (eventually) and the campsite seemed nice. Somehow we got a prime spot (one of only about 5 or 6) right on the lake and settled in.

Had a quick dip in the pool and as we arrived back and were sitting admiring the view when we saw something moving in the water.

Now we had been seeing signs warning about crocs since Townsville but as yet hadn’t seen anything other than signs but there in the water (looking like he was coming straight for us) was a small (1metre) fresh water croc!

People say you don’t have to worry about ‘Freshies’ as they are not really aggressive and only grow to about 3 metres but even so, this was a live, wild crocodile in the water a few metres from the van!!

Enjoyed peaceful evening, sitting looking out at the lake (with both eyes constantly scanning the surface of the water)

Day 130

We had hoped that from Kununurra we would be able to organise a couple of trips (Argyll diamond mine and Bungle Bungles) and for sure we could have but they are expensive (to say the least), a woman next door to us paid $1600 for what was basically half a day trip over the Bungles!!

Obviously there were cheaper options but some of them had finished for the year and the cheapest option (which didn’t look like a good trip) was $350!

So instead (and adding the Bungles to our next trip list) it was a mornings fishing at Ivanhoe crossing, a crossing over the river Ord.

What a great spot for fishing and I was hopeful as I set off with my new lure ready to go (Carmen keeping watch from a safe distance for crocs). Lo and behold before too long I had caught my first Barramundi!

Barramundi are strictly controlled here and you have to catch one between 50sm and 80cm to be able to keep him and there is a bag limit of 1 per person per day so although he wasn’t big enough to keep (story of my life) it was a good fish all the same and before too long another one (again too small). Before long the heat was too much and we headed back to the van and Air con.

On the drive back we saw signs for the Ord river Hoochery which is the oldest legal distillery in WA and thought we might have a little look. We had missed the tour but found ourselves at the bar (Don’t know how that happened) where you could get a tasting board of different rums or liqueurs that they made.

As I am driving Carmen took her place at the bar and ordered 3 different shots of Rum. They were drunk (sipped not necked) and we ended up buying a bottle of rum to take away with us.

Arrived back at the van and Carmen said she was not feeling too good (after 3 shots of rum in 40 deg heat on an empty stomach, before midday!!) But a spot of lunch and a lie down soon sorted that out.

A spot of shopping and on to our second fishing spot of the day at the Ord river dam. When we arrived there were quite a few people milling about, mainly drinking and with more arriving we decided this may not be the best place to be fishing and so headed back to the campsite where I could finally try the Rum (Very nice it is too).

Day 131

A trip to Lake Argyll which is (for those not paying attention) the largest man-made lake in Australia.

From the viewing area it did look pretty big as well but when you actually try to get down, lakeside  it’s impossible, everywhere is fenced off  and even the day-use area was well above the water and you were behind a big fence (we did spot a big croc in river below us). We could have possibly done a cruise but by now it was stinking hot and neither of us could be bothered.

On the way back and just off the main road at a good fishing spot had been recommended at ‘slipway crossing’ over the river Ord and it certainly looked promising when we arrived.

After a few casts a man approaches and says he has a flat battery and could we help with a jump start. Being the good Samaritans that we are we pack up the fishing gear and head cross country further down the river to help him out. The track is OK and Polly is fine with it and before long we have him started up again (he has left his lights on!).

Back to some more fishing but being the middle of the day it isn’t the best time and the fish are not biting so to escape the heat we head back and jump straight in the pool.

As we are sitting enjoying the view again I notice another croc but this time he is on the bank just down from us! We both approach cautiously and manage to get pretty close to him before some noisy kids come and scare him back into the lake.

Later on the kids are out again and spot another, right in front of Polly in the water. He looks bigger as well and must be 3 metres at least but this time instead of scaring him off they are feeding the thing sausages (we were eating sausages for dinner as well)!!

I make sure the kids are in between me and the croc (thinking if it comes to it I’ll push them and run) and get right up to him and keep popping back (with torch) to check that he is still in the water and isn’t getting ideas about sniffing around our van.

We go to bed with the doors locked (It’s well known that crocs can open car doors in the dark!).