Katherine Gorge and Kakadu

Our first stop in the NT was in Katherine. Caravans EVERYWHERE!! It's the gateway to the east, west, north and centre of Australia. We decided very quickly that we wanted to move on as soon as possible. We felt as if we were in the wild west with the max speed limit being 130 km per hour - NT drivers and huge road trains coming at us from all angles. Chris was very upset he was pulling a caravan!

We did walk to the top of Catherine Gorge which was beautiful, and pretty steep too.

Also, there must have been a dingo in the caravan park the night we stayed in Katherine as when we woke up in the morning ONE of Chris's good hiking boots was GONE! We searched the place flat but the dingo took it!!! One good thing about bigger towns is that there is usually a Country Target (with very limited choice) so he managed to get a new pair of sports shoes - only one size 11 in the shop! He needed them badly as we were off to Kakadu!

Kakadu is amazing. That's all I can say..... the huge rocks, wetlands with the lilies, the bird life, the ancient Aboriginal rock art sites, the crocodiles!, the varied vegetation, the sunsets, the billabongs, the creeks, the rivers, and Aborigines who live just as they did 1000's of years ago ... just all amazing and beautiful.

We chose to stay in designated bush camps. Few campers, dead quiet at night and an endless ceiling of stars...... a fair few mozzies though, as we were fairly close to wetlands.

We would absolutely recommend a visit to Kakadu.

Kununurra and Lake Argyle

The scenery, as we drove through the Kimberley to Kununurra and Lake Argyle, is very different from the red cliffs of the Pilbara. Because the wet season has only recently ended much of the landscape is very green and creeks often have water for the endless amount of cattle seen wandering on the sides of the highway. I never realised that the Kimberly area is mostly pastural land ..... and endless ranges of mountains that constantly appear to change colour depending on the time of the day and the shadows that are formed on the ridges.

We stayed in Kununurra, on the Ord River, for 2 days. Farmers here are very lucky having vast amounts of water to irrigate their crops - compared to Carnarvon, where water is so precious. With all the water around there are also plenty of mozzies! We set up our caravan in a park whose grounds had only acres and acres of green grass. Lovely. The Ord River is flowing so fast that the well known "Ivanhoe Crossing" in the town was not able to be crossed. Whilst visiting the crossing we were luckily told by a fellow traveller that our spare wheel was dangling. Chris was going mad trying to work out some very bugging noises at the back of the car. We just hadn't noticed the wheel!! I think our visit to El Questro, on the Gibb River Road, caused a few nuts and bolts to become loosened!! (Going to El Questro also involved a few creek crossings. Good fun!)

I also loved seeing the zebra rock that is unique to a small area in the Kimberly.

After visiting Kununurra we left for Lake Argyle which is just amazing - it's size, beauty and history. The caravan park is beautifully maintained, and the sail we had around the lake was

wonderful, especially when we stopped in the middle of the lake for a sundowner... and a swim, if you wanted! The pool at the caravan park was the best we had ever seen. The edge of the pool almost disappears over the rock ledge into the lake. It is beautiful.

We decided to do a bush walk to the homestead/museum containing the history of the Durack family. It was very interesting even though we took a slightly wrong track leading us through very prickly spinifex grass and steep, rocky ledges. We found our way in the end, thanks to Chris's good tracking skills! Luckily no snakes!!

We were very lucky to meet up with Chris and Anne Bollen. They had just arrived from Kakadu and Katherine and we were making our way to Darwin. We told them of all the good stuff coming their way in W A and they shared their tips on Darwin and other places on the East coast. They are having as much fun as us!

Camping in the Bungle Bungles

After leaving Derby we

headed through the Kimberley onto Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Head. We thought we were booking into the “best” caravan park in Fitzroy Crossing but found ourselves in one that was obviously not the “best” one. We were a bit concerned as they padlocked the gates closed at 9pm! In the end there were no problems and it looked nice enough to us! There was a very nice, non-commercialised Aboriginal art gallery there even though there wasn’t a painting under $250.00! We were both very amused by the “No Humbug” sign which we presumed was something we don’t partake in anyway!

Hall’s Head was a typical Aboriginal town which has a limited alcohol policy which was definitely evident and obviously much better, especially for the children.

Chris was given much help trying to find an Anderson plug which needed to be replaced. Luckily we found one after driving around some of the back streets of Halls Head. We were also on a mad mission to buy ourselves a 2 man tent so we could sleep in the Purnululu National Park where the Bungle Bungles are. (We met a fellow traveler who said it would be an absolute waste to drive in and drive out in one day….. it took a 2hr drive in on rugged 4 wheel drive track just to get to the visitor centre.) We found a tent – not cheap….though it is a Kookaburra – top of the range!!

We then stayed over at a great free camp, “Mary’s Pool”, and made a list of all we needed to take into the park for our “bush camp”. Well, nearly everything came – except the caravan, and a decent mattress and a gas light!!! We took our torch and the caravan cushions which are oddly shaped and half the size of each of our bodies!

After leaving “Mary’s Pool” we drove to another free camp spot opposite the National Park where we unhitched our van and left it with a few others whose owners had also driven into the National Park. The 56km drive was not too bad though definitely not possible for a car. We had to get through 3 creek crossings!! Our Red Kia did a stirling job!

The whole experience in the park was a privilege –seeing the shapes of the Bungle Bungles, walking through a HUGE chasm, seeing the colours of the Bungle Bungles change as the sun set and sitting under the stars was something we’ll always remember. We won’t remember the comfort of our sleeping arrangements in a hurry. Next time we “go bush” we’ll have to have a decent mattress and remember to take the gas light. At least we got to sleep at the feet of the Bungle Bungles which is much cheaper than flying over the ranges which everyone says is awesome!

We had a ball and lots of laughs. Chris absolutely LOVES camping, pitching tents and washing his face and feet in a bucket!

Leaving Broome and visiting Derby

We were sad to leave Broome as we loved it. I had seen the "Staircase to the Moon" so was very happy. I had a look at prices of property in Broome -almost equivalent to Perth. We also decided that the wet season could be pretty uncomfortable so we decided we'd better move on!

We drove onto Derby as I knew a teacher who worked there and wanted to see it for myself. The red rocks of Broome's landscape slowly disappeared and changed to kms and kms of savanna (all lovely and green) and termite mounds that look like mini versions of the Pinnacles.

Derby was a good place to use our bikes - very flat and accessible. Sad to say but alcohol has ruined the lives of many of the Aborigines we saw walking the streets as we rode around. Groups of beautiful children play in the streets and on the perfectly manicured sports field but you can probably guess what they go home to!! Too sad.

Derby has one of the highest tides in Australia - close to 12m! - after a low tide of 2m. Tides come in and out twice a day. It was amazing going down to the jetty to see these tides. We rode around and spoke to various fishermen trying to catch mud-crabs or barramundi. I think that is about all you could do in Derby on a weekend! You could play golf and leave your green fees in the honour box! Looking at the many boabs is also fun.

The caravan park was right on the edge of the mud flats that are luckily dry because of the dry season. We keep saying how lucky we have been travelling at the beginning of the dry season though there has been some unseasonal rain and the 4 Wheel Drives coming off the Gibb River Road are proof! Many of the roads have had to be closed and people are waiting around in campsites until the rains stop.

Because we don't have an off-road caravan rain does not affect us - though I think it would be fun driving along the Gibb River Road. Maybe next time!

We had a very interesting drive today on the red, red, red, soil (yet again) to a pearl farm on one of Broome's tidal estuaries. We sailed in a small boat belonging to the farm on the high-tide waters of the estuary finding out how pearls are cultured - quite a process. The water in the estuary was the blue-est I have ever seen. Crocodiles often line the banks but we didn't see one today. We saw a beautiful egret instead. Unfortunately buying a cultured pearl was not part of the budget but understanding the process of getting them to a finished state makes one look at them with different eyes. Mother of pearl shells are my favourite. I just stand and admire.

"The Staircase to the moon" met all my expectations! The full moon slowly becoming visible on the horizon was magical as was the reflection of the moon on the tidal flats. Absolutely beautiful. The darker it got and the further the moon rose in the sky more and more "steps" became visible. It is an image I will always treasure in my memory. My Samsung digital camera did well too. I didn't think the photos would turn out but I am impressed - they have!! Chris was having a competition with me on his camera!! He got some good ones too.

It was so good I organised our caravan site for this past week as every caravan park in Broome seems to have signs saying, No caravan sites! Right now, Broome seems to be buzzing with visitors. Every "hippie" motorhome and Wicked camper must be here! I would have been very disappointed to have not seen "The Staircase".

We also had to go for a drive one last time to see the sunset and camels on Cable Beach. It's just the most spectacular sight seeing the expanse of beach when the tide goes out. We took our beer and lemonade and did the sunset thing - again taking photos for the competition we are having between the Samsung and the Kodak! Go Samsung!!

I will be sad leaving Broome. We have met so many lovely people and had so many interesting chats with local people. A special conversation we had was with a lady named Pearl whose mum was a "stolen generation child". What she had to say about the Aborigines today actually made her cry as she was speaking to us. She is a special person.

Chris also spent a fair bit of time with the nicest guys at the Telstra shop helping him to get our broadband account onto direct debit. Took them three hours over three days, and we're still not sure it's ok! Telstra has been very trying for Chris. If we get cut off, as they did my mobile, we will be in big trouble - because Telstra is definitely not good!! Their website must be worst in the world specially as their staff can't even understand it.!

We loved it in Broome and will just have to come and visit again.

(Photos I have posted not in order but hopefully self explanatory.)

Broome

We originally planned to stay in Broome for one week but love it so much that we are staying for another week. Besides loving the laid back, tropical atmosphere we are also looking forward to seeing "The Staircase to the Moon".

We go exploring on our bikes in the early evenings when the days become a bit cooler. We decided to ride into Broome town one morning and discovered that it was a bit further away than we thought. Gosh, did we come back drenched - not from a rain storm! Chris was desperate. I seem to manage the humidity a bit better than him. Luckily we've had some gorgeous rain which cools everything down for a short while.

Chris isn't too keen on the heat and humidity but luckily we have a gorgeous, tropical pool that is a few meters away from our caravan!!

We drive our car onto Cable Beach - definitely one of the most beautiful beaches in the world - to see the sunsets and the camels. The lines of camels against the sunset are beautiful and it's everyone's aim to get the BEST "camels at sunset" pictures.

We seem to often bump into The Extraordinary Taxi Ride making it's way through WA. There's always much action with TV cameras and crew all over the place.

We've been very busy!!! We've visited some beautiful pearl shops, been for a ride in a hovercraft (Chris's passion), visited Aboriginal art galleries, had delicious ginger-beer at the Broome brewery, had coffee in the Turkish Kebab shop with the most amazing photographs on the wall, stroked a python and chatted with a wildlife officer who rescues native animals and showed us her baby fruit bat and 2 week old rare, nail tailed wallaby, walked in a beautiful garden called "Buddha's Sanctuary" with an amazing carving of the female Buddha, had our American friends over at our place for dinner - South African sausage, we called it, made and bought in Broome. They loved the Broome boerewors!

We've just been having a ball!!! If you haven't been to Broome you should come - anytime after mid-May until end Oct. The red cliffs, mud and tidal flats, azure seas, frangipanis and boab trees are a sight to behold!

The people here are great too.