Katherine Gorge - Douglas Daly - Adelaide River
Northern Territory

At Katherine Gorge we had full network coverage so I did a blog (the last one) and Brian worked before we packed up to go into Katherine to shop. James had not been out of the van since his walk the night before and he and I rode in the van till well out of the camping area. He was not at all happy with the movement of the van. We stopped once completely outside Katherine Gorge National Park and James got a much needed walk, wee and poo.

Katherine was packed as everything closed at midday for Anzac Day. The supermarket was a bit of a nightmare but we topped up on supplies before heading to Douglas Daly around 12.30. On the way we listened to another hour of Pi. We have now done just over 9 hours of the story with almost 2 and a half hours to go. It is quite engrossing and the time passes virtually unnoticed when it is playing.

The road into DD was fairly narrow bitumen with thick grass to car window height growing right to the edge of the road, so there was no verge at all. I had this feeling of being Dorothy going down the yellow grass road. Set back off the road were plantations of trees at various stages of maturity that we couldn't identify. We later discovered they were mahogany plantations.

Douglas Daly Resort was delightful. The setting is a huge grassy bushland environment right beside the Douglas River with fishing and swimming holes interspersed with rapids over several kilometres of riverfront. The owners, Kathy & Brett, were really down to earth and friendly, and with only a few campers in we were able to pick a private, shady site down near the river. We set up camp and by 3.30 we were relaxing outside in the comfortably warm shade and loving the space. James did too, especially after Katherine Gorge. Brian rigged up a cherubin pot and we put it in the river in front of us (for bait), then we explored along the river for a km or two on foot before heading over to the bar and pool area for happy hour drinks.

The cherubin pot needed to be checked at first light next morning (otherwise the little captives apparently escape). That was, I was informed, my job. There were two big ones (the size of a very large prawn), a baby one and a little fish. The largest cherubin managed to escape and given the size of his nippers I wasn't about to grab him before he made his way back to water.

After breaky we unloaded the bikes for the first time since Easter. Man - were they covered in bulldust! Our cover might keep out the rain but it seems to suck up the red dust. We cleaned them up and headed off to explore the property. The tracks follow the river for miles so we checked out all the accessible waterholes and rockpools for fishing suitability. There were some very pretty spots. We rode for a couple of hours even though it was well into the mid 30's.

Before lunch we hopped in the Beast and took a drive to where Oolloo Road hits the Daly River. This is quite a distance upstream from where we planned to go and stay with Blackie. Because the area had been under metres of water the access was pretty rough and we couldn't find a suitable spot to throw our lines in, though we did stop at a deep creek on the way back for a quick, yet unproductive fish. After a late lunch, a read and a bath for James we took our live cherubin and lures to one of the spots we had discovered on our ride. It was very relaxing and we had a good hit on one of the live bait but the session yielded zilch.

I emptied the nets and collected half a dozen cherubin first thing Saturday. We didn't really get mobile till after 9 then did a couple of loads of washing, gave the van a good clean and I did all my banking online. There is intermittent network reception at DD and I found that if I put Brian's mobile up through the skylight onto the roof of the van and hot-spotted it I had enough signal strength to get online with reasonable speed. My Optus coverage is non-existent in the outback.

About 10.30 we headed down to the deep waterhole  past "The Arches" rapids a couple of km along the Douglas (still in the caravan park). We got a few bites on the cherubin and I had my favourite poppa going on a second line. Sadly one of my casts went awry and my poppa now hangs in a tree above the river for ever. Bugger! Suddenly I had a good hit on a cherubin and managed to pull in a 1 kg sooty grunter. That was a good size fish. Brian cleaned and filleted it and we had it pan fried as an entree for dinner. It was delicious. My first keeper! After dinner we headed over to the bar and spent an hour or so chatting with the locals. That was fun.

On Sunday we decided to meet Blackie at Adelaide River. He had given up fishing the Daly and was moving on. It was a bit sad to leave DD as we loved it, but given Butterfly Gorge and Douglas Hot Springs were closed due to the flood, we will go back before we leave NT. 

It was only a one hour run to Adelaide River which is situated on the Stuart Highway only 100km south of Darwin. It is a pretty little town with a nice feel about it. We camped beside Blackie in the caravan park behind the pub which is behind the BP service station, so a very short stroll to the bar. That was pretty dangerous! After introducing ourselves to Charlie, the stuffed waterbuffalo star of Crocodile Dundee, (he died a few years back and now stands stuffed atop the end of the bar), we enjoyed a few lunchtime drinks in the beer garden.

Our nights at Adelaide River were rather noisy with huge freight trains going through several times during the night. The railway line was only 100 metres away and we could hear them miles before they arrived, a low rumble developing into a full-blown roar, then receding back to a low rumble. James and I counted 50 container carriages on one train when we were on our morning walk.

Yesterday after bidding farewell to Blackie (who was heading some 900km to Lorella Springs) we jumped on the bikes. AR is probably most famous for its War Cemetery so we headed there first. The impeccably maintained cemetery marks the final resting place of 434 Australian, British and Canadian service men & women who lost their lives in the Top End during WW11. There is also a central memorial dedicated to another 287 service personnel who were never found. Most of those buried were aged in their 20's, though we did find one grave of a 17 year old boy. Sad. It is a simple but beautiful place.

We rode all through town and checked out the Railway heritage Precinct, Showgrounds and local market, where we picked up some second-hand books. The rest of the day Brian worked while I swam in the pool, caught up with some other travellers and generally mooched.

                                               Our camp at Adelaide River - a pretty spot

It seems we have a problem with the big fridge in the van now as well as the small fridge. It's not keeping stuff cold on AC so we've swapped it over to gas. Hopefully that will work.

After speaking with Blackie we have put Daly River on hold. He reckons all the barra got washed out to sea in the flood. Today we'll head toward Darwin and stay either at Berri Springs or in the Palmerston area which are the only places we can get James into. The Beast is booked in for it's 10,000k service on Thursday and hopefully we'll get the small fridge fixed and, if the big fridge is still playing up, it too. On Friday we'll kennel James for a week or so (sorry little mate) to do Kakadu, Edith Falls, Katherine Gorge and Litchfield Park.

Kununurra - Lake Argyle - Timber Creek - Katherine Gorge
WA/NT

It was getting on for 3pm Saturday when we left Kununurra for Lake Argyle, just 70km away.

I find that this life-style has me very much living in the moment and I hadn't thought about what LA would be like until we started on the 35 km road that leads to it from the Victoria Highway turnoff. For some reason I was surprised that the Kimberley landscape became even more rugged as we approached - I thought it would be flat. It was simply beautiful.

The caravan park is perched on the side of a hill above the lake and has breathtaking views. There is an infinity pool right on the edge of a cliff and it looks out over the surrounding hills and lake. It's a lovely spot and once again, we could enjoy plenty of space as it was still pre-tourist season. We set up camp, unpacked and stowed all the groceries and relaxed with drinks and enjoyed the view before a bbq tea.

After a hot night in the high 20's we had an early start and after breaky went for a swim in the infinity pool just after 7am. The water was a perfect temperature and the views were simply spectacular. It is reportedly one of the top 5 swimming pools in Australia.

Once we had cooled off we took a drive to check out Lake Argyle town. Well.....the Lake Argyle Resort in which we were staying was pretty much it. Aside from that there is a dam wall, a park at the base of the dam wall, a couple of lookouts, a homestead museum and a boat ramp. The magnificent scenery and the LA cruises are the main attractions.

We booked on the afternoon Sunset Cruise and at 1pm went to the camp store to watch a very old video about the dam wall construction (which was quite interesting). At 2.15 we boarded the bus with 14 others for the 5 minute drive to the boat ramp. The cruise was nothing short of fantastic. The scenery with the light changing on hundreds of rock faces and small islands as the sun went down was stunning. LA is immense and it's not till you get onto it that you can appreciate its size. The commentary was really interesting and while there are supposedly 35,000 freshies in the lake we saw only a few.

Just before sunset the boat stopped in the middle of one of the bays and we had a swim. The water was 32 degrees. It was beautiful. There was wine and beer on offer and we floated out in the middle of this huge expanse of water on our noodles drinking. It felt quite decadent. Back on board there was a refill on drinks with bikkies, cheese and dips served. We watched the sunset as we cruised back and by the time we got to the boat ramp it was dark. We had an absolute ball of an afternoon and like our cruise at ELQ, we thought it was outstanding value at $85 each.

Next morning, following another restless night for Brian (I keep waking him up with my nightmares, and it is hot) we had an early swim then went up to the water tower lookout. Brian was hoping to get phone reception but no luck. The view of the lake (which holds 18 times more water than Sydney Harbour) is stunning from every perspective.

We then went to the Argyle Homestead Museum, a five minute drive from the caravan park. Built in the 1880's it was the home of the Durak family and sat on the Argyle Downs Station which is now at the bottom of the lake. It was moved and rebuilt stone by stone in the 1970's on its current site prior to the lake filling. We enjoyed walking through the simple but quite gracious house and gaining an insight into the history of the Durak family and their very significant role in the Kimberley's area.

The 40 degree heat kept us inside the van with the air-con on for most of the day. We read, watched a DVD on the Gibb River Road and reviewed all our photos so far on the TV, which we hadn't pulled out from under the bed until this point. The day was interspersed with eating, drinking and several swims in the infinity pool. Lazy eh!

We departed Lake Argyle at 8am Tuesday and travelled the 200 km to Timber Creek listening to Life of Pi for a fair part of the way. The one and a half hour time difference crossing the border saw us arrive at Big Horse Campground at around midday NT time. We set up camp in the same spot as last time and headed straight up to the lookout so Brian could get reception as he hadn't had any since Saturday in Kununurra.

And guess what? Late afternoon the locals arrived with their green cans...bugger eh! They were pretty noisy but fortunately they all cleared out before dusk. We went down to the boat ramp and threw a few lures in (with no luck) before having a beautiful Webber lamb roast followed by a game of canasta which, I might add, Brian won. I have taught him too well!

The night was much cooler at Big Horse than we had been experiencing at Lake Argyle and after a good night's sleep I went back down to the boat ramp with James, rod and a cup of coffee. It was a beautiful still morning. The river is so peaceful at dawn and dusk, more so when you are the only one there. I worked the poppa over different parts of the river making sure to stay high on the ramp or bank, keeping a keen eye out for crocs. A couple of guys arrived to launch their boat and made sure they let me know that a three and a half metre croc was seen at the ramp a couple of days before. I decided to bid a hasty retreat - fishless as usual.

We had decided we would head straight to Daly River from Timber Creek after speaking to the Mango Farm Caravan Park (from the lookout the day before) and finding we could get in with James. The river had gone down and Brian was keen to catch up with Blackie. Brian had the van pretty much packed up by the time I got back from the ramp so we were on the road quite early to cover the 290 km to Katherine where we planned to overnight and stock up on supplies.

While re-fuelling in Timber Creek Blackie called and said the fishing was woeful, so....plan B. We decided to hold off on Daly for a few more days and take some time at Katherine Gorge and Douglas Daly on-route. Our camp book showed the caravan park at the Gorge to be dog-friendly but when we arrived the park signs all indicated it wasn't. So James got allocated to the van and didn't step foot into the park. I drove him 5 km down the road after an early dinner for a good run. He wasn't real happy about it to start but settled down no problems. I think he even realised he was in hiding.

                                                                 Not happy Jan!!



Given the James situation and the fact that the water in the Gorge is still too high for canoeing, this morning we will head off to Douglas Daly (which is ok for dogs in the caravan park) and do Katherine Gorge later in our trip with James in a kennel. James and I are going to stay in the van while Brian drives us out of the park. That'll be fun!

El Questro
WA

We were both really excited about going to El Questro. From the moment you turn onto the Gibb River Road you enjoy a visual spectacle of rich colours, rocky pinnacles, massive escarpments and deep gorges. This is exactly how we expected ELQ and the Kimberley to be...majestic, impressive and breathtaking.

ELQ had only been open 3 days because the multiple water crossings between the entry and the Station Township were too deep. We felt confident the van would get through ok as it has plenty of clearance, but we were really relieved to find a lot of very recent work had been done on the 16 km dirt road and it was in quite good condition with just a few sections of small corrugation.  Of the 4 or 5 creek crossings on the way in, the last, the Pentecost River, just 500 metres from the township, was the deepest and widest, but still did not come up over the wheel hubs.

We checked in for 3 nights and found a lovely shaded spot to park the van in the very empty camping area. It is truly a beautiful place with lots of space, swimming holes on the river and just a short stroll from the amenities, bar, restaurant, shop and even fuel ($2.30/litre). It truly felt magical and we wondered just how long we would end up staying. Even James instantly relaxed.

After setting up the van we went for a walk to explore the immediate Station area before driving 8 km along the river to Chamberlain Gorge to check out the fishing. It looked good so we threw a couple of lines in. You wouldn't believe it but a huge barra followed my poppa on the very first cast, then on the next he hit it with a bang then disappeared. He then did the same thing with Brian's lure. We reckon he was a good 60 - 80 cm. We tried for a bit longer but with no success, and it was bloody hot in the sun so we headed back to camp.

Saturday night at ELQ is BBQ night so we booked in to have barra, salad and dessert for 30 bucks a head. At the Swinging Arm Bar we sat with another gray nomad couple, Lesley and Stuart, and enjoyed a beautiful, warm, starry night with live music, good conversation and yummy dinner. It was amazing how many locals turned up from surrounding station properties, and Kununurra too, pitched tents and partied on (albeit a bit noisily) till the wee hours. 

About 8am Sunday morning we headed off to Zebedee Springs, 6km back toward the entrance. The walk to the thermal springs is a few hundred metres through tropical rain forest and bush crossing shallow, crystal clear streams. What a little paradise! The waterfall that comes out of the rock face runs into a series of small pools with moss and tropical vegetation in and around it. It's a very small area but fortunately we were the only ones there. We wallowed in the 35 degree waters - heavenly!

Next we went to Amalia Gorge, a five minute drive further on. That proved to be quite a challenging trek through a very rocky obstacle course of creek beds, ledges and crevices. At a couple of points we had to traverse narrow sections on our bottoms with a drop of several metres below onto rock faces or into pools. The scenery was spectacular with swimming holes along the way and at the end of the gorge a 32 metre waterfall cascaded into a deep plunge pool. The only ones there, we stripped off and plunged in.

By the time we got back to the car about 2 hours later we were both pretty stuffed. The 35 degree heat along with the physical and mental challenge of negotiating the 3.4 km trail was good reason to head back to camp for a bit of recovery time.

Sunday afternoon Brian unloaded the tinnie, rigged up some fishing lines and we went looking for some fishing spots along Pigeon Hole 4WD track. Pigeon Hole (on the river) was closed but we got up to Lookout Point from which we were able to view the dramatic and ancient landscape of the Pentecost Valley and river and with the Cockburn Ranges in the distance. Still on the hunt for a barra, we decided to go back to Chamberlain Gorge and try to catch the one that eluded us yesterday - but without success – so headed back to camp for a relaxing drink and dinner. What a place....what a day.....what a life!

Monday I felt a bit weary after our activities of the day before so we took it easy and went down to Chamberlain Gorge to fish after breaky. We threw lures in for a bit but didn't have any luck. We took a drive up Saddleback 4WD track afterwards. It was slow going to start as it was very rocky, then we had to cross the Pentecost River at a point where it was deeper and wider than all our other crossings so far. With no snorkel we took it slowly and managed not to take on any water.

The climb up to the ridge got our attention big time. It was an extremely steep incline on a soft, newly made, narrow track with tight switchbacks. The Beast handled it with ease though our heart rates increased a few beats. The view from the lookout was spectacular. ELQ is so vast and the terrain so varied it's difficult to find words to describe it. On the return journey Brian let the Beast take over by engaging "Downhill Descent" and all he had to do was steer. He loves his Beast!   

Back at camp we wandered over to the general store and had yummy cappies and cake, booked an afternoon cruise on Chamberlain Gorge and extended our stay a couple of days. Staying more than 4 nights gave us a 20% discount, so our camp fees came down to $32/night - excellent! We had been out of network coverage since our arrival so Brian bought 3 hours of Wi-Fi time so he could do some work.

It was a dry 36 degrees and felt pretty hot, so before a late lunch we went for a dip in the rock pools adjacent to the Black Cockatoo camp where we are set up. There’s a variety of croc-free swimming holes to choose from on the river. James had a swim then rolled in the red dirt - so back at the van we had good reason to give him a well overdue bath!  

At 2.30 we headed off to Chamberlain Gorge and found our cruise group consisted of us, 3 other guests and 4 staff. It was absolutely fantastic! The scenery travelling through the steep walls of the gorge was beautiful and one of the rangers gave an informal but very informative commentary.

The gorge walls are the second oldest rocks on earth - billions of years old - and the layers are clearly discernible. ELQ is an 80 year old pastoral lease that has grown to its current size through the acquisition of adjacent leases, it comes up for renewal in 2015 and currently there are two Aboriginal claims against the land. It has had multiple owners and is currently owned by an American company, Delaware North, who pretty much leave it alone to be managed by Aussies, as it has been for the last 15 years.

Half way through the 2 hour cruise we pulled up and were lavished with enough champers and fresh fruit to cater for 20 people.....mmm....my kinda cruise. We also fed the fish - barra, catfish and dozens of archer fish that squirted water at us so we would feed them. I got saturated - that was fun. We both had a ball and thought that at $99 for the two of us it was great value.

After dinner I took James for his pre-bedtime walk while Brian did the dishes (we share the duties and James is one of mine). We wandered through the staff area which houses and feeds the 80 staff who tend the 400 visitors that are in the park at peak period (at the moment I would doubt there are 40 of us here). The staff is a real mix of old and young - a few grey nomads like us who work their way around Oz and quite a lot of international backpackers as well as Aussies with various trades and qualifications. They all get their own (little) room and all meals are provided. It was interesting chatting to them before going back to the van for a long, lovely shower before bed.

Tuesday April 16 will be marked forever in my diary.....I climbed Emma Gorge AND I caught my first BARRA!

We left camp (and James in the van) around 8am to drive the 25km to Emma Gorge Resort which is part of ELQ. It's a pretty start to the trek - the open-deck timber buildings of the resort set in lush semi-tropical surrounds are very inviting.

The walk up to the top of the gorge zigzagged over a stream and we clambered over quite large slabs of rock for most of the way. You really have to watch your feet as just about every step is onto an uneven surface, then you have to remind yourself to stop and look up and around to appreciated the absolute beauty and grandeur of this ancient canyon. Even though it was early it was hot and quite humid in the canyon and by the time we reached top after 50 odd minutes of climbing we were both red-faced and drenched with sweat. We couldn't wait to strip off and immerse ourselves in the refreshing topaz water of the rock pool.

Emma Gorge is stunning. The entire journey through it is amazing but where the 65 metre sheer walls either side meet at the end and you swim under the cascading waterfall as it hits the pool below you feel like you are experiencing something really special.

I had a good long swim but Brian found it too cold. The downhill walk back was easier though I still managed to slip at one of the stream crossings and ended up flat on my back in water, totally filling my walking boots and saturating the camera. We quickly dried the camera off and opened all the little doors - batteries, card, flash etc and it was working ok by the time I had eventually sloshed my way back to the car.

After lunch we were struck with some obscure flurry of domesticity and cleaned the very dirty fly screens and windows in and out. That was hot and thirsty work. Late in the afternoon we went up to Chamberlain Gorge for a sunset fish. We were there quite a while with no sign of a bite when my line suddenly pulled strongly and what do you know - I landed a 40-50cm barra. Woo hoo! The minimum size is 55cm so it had to go back....but at least I can say I have caught one!

Early the next day we decided to take a drive westward along an unmade section of the Gibb River Road. We had heard from the Rangers that there was good fishing on the Pentecost River where it intersects with the GRR and in any event we wanted to ascertain its suitability or otherwise for travel with the van - really just for future reference. The road is yet to be graded, which apparently happens in April/May, but it was certainly drivable. It is quite wide and the surface varied between smooth, lightly corrugated, deeply corrugated and rocky. Our speed therefore ranged between 20km/hr and about 70km/hr. It took around 40 minutes to travel the 27 km stretch to the river.

 This area of the Kimberley is spectacular with lots of big ranges, escarpments and gorges. Approaching the river we were surprised to see how the road just disappeared into the water for a hundred metres or more before emerging again. In the wet it is obviously impassable but when we were there it was only around 40 cm though flowing very fast.

We followed the riverbank along a deep, sandy track for a couple of kilometres stopping here and there to throw lines in. We had a keen eye out for crocs as we'd been told there were heaps at the crossing. After trying a few different lures and spots with no bites we headed back to the road hoping not to get bogged. It was so hot standing on the sandy bank in full sun we could only manage 10 minutes or so at a time before joining James in the air-conditioned comfort of the Beast.   

Back at camp we had a relaxing afternoon with a swim in the billabong and just before dusk we went to Chamberlain Gorge to fish. They were biting! I pulled in three Barra between about 40 and 50 cm and Brian got one around 50 cm as well. We stayed until it was almost dark and watched the colours change around us as the sun went down. It was a beautiful balmy evening and so peaceful - just the two of us and the river.  

At dawn Thursday we bounced out of bed sure we'd catch that big barra if we got the lines in before sunrise. It was only 21 degrees at 5.30am - the coolest temperature we have felt in weeks. Sunrise over Chamberlain Gorge was very pretty and, like the evening before, there is a feeling of serenity and a sense of agelessness being in an ancient space that has changed little in millions of years. We spent a good hour fishing but got diddley squat!

The days heat up very quickly and by 7am it was already 30 degrees and on its way to a top in the mid to high 30's with humidity around 50 percent. Strenuous activity like gorge walking is best done early. You can't even do it late as it stays hot till about 5pm then it's dark by 5.30. So straight after breaky we did the Telecom Hill walk which leaves the camp ground and goes past the stables and up the hill behind the Station to a lookout. It took only an hour but we were very hot and sweaty by the time we got back.

We extended our stay another two nights (till Saturday) then spent the rest of the day  reading, swimming, work for Brian and journal updating for me before another fishing session which, yet again, yielded nothing. After dinner we went over to the Swinging Arm Bar and sat out under starry skies with a drink while one of the rangers did a slide presentation on ELQ, and Australian Geographic (a big group who have been here all week doing flora & fauna research) talked about frogs.

Last night was our last at ELQ. We both felt we were ready to explore new frontiers and while we could have stayed much longer we want to be at Daly early in May and we still have Lake Argyle and Douglas Daly to visit.

We spent some of the day preparing for travel - a full clean for the van, tinnie back on the Beast, generator and beer fridge re-stowed, water tanks topped up etc. Late morning we drove along the river 5km or so to Brumby Base where the dilapidated remains of the original station homestead stand.

This beautiful spot on the river is supposedly good for fishing - not so much barra - but black bream and sooty grunter. We spent a couple of hours casting baited lines and constantly getting bites. There were certainly plenty of fish, but they were too small to keep. I caught 3 catfish, one of which was quite large and great fun to land. They all got released, so it was a good day for all.

Today we hit the road again. We’ll go to Kununurra and do a big shop as we have totally cleaned out the fridge and the grog cupboard is getting low. We need gas and some hardware stuff as well and there will be lots of time on our mobiles. We have had no phone coverage here at ELQ so Brian will no doubt have a squillion work messages and will need to make heaps of return calls. And of course I want to speak to kids, sisters and friends. We’re not sure about coverage at Lake Argyle either so it could be a long lunch at Kununurra.

James, Brian and I love it here at ELQ. We’ve been lucky coming at the start of the season with very few people around. I can imagine it would be quite crowded in the gorges, springs, swimming holes, fishing spots and amenities block when there are 400 tourists here. Brian reckons he would like to work here so we might be back at some stage of our travels down the track.

Kununurra - Wyndham
WA

At Kununurra we were able to select our own site at Lakeside Resort Caravan Park given it is still pre-season and we arrived early. We set up on a large grassy area under a big shady tree not far from the lake and away from other campers.

Over the previous few nights we had been getting bitten in bed so I stripped off the bedding and threw it all into washing machines, pillows included, then insect sprayed the mattress and surrounds. Washing on the line and Brian's work done we headed into town for a look around.

The town is bigger than we expected, way bigger than Katherine with a lot more commerce and industry. We drove around, did some shopping, came back for lunch, read and mooched then mid afternoon did some exploring - checked out the river, boat ramps, surrounding countryside with massive mango orchards and climbed the rocky pinnacle that overlooks the town.

It is a pretty town in a rugged, burnt orange and green sort of way. While the area is predominantly flat it is dotted with big rocky outcrops close into town and huge escarpments in the distance. James loved the walk up to the lookout as he was allowed off the lead and once back at camp he was quite settled despite yet another relocation. He happily sat on the green mat outside with us, no tether, and watched the bird life at the edge of the lake. 

By 5.30 it was dark. It’s weird to lose and hour and a half in 270 km. It was really hot and muggy so we had the air on. The park has a lovely outdoor bar area so we shut James in the cool van, closed all the curtains and went for a drink. That was a treat!

Next day we drove out to Gibb River Road to see if we would be comfortable to take the van over it and were surprised to find that it is sealed all the way to the Emma Gorge and El Questro entrances. There are lots of water crossings but they were fine. The massive escarpments out there are stunning. We decided we would definitely go out there after we have been up to Wyndham.

After lunch we headed off to Ivanhoe Crossing about 10 km out of town. This is the original crossing point over the Ord River and fishing here is apparently good. The water over the crossing was flowing really fast and it was surprising to see fishermen standing on it in knee deep water knowing there were crocs nearby. The water level was quite high and unfortunately it was too fast flowing to fish from the bank – and we weren’t about to wade out into it – so no barra for dinner that night!

On our last night at Kununurra we rode the bikes up to the Pumphouse for a couple of drinks. That was fun. It is a lovely spot that hangs out over the lake. It appears to be an old pumping station that has been turned into quite an upmarket restaurant and alfresco bar. We sat on the deck and watched the sunset on the escarpments behind town. All the time we were there a fresh water crocodile floated in the water below the deck while water skiers passed by.

We left Kununurra around 9.30 Thursday heading north to Wyndham. Marie and Ross, friends who had travelled the area last year, recommended we stay at Parry Creek Farm rather than the Wyndham Caravan Park. We arrived late morning at Parry’s after turning off the highway 20 km   south of Wyndham and travelling 8 km along a well formed dirt road.

The farm is lovely - a few well maintained acres fenced off from the surrounding wetlands and bush. The sites are set among small trees on mown grass. We were the only ones there aside from a small tent at the other end of the property. The bird life in the area is abundant. There are so many bird calls that we have never heard before and the place offers a sense of remoteness and serenity that is delightful. There is a walking track through the property and a suspended walk way that goes from the restaurant out over a large water-lily (and croc-infested) billabong. James stayed on a lead!

Around 3 we headed into Wyndham. It's a very small and basic place - certainly no tourist destination and not what you would call an attractive town. We drove around and at low tide walked out onto the new and very big (high) floating jetty that adjusts to the 8 metre tidal fluctuation. We then headed up to Five Rivers lookout on the hill above town and had spectacular views of the West Arm of the Cambridge Gulf and surrounding rivers.

Before heading back to Parry's we refuelled in town getting the cheapest fuel we had seen for weeks at $1.67/lt.

Yesterday morning we got up early so we could drive up to Five Rivers Lookout to catch the high tide. Given the huge variation from the low tide of Thursday we expected to see a big difference in the seascape below us. The floodplains and mangroves were certainly flooded but not as much as we thought.

On the way to the lookout we came across a five foot snake on the track. He eyed the car off and after a bit decided to head into the grass at the side of the road. This prompted a sizey lizard to hastily vacate that space and without paying any attention to us only a few metres away he kept a very close eye on his predator, even getting up on to his back legs to see exactly where it had headed to. He didn't move even when we drove off.

After the lookout we decided to head down the King River road and try to pick up the King river to ascertain fishing suitability. Well, that was one rough ride! We made 11 km in god knows how long before deciding the Beast, the boat and us had been shaken to the point we just couldn't do it any longer... and did a uey. (I know... toughen up princesses....you're in the outback!)

After lunch back at the van we left James on the bed in the air-conditioning and headed 29 km south along Parry Creek Rd (track is a better description) to Mambi Island which is actually just a boat ramp on the lower Ord River. At this point in our travels we are suffering a bit of barra-deprivation given we were all psychologically geared up for Daly.

Mambi is a known fishing spot and we thought we might be able to fish from the bank like at Big Horse. The river looked promising - wide and clear and very fishable. There were 3 guys camped riverside with a boat. We had a chat and learned they had caught a Barra that morning and had also seen a couple of really big crocs near the ramp. Brian got the rods out and we ventured toward the river. Brian did 2 casts while I stood high on the ramp. Not happy Jan..... it's a bugger being a princess!

So, still no barra. Back at camp we consider our options. We could go back to the ramp tomorrow and put Brian's life at risk putting the tinnie in and have a whole day fishing...or...El Questro is on the Pentecost River which is supposedly teeming with barra.

It’s now Saturday morning and we are off to El Questro!

Timber Creek - Kununurra
NT/WA

We're in WA! We arrived in Kununurra this morning having stayed put at our Big Horse camp for 6 days, not doing very much.

James has been a bit off colour but he seems ok now.  Probably a crook gut from too much people food – left overs, fat off lamb chops etc. We'll limit his diet to dog food in future. He is pretty skittish though. I’m guessing it’s just a matter of time till he adjusts to the constantly changing environment, my paranoia about ticks, roos and snakes, and the heat, which does knock him around a bit, but it does us as well. A couple of days back we gave him his first bath since leaving and he didn't mind me pouring cool water over his head at all, and yesterday I gave him a haircut with which I was pretty impressed.

We threw a few lures in from the bank by the boat ramp (very high on the bank I must point out!) most days but with no luck, and Friday we put the tinnie on the river.

That was scary! The trailer system  which has the wheels actually attached to the boat unfortunately means spending quite a lot of time in knee-deep water at the bottom of the ramp while removing them for launch, and then even more time and at greater depth to re-attach for retrieval. Boy, were our eyes peeled for crocs!

On the river however, it was beautiful. We headed upstream for a while and tried a few different lures trolling, then back to a couple of spots where creeks ran into the river to throw a few lines - but sadly our efforts were to no avail. Not even a look or a touch.

We only saw one little croc - but they are there alright. Our camp neighbours said they had seen a bird dive to the water to grab a lure a few days earlier (at the boat ramp mind you) and it had become entangled in the line. A few moments later a croc casually swam up and with one chomp the bird was gone and the croc disappeared.

Back at camp after we eventually got the tinnie out of the water Brian had a calming beer and decided he wasn't ever going to play in croc-infested waters again... and spent the rest of the afternoon de-rigging the tinnie. It's now back on top of the car and will probably stay there until we get to a crocodile-free area or he acquires a portable boat trailer.

Each morning (and sometimes evening) while at Big Horse we drove about five km back toward town to go up the escarpment that overlooks the settlement  and river so we could get phone/internet coverage for Brian to continue working. The views are stunning – escarpments everywhere with a great big river flowing off toward the sea.

One morning we went out to the Gregory Tree. The turnoff the highway is about five km west of Big Horse camp and three km along a dirt road toward the river. On this historic site stands a large Boab tree. In 1856 Gregory and his explorer mates arrived and put some graffiti on it. I don’t think the locals at the time would have been too happy as it's also apparently a sacred aboriginal site.

The abundant Boabs in the area are beautiful. There are also lots of kites and sea eagles souring above (usually checking out James), pretty kingfishers, parrots, kangaroos and a couple of snakes that we have come across.

Saturday we tried out the new washing machine (plastic tub thing with counter-rotating discs in the bottom which we purchased at the Caravan Show last year). That was actually fun. It first blew a fuse in the van when I tried to run it through the inverter. Fuse replaced we put the generator on and it worked for about 20 minutes pretty well before overheating, so we’ll need to run it for 10 minutes or so then let it rest. We used the limited water on tap in the park as well as some rain water we collected the night before. It’s a two-man job but cheaper and more interesting than putting coins in the slot and hanging around for ages at a caravan park.

Last night we took drinks up to the lookout on the escarpment to watch the sunset. Stunning!

And this morning I did some sunrise shots from the boat ramp. That was also amazing.

We spoke to Blackie yesterday and the river was still rising at Daly which means there's no point in considering going there for the moment. The maps and books came out again and we decided to keep heading west about 270 km to Kununurra and the Kimberley where it is dry and we have lots of touring, camping, fishing, boating and sightseeing options. We can also consider whether we’ll venture a few km’s down the Gibb River Road to go to Emma Gorge and El Questro Station.

Two or three weeks here will give the Daly time to recede before we head back to the east - or - maybe we'll just stay here a month or two. Who knows?

As a PS to my last posted blog, we discovered Brian's IPod also went walkabout. Double bugger!