15 May 2008
DAY 77 Pilbara – Kimberley Trip
KUNUNURRA
Even though the car yard was close by we made a deliberate effort to avoid it so as not to jinx anything as we were hopeful that the part will arrive today regardless of what everyone else said.
So today we went exploring the town on foot. Around the corner from us and a bit along the road was Rockalong Stonework with a huge range of zebra rock made into beautiful pieces. You could also get unpolished cut pieces of stone. We bought a few pieces to polish up ourselves. It is a beautiful rock with very unusual markings.
We continued into town and went to Red Rock Art. As part of the Ord Muster celebrations they had an exhibition opening tonight. Phillipa Watt’s beautiful woven baskets were there as well as a range of indigenous art using ochre. Some of the boab nut carvings were fabulous and there were a few beautiful pieces etched on slate.
Our Land Gallery presented a huge selection of indigenous art. A pity the work was jung so closely together. There were several contemporary pieces that I fell in love with.
Finally we went to Lovell Gallery. We were there for a quite while. As we walked into the main gallery “wow” escaped my lips. In front of me was a 16 x 2 metre oil on canvas work Beyond the Beehives by Nadeen Lovell. It had only been unveiled last Friday. It is a most amazing work and though I am no art expert it should be hanging in the National Art Gallery. Hockney’s Grand Canyon pails into insignificance besides this work that captures the essence and spirit of Purnululu. Having been to Purnululu we could identify with every component of the work. We both were in awe of it. The carton for the painting shows that it was envisaged that it would take 7 2x2metre panels to do the work. However, as she progressed with it the work was extended on one side and it is now made of 8 2x2m panels.
When you enter the gallery you are met with the following statement:
To grasp its meaning, we must allow a response to a work of art. Give yourself time for a response.
This statement also captures what this gallery is about with a wonderful space to view the work, and an invitation to sit and consider it and if you wish water, tea or coffee and biscuits to sustain you.
Nadeen Lovell is the owner of the gallery and exhibits work not only by herself but by Kimberley Kohan, Peter Mulder, Trish Purchase, Al Mason, Polly Shiner, Mary Raymond, Graham Austin, Jan Parish, Kathryn Pekin and others. I loved AL Mason’s acrylic work on corrugated and rusted iron. It had such character. I really enjoyed Peter Mulder’s acrylic on canvas series Evaporation 1,2,and 3 and Salthbush and Yellow Cow. Simon Hemsley’s organic works using mixed media on canvas Fitzroy Valley in the Dry struck a chord with me with its rich ochre colours. Nadeen Lovell’s work really struck a spot with me. Her colourscapes were a wonderful take on colour of an area with still recognisable landscape features such as in Floodline. I referred to landscape and soundscape in my blog on Purnululu. Colourscape completes the picture for me. Nadeen defined colourscape as “word devised to encompass an impression of the landscape with the emphasis on pieces of colour”. I can see this having an influence on my own work in textiles. But getting back to the works on dislpay. Nadeen’s Echoes in the Ord was beautiful as were here totally organic works Rusted, fractured and very old and Ochre flow. We spent some time talking to the artist herself.
Due to copyright I cannot show any picture here but please visit www.lovellgallery.com.au to see her work.
We continued exploring the town and visited Just Framed. They specialise in comical boab prints. Whilst the prints maybe comical they rally capture the uniqueness and individuality of each boab tree. Just loved the prints.
After getting some food for dinner we made our way back and stopped at the car yard to pick up some thing. We couldn’t believe it – our car was ready. The parts had arrived and they had just finished putting things together. WHAT A RELIEF and WHAT JOY. I rushed back to our lodgings and you haven’t seen anyone pack up so fast. Min drove around and everything was put in and with great relief we moved to Ivanhoe Caravan Park. We felt free and we were just so happy to get our home back again.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
DAY 76 - KUNUNURRA - ORD RIVER
14 May 2008
DAY 76 Pilbara – Kimberley Trip
KUNUNURRA - ORD RIVER
We have decided to make the most of our stay here and to try not to let the car situation get us down. We are travelling with the idea that we will do everything we can within the conditions that we find ourselves in. So as we can’t get around easily without a car we are doing tours.
This morning we tried to relax a bit at our accommodation. Then at 11.30 am we were picked up for a trip up and down the Ord River with Triple J tours. Again beautiful scenery and an abundance of wildlife. Our tour guide was very passionate about the Ord River.
We cruised along Lake Kununurra which consists of the Ord River damned by the Diversion Dam. The level of the water is being kept at a constant level during the dry season by the overflow from Lake Argyle. Lake Kununurra is being used to irrigate the Ord Valley through gravitational means.
A very relaxing afternoon seeing fresh water crocodiles, short eared rock wallabies and an abundance of birds.
We cruised along what is now referred to Spillway Creek. The last section up to the dam was actually uphill on the section of water that is released by the dam. We stopped for a while below the dam wall.
Afternoon tea of delicious pumpkin scones was served in a beautiful secluded spot in a little creek off the main river.
Water lilies grew close by.
On our return journey we saw trees full of flying foxes.
We returned as the sun set hoping that our car parts will arrive tomorrow. Everyone else is sceptic but we are hopeful.
DAY 76 Pilbara – Kimberley Trip
KUNUNURRA - ORD RIVER
We have decided to make the most of our stay here and to try not to let the car situation get us down. We are travelling with the idea that we will do everything we can within the conditions that we find ourselves in. So as we can’t get around easily without a car we are doing tours.
This morning we tried to relax a bit at our accommodation. Then at 11.30 am we were picked up for a trip up and down the Ord River with Triple J tours. Again beautiful scenery and an abundance of wildlife. Our tour guide was very passionate about the Ord River.
We cruised along Lake Kununurra which consists of the Ord River damned by the Diversion Dam. The level of the water is being kept at a constant level during the dry season by the overflow from Lake Argyle. Lake Kununurra is being used to irrigate the Ord Valley through gravitational means.
A very relaxing afternoon seeing fresh water crocodiles, short eared rock wallabies and an abundance of birds.
We cruised along what is now referred to Spillway Creek. The last section up to the dam was actually uphill on the section of water that is released by the dam. We stopped for a while below the dam wall.
Afternoon tea of delicious pumpkin scones was served in a beautiful secluded spot in a little creek off the main river.
Water lilies grew close by.
On our return journey we saw trees full of flying foxes.
We returned as the sun set hoping that our car parts will arrive tomorrow. Everyone else is sceptic but we are hopeful.
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 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.
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