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Our trip has been underway
for about a month and with 4 vehicles and trailers we’ve had a ball but with
just under 100K to go to Kunnunarra, one of our party had a major
disaster, their right hand trailer wheel overtook them heading bush. The
following car said it looked pretty spectacular with lots of smoke and sparks.
The wheel is recovered from the scrub with the hub still attached but
unfortunately the axle stub was ground to about half its size and the axle
needed replacing. One of our group sets of for Kunnunarra to get a replacement
axle. Whilst waiting we remove the old axle and get set up for the installation
– we are if nothing a hopeful lot. They return some 4 hours later with all the
bits and more to make the repair, the workshop had given them all this gear on
good faith because we were in trouble. The welder is again put to use to weld on
the spring lugs and it takes about another 45 minutes to complete the repair, it
is now about 5-30 and the sun has well and truly set. We make a decision to go
for Kunnunnarra as everyone is tired and wants a good shower etc.
While in Kunnunnarra we spent time doing Lake Argyle (sunset
tour), Lake Kunnunnarra (our tinnies), Wyndham and an Ord River fishing charter.
Well, my story is a sad one, after a number misses finally hooked a big barra
when half asleep (the sun and the cold I’d caught got the better of me). You
know it’s a good one when the man of few words – Greg, the guide – shouts “Geezs
that’s a big one”. With a magnificent shake of the head to show himself Greg
guessed it was a 40 pounder, the adrenalin now kick’s in because I’ve got the
title winning fish on the end of my line. I follow Greg’s instructions and apply
heaps of pressure (he had wound my drag to almost lock up before we started). At
this stage Murphy shows himself and this fish makes a dive for the snag and
through the shouts and instructions we try to raise the anchor to chase the fish
around the snag but the anchor decided to become snagged as well – damn Murphy.
By the time we get to the snag the fish had won its freedom. No one would have
believed it anyway as I didn’t have my camera, one of life’s cruel little jokes
– but it was good while it lasted.
Back to the jetty to clean the fish we’d been given another
65cm fish from the other boat. The little non English speaking pensioner caught
7 – how good are we? The frames were fed to the resident 3.5 meter saltie that
stands guard over the pontoon and the boats no doubt. He was magnificent beast
that showed itself once they started the water pump. Coming up out of the water
he swallows a fishframe, ever cautious he comes out again and takes another
frame back into the river. A couple of freshies sitting on the sides are fed the
skins.
Take note: stay away from Top End Motors they are a bunch of
cowboys.
Next stop is El Questro and so far the GRR is pretty good for
a dirt corrugated highway. We camp in Magpie Goose, a bush camp on the junction
of the Pentecost and Chamberlain Rivers a very pleasant spot with only your own
facilities. Dug a toilet and set up the shower so we are set. The place has a
large flock of corellas as our neighbours – what a delightful bunch of clowns
they are. Several times we watched as one would land on a very thin twig, then
spin it around till it broke falling towards the river but only to glide out off
trouble half way down. We spend several days here and do a couple of trips and
everyone enjoyed their stay.
Heading for Drysdale River Station we had nothing but
problems and only make it to Ellenbrea for our overnight camp. We are sent to
the ringers camp and all find a comfy place. The shower here is worthy of some
mention, a timber-burning boiler that is the size of a car but it certainly
provided a fantastic shower after what had been a trying day. One sick traveller,
2 tyres, another bearing and a couple of falls conspired to upset the harmony of
our travels.
We have about 130 K to Drysdale River Station and do this in
good time. The road is much better than expected but we had a few scary moments
with the ABS. A lock up on a tight bend almost had us in the bush and another
lock up dodging a yearling almost had us eating beef but other than that an
uneventful trip and we set up camp well before lunch.
We spend a glorious week at McGowans Island camping ground
located about 7 K out of Kulumburu. The locations has its ups and downs, the
camp site looks much like it did after cyclone Ingrid flattened it earlier this
year there is wreckage strewn everywhere. Our camp has 180 degree water views
but no shade and if it wasn’t for the sea breeze the heat would be intolerable.
George the caretaker has been most friendly from the moment we pulled into the
place. He has showed us where to go and catch bait. The toilet and shower are
worth a mention they are in a building that was demolished in the cyclone but he
shower and toilet sort of survived, just cold water which is burning hot during
the day because the water main lies above the ground and acts as solar heating.
Some of this house roof also survived and its location over a concrete floor
made it a perfect work shop. We take the opportunity to do some tyre repairs.
Driving back to Drysdale River Station we arrive in time for
lunch and have a hamburger and book for dinner that night. We head for Mt
Barnett the next day and stay there for several days. It’s a bush camp with
solar showers and flush toilets. The first day is spent repairing water tanks
and the next we walk to Manning Gorge. It takes about and hour and a half to do
this walk which is mostly uphill with a steep decent at the other end. We were
all hot and bothered by the time we got there and a swim was most welcome in a
pleasant setting. A hot walk back to the camp ground and another swim in the
waterhole there – we were stuffed.
We are back on the GRR heading for Bell Gorge, having chosen
to by pass Old Mornington Camp because they do not allow generators (as nice as
it sounded and as strong as the recommendations we need the power to run the
fridges which are working very hard in this heat). As a parting gesture from the
GRR, one of our group has a bolt let go on his front wishbone and fortunately
pulls up in time before anything serious lets go. As luck would have it (we’ve
had a bit of this on this trip) a replacement high tensile bolt is found and the
show is on the road again. We camp at Silent Grove which has good facilities and
nice water. There are lots of birds here including corellas, finches and bower
birds. We all decide to go and do the walk to Bell Gorge which turns out to be a
half hour rough walk, including a steep climb at the end.
We set off for Windjana Gorge and arrive at lunch time (in
the heat of the day). Planning to spend 2 days and go to Tunnel Ck after lunch.
Tunnel Ck is a magnificent place that requires a little climbing and wading
through knee deep water for several hundred meters. It is also notable as a hide
out for Pidgeon an aboriginal outlaw earlier this century. The road to Tunnel Ck
is on the side of an escarpment which is dotted with boab trees, a scene that
typifies the Kimberley. We arrive back at camp somewhat nackered but are talked
into doing Windjana Gorge, which we are told is best viewed late avo or early
morning. At this stage we are well and truly exhausted and get back from our
walk only to slump in our chairs. The gorge was magnificent and all those fresh
water crocs in a shallow pool was well worth seeing.
Our next destination is derby CP we liked it there, the owner
was a friendly chap and greeted us after having rung him the day before (he
guessed it was us from the vehicles). Spend a bit of time at the Boab Inn, nice
place and good meals, and get lots of advice about fishing. Attempt to fish Blue
Holes but this is a failure due to the tides, nice place to see lots of roos
(hundreds). A couple of us do the Horizontal water fall tour – what a buzz, it
was a great day. Next stop Broome via Cape Leveque, we spend a couple of days at
Cape Leveque and Middle Lagoon both are nice destinations and worthy of another
trip.
Broome was a special place and we thoroughly enjoyed our week
here doing amongst other things sail fishing (7 sails), creek fishing (small barra), a sunset Camel tour, Malcolm Douglas’s croc farm, the Broome jetty,
stairway to the moon and the Shinju festival (pearl festival). Also a good place
to have any mechanical work done and we stayed at the Roebuck CP, not the
friendliest of people but a nice, well located park.
Our next stop is Fitzroy Crossing where we camp at a
magnificent resort style park on the river. We all go on the Geiky Gorge tour
which was very entertaining. Next day we are off to Halls Ck for lunch and fuel
deciding to spend the night at Wolfe Ck crater. Here we pitched camp and have
enough time to visit the crater (short walk from the camp site). Walked down to
the centre of the crater, quite a climb really. I took a tumble on the way down.
A very interesting place and we pondered if history would repeat itself while we
were there – fortunately it didn’t! We watched the sunset and the moonrise over
the crater. A lot has been said that this would not be a good camp, well it was
nowhere that bad, in fact it was a good camp with drop toilets and plenty of
level spaces. I guess that was the benefit of being relatively self sufficient
with a comfy bed and our own showers we finished the day watching the stars.
We drive to Bililuna and top up the fuel, which at $2/litre
is the dearest fuel anywhere. There was a French guy manning the pump and he was
telling us that he would only be there another week as the numbers were dropping
off and he didn’t like getting bitten by the local dogs. We overnight at a dried
up creek just off the road and note that there is little traffic. Our next stop
is Tilmouth Well for a lunch stop and fuel. The people told us that the tar road
was not far away so we decide to put some air in the tyres while there. The
Tanami sure took a toll on the trailer springs and we needed to do some repairs
in Alice.
Alice Springs was trailer springs for us and we have these
repaired by the owner of Stuart CP, a great bloke and even better boilermaker,
did a great job. We spend some time here and do a couple of trips including an
18 hour marathon to Ayers Rock. Our group splits here and only 2 of us plan to
do the Simpson. We leave Alice for Mt Dare via Kulgera and Finke, we opted for
the Stuart for an easier drive. These NT roads are just fantastic so were the
roads in WA and we make good time.
thanks to
Theo for sharing his trip with us
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