Well we have travelled over 5,000km since the last update. That’s over 700 litres of Diesel, over 50 hours on the road and that doesn’t even include all of the side trips and detours that we have explored along the way! During that time we have had 1 sprained ankle, 4 boat trips, 2 plane rides, 79 games of Uno, 40 bike rides, 1200 bounces on jumping pillows, made 60 new Lego creations, visited some long lost cousins, had two friends come and stay and Hayley has returned home for Ryan’s 40th birthday. I could go on but I’m sure you have the picture by now – it’s been a while!
For those of you who have faithfully logged on, wondering whether you would even hear from us again, I’m glad we can finally reward your patience with an update. If you think it’s daunting to read such an update, spare a thought for how it is to have to start writing it! To try to make it manageable for both of us I will break the 5,000km into two sections – from Darwin to Broome and then Broome to Perth (and unless specifically requested I will leave out details like who actually won each of the 79 Uno games!).
Hayley did an amazing job writing about our time in Darwin, it’s certainly been one of our favourite places to date! Leaving was difficult and we extended a few times, in part because we adults enjoyed it so much but also because the kids were having so much fun (and let’s face it this is their trip also!). When discussing our plans and leaving dates we gave them (some) input into the decisions and they always opted for “just a couple more days!” When we eventually departed we headed back down to Katherine as we really wanted to kayak down Katherine Gorge, something we missed out on the first time around.
Pushing off for a kayak in Katherine Gorge!
Staying at the same caravan park as last time allowed us to meet up with our chef / hairdresser friend Di, which was handy as our own attempts to cut Denver’s hair had resulted in some less than desirable results! Even though April has had some experience cutting her own fringe a while ago and I cut my hair every couple of weeks it’s a bit different when it’s not a #1 all over and you want it to look stylish! Despite having all the right tools the end results of our efforts was stubbornly uneven and getting shorter by the attempt, although Denver didn’t seem to mind. I guess he knows you have to start somewhere! Di quickly showed us how to layer the hair and cut from side to side and back to front with some texture so that it looks and sits naturally. Anyway Denver hasn’t had a major haircut since but my bet is that Hayley will soon master it, with my #1 all over as backup, just in case!
Kayaking through Katherine Gorge gave this magnificent area another perspective. Dad and April teamed up in one kayak and Mum and Denver took the other kayak as we strived to balance weights and capacity for paddling! We opted for a half day (morning) rather than a full day and in the end this was definitely the right decision! After paddling up the river and having a quick swim in the next gorge we turned for home but hadn’t made it far before the heat of the day had knocked much of the enthusiasm out of certain team members (you know who you are!)…
Although not designed for “towing” at a few points along the river we had the lead kayak hooked up to the trailing one and only one person paddling (no prizes for guessing who!) while the other team members provided useful commentary on the sights as well as posing for the odd amused tourist photo with paddle rested, legs up and hands behind the head in a relaxed pose…
Such a beautiful outlook, April just had to rest and take it all in!
Mummy and Denver going strong (at this stage!)
Daddy and April in the gorge
Needless to say progress was slower on the way back, but in the end nothing could detract from the beauty of the area or the enjoyment that comes from being out on the water doing something out of the norm!
Staying an extra day at Katherine to help finish off some of Denver’s school work as well as enjoy the great pool at the caravan park we then headed across the Northern Territory / Western Australia border to Lake Argyle, where the 35m infinity pool perched on the edge of the escarpment has to take out the mantle of most impressive pool for the trip (even though we still have a long way to go!!). Watching the sun rise, but in particular watching it set, over Lake Argyle from this amazing outlook will be one of the favourite and enduring memories of the trip.
The infinity pool at Lake Argyle (after sunset)
Although cold the infinity pool is an incredibly popular place to spend the day! Its not hard to see why!
April flying through the air, not too close to the edge!
Denver is a little harder to get airborne!
Lake Argyle is an amazing freshwater lake created by the Ord River Dam project which started with the Kununurra Diversion Dam (which established the town of Kununurra) early in the 1960’s and culminated with the completion of the Ord River Dam in the early 70’s.
Lake Argyle, commonly holding 18 times Sydney Harbour in volume (with the capacity in flood to reach up to 70 times!) was conceived by local homestead owners who noticed just how much water ran through the area in the wet season and identified that by blocking off a narrow channel of the Carr Boyd Ranges would create an amazing opportunity to secure fresh water for the region. Since the early 1990’s, when a hydro-electric plant was added, the project supplies the local areas with hydro-electricity as well as water for irrigation. The volumes of water are so large they are hard to comprehend. Prior to the dam the Ord River released over 2500 gigilitres of water into the ocean each day during the wet season storms (enough water to supply Perth for 10 years!).
The 335m dam wall from above, one of the most efficient dam walls in the world!
It’s an impressive area to view from the dam walls and lookouts above, but it’s when you get out onto the Lake that you really start to appreciate the beautiful landscapes and natural inhabitants (wonderful fish, birds and over 35,000 freshwater crocs!). The sunset cruise out and around the Lake is one of the must do attractions of the area. After visiting the dam wall up close, exploring the Bay of Islands, feeding the fish and looking at the island inhabitants, including some of those crocodiles on the banks, it’s when the sun begins to set that one of the more entertaining parts of the experience begins.
April in charge of the Kimberly Durack catamaran!
Beautiful scenery out on Lake Argyle, what a great way to spend an afternoon!
Armed with floatation noodles and inflatable donuts that house nibbles and wine, most of the passengers dive into a small (and hopefully uninhabited) part of the huge Lake for some refreshment(s). For those who prefer, beers are expertly tossed off the rear of the boat into eagerly awaiting hands by the experienced crew!
It looks safe but lets just stay in the middle anyway!
For the more adventurous you can jump off the top of the boat and I, wanting to inspire Denver, climbed up and proceeded to miss the beer as it was thrown out for me to catch! Jumping in to make sure it didn’t sink too far (that day I learned that a full can of beer will actually float, maybe because it was only mid-strength?) we managed to convince Denver to climb up and give it a go… It looked a long way from the bottom and even further when you were looking down, so it was hardly surprising there were a few wobbles when Denver stood on the edge ready to jump. After ignoring a few countdowns (“in my own time people!”) Denver let go with an almighty jump, to the rapturous applause of the crowd, all of whom were willing him on with his supreme act of bravery! We were so proud of him for making such a gutsy jump, especially as it would have been much easier to turn around and climb down. It was a good couple of body lengths for me, so for Denver it would have seemed like jumping off a six story building!
Denver jumping off the roof of the boat as the sun sets behind him!
As the evening continued the wine kept flowing (or floating) and before long Hayley was up the back, discussing tactics with a couple of like-minded individuals, determined to continue after last drinks were called… A secret stash later and the trip back to the jetty became an entertaining affair with mixed drinks flowing for all and the party becoming decidedly more and more rowdy. It didn’t detract from the beautiful surroundings with the setting sun, or the helpfulness of the kids, who earned an ice-cream from the Captain (desperately trying to ignore the rowdy group at the back)… By the time we had got off the boat Hayley was swaying gently and only partly from the sea legs!
Beautiful sunset from the boat
The trip aboard the Kimberly Durack catamaran in these beautiful surroundings was really one of the highlights of the trip so far, it was just incredibly well organised and hosted with a wonderful group of people and within an amazingly beautiful environment… We didn’t even have to go near the (Lake) Argyle Diamond mine with its incredible Pink Diamonds for this to be an incredibly memorable place for all of us!
A last dip in the infinity pool the next morning, helping to shake off the cobwebs from the sunset cruise, and we were making our shortest trip to date, down the road to the relatively new town of Kununurra, some 70km away… A flight over the Purnululu National Park (better known as the Bungle Bungles) had been highly recommended and upon chatting to our hosts at check-in we were offered a discounted flight to fill the seats that very afternoon. Despite everyone being a bit tired from our sunset cruise the night before we decided that this would be an opportunity too good to ignore and so not long after arriving at our lakeside site we found ourselves aboard an airfield transfer out to the small single prop plane that was going to take us over the infamous “beehive” formations of the Bungle Bungles.
Here we go for our flight over the Bungle Bungles!
With Denver sitting beside the pilot we took off on a flight which took us over Lake Argyle, the Bungle Bungles and then the Argyle Diamond mine (thankfully so high up that not too much damage could be done to the credit card!). I had forgotten how much I dislike small planes (or I probably should say, not being in control!) as we bumped and weaved our way across the landscape, passing over huge stations in the midst of nowhere before the rises in the distance signalled the approach of the famous Bungle Bungle ranges.
The co-pilot with his hands on the wheel!
Looking out the window at the Bungle Bungle Ranges
Most of the time we try to capture photos that show the true beauty or expansiveness of the area we are visiting, but this is one of those occasions when the memory of what you have seen serves you best, it is too hard to capture a photo that does the scale of the area justice. Given we had a mix of feelings in the plane – I was feeling afraid but putting on a big smile so my fear didn’t spread to the other family members, Hayley was feeling a bit green from the festivities the night before and needing snacks to keep her stomach from churning, April was shattered and fell asleep despite the constant bumps and dips and Denver was just excited to be co-pilot – it was certainly a memorable flight, particularly as we landed in the middle of nowhere to pick up some additional transfers who were coming back to Kununurra!
The beehive formations are an incredible sight to behold!
On the ground the formations take on an even greater scale!
April settled into the co-pilot seat for the return flight and everyone seemed a bit more settled as we headed back on a circuitous path that would take us over some of the gorges and crevices that the area is also known for. The entire region was an amazing sight to behold, but with the benefit of hindsight, it probably would have been better to have waited a couple of days and gone up first flight, when the sky and our tummies would have been a bit calmer!
Given we had allowed a couple of days to co-ordinate a flight we were well ahead of schedule and able to enjoy a number of other experiences around town. Some of the highlights were walking through the “mini-bungles”, learning about the production of oils at the Sandalwood factory, visiting a local, traditional (“American hill-billy style”) rum producer at The Hoochery (never too early for some shots of pure alcohol!), as well as some great local artists shops and the best Mango smoothie to date!
Back at the camp-site we had one of the best spots in the park, right next to the water where not only the local “friendly” crocodile, George, could often be seen beside the boat ramp, but where birds, fish and other wildlife were in abundance! At 5:30pm each day the sky filled with hundreds if not thousands of bats making their daily migration across the sky. We have no idea where they were going, or where they were coming from, but it sure was an impressive sight (one best viewed from the protection of the trees!). Late one evening, the kids and I witnessed a crocodile catching a fish and then proceeding to eat it right in front of us, which was a pretty amazing experience and one that made you realise that freshwater crocodiles are certainly not harmless if you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time!
It was in Kununurra where we celebrated Father’s Day and I was very spoilt with some lovely cards, presents and an hour of foot tickling from the kids (my own personal utopia!). I also received some winning scratchie tickets which unfortunately can only be claimed in the Northern Territory if anyone is willing to take them up there for us! (it’s only a few dollars so not really worth a separate trip!)… It was a great day and simply a lovely spot to spend that sort of quality time with the family.
From Kununurra we did a day trip out to El Questro station, which is a huge (4,000sq. km) station with an amazing homestead and some wonderful walks and gorges. As Hayley eagerly eyed off the luxury accommodations and beautiful breakfasts being consumed by the guests, we purchased our pass, filled our water bottles and set off for the hike to Emma Gorge, one of the more scenic walks with a beautiful waterhole at the end.
The beautiful Emma Gorge!
Plenty of slippery and wobbly rocks, maybe I shouldn’t have worn thongs!
After the long walk in, over difficult terrain, we were very happy to cool off in the waterhole with beautiful crystal clear water and a cascading waterfall raining down from above, despite the rains having stopped many months before! After a cooling swim and a picnic lunch on the banks of the waterhole we set off on the return journey as the temperature rose to over 30 degrees in the gorge with the sun now directly overhead… A couple of kilometres down the path, as Hayley went around a corner and out of sight, came the sound of rocks falling and then a blood-curdling scream that sent a shiver down my spine! As we rushed forward we found Hayley at the bottom of a small decline, holding her ankle and whimpering in a way that instantly made us worry and had the kids in tears!
As I crouched beside Hayley wondering which panic button to press, our guardian angels found their way to us in the form of Lyn and John, the couple walking behind us at the time… As it turned out Lyn was a volunteer Ambulance officer and, after quickly calming the situation with her take charge attitude, soon had us all doing jobs to assist in the rescue mission.
Denver and April got to scout out the track ahead and test for loose / slippery rocks on the undulating path and John was in charge of water supply (refilling from the river) as well as wetting towels etc to try to keep the swelling under control. I was given the prime task of “carrier” and though we tried a few different methods the most effective by far (furthest distance for effort return) was the piggyback method! In my thongs (I had inadvertently left my proper shoes behind thinking we were going for a simple walk!) I piggybacked Hayley over the rough track, stopping increasingly as my momentum and strength waned. Hayley kept apologising and saying how much she loves me, which was lovely to hear, but I was still very happy when we finally reached the end of the track and we could all collapse onto the grass and assess the damage!
Are you ok Mummy??
Made it out! From here it should be easy! (with Lyn and John our rescuers!)
In the end it turned out to be a rolled ankle rather than a break and, because we had managed to keep it cold (and you could argue elevated although I’m not sure piggyback is quite what they mean!), the swelling and pain was minimised. By the end of the following day the swelling and discomfort had subsided sufficiently for Hayley to be back on her feet and hobbling around.
With Hayley feeling better we planned a day out on Lake Kununurra, taking in the Ord River and doing a spot of fishing, using a tinnie with a decent outboard which required a license to operate! Happily handing over the boat license that I completed with my brother for my 40th birthday we were able to take a boat out for a full day of exploring, fishing and fun times on the water! In the end, after tossing in a few lines along the way with little success, the day was primarily a great way for us to view some of the beautiful scenery along the river and just enjoy our last day in the area exploring up and down the river on which the area so heavily depends.
Lets open this motor up!
Time to throw a relaxing line in!
Fitzroy Crossing was another town on the “don’t want to stick around here too long!” list, but we did want to see Geike Gorge, and so we pulled into a nice caravan park just out of town with friendly wallabies to make us feel welcome. Early the next morning, we were out at Geike Gorge for a morning cruise down the river between the impressive gorge walls. With a Bull Shark sighted in the river just a few days before, we were happy to be in a boat as we cruised down this beautiful area with our guide pointing out interesting rock formations, local flora and fauna, as well as active wildlife. This was one of Hayley’s Granddad’s favourite places in Australia and it’s not hard to see why as it’s truly spectacular no matter what time of year you visit.
Heading out to explore the beautiful Geike Gorge, one of Granddad’s favourite places!
All along the river you can see the impact of the wet season, in this case it deposited this tree on top of the rock island!
Beautiful gorge walls have a host of wildlife hiding within!
Can anyone see Richard Nixon in this rockface (or it is just me!)
We considered heading to Tunnel Creek from Fitzroy Crossing, but in the end decided to get out of town and base ourselves out of Derby for a trip back along the infamous Gibb River Road to Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge. As we pulled into our thankfully shady spot we were soon joined by a wonderful German couple with their puppy “Blackie” that the kids immediately fell in love with! There is not a week that goes by that the kids don’t talk about us getting a dog “when we settle back into a house,” so they were in heaven being next to a dog that can be patted, walked and generally fussed over! They even received $2 each for their dog walking exploits!
The kids took turns walking Blackie around the park, she probably had never had so much exercise!
Heading off early the next morning for Tunnel Creek we wanted to get out there before the searing temperatures of the day (over 40 degrees!) made exploring uncomfortable. Christening our Keen sandals and new torch (definitely needed along with head torches for everyone!) along this subterranean trail, we walked / waded and climbed through this tunnel system which is WA’s oldest cave system, part of the same ancient Devonian Reef system which created Geike Gorge.
It’s only 750m long, but during that time you see some wonderful formations of stalactites and stalagmites as well as a host of bats and the kids favourite, the glowing red eyes of infant freshwater crocodiles that reside in the ever present water. Surrounded by the darkness, with animals overhead and lurking in the water you are forced to wade through, it’s not hard to let your imagination get carried away and freak yourself out if your not careful!
That’s one of the wonderful things about having kids, as the Dad you always feel like you need to lead the way with a smile and relaxed approach, there’s no time to allow that imagination to get too carried away (such as wondering where the infant crocodiles went when they got bigger or what that thing was wriggling along in the water!). Tunnel Creek is one of our favourite experiences to date and a popular story whenever the kids are asked about crocodiles or caves (or water or fun or unique or free things – yep, it comes up all the time!). It’s another area where the photos taken cannot do the experience justice, but at least they remind us of this wonderful morning of exploring one of the country’s most unique and interesting areas.
Even the entrance to Tunnel Creek is spectacular!
You can’t avoid getting wet! This collapsed section at least allows some light in!
At the other end, having a break before heading back past those glowing eyes again!
By the time we reached Windjana Gorge, with its 300m high walls, carved through the Napier Range, the sun was beating down and it took quite an effort to convince the kids to get out of the car and come exploring. Once we had seen the first crocodile sunning itself by a pool they were hooked and ran along counting the numerous crocodiles on the banks of the river. Without doubt this was the highest concentration of crocs we have seen on the trip, they were everywhere! We counted seventy two in total in a space of less than 500m and I’m sure we missed heaps that were lurking in the shadows or in the water, away from pesky visitors. At mid-morning they were pretty lackadaisical on the banks of both sides of the water, so much so that you are tempted to creep closer and closer to see just how near you can get. I’m clearly not the only one who has thought this, as warning signs abound about visitors who have got too close and lost fingers and limbs to these seemingly “harmless” creatures! I guess because their saltwater cousin is so vicious and aggressive these smaller and more timid creatures are viewed as almost friendly, but they still have strong jaws and lots of teeth!
Windjana Gorge – you can just make out some of the crocs resting on the banks!
On the way back along the Gibb River Road our car seemed to be a beacon for some loose cattle, who ran up to us like we were going to feed them or give them presents! After meandering their way around, and in front of us for a while, they finally decided to move on and disappeared the way they had come (maybe to wait in ambush for the next victim that came along!).
Ever since entering the Kimberly Region of Western Australia we had seen the beautiful Boab trees, alongside the road, in the scrub and as centrepieces for tourist attractions and caravan parks. When “adult” sized this iconic symbol of the Kimberly has huge, bulbous, bottle-like trunks along with strange, twisted branches. When they drop their leaves over the dry season they take on that stark, poignant look which graces the pages and covers of many magazines and brochures on the region. Apart from their beautiful appearance, they are also useful for bush tucker and as a source of water and shelter. Perhaps one of the most alluring trees you will ever see, the unique and mysterious Boab creates a wonderful backdrop for this part of the country.
The beautiful Boab Tree! They are everywhere in the Kimberly and make the place extra special!
Located 7km south of Derby is a large Boab tree around 14m in circumference that in the 1890s was used as a lock-up for Aboriginal prisoners on their way to Derby for sentencing. Known as the “Prison Tree” it is estimated to be 1500 years old. I was expecting confinement within the tree, like a cell, and I was somewhat underwhelmed by the reality (don’t you hate that!), but nonetheless the story and history provides an interesting insight into prisoner transportation and conditions all those decades ago. It’s amazing to think just how quickly widespread settlement of Australia happened, especially considering the vastness of the land and the lack of transportation, machinery and technology to assist the settlers…
The Prison Tree, not quite what I imagined but impressive nevertheless!
We had come to Derby to explore Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge, look at the huge and famous Prison Tree, watch the famous tidal changes at Derby Jetty as well as explore the possibility of visiting the Horizontal Falls. Derby is the cheapest point from which you can reach the Horizontal Falls and ever since entering WA we had heard stories of this natural phenomenon, mostly by people claiming it was either on, or now crossed off, their bucket lists! I was incredibly eager to see this amazing sight, but wasn’t sure that the kids would get enough out of it to justify the (not insignificant) cost. In the end the problem was solved for us as they only had one spot available during the days we had planned to be in town, as they were just coming off a neap tide so bookings were banked up. Hayley graciously volunteered to look after the kids so I could visit what David Attenborough described as “one of the greatest natural wonders of the world.”
The Horizontal Falls are without doubt one of the most amazing natural features of the Kimberley region. The tidal waterfalls located deep within Talbot Bay in the Buccaneer Archipelago are unlike any other waterfall in the world, in that (as you may guess from the name), the water passes horizontally. Although they are called waterfalls, this natural phenomenon is actually created by intense tidal currents hurtling through two narrow coastal gorges.
Starting the day with a Seaplane flight out to the Archipelago (yes another small plane but somehow the extra buffeting caused by the floats on the bottom of the plane was more than offset by their seemingly life-saving presence), which includes some very tight turns as the pilot tried to get everyone a great view of the falls from above, we landed in the secluded “Cyclone Bay” (named for its protection from them I’m sure!) and moored at a floating hotel / base / shark attraction. Before long I was in a powerful speedboat, rushing towards the twin gaps in the McLarty Ranges, which are around 300 metres from each other and around 20 and 10 metres wide.
Massive tidal movements create a waterfall effect as water banks up against one side of the narrow passages and then releases outward with amazing force into the other side. The water is literally tearing itself apart as it tries to fill out in all directions to level the gap, and the power of nature is once again evident as the boat rides through and around the swirling water, getting pulled, pushed and generally bullied by the flow. Despite the enormous motors on board you still get the feeling that you are putting your life in the hands of the captain, as enormous whirlpools open up in front of you and the boat tips from one side to the other riding them out.
The Horizontal falls from above! Hard to worry about the bumps of the plane when the view is so spectacular!
Despite it not being a king tide, where the tidal flow can reach up to 10m!, we were fortunate in many ways as too high a difference makes it unsafe for the boats to pass through. Going through the gaps, feeling the power of the water and seeing the waterfalls develop in front of you as you drive through them was one of the more incredible experiences I’ve had.
Returning to the floating pontoons for a swim (in a cage!) with some large fish, as well as some of the Lemon sharks that were prowling around the structure earlier that day, was fun before wrapping up the experience with a spectacular Barramundi lunch, a return visit to the falls and a sightseeing cruise (not to forget the return flight of course!)…
I tried to play it down, so Hayley wouldn’t be too disappointed about missing out, but it truly was an incredible and memorable experience that I will never forget! One day we will have to return with the entire family so everyone can enjoy it!
The same tides that make the Horizontal Falls so spectacular also make the tides around Derby some of the largest in the world. Normal tides are caused by a bulge in the water covering the surface of the earth and (although we never knew this before) high tides occur on both sides of the earth at the same time! The water on the side closest to the moon bulges out because it is being sucked by the moons gravitational force, while the water on the side furthest away from the moon bulges out because it is being pushed by forces including the centrifugal force of the earth. At Derby, the shape of the coast amplifies this effect, which is why the tides around this area are so huge, at 11.8m they are the highest tides in Australia and only bettered by 5 other tides worldwide (lead by the 15m tide at the Bay of Fundy in Canada if you’re interested!).
Not only are the tides spectacular in their changeover, but the jetty is beautiful and the sunsets across the bay are amazing. It was a beautiful way to finish off our trip to what is a spectacular part of the world…
What a sunset from Derby Jetty!
A great way to say goodbye to the area – its been so much fun!
Thanks for staying with us on our journey to date. This is part one of the long overdue update, part two will cover Broome and our trip down the coast to Perth… Thank heavens for Hayley’s Facebook updates, without which I am sure a few people would have wondered if we had disappeared forever!
Paul Family Road Trip 2015 (and 2016!) 
A wonderful account, Dan, as ever! I am really enjoying “sharing” your experiences. Xx
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