In 'West' by Lucinda Williams she sang
Come out West and see
The best it'll ever be
I know you won't stay permanently
But come out West and see
And we could only agree, it is beautiful and vast, vast, vast.
Saturday 6 July
We began the day with a walk back along the walking trail by the golf course only to be met by a big mob of people, both locals and tourists, doing the parkrun. They were wearing tshirts from all over. New bird sightings this trip included the Australian Reed Warbler and White-browed Crake.
We pulled out of Kununurra and took the Great Northern Hwy to Bungle Bungle Caravan Park. It is just 1km off the hwy on Mabel Downs Station, 50kms beyond Warmun. Warmun is where one of Eric’s mates from the Ringwood Athletics Club taught for many years. It is also where they charge $1.89 for a litre of diesel. We filled up at Kununurra for $1.45, so luckily only had to top-up. The rugged landscape continued but you have to keep your wits about you as you drive, as most of the bridges are still single lane. From the campground it’s another 52kms to the Bungle Bungles, on very rough road, they estimate it takes 1hr and 40mins. Then return in the afternoon straight into the western sun. Alternately you can take the bus from here, but it costs $315 ea. Or a chopper flight. We’ve both been in before and have wonderful memories of our trip with Freckle on Western Exposure travelling with a busload of friends. We’ve also enjoyed a chopper ride over (me twice) and flown fixed wing, so no need to spend that sort of money or wear ourselves out. The first time I flew over in a chopper I left Eric at Warmun Roadhouse where the boys entertained themselves quite happily on a slot machine that kept spitting their money back out. I was awe-stuck and my only regret was that we couldn’t have all done it so I could share the joy.
The campground is basic but has communal eating area and fireplace if you want to join in. The bar opens at 6pm but shuts soon after. There are powered sites but we are testing out our off-grid capacity. Mid afternoon the sun is hot but there is the slightest of breezes keeping the temperature comfortable under the awning. We’ve even got access to a fire pit behind our site but I can't see us using that.
In the late afternoon we took a walk down to the creek. At this time of the year it is dry but lined with paperbark and shaded. The sand and rocks beneath our feet are sound, but you can see from the debris caught up in the trees just how high and powerful the water flow can be at other times of the year. We found few birds but a number of Rufous whistlers and that kept us entertained. This bird watching is not for the faint-hearted though, as you can see from the image bottom right, the last intrepid twitcher didn't return to camp.
Safely back, we got dinner organised and had a chat with a few other travellers. The timing just wasn’t right for the community bar tonight so we settled for our own supplies and company once again. We were reminiscing about the last time we travelled through here with 2 little boys in the back seat of the Falcon in 1998. One of the oft played cds of the day was True Blue – The very best of John Williamson (25th Anniversary) Vol. I & Vol 2. We thrashed it and knew all the words to Goodbye Blinky Bill; Wrinkles; Old Man Emu; The Vasectomy Song; Home Among The Gum Trees; Rip Rip Woodchip; Cracker Night; The Budgie Song; A Bushman Can’t Survive; Drover’s Boy; Crocodile Roll; Cootamundra Wattle; Raining On The Rock; True Blue…..and many more. What a contribution he made to Australian culture.
Our off-grid facilities proved to be very adequate. We couldn’t hot spot from Eric’s phone as the signal was too intermittent, but we had plenty of gas for the fridge and cooking. We had the 12v power from the solar panel and the day’s charge as we drove for lights. We also had a small power bank we could use for our mobile phones and we have a small lithium battery from which we could run a fan or charge our laptops if we had needed to. This has its own solar panel but had kept its charge since I tested it out weeks ago. Very happy to have the confidence we can manage.
Sunday 7 July
The camp stirred early as those catching the bus were due to leave at 6:30am. We were wide awake with the bright sunlight so made an early start ourselves. On the road at 7:45. That’s probably a record for us. I drove to Hall’s Creek and then we took it turn-about as the road is quite monotonous between here and Fitzroy Crossing except for the beautiful Ngumban Cliffs, a colourful breakaway outcrop where the rock faces seem to glow a golden orange. There is a free overnight camp stop up on top which we might try on the way back.
The last leg of the day’s journey took us into the Fitzroy River Lodge, just short of crossing the Fitzroy River. Last time we were here there I remember the lush lawns but this time the only green grass is the mat Adrian gifted us. There is not a blade of grass to be seen but then it hasn’t rained in these parts for 5 years so that explains a lot. Every crossing we have done since Kununurra has been bone dry.
The township of Fitzroy Crossing is on the other side of the river and after quite a break for lunch and a well earned rest, we took a drive over the river. This one does have some quite decent pools of water in it, not flowing, but some relief for the birds and other animals. We drove down to the Old Crossing Inn where we called in for a cold drink. The young lass behind the bar explained she had to breathalize each of us before we could be served. Having passed that test we joined the few locals who weren’t at the local rodeo, just further down the road, in quenching our thirsts. The Inn sits on it's original site on the banks of the Fitzroy River, and is the oldest established hotel in The Kimberley region. Floodwaters through the bars at the Inn are measured by bricks up the wall, and in '93 this was recorded at 9 bricks high. The Inn sponsored and challenged the local youth to do paintings for the outside walls of the 100 year old hotel. The results are impressive. I couldn’t resist purchasing a couple of painted Boab nuts one of the women was selling. I guess that money would have gone over the bar by the end of the session but they were beautifully finished.
In the late afternoon we walked along the banks of the river to the bridge. This must be an amazing sight in the wet season when the waters are breaching the banks. Today we saw a few egrets, Black fronted dotterel and Black winged stilts.
We took the opportunity to have fish and chips on the restaurant balcony and watched in amusement as the busloads of weary travellers arrived. Poor things will be up and on the road again tomorrow morning before we are even out of bed. One company were doing Melbourne, Darwin, Perth. I couldn't think of anything worse. Exhausting!
Come out West and see
The best it'll ever be
I know you won't stay permanently
But come out West and see
And we could only agree, it is beautiful and vast, vast, vast.
Saturday 6 July
We began the day with a walk back along the walking trail by the golf course only to be met by a big mob of people, both locals and tourists, doing the parkrun. They were wearing tshirts from all over. New bird sightings this trip included the Australian Reed Warbler and White-browed Crake.
We pulled out of Kununurra and took the Great Northern Hwy to Bungle Bungle Caravan Park. It is just 1km off the hwy on Mabel Downs Station, 50kms beyond Warmun. Warmun is where one of Eric’s mates from the Ringwood Athletics Club taught for many years. It is also where they charge $1.89 for a litre of diesel. We filled up at Kununurra for $1.45, so luckily only had to top-up. The rugged landscape continued but you have to keep your wits about you as you drive, as most of the bridges are still single lane. From the campground it’s another 52kms to the Bungle Bungles, on very rough road, they estimate it takes 1hr and 40mins. Then return in the afternoon straight into the western sun. Alternately you can take the bus from here, but it costs $315 ea. Or a chopper flight. We’ve both been in before and have wonderful memories of our trip with Freckle on Western Exposure travelling with a busload of friends. We’ve also enjoyed a chopper ride over (me twice) and flown fixed wing, so no need to spend that sort of money or wear ourselves out. The first time I flew over in a chopper I left Eric at Warmun Roadhouse where the boys entertained themselves quite happily on a slot machine that kept spitting their money back out. I was awe-stuck and my only regret was that we couldn’t have all done it so I could share the joy.
The campground is basic but has communal eating area and fireplace if you want to join in. The bar opens at 6pm but shuts soon after. There are powered sites but we are testing out our off-grid capacity. Mid afternoon the sun is hot but there is the slightest of breezes keeping the temperature comfortable under the awning. We’ve even got access to a fire pit behind our site but I can't see us using that.
In the late afternoon we took a walk down to the creek. At this time of the year it is dry but lined with paperbark and shaded. The sand and rocks beneath our feet are sound, but you can see from the debris caught up in the trees just how high and powerful the water flow can be at other times of the year. We found few birds but a number of Rufous whistlers and that kept us entertained. This bird watching is not for the faint-hearted though, as you can see from the image bottom right, the last intrepid twitcher didn't return to camp.
Safely back, we got dinner organised and had a chat with a few other travellers. The timing just wasn’t right for the community bar tonight so we settled for our own supplies and company once again. We were reminiscing about the last time we travelled through here with 2 little boys in the back seat of the Falcon in 1998. One of the oft played cds of the day was True Blue – The very best of John Williamson (25th Anniversary) Vol. I & Vol 2. We thrashed it and knew all the words to Goodbye Blinky Bill; Wrinkles; Old Man Emu; The Vasectomy Song; Home Among The Gum Trees; Rip Rip Woodchip; Cracker Night; The Budgie Song; A Bushman Can’t Survive; Drover’s Boy; Crocodile Roll; Cootamundra Wattle; Raining On The Rock; True Blue…..and many more. What a contribution he made to Australian culture.
Our off-grid facilities proved to be very adequate. We couldn’t hot spot from Eric’s phone as the signal was too intermittent, but we had plenty of gas for the fridge and cooking. We had the 12v power from the solar panel and the day’s charge as we drove for lights. We also had a small power bank we could use for our mobile phones and we have a small lithium battery from which we could run a fan or charge our laptops if we had needed to. This has its own solar panel but had kept its charge since I tested it out weeks ago. Very happy to have the confidence we can manage.
Sunday 7 July
The camp stirred early as those catching the bus were due to leave at 6:30am. We were wide awake with the bright sunlight so made an early start ourselves. On the road at 7:45. That’s probably a record for us. I drove to Hall’s Creek and then we took it turn-about as the road is quite monotonous between here and Fitzroy Crossing except for the beautiful Ngumban Cliffs, a colourful breakaway outcrop where the rock faces seem to glow a golden orange. There is a free overnight camp stop up on top which we might try on the way back.
The last leg of the day’s journey took us into the Fitzroy River Lodge, just short of crossing the Fitzroy River. Last time we were here there I remember the lush lawns but this time the only green grass is the mat Adrian gifted us. There is not a blade of grass to be seen but then it hasn’t rained in these parts for 5 years so that explains a lot. Every crossing we have done since Kununurra has been bone dry.
The township of Fitzroy Crossing is on the other side of the river and after quite a break for lunch and a well earned rest, we took a drive over the river. This one does have some quite decent pools of water in it, not flowing, but some relief for the birds and other animals. We drove down to the Old Crossing Inn where we called in for a cold drink. The young lass behind the bar explained she had to breathalize each of us before we could be served. Having passed that test we joined the few locals who weren’t at the local rodeo, just further down the road, in quenching our thirsts. The Inn sits on it's original site on the banks of the Fitzroy River, and is the oldest established hotel in The Kimberley region. Floodwaters through the bars at the Inn are measured by bricks up the wall, and in '93 this was recorded at 9 bricks high. The Inn sponsored and challenged the local youth to do paintings for the outside walls of the 100 year old hotel. The results are impressive. I couldn’t resist purchasing a couple of painted Boab nuts one of the women was selling. I guess that money would have gone over the bar by the end of the session but they were beautifully finished.
In the late afternoon we walked along the banks of the river to the bridge. This must be an amazing sight in the wet season when the waters are breaching the banks. Today we saw a few egrets, Black fronted dotterel and Black winged stilts.
We took the opportunity to have fish and chips on the restaurant balcony and watched in amusement as the busloads of weary travellers arrived. Poor things will be up and on the road again tomorrow morning before we are even out of bed. One company were doing Melbourne, Darwin, Perth. I couldn't think of anything worse. Exhausting!
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