One week since we reported in ,and we have travelled from N.S.W., up and across Queensland, across the whole width of the Northern , and finally across the border to Western Australia. About four and a half thousand kilometres in eight days.
We've seen many different landscapes and experienced a variety of activities so a day by day outline...
Thursday..
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| Another lovely sunset at Camooweal. |
We were up bright an early as we had another long day of driving from Camooweal to Tennant Creek. Much of Queensland is still in the grip of horrific drought but the land seemed to green up as we headed across the border and we saw our first creeks and waterholes with a little bit of water in them. In Longreach we saw several kangaroos snacking on the laws outside the buildings on the edge of town.
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| Kangaroos in Longreach |
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| Drought |
There is always entertainment on the road....despite them being long, straight and flat. We passed a few cyclists including one who had a handwritten sign on his back ...Perth to Perth!
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| Keen! |
As you head into the Northern Territory, you pass thousands of termite mounds and the backpackers delight in dressing them in T-shirts and assorted bits and pieces of clothing.
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| Termite mounds |
The roads are long and straight and you can go hundreds of kilometres without a bend in the road.
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| An unusual occurrence...a tiny hill in the road |
Friday:
Late in the afternoon, we pulled up in Tennant Creek, to be greeted by a young lady on reception who was from Coffs Harbour! We set up a quick camp as we had a very early start the next morning with a 700 km day ahead.
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| Before camp set up at Tennant Creek |
On the road you meet such interesting people... including those who live on the road and move from town to town to work. Dinner in the bar at the Outback Caravan Park... steak and sausage sangers was accompanied by some lively conversation with a couple, Carla and Christie (post retirement age)...living in an RV (recreational vehicle) and working in a variety of towns from S.A, to N.T. And of course as everyone always does..they had friends in the Nambucca Valley!
Saturday... a very early start and off we went up the Stuart Highway to Katherine. The Shady Lane Caravan Park is fabulous and we had a great site beneath a spreading mango tree... we set up camp for a two day stop,,, to wash, shop and have some time off the road. We met an interesting couple ...at the clothes line...from South Australia (Fran and Glenn) who invited us up to their HUGE outback caravan to discuss good fishing spots in the Territory.
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| Camp set up...and Ian is reading the map book |
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| While I relax... |
Sunday...after another stunning NT sunset...
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| Sunset in Katherine |
We packed up camp and headed for Western Australia. Luckily we had mentioned to Fran and Glen that we were going to town to stock up on fresh fruit and veges to take to Lake Argyle and discovered that no fresh produce is allowed over the border...nor is honey in any from! Luckily when we passed thought the quarantine station we were cleared...when we handed over our unopened bottle of honey. They actually check the car and the camper and everything you carry.
The landscape changed dramatically as we headed towards thewest...hills and curves and lovely rivers.
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| More cyclists on these long and lonely roads |
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| Victoria Highway...NT |
As we travelled closer to the west we began to see the amazing geological formations that culminate on the Kimberleys... the ranges that are almost two billion years old.
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| Almost to WA. |
There are so many lovely places to stop but time is against us on this trip...in a couple of years we we take a few months to travel around and stop at the lovely places we had to pass by this trip...
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| Victoria River (NT) |
When we saw our first baobab trees we knew we were getting close...
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| Baobab trees...Adansonia gregorii |
A morning tea stop at Joe's Creek..off the beaten track...
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| Morning tea stop |
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| The ants went for the brownie crumbs |
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| Morning tea..in the outback..under the Akubra. The birthday present was a hit! |
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| We made it...at the quarantine checkpoint |
Even though we crossed the border we still had a fair distance to cover until we reached Lake Argyle.. where we intendeded to spend six nights as we explored the eastern Kimberley region. Unfortunately our experience there was not what we hoped for (we cannot understand how they received park of the year...)
Despite the stunning location.. see the photos below...we had to set up camp on a sloping site and the the amenities were crowded and very old, and our camp neighbours were three families with seven noisy children... who began to play loudly before sunrise each morning. Nevertheless, we soldiered on for three nights in a sloping bed and with winds blowing fifty kilometres each night. We spend the days exploring the Kimberleys, Wyndham, The Gibb River road and Home Valley Station, and a lake cruise before we pulled up tent pegs and headed to Kununurra.
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| Lunch at the Rusty Shed in Wyndham |
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| The Rusty Shed |
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| Salt pans in Wyndham...there is not much more to see there |
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| The road back to Lake Argyle after a 450 km sightseeing day! |
Spectacular scenery, a rare find... a French chef in a rusty shed in the frontier town of Wyndham, and a stunning sunset cruise on Lake Argyle. Tomorrow we are off on a flight into the Argyle Diamond Mine and over the Bungle Bungles,... so sit back and enjoy some more photos of this stunning region
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| The famous El Questro Resort... we went past the turn off...16 kms of gravel road didn't appeal |
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| Our first river crossing... the Pentecost River on the way to Home valley Station..and more gravel road |
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| Our successful crossing across a rocky river bottom was watched by a bus load of tourists who snapped shots of us in the river |
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| The Kimberleys are a stunning landscape |
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| On the way back across the river...no crocs in sight |
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| Awesome Cockburn range in the Kimberleys |
Back at the Lake...
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| ON Wednesday we walked to the dam wall...some much needed exercise..a mountain parrot watched |
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| On the dam wall overlooking the Ord River... fascinating to see ...I had learned about it in primary school |
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| Ian in the Infinity Pool at lake Argyle |
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| He didn't like the ID bracelets we had to wear in the park...lime green! |
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| The closest I got to the very cold swimming pool |
The cruise on Lake Argyle... 19 times the size of Sydney Harbour...35,000 freshwater crocs swim in it!
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| Freshwater crocodile |
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| The birds weren't too worried by the croc watching them |
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| Ripple rock has the geologists puzzled |
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| Cat fish feeding frenzy |
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| Sunset on the lake cruise |
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| Lake Argyle sunset |
More photos of Lake Argyle...
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| So pretty |
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| Amazing colours |
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| On the lake |
And we travelled to Kununurra and set up camp today
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| I was reading and this little cute bird came and sat beside me |
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| Sunset on Lake Kununurra |
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| Serenity..the view from our camp site at Lakeside Caravan Park |
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| The lake in Kununurra |
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The end of another day of our trip.
Back soon... |
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