A summary of our movements since leaving Kununurra on Tuesday 20 June 2017 is:
20 June - overnight Dunham Rest Area (R/A) on the Great Northern Highway WA
21-22 June - Bungle Bungle Caravan Park (C/P) - Day Tour on 4WD bus into the Bungles
23 June - Mary Pool R/A on the Mary River between Halls Creek and Fitzroy Crossing (3 days)
26 June - Ellendale R/A further on the Great Northern Highway
27 June - Broome C/P ready for our boat cruise from Saturday 1 July
9 July - back in Broome, into the same C/P to get some auto electric modifications and re-stock
12 July - on to Stanley R/A on the way to Port Hedland
13-19 July - a much needed week's break at the De Grey River Rest Area (magic!)
20 July - on into Port Hedland for some more auto/elec work (new battery) and re-stock provisions, then back a little and down into the Marble Bar Road 80 km to the Des Streckfuss R/A (a great painting spot on a billabong, for a couple of days)
23 July - into the Marble Bar Caravan Park for a couple of days sightseeing and the blog!
The first photos are from our visit to the Bungle Bungles. To avoid the long hard slog in from the highway, you can go in a short distance on to the Mabel Downs station where they run a full caravan park with good facilities, and join a day-trip in on a 4WD bus with a driver-guide (a young woman in this case - a "pocket dynamo")
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| Our 4WD drive bus into the Bungle Bungles |
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| Inside the Cathedral Gorge - amazing place with concert-hall acoustics |
After the Bungles, we stopped at the free camp at Mary Pool, on the Mary River between Halls Creek and Fitzroy Crossing
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| I did a paint sketch of this and will certainly be doing a full painting of it as soon as I can. |
It was on then to Broome and the start of our Kimberley Cruise. It started with the flight from Broome to the Mitchell Plateau.
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| Marilyn took this through the window of our light aircraft . We flew over much of what we would be sailing back through on the "Odyssey" over the next 9 days. |
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| Mitchell Falls shortly before we landed. We passed closer to this on the helicopter flight out to a beach near the Odyssey. The chopper and plane flights were transporting back the people just finishing their cruise as we took their places. There were many enthusiastic words from them as we passed! |
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| I don't think this little "shed" got much use, certainly not on our changeover, but there are quite a few cruise-boats operating similarly in the Kimberley. |
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| The "Airport" - the helicopters arrived for us shortly after this was taken |
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| On the way out to the boat in the chopper (4 at a time - 3 across the back and 1 up with the pilot) |
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| 0ne of the many small beaches we went in to had recent turtle tracks up from the water to the low dunes above the high tide - there were fresh dingo tracks around the turtle tracks, so some harassment went on. A closer look at the top end of the tracks surprised us with a baby turtle breaking up out of the obvious nest there. We gathered around (at a respectful distance, as one couple from Townsville knew that the hatchlings needed sunlight quickly) |
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| This little fellow made it to the water (see the tracks). We were all thrilled! |
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| The smiles weren't forced - we were really having a great time! |
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| Approaching King's Cascades |
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| The skipper put the bow of the Odyssey right in under the cascading water. We were warned and ready in bathers (and it was cold!) |
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| A bonfire on the beach and sunset viewing was a special treat. This is the tender "Homer" that took us on all of these jaunts, and fishing on a few occasions (Marilyn was the star on one, caught 12) |
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| We saw lots of crocodiles - up close and personal at times! |
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| Kimberley colours |
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| I took this with my legs dangling while the group looked at some very old aboriginal rock art - that's our tender way down below and the climb up was very demanding. |
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| The skipper gives us a commentary on the rock art. There were 20 passengers and 5 crew and the crew were always extremely helpful and proficient in the multitude of tasks they undertook in looking after us. |
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| Another big croc - and this one really was a monster. |
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| We had been crabbing, and got quite a few. Another of the highlights was a late afternoon stop-off on a remote sandbar for crabs and champagne |
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| We were certainly doing it hard! |
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| The "Kimberley Rose" (the flowers, not Bob!) |
The Odyssey trip over and back to Broome, needed a good break in the one place for a while to "regroup". The perfect spot proved to be a free camp on the De Grey River, about 80 km before Port Hedland.
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| Our camp spot at the De Grey River |
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| A painting from our camp |
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| Some clever camper had transformed this stump at the De Grey |
Time to move on again. We heard lots of interesting things about Marble Bar and since we hadn't been there before, we set out. The first camp was at the "Des Streckfuss" rest area about 80 km before Marble Bar
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| This view of the billabong was right beside our camp |
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| A painting in progress of the billabong |
And then into Marble Bar. What a pleasant surprise - a very old historical mining town and a fitting entrant to the current Tidy Towns competition.
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| The township of Marble Bar (in part). The van park where we stayed here for a couple of nights is in the foreground |
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| Some of the jasper outcrops at Marble Bar |
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| The colours were amazing, once you splashed some water on them |
I am finishing this off back at Port Hedland, before we head off to Karijinni. See you next blog!
Now for Marilyn's contribution - poetry this time to capture the feelings of our trip.
"A Riverbank Somewhere"
You've heard of a series a "River Somewhere"
watched in our lounge rooms on easy chairs.
Well we've another story to tell of a Riverbank somewhere that's just as swell.
A high riverbank overlooking the creek, river or billabong
Looking through majestic old trees, listening to bird song.
Be it the Flinders, Camooweal, Kinchega or Mary Pool
Such a place of learning for all who are happy in life's school.
If you've time to ponder and sit for a bit
The sounds, the light, the shades, the trees are certainly for most a hit.
What bird, butterfly, plant or tree
If you've a mind look it up and see.
Small or large beak, straight or crooked
Long tail or short
Hurry, quick they're gone before you've look-ed.
Willy Wagtails, Pee Wees, Whistling Kites easy to hear and see
But Honeyeaters, Bee Eaters, Flycatchers and Finches
But be patient and sit, alert and listening -
Look the Corellas are squawking,
dive bombing the Cuckoo from their nest thieving.
What type of leaf, elliptical, linear, lobed or obovate
No it's lanceolate and bipinnate.
Is it a Grevillea or Hakea, Chenopod or Casuarina,
Melaleuca, Mulla Mulla or Pussytail?
No it's a Goodenia.
Did you know a crocodile has branches?
Well, if you have eyes, a plant book and time with me,
I'll show you a crocodile tree.
What about the butterflies you say
Well, there is only so much time in one day.
Perhaps next year in Queensland with a butterfly book
And more time to play.
So if you're yearning for some beyond city learning
Get your tent, van, RV and camp chair
Come travel this big country
There's always a riverbank somewhere.
Mary Pool 24/6/17
