We have just got to lovely Broome and I am typing away looking at the beautiful view of Roebuck Bay...heaven!
Day 32 to 34 Kunanurra
Day 35 to 36 Bungle Bungles
Day 37 Mary River
Day 38 to 39 Windjana Gorge
Day 41 Broome
The drive across to Kunanurra was spectacular. Coming through Victoria River really gave me the WOW moment
As you couldn't take any fruit, seeds, vegetables into Western Australia, we were sitting like two Criminals at the rest area to the side of the Quarantine station having our last salad sandwich to use up the salad items we had left. It felt like we were trying to eat the evidence!
We ended up at Lake Kunanurra Caravan Park which has a magnificent view over the lake aand also its own resident crocodiles that come to the waters edge!
Next day we drove up to Wyndham which is about 100 ks away as it is the most northerly town in WA. Not much there, but it did have a good lookout that would be spectacular after the wet season as you can see where 5 rivers leave from the outlet
That evening we went on a Sunset Cruise on Lake Argyle, which is just huge and it is man made. The scenery was magnificent as the ragged ranges changed colour as the sun went down. At sunset, we had drinks and nibblies and you could go in for a swim. I will let the pictures speak for themselves!
We got picked up and taken to Kunanurra Airport. There was another couple from France and a lady from Perth and the pilot and we all fit into this tiny plane, a Cessna 206. this plane was tiny and we squeezed in like sardines, 3 rows of 2 people.
It was bumpy over the ranges and I don't think I let go of Paul's knee most of the time! The best bit was landing as I could see over the Pilot's shoulder
The helicopter flight over the Bungles was awesome as there wasn't any doors to the helicopter. I don't know how many times I pulled on my seat belt to make sure it was secure!
We then got back into the plane to fly to the Argyle diamond mine. They manage to collect about 12 kilos of diamonds each day, which is amazing. The only way you can get into the mine is by this tour as the public are not allowed into the mine. We had lunch at the Workers Mess area and had a fantastic buffet lunch
Next day we drive to the Bungle Bungles and the temperature is starting to rise to about 36 degrees. We ended up at a free campsite across from the road into the Bungles and stayed 2 nights and met Brian & Rosemarie from Perth who have been on the road for 2 years and Olivier and Sandra from France who travelling around Australia in a little van.
As you needed a 4 wd to get into the Bungles as it is very rough and slow going (it took us 2hrs each way to complete 77ks), Olivier and Sandra came with us
We stayed the next night at Mary river which is a great free campsite. About a dozen of us ended up chatting around a campfire and exchanging stories.It is just so friendly as everyone has the same thing in common, life on the road and where should you stay and what should you see next!
The next morning we awoke to a lost dog which wouldn't leave the toilet block. Paul went up to see if it was waiting for it's owner, but it was on it's own. Every one was worried as it looked like someone's pet. A lady walked around the campsite and asked if anyone was going to Fitzroy Crossing as they had just come from there and there were posters around town about a lost black and white Kelpie called Meg. I went to put a rope around her neck and lead her to the car and she was so scared of other cars that she had to stop walking and nearly knocked my leg over leaning into me, but a couple of cuddles later we got to the car and Paul lifted her into the car as her back legs were very shaky...poor girl.
We drove the 200ks to Kitzroy Crossing and pulled into the Caravan Park and I was just about to ring the owner, when the owner of the Caravan Park came running out, have you found Meg? It seems that her owners were on their way to Kunanurra and stopped with their other dog for a pitstop (about 30ks from our campsite) and a car drove in and scared Meg into the Bush. They tried to find her for 3 hours without avail. She had been in the bush for 5 days, it was lucky that she survived! Anyway I spoke to the owner and he was eternally grateful and wouldn't let Linda the Caravan Park Owner let us leave without something, so Paul scored a carton of Beer. Linda took her home and she finally relaxed and started drinking water and came and found us at the Information Centre to let us know, so we were very happy.
We then drove to Windjana Gorge on a very corrugated road, it took us 4 hours to complete about 100k road, because about 5 ks in the caravan decided to separate itself from the car when we went through a slight floodway. It seems the spring in the locking coupling on the towhitch had gone weak and the vibrations of the corrugations unlocked the towhitch. A 2 tonne caravan digging itself into the ground stopped us pretty quickly, it was a good thing that we were driving slowly out of the floodway
Luckliy no damage was done and Paul was quite calm about it (he is my mr fixit) and we were back on the road within half an hour, although doing it slowly. It was mind numbing, that I fell asleep twice!
Windjana Gorge is spectacular! Next morning we left about 8am to walk the 7km track which took us about 2.5 hours. We walked through the sandy riverbed and through trees, but it was great to see all the Freshwater Crocodiles on the riverbed, the noisy Corellas & the Fruit Bats
We got back about 10.30am and it was already 36 degrees. It was so hot. As they had lovely bush showers,which were lovely and clean and when you had your shower you had a view of the Gorge and a lovely breeze!
That afternoon we just laid on the bed and had a wet teatowel on the window and spraying each other with a water bottle, to try and keep cool as the temperature got up to 40 degrees. the evaporation technique worked wonders!
We then drove to Broome and we are going to stay here for the next week. We have a beautiful campsite right on the waters edge. Not bad for $34 a night!
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