DAY 75 - KUNUNURRA - COASTAL FLIGHT

13 May 2008

DAY 75 Pilbara – Kimberley Trip

KUNUNURRA - COASTAL FLIGHT

We were picked up at 5.30 this morning for our 8 hour tour along the Kimberley coastline.

We flew with Alligator Airways and they were fantastic. There was another couple on the tour.

We were provided with an information booklet outlining the flight path and presenting the history, geography and other relevant information about the area as well as a DVD.

We took off and flew over irrigated fields.

We flew at 500 feet over the Lower Ord River including Ivanhoe Crossing.

Hubby spotted an estuarine crocodile or salty. I missed it. The scenery was beautiful as we followed the river.




We flew over Carlton Hill Station and the homestead that was built for the film “Australia”.

Beautiful scenery between Wyndham and Berkeley River.

We continued on over the Cambridge Gulf and Adolfus Island and then over the magnificent gorges over the Berkeley River,

Seaplane Bay,

and then over the King Georges Falls that hubby had always wanted to see. There was still considerable water flowing over them.

We then followed a truly magnificent coastline over to the old Pago Mission site



whilst flying over Faraway Bay along the way.

We landed at Kalumburu and then took a ten minute walk to the mission.


When we landed we were the only plane there. During the 90 minutes we were there were another 4 planes that had arrived.

We visited the Kalumburu mission. The road is still closed to this community. The army is here to upgrade the airport and do other work and their personnel are being barged in. The mission was very interesting with an amazing collection of artefacts that are being put into a permanent museum that has been built at the mission. The church looks like a corrugated tin building from the outside but is amazing inside.

It has artefacts that are centuries old as well christening fountain and pulpit made from local burls.



Father Anscall gave us a tour through what will be the museum and the artefacts. His presentation was incredibly interesting. He is presenting everything within the indigenous context historically. There are relics from the Inca and Maya civilizations and a dinar from Caesar’s time. It is an amazing collection.

After some light refreshments we walked back in the heat to the plane.

We took off and flew over the historic Truscott airbase that is still in use today to ferry people to the oil platforms.

We then flew on over Port Warrender


and the spectacular Mitchell Falls.


After circling the several times we flew to Drysdale Station for lunch. And what a lunch we had - a huge Kimberley Burger. We were given a very interesting perspective of station life by the owner’s daughter who is currently running the station and is very passionate about it. They have quite a few Bradshaw figures on the property but because of all the issues surrounding them they are not available for viewing by the public. We asked about the road to Mitchell Falls and were told that it is closed and that until the road is graded it is not worth going on. It takes three hours to do 80 km and nearly everyone is shredding their tyres. Some people are ignoring the road closed signs but they are paying for it. Diesel here is costing over two dollars and there was talk that at Kalumburu it would be over $3 as it already was over $2.80.

After Drysdale Station we flew over the Pentacost and Durack Rivers, over El Questro and its homestead

to finally return over the Cockburn Ranges


to Kununurra after a most fabulous day.

It is difficult to comprehend how much water flows into the Timor Sea and the Indian Ocean from this area. The rivers are huge and so much of it goes out to sea.

DAY 74 - KUNUNURRA

12 May 2008

DAY 74 Pilbara – Kimberley Trip

KUNUNURRA

Soon after we got up in the morning the Oka was taken into the repair yard and we had to wait to see what had to be done. You can see the slant on the front driver’s side wheel.

We were a bit down.

We walked into town to the Visitor’s Centre to at least plan our stay here. After a while Min walked back and finally we got the bad news that besides the bearings the front hub also needed replacement.

They indicated it would take about a week to get it fixed as they had to source the parts first. They were not happy that Min decided to contact Paul in Melbourne for the parts. He found out that Paul had them all. After a few hours the guy at the yard indicated that he was still having a problem getting them and some would come form Perth and others from Queensland and it could take a week to get them. Min told him he could get them all from Melbourne. After a wile the guy conceded that Min order them.

Whilst Min was organising parts I was trying to find us accommodation. The Ord Muster was on so accommodation was booked out and there were no cars available for hire. We looked at the option of buying a tent and going to the caravan park but then the question arose of what to do with our refrigerated food and how would we transport everything to the park. Eventually we ended up at Ponciena Lodge. It was lodge for workers that is currently being renovated so occupancy was being kept to a minimum. It was in the industrial section of town. The room was beautifully redecorated but the place from the outside looked awful. The owner was very considerate and extremely helpful. There were two young couples from Japan who were working locally, a young Swiss couple also waiting for their car to be fixed and two local working boys.

Every local we spoke to in Kununurra today said that everything takes time to get here/to get done and not to expect anything to be finished by the end of the week. They say in Kununurra WA also stands for wait a while.

So after the parts were ordered and feeling very down we went into town and at the last minute booked a flight for tomorrow over Mitchell Falls and the coast as the road is still closed and there is no word of when it will open. We were actually going to book it for Wednesday but when the person at the visitor’s centre rang through we were offered the opportunity to go tomorrow for a very reduced rate. Maybe things will look up.

To pep ourselves up we went to the Kununurra Hotel for dinner and had a local T-bone steak. This pub is the centre of activity during the Ord Muster.

DAY 73 - PURNULULU TO KUNUNURRA

11 May 2008

DAY 73 Pilbara – Kimberley Trip


PURNULULU TO KUNUNURRA

After a quicker drive out of Purnululu than what it took us to get in, we continued along the picturesque Great Northern Highway to Kununurra. The Carr Boyd Ranges accompanied us all the way to Kununurra.

We stopped for lunch at Warnum. The rock paintings on entry into the roadhouse were an interesting touch.

Boab trees again reappeared. Some have lost their leaves for the dry season whilst others were still quite green.

Again there were lots of burn offs along the way and somewhere along the line our air conditioner stopped blowing cold air.

Late in the afternoon we crossed Diversion Dam.

As we drove across it we heard a funny sound from the car. So after crossing the dam we pulled up. Min walked around the car but couldn’t see anything wrong. We drove about another 20 metre and pulled up again. The front right wheel was not straight. Off came the tyre and bad news – we had done a front bearing. By this time it was getting darker and we did not have a tool to take the hub off. We decided to call RAC. They came out and were not happy that the wheel was off. They also do no mechanical work on the road – they will get engine started or tow you. They will not bring petrol if you run out or change your battery. They will just tow you out. The verdict was that the bearing was gone and that there may be damage to the front hub as well. So we had no choice but to get the car towed. We were both devastated. The front wheel went back on. It was hard watching our home being winched up onto a tilt tray to be towed the 3-4 kilometres into town. We were given a lift in and it was agreed that it would be parked on the grass verge outside the yard for the night so that we could spend the night there. Tomorrow we will find out whether it is a quick fix or a long wait.

DAYS 70 - 72 - PURNULULU – BUNGLE BUNGLES

8-10 May 2008

DAYS 70 - 72 Pilbara – Kimberley Trip


PURNULULU – BUNGLE BUNGLES



We left the Great Northern Highway
For an interesting byway
To Purnululu Domes and Osmond Ranges
So tyre pressures went down in stages
To plod slowly along the 53 k track
As we bounce, shake and rattle on the windy track
And up and down and round we go.
Through dry creek beds and some that flow
That is the way we have to go



As tall sombre termite sentinels along the way
Silently watch as we go on our way
Till we are told to come to a stop
At the park ranger’s shop




Three days we walked
Or should I say we drove and walked
One kilometre loop around the domes we took
To see the banded sandstone was all it took



Then up short steep slopes some more striped domes
Over pebbles, past potholes, cliffs and honey comb stones
To whisper in awe and contemplate
Within nature’s great Cathedral dome




Echidna Chasm was a challenge and test
As past boulders we did scramble then rest
To reach the end just on noon
As the sun’s rays lit up the room



Then to Mini Palms we did go
Along pebbly track we had to go
Hard on the feet was the go
Where old Livistona Palms do grow







Piccaninny and Walanginjdji Lookouts we do go to see
As panoramic vistas open up for all to see
Spinifex covered ridges whilst termite sentinels keep watch from below
As the sun’s rays hit the escarpment and shadows grow below

To Piccaninny Gorge we did trek
Early in the morning to beat the heat, what the heck
With a bounce and spring in our step
Over the rocky pebbles in the sandy creek bed
As helicopters keep flying overhead
Past water pools as round the bends we trek
No more spring in our step as we return back
Dragging our feet as the heat hits our backs
Drinking more water to lighten the sack


What a wonderful place to be
World Heritage listed to preserve for all to see
A dramatic landscape with a soundscape to match
As dingos howl and cockatoos screech at the campsite patch
Three days and nights we did spend
Exploring the wonders at this end
Before hitting the road again
To bounce, shake and rattle till we hit the graded road again.



To put it into perspective, it took us 2 hours to drive the 53k to the Visitor’s centre. Just as we were deflating our tyres to tackle the road the graders arrived at the turn off.

So we knew we would have an ungraded road ahead. It wasn’t too bad – dippy, curvy, can’t see over the crests, corrugated in places, narrow, a bad bull dust spot and several creek crossings. After lunch we undertook the Dome walk, then the Cathedral Gorge Walk and finally a walk to Piccaninny Lookout close to sunset. They were great walks with spectacular rock formations and interesting geological features. We enjoyed it all. We spent the first night at Walardi campsite. The next morning we took a half an hour helicopter ride over the national park. It was really worth it as you would never have had a grasp of the size and diversity of the area.




We saw Piccaninny Gorge and its fingers, Red Gorge, a formation known as the Coalition that is the length and width of Uluru but half the height, and the stadium that is a circular rock formation with a flatish area in the centre that was used to hold up to 2,000 cattle.

We then drove to the other end of the park to go to Echidna Gorge and Mini Palms Gorge. The road was very badly corrugated. Echidna Gorge was a bit of a challenge to get to the end but we made it in time for when the sun was right above the chasm and lights up the rock face on both sides. We drove the short distance to Mini Palms Gorge over a sandy and pebbly track that did not change for walking into the gorge. It is a long hard walk into the gorge. Part of the way in you had to really scramble over huge boulders – you need long legs. By then my feet were playing up so I decided not to continue and stayed in a beautiful shady spot.

Hubby went the whole way.

We spent the night at Kurrajong campsite and met up again with Chris and family. We drove together in the Oka to Walanginjdji Lookout to view the sunset. On our return Min played the accordion whilst dinner was being prepared.

The next morning we made a very early start as I had decided to do the Piccaninny Creek Walk as far as we could go to the Elbow.

It is 7 km one way. We set off okay.

The scenery was interesting.


However after 5 km and 2 hours we decided to turn back as walking with your feet sideways on rocks was having a toll on my arthritic joints.

It took us a bit longer to get back as by the end I was uncomfortable walking but I did it and was very pleased. I paid for it the next few days.

We spent the night again at Walardi campsite as tomorrow morning we will leave Purnululu. It is a most interesting place. No wonder it is heritage listed.

As we sat around we noticed our tyre was a bit flat, then a bit flatter. So the tyre had to be changed. Out came the tools and tyres were changed. Then we relaxed with a glass of wine.

In the morning it took us 1½ hours to drive out from the visitor’s centre as part of the road had been graded.

We had a lovely time here. A magnificent place.