Wyndham

 10 – 19 August 2022

We left Lake Argyle and drove back into Kununurra where we did some shopping and refuelled before having a picnic lunch at the Celebrity Tree Park. We then returned to the Victoria Highway and continued onto the Great Northern Highway into Wyndham. We found the caravan park and selected an unpowered spot with plenty of shade, but which we found later wouldn’t be so great for solar.

The caravan park manager gave Mick some information about local birdwatching spots so we made a fairly early start in the morning and were delighted to see the resident brolgas having a  bit of a dance near our camp. It was quite a treat to see this behaviour close up while eating our breakfast. 

After the morning’s entertainment we set off for the King River Road where there are a number of birdwatching spots along the river. After stopping at a number of these we continued on to the Prison Boab Tree. This is one of a number of boabs that were used as “lock-ups” by police when transporting aboriginal prisoners to Wyndham for sentencing. This grand old tree is a stark reminder of the harsh treatment Australia’s First Nations people.

The next morning we set off earlier to revisit the best spot on the river and Mick spent around two hours sitting quietly hoping for some great shots. On our way back along King River Road we turned off to visit Moochalabra Dam. There is a small picnic area with just a couple of tables but no toilets, and a lookout over the dam. We didn’t stay long, then drove back down the road and stopped to have a look at some Aboriginal rock art. This involved a short scramble up and then a walk along a rock shelf. Mick continued the scramble along the ledge. There is lots of art, including Wandjina Spirit ancestors, but no interpretative information. Much of it is faded and the overpainting made it difficult to identify individual pictures. It was, however, still worth the short detour and climb.

We returned to town via a shortcut across the mud flats – perfectly dry at this time of year. Late in the afternoon we drove up to the Five Rivers Lookout. At 330 metres above sea level this lookout provides a spectacular view of the five rivers -  King, Ord, Durack, Forrest and Pentecost – that flow into the Cambridge Gulf. It is hard to imagine what it would look like in the wet season!

On Saturday morning Mick went out early for a look around town for the Gouldian Finches that had been seen the day before. He did find them but didn’t get the perfect shot. The afternoon was hot - 36°- so a swim was in order. Thankfully the nights had been more pleasant. Mick made contact with a local who takes people to a water point and hide he had set up and arranged to go there on Tuesday morning so our original 3 nights on an umpowered site has turned into a week with power.

Mick arranged to meet another birder on Sunday morning to try to find the Gouldians again. It wasn't terribly successful, but after a quiet morning they headed out again in the afternoon. The Gouldians were about, but not well posed for photos unfortunately.

On Monday morning we drove out to Marlgu Billabong and were the only ones there - apart from a wonderful variety of birds. We had left it relatively late, and the light was a bit harsh for photography but it was still a great place to sit in the hide and observe the activity.

We left the billabong and set the GPS to take us to Telegraph Hill. That was a mistake! She had us driving on some very dodgy tracks - and in the completely wrong direction. We eventually found our way to the hill and the remains of the telegraph station. There is a short walk around the ruins and fabulous views of the billabong and wetland below.

There is a very good bakery in Wyndham and we had already sampled their fresh bread, bread rolls and cakes so trying out the pies was a must do. Mick settled for the breakfast pie - steak, bacon and egg - while I just had to have the garlic barramundi. Both pies were delicious and I was particularly surprised by the large quantity of big chucks of fresh barra. Yum!

On Tuesday morning Mick was up early - again - to go out to the Gouldian finch spot with "Bushy" (by name and nature) and another birder we had met at the caravan park. The finches were there as promised and Mick arrived home with lots of photos to go through.

After a lovely seven day stay in the caravan park in town, we headed off for a couple of nights at Parry Creek Farm, out of town and close to Marlgu Billabong. We stopped for some suppplies and arrived mid-morning. Despite the great reviews we were a little disappointed - after a lovely shady, grassy park, the dry dusty sites with little shade convinced us we had made the right decision in spending most of our time in town. To add to the disappointment the restaurant was fully booked for one night and the other was the chef's night off so only one menu item would be available. 

Because we were relatively early, we were able to get a spot with a bit of dappled shade for some of the day, although it was still very hot. We took a walk around the billabong, inlcuding along the elevated walkway before retreating to the shade created by the trailer.

During the night we could see the glow of a fire nearby and we woke to a very hazy, smoky morning. We drove down to Marlgu Billabong and along some of the many tracks the criss-cross the area, looking for particular birds. Mick spotted some on the road from the caravan park and again on one of the tracks. 

We finally left the billabong and headed in to Wyndham to fuel up and buy some extra supplies for our journey along the Gibb River Road.

Lake Argyle

5 - 10 August 2022

After 6 fabulous nights in Purnululu National Park we left the park and returned to the Great Northern Highway on our way to Lake Argyle. We had stopped at the picnic area at the turn-off to put air back in the tyres, do a small repair and have a cuppa. From there we drove on to Dunham Rest Area again where we disposed of our rubbish in the industrial bins provided then continued on to Cockburn Rest Area where we stopped for lunch.

We had left the national park very early to allow time to stop in Kununurra to refuel and do some shopping. Once we had restocked we continued on the 70 km to Lake Argyle, where we would spend the next 5 nights. The resort/caravan park was built around the old workers village with some remnants of the time when the dam was being built still visible. 

The forecast was for hot days, and hot nights (24 - 27 degrees overnight) so we were hoping for a shady spot. We did get some shade but no view of the lake from our site, even though it was only a short walk away. We spent the afternoon settling in and familiarising ourselves with our surroundings. We decided on dinner at the onsite bistro/beer garden. It was a good way to end a long day in the car.

In the morning we drove down to the boat ramp and called into the cruise office to check a few things out about the cruises we had booked. We were both going on the sunset cruise and Mick was going on a birdwatching cruise.

Because of the early sunset in this part of the world, the pick-up for this cruise was 2:30pm. The bus picks up at the caravan park for the short ride to the boat ramp. The boat ride was comfortable and took us to a number of interesting spots to see the wildlife including short-eared rock wallabies, freshwater crocodiles and archer fish. Along the way our guide told us about the constuction of the dam which created this massive lake. He also related a little of the story of white settlement by the well-known Durack family. The commentary was interesting and well presented and included a map display to show where we had been on the lake which helped to put the massive size into perspective.

We then motored on to the sunset spot where guests are invited to jump in for a swim - pool noodles provided - and a drink. The combination of the cold water and a cold beer meant most people didn't stay in long. Some young chaps who had decided not to use a pool noodle soon found that paddling one handed in cold water while trying not to spill your beer was quite difficult and happily accepted the pool noodles offered by those leaving the water. Swimming in the lake with a glass of bubbles or can of beer, while the sun set, is an experience not to be missed! 

The following day we pottered around at home for the morning and had a swim in the infinity pool - with obligatory photos - in the afternoon then enjoyed sunset drinks on the lawn overlooking the lake. It was another great way to end the day.

The next morning we made an early start for the short drive to Dead Horse Springs which had been recommended as a birdy spot. Mick found lots to photograph there. The afternoon was very hot so we had another swim followed by drinks on the lawn at sunset.

On Tuesday morning Mick was booked on the sunrise birdwatching cruise which departed at 5:30am so that meant a very early start. The tour included some land based birding as well and went for about 6 hours. The opportunity for photography wasn't as good as he had hoped but Mick still managed to take over 2 600 photos. Of course much of the afternoon was spent going through them - but we did find time to have another swim and to go for a drive to the barbecue/picnic area past the dam wall. We finished the day with drinks with a birdwatching friend.

Early on our last morning Mick revisited Dead Horse Springs before we packed up and headed back in to Kununurra to fuel up and restock again, then on to Wyndham.

Purnululu National Park - Walardi Campground

 2 - 5 August 2022

We made our way from Kurrajong Campground to Walardi Campground and arrived around morning tea time. Walardi is smaller than Kurrajong with only 37 sites, compared to Kurrajong's 106. Because we were early we had a good choice of spots and again found one that we thought would suit us. This campground has a lot more bush around so the opportunity to collect solar throughout the day wasn't as good as at Kurrajong, but we managed well enough. The bonus was a nearby tap with a good spot for Mick to set up with the camera and tripod, and a few neighbours who were also birders.

The weather forecast was for more hot days, and some slightly warmer nights, so we rose early to get to Piccaninny before the heat set in. We decided to head out to Piccaninny Creek Lookout first as it was described as a 2.8km, Class 3 walk that is exposed to the sun. Once again we walked along a creek bed for part of the way, but this one was undulating smooth sandstone underfoot. At the end of the walk we were rewarded with a view over Piccaninny Creek towards the Ord River, beehive domes and Dixon Range. 

Returning to the main track we walked back towards the carpark and turned off to Cathedral Gorge, another of Purnululu's most well-known features. Cathedral Gorge Walk is described as 2 km return (from the carpark) and Class 4, but once again we found it fairly easy. The track includes another walk through a creek bed and among beehive domes which are just awseome, with the gorge at the end of the walk. When we arrived, it was so quiet, with the few others there sitting in silence just taking it all in. Even the children were quiet! It's just that kind of place. We spent quite a while enjoying the cool in this special place, chatting quietly to new friends who just happen to live in Hobart.

After leaving Cathedral Gorge we returned to the main track and left it again for The Domes walk, a 700m, Class 3 loop. This walk allows a close-up look at the iconic beehive domes for which Purnululu is famous. Here you can see the layers of sediment and protective banding of iron oxide and cyanobacteria that gives the domes their distinctive look.

By the time we had finsihed taking in all these magnificent sights, it was almost lunchtime so we headed home with so many photos - it's so hard not to keep taking shots of everything you see. We enjoyed a restful afternoon including some socialising with neighbours.

After a number of very active days, and having completed all the walks that we wanted to do, we had a rest day on our final full day at Purnululu. Mick staked out the water point and we started to get packed up so we could get away early in the morning. We wanted to allow plenty of time to refuel and shop in Kunnurra as well as time to stop and look for birds along the way.

We set the alarm for 5:30am, and rose just as the sun was starting to get up. We packed as quietly as we could, but most of our near neighbours were up anyway. We stopped to chat to new friends and were away before 7:00am. We weren't looking forward to the long and slow drive out of the park, and made it back to the entrance just after 8:30am. We stopped to put air back in the tyres and have a cup of coffee. We also discovered that the Anderson plug that provides power to the camper trailer battery while driving had broken off, so Mick replaced it with the one from the compressor. We would have to buy a new one (or maybe 2) in Kunnurra. We were back on the road in just over 1/2 hour, heading for Lake Argyle.

Purnululu National Park - Kurrajong Campground

 30 July - 2 August 2022

When we did our trip around Australia in 1991 (no-one called it “doing the lap” in those days) we weren’t able to visit Purnululu National Park as it had already closed for the season, so we had it as a priority for this trip. We set off from Kununurra and made a morning tea stop at Cockburn Rest Area. This is also used as a 24 hour free camp and the number of birds around had us seriously considering it for when we would be on the way to Wyndham be in a couple of weeks.

From there we drove on and stopped for lunch at Dunham River Rest Area, another one used as a 24 hour free camp. This one looked much nicer that Cockburn but there weren’t any birds around. We continued on to the turn-off to Purnululu National Park, where we stopped to let some air out of the tyres. We had read that the road into the national park is in poor condition so we wanted to be prepared. The drive from the turn-off to the Visitor Centre is 53 kilometres and took about an hour and a half. Yes, the road was as bad as we had expected. There were a number of shallow creek crossings and lots of corrugations, as well as windy and narrow sections – but the views were magnificent.

We had booked three nights at each of the two campgrounds – Kurrajong (in the northern section of the park, and Walardi (in the southern section) – and we were required to check in at the visitor centre before travelling on to the campground. We obtained our camp tags and arrived at Kurrajong, the larger of the two campgrounds, after 4:00pm. We took our time to choose the best spot for us and found one that would give us afternoon shade as well as lots of sun to keep the solar powering the batteries. There are toilets and taps scattered throughout the campground so we were not far from those either. Although there was lots of bush around we could see to the ranges so we felt we had the perfect spot.

We decided on Homestead Valley as our first walk so we set off quite early to avoid the heat of the day. With afternoon temperatures in the thirties, it was best to walk in the mornings. The Homestead Walk leaves from The Bloodwoods and is described as a 4.4km return, Class 3 walk. It involves walking along the dry creek bed, through rocks, stones and pebbles. The end of the walk is at a very nice shaded picnic area. Although old Aboriginal stockmen spoke of a homestead in the valley, there is no physical evidence of one having been there. It’s a lovely walk, with or without a homestead at the end.

We finished there at around 10:00 am and made our way down the road to Echidna. We had a cup of coffee before setting off to walk into Echidna Chasm. This is one of Purnululu’s best-known features with the middle of the day the best time to visit. When the sun is overhead, the walls of the chasm seem to glow. The walk is 4.2km and described at Class 3 to the chasm, then Class 4 inside. This walk also involved walking along a dry, rocky creek bed. Once inside the chasm it was easy to see why it is so well-known. The place is just magnificent and we timed it well to see the changing colours of the rock walls. The walk wasn’t too difficult but we did need to do some rock scrambling towards the end. We both took so many photos – it was hard to know when to stop.

From Echidna Chasm we returned to camp in time for lunch and then a very restful afternoon trying to beat the heat. The best place to be was in the shade of the awning. Late in the afternoon we walked up the nearby hill to the sunset viewing area. We were a bit early but had left time to stop and look for birds in the spinifex along the way. The views from the top were fabulous.

The following day we set off early again to do some short walks. First up it was back down to Echidna for the Osmand Lookout – a short 1km return, Class 3 walk, which we actually found very easy. Once again fabulous views, of the Osmand Ranges, that were formed millions of years ago. From there we drove back down to the Bloodwoods to the Bloodwood Lookout. This was also approximately 500m and Class 3, but again quite easy, and with more amazing views of the Bungle Bungle Range and surrounding woodlands. Our final walk for the morning was Stonehenge. We still have no idea how it was named as it was a botanical walk with lots of interpretative information about how the various plants were used as food, medicine and to make tools and weapons.

Before returning home we revisited the Information Centre to buy a t-shirt. We are not big on souvenirs but I had been searching for a nice shirt for quite a while and this one in gunmetal grey with the very understated Purnululu logo featuring the domes, suited me nicely.

Late in the afternoon we drove up to Kungkalanay Lookout for the sunset. The path splits at the top so there are two sunset viewing spots - both with some seats. Once again the sunset view was very popular. It's important to check what time the sun actually sets as we saw a few groups arriving after it had already gone down. At this time of year in this part of Western Australia sunset occurs at about 5:15pm. 

In the morning we packed up our camp and drove the 18km or so over to Walardi Campground where we would spend the next three nights.

 

 

 

 

Kununurra

 23 – 30 July 2022

We left Keep River and headed towards the Western Australian border. Because of time zones we knew we would gain 1 ½ hours so we took our time leaving the national park and arrived at the border crossing at about 10:00am WA time, or 11:30am NT time. We decided to have an early lunch in the rest area at the border before proceeding through the checkpoint.

We had eaten the last of the fruit at the Keep River National Park, and used the last of our honey there also. We'd cooked and eaten all the fresh vegetables we had also. We had familiarised ourselves with the biosecurity rules and had a small bag of food scraps ready to hand over. The border check was quick and easy and we were on our way to Kununurra.

We had 7 days booked with stays in 2 different caravan parks. We chose well as they couldn’t have been more different even though they were only a few kilometres apart. The first, Kimberleyland, is right on the man-made lake and has a beautiful view to the water from many sites – not ours unfortunately. It was only a short walk down to the water where there were lots of birds and even a resident freshwater crocodile which could be seen sunning itself on the grassy bank most mornings and afternoons. We sat down by the water on a couple of afternoons and enjoyed the view.

Across the road from the caravan park is the Celebrity Tree Park – another beautiful grassy area with a walking track skirting the water and through the park. The main feature is the large number of trees that have been planted over many years by a variety of celebrities from royalty, to engineers to musicians. Adjacent to each tree  a plaque bears information about the celebrity who planted it. We spent quite a bit of time in the park because there were also lots of birds to photograph there.

We visited the National Parks office and purchased a year pass as we knew we would be visiting quite a few national parks while in Western Australia. A visit to the Visitor Information Centre was also on the agenda, and we picked up a few brochures for places we expected to visit. We also scoped out some possible birdy spots on the outskirts of town.

We had four nights at Kimberleyland then moved across town to Hidden Valley, and what a contrast it was. This caravan park is adjacent to Mirrima National Park and across the road from Kelly’s Knob so it has the most awesome views of the rock formations. There is an access track from the back of the caravan park into the national park so we had a quick look on our first morning there but didn’t go far.

We found a good birdy spot out along the road from the caravan park, near one of the irrigation channels so we spent a couple of afternoons there. We also went for a drive to the Sandalwood Factory where a large variety of sandalwood based products are sold, and also the Hoochery, a distillery which also has a coffee shop. On the way back home we drove into Mirrima National Park and went for one of the short walks that start from the carpark. There are a number of walks varying in length and difficulty – we chose the shortest and easiest, Banan derdbe-gerring gooleng theniyinhang which, a 500m Class 1 loop which was mostly along boardwalk and well-made paths.

We chatted to our neighbours one morning and they suggested entering the park from a different track which would make a shorter walk so we took their advice and went that way. The track was easy to follow but it did take us to a rock face that we would have had to scramble up, without knowing what was on the other side. I really didn’t feel comfortable attempting it so we backtracked and cut across on another track that joined up to the main one from the caravan park. We continued and met up with Gerliwany-gerring Banan walk, which continues on to the carpark. We didn’t go all the way to the carpark, instead taking a side track to Demboong Banan (Gap Trail). When we reached the end of the track, where there were views of Kununurra through a gap in the rocks, we realised we were at the top of the rocks we had approached from the other direction. The hiking app I was using confirmed this so we decided we would scramble down. We made our way down very carefully, and returned to the caravan park via the track we had started out on. The whole loop was just over 2 kilometres and was a great walk. The views of the rock formations, which are known as the “Mini Bungles” was fabulous.

We had three nights at Hidden Valley and once we had restocked, fuelled up and repacked we were ready to head to Purnululu National Park for the next 6 nights.

Keep River National Park - Goorrandalng Campground

 20 - 23 July 2022

We booked three nights at Keep River National Park as our final stop in the Northern Territory. We didn't know much about the park but the information we read suggested stunning views and some nice walks. After a nice lunch stop at Saddle Creek we continued west almost as far as the WA border before turning off into Keep River.

Not far from the park entrance there is a water point - a tap where you can obtain fresh water that may or may not be suitable for drinking. Someone had placed a dish underneath the tap and some birds were taking advantage and having a drink and a dip. We parked up in the shade of a tree and Mick spent some time taking photos. From there we continued in to Goorrandalng Campground. The road was in fair condition with a few dry creek crossings and lots of corrugations on the 15km drive.

We arrived at the campground and set up on the site we had booked. There wasn't a whole lot of shade but there was plenty of space to set up the solar panels to catch the sun for most of the day. We went for a short walk to look at the rock formation in the centre of the campground and Mick was surprised to see a White-quilled Rock Pigeon. Chatting to some other campers, we discovered they are quite abundant in this area so there would be ample opportunity to get some photos.

We decided on a fairly early start in the morning for the Goorrandalng Walk - a 2km, grade three loop walk. We took way longer than the estimated 1 hour as we kept stopping to admire and photograph the amazing views, as well as the rock pigeons that seemed to be everywhere. Despite not having been on any serious walks for about a month, we found this one to be relatively easy.

Mick spent a morning session the next day at the water point again and as the day warmed up we discovered that the place to be was in the shade of the rocks in the middle of the campground. The temperature there was significantly cooler than at our campsite across the road. While there we chatted to some other campers and ended up joining them for drinks by a campfire later in the evening.

The following day, Mick revisited the water point late in the afternoon, and we again joined the neighbours and some other campers for drinks around the campfire. It was lovely to chat to some different people who were all enjoying the surroundings as much as we were, and to share ideas on other places to visit.

In the morning we packed up and again stopped at the water point for a while before driving on to the Ranger Station for morning tea. There is a small dam at the back but not the abundant birdlife we had expected. From there we returned to the highway, bound for Western Australia.

Timber Creek

 18 - 20 July 2022

We seem to have revisited a number of places we'd already been to on this trip and previous journeys and Timber Creek was one of them. We stopped there for a night when we travelled Australia in 1991 so we thought a return was in order.

It was only just over an hour from Sullivan's Creek in Judbarra National Park so we hung around the campground chatting and sharing stories before having morning tea, then setting off for Timber Creek. We were set up at the hotel caravan park in time for lunch. We drive down to Hickey's Beach in the late afternoon to look for birds. Not much luck in that department, but a nice spot to spend and hour or more, despite the lack of promised beach.

In the morning we went for a drive to two scenic lookouts just out of town. The first is home to a monument to the "Nackeroos", a local army unit which assisted in the defence of the North during World War ll. As with many such units, little is known by the general population so it was interesting to learn the story of the North Australian Observation Unit.

The second lookout is a little way past the first and offers great views over the township of Timber Creek and out the the Victoria River. The road up to the escarpment is narrow and windy in parts but well worth the short drive.

Freshwater crocodiles inhabit the creek at the back of the caravan park and are fed several times each week. We were there for the Tuesday feeding, which also included feeding the resident black and whistling kites. We don't remember any such entertainment last time we were there when we made our own by taking a bucket of ice and some beers down to the creek. Such simple pleasures are well remembered. 

On the way out of Timber Creek we stopped to walk on the Bradshaw Bridge. This robust structure provides a link from the Victoria Highway to the Bradshaw Field Training Area. You can walk across the bridge but cannot drive across or enter the military area. 

From there we continued west with a lunch stop at a rest area/free camp at Saddle Creek. There were lots of caravans set up there. Although the rest area itself is not very well kept the view is fabulous. After lunch and a chat with some fellow travellers we drove on to Keep River National Park.