Mon. 20/8.

Wake up to a morning mist. Visit the Darwin River Dam just a few kilometres from the caravan park. It provides the drinking water for Darwin. Quite a pretty spot. After lunch go to Mandorah which is west of the caravan park & looks out over Darwin. Look over a W.W.II plane wreck that has been left in the bush – interesting site. Go for a stroll along Waigait beach before heading to the Mandorah pub. Have a “lazy” drink while looking over the bay to Darwin.

                                                Mist over campsite at Tumbling Waters.

                                                 W.W.II plane wreck near Mandorah.

                                                 View of Darwin from the Mandorah pub.

 

Tues. 21/8.

On to Darwin today. Set up in the park in time to have a swim before lunch. Get a bit of grocery shopping done before taking a quick trip of the city centre. Have a stroll along the Esplanade down to Parliament House. Go to the yacht club for dinner overlooking the bay. Absolutely unreal sunset while having our meal. It took forever for the colour to fade & the meal was continually interrupted while one of us got up & took photos.

                                 Sunset over Fannie Bay -at the Darwin Yacht Club.

A tribute to Jak who had to be put down today. A special dog for a special person! He will be sadly missed.

                                                               Jak - a wonderful dog!

Fri.17/8.

Leave Douglas Hot Springs & manage to negotiate the water crossing on the way out. Lots of wallabies crossing the road until we get back onto the bitumen. First stop is at Adelaide River & the war cemetery. Such a tranquil place & so well maintained. Turn off the Stuart highway & make our way through Batchelor & into Litchfield National Park. We were hoping to get a camping spot at Wangi Falls but very busy & all were taken so had to go onto a caravan park just outside the park (pretty basic & expensive!). In the afternoon go for a bit of a tour starting with Tolmer Falls. Very impressive. Then back to Wangi Falls & a very relaxing & enjoyable swim. Such a beautiful spot & so easily accessible for swimming. Such a pity we couldn’t have stayed there for the night.

                                             Entrance to the Adelaide River War Cemetery.

                                                          Wangi Falls Litchfield Park.

Sat. 18/8.

Pack up & go back through the park to Florence Falls. Walk down to the bottom where Mike & Graeme have a swim. On way back up see a python submerged in the water and a rock wallaby sitting in the rocks. Very beautiful spot. On way out of park we stop at the magnetic termite mounds & listen to a ranger talking all things termites – quite interesting. Make our way to Tumbling Waters caravan park, near Berry Springs & a park we had been to 20 years ago. Not quite the same but still pretty good & relaxing. Go & watch the croc feeding at 5 & then a drink at the bar.

                                    Florence Falls in Litchfield National Park.

Sun. 19/8.

Start the morning with small market at the caravan park & then a talk on snakes by a lady from the Territory Wildlife Park who had an albino python with her. Visit Berry Springs before lunch & have a very relaxing swim & walk around the park. Certainly improved since the last time we were there & now a great place for a picnic & day out. Have a roast dinner at the caravan park restaurant – pretty good.

                 One of the resident fresh water crocodiles at Tumbling Waters.

( Must apologise for the delay in the blog - Graeme has had to apply for his job for next year so has been using the computer constantly. All I can say is thank you L.S.H.S & the education dept!!)

 

Tues.14/8.

Take the short drive down to the dam wall & park in the picnic spot. Have a cuppa & a bit of a stroll. See a bower bird & its nest – lots of grey/blue stones in the entrance. Take the late afternoon/sunset cruise on Lake Argyle. Beautiful cruise with lots of info & interesting things to see. A few crocs, some wallabies & a number of different birds. Stop in the middle of the lake to watch the sunset with wine, beer & nibbles. A few people go for a swim but too cold for us! Great trip back with the hills all glowing red.

                                     Ord River taken from dam wall at Lake Argyle.

                                                     Glowing Hills on Lake Argyle.

Wed.15/8.

Over the border today into N.T. Clocks go forward 1¹/₂ hrs. so now we can have our tea in daylight! Another interesting drive with ranges of hills & changing vegetation. A couple of spots where you go along the Victoria River. Stop at Victoria River road house & go down to the boat ramp. Very pretty river. Carry on to a caravan park on Manbulloo historic station about 9 kms. west of Katherine. Graeme thought it was “deliverance” country but apart from that was ok. We walked down to the Katherine river & had a short walk along the banks. Couple of horses & a lot of Brahman cattle in the paddock next to us.

                                           Katherine River on Manbulloo Station.

Thur. 16/8.

Call in to Katherine & do some shopping on our way north. Have lunch at Pine Creek & visit the unique pub there. Great use of wood, corrugated iron, wagon wheels etc. On to Douglas Hot Springs – set up & then go for a dip in the pools. Found one very calm & quiet pool – I thought a bit spooky but also beautiful! Back at the main stream the water temperature varied greatly & in some places was almost scalding! Great to relax in!

                                           Friendly horses on Manbulloo Station.

P.S. Not sure when I will be able to post the next blog but hopefully it will be soon & Graeme will be all finished - that will be a great relief for him! 

Sat. 11/8.

Go to the local markets in the morning & buy some lovely fresh fruit & veg. Go for a walk from the caravan park into the Hidden Valley nature park. Lovely scenic walk with good views over Kununurra at the top of the hills. After lunch go for a bit of a tour – visiting the sandalwood factory, the Hoochery, Ivanhoe Crossing, a plantation & the Zebra Rock Gallery/Café. Sandalwood is taking over from the crop plantations – it is everywhere. Ivanhoe Crossing is closed as there is too much water going over. There were a couple of fishermen trying their luck there though. At the Zebra Rock we went down to the water’s edge – lots of catfish & a couple of turtles. Very pretty spot.

                                                        Hidden Valley Kununurra.

Sun. 12/8.

Make an early start to do a bit of touring today. First stop El Questro. Finish up at Emma Gorge for a walk & swim at the end. What a beautiful spot! Scenic walk up the gorge & great waterfall & pool at the end. Find a hot spring coming out at one side of the cold pool so lovely to refresh in. Walk back to the resort & have our picnic lunch under the trees. Back along the Gibb River Road & then onto Wyndham & the 5 rivers lookout. What a spectacular spot! Awesome! Panoramic views of the 5 rivers that flow into the wetlands & the Cambridge Gulf. On the way home make a quick stop at one of the billabongs in the Parry Lagoons. Lots of different birds in the lily pad filled billabong. Very pretty.

                                                                 Emma Gorge.

                                                    5 Rivers Lookout Wyndham.

Mon. 13/8.

Do a bit of shopping before heading off to Lake Argyle. Once off the highway the road winds through hills & is very picturesque. Set up in caravan park early enough to have a swim before lunch in the infinity pool there. It was a very quick swim as the water was very cold but the scenery was unbelievable. The backdrop of hills & the dam just beautiful. In the afternoon go for a short walk to a viewing spot over the Ord River & then on to one looking over the dam & the mooring area for the tourist boats. Later take our wine & nibblies down to watch the sunset over the red cliffs next to the infinity pool – what a wonderful sight!

                                           Mike, Sue & Terri enjoying a wine & the view!

Wed. 8/8

Travel on to the Bungles. Good drive – very scenic. Stops at Ngumban Cliff Lookout & Mary River. Halls Creek for lunch. Road even prettier after that – rolling hills & ranges everywhere. Campsite on Mabel Downs station – just inside the road to the Bungle Bungles. Couple of Brahman bulls grazing through the park. Have a huge fire going at night for everyone to sit around & chat.

                                             Brahman in the caravan park - Mabel Downs.

Thur. 9/8

Tour into the Bungles today. Early start on a 20 seater 4 wheel drive bus. Takes 2 hours to get to the visitors centre in the park. Most of the trip is through the station where the road is very corrugated in places & very rough the rest! There are a number of river crossings with the deepest being about 40cm. Probably could have taken the cars in ok (although only 35cm to the bottom of the doors) but much safer and easier for Graeme & Mike & the cars not to make the journey! First stop after visitors centre is at the beehives. Have morning tea & then a couple of hours to do the walks. Start off down Piccaninny Gorge to the lookout. Spectacular scenery with Beehive formations everywhere. The river bed was an unbelievable rutted stone effect. We then walked down Cathedral Gorge. Great walk down gorge with red rock cliffs both sides. At the end “the Cathedral” cavern – how impressive! Back to the bus for lunch & then onto the other side of the ranges to Echidna Chasm. The beehives have been replaced with towering red hills. Walk up to the chasm along the river bed which is made of pebbles & rocks of all sizes so have to be a bit wary under foot. The towering cliffs are a brilliant orange/brown with the gap between getting ever narrower. There are a couple of sharp bends in the gorge until finally it comes to an end with the sides towering above. An unbelievable place! Back to bus & the long trip home which seemed to be even rougher than on the way out! The scenery was really great though! Have the supplied dinner in the tent restaurant & a chat around the fire. A very enjoyable day!

                                        Beehive formations in the Bungle Bungles.

                                           Graeme dwarfed by Cathedral Gorge.

                                                              Echidna Chasm.

Fri. 10/8

Pack up & head to Kununurra today. Still beautiful scenery along the way. Have to keep an eye out for cattle on the road as we encounter a few straying Brahman. Make camp in the Hidden Valley Caravan Park. After lunch go into town & then up to the Kelly’s Knob lookout. Great views over the town.

                                         Road between Mabel Downs Station & Kununurra.

Sun. 5/8.

Move on to Derby today. Easy drive – even more caravans – scenery mainly low scrub & trees with an occasional Boab. Stop to look at the prison Boab tree on the outskirts of Derby. Also the Mayalls Bore & longest watering trough in the southern hemisphere apparently! After lunch do a bit of a tour & get some info. Go for a walk along the jetty & watch people pulling in their crab pots on the incoming tide.

                                                        Prison Boab Tree in Derby.

Mon. 6/8.

Make an early start to Windjana Gorge & Tunnel Creek for the day. First part of the journey is along the Gibb River road & most of it is bitumen but only  one car wide so have to take to the gravel when there is oncoming traffic. Couple of patches of gravel but not too bad. After turning onto the Windjana road the going gets a lot rougher – deeply corrugated gravel – quite a slow drive to the gorge. Go for long walk along the river bed of the gorge – very good. See our first crocs (freshies so not too worrying) sunbathing on the sand bank. Still quite a bit of water in the river so a number of birds there too. Have lunch & then onto Tunnel creek along an even rougher road. This one had lost most of its gravel so was a rocky & stony track. There were also a couple of severe dips for the unwary! Luckily at Tunnel Creek we arrived at the same time as a tour group so were able to tag along at the back to see the best way to go. Water only came up just over the knee so not too bad but it was very cold! Interesting walk & good to do. Stop & have a look at the ruins of the police station on our return trip. Back to Derby for fish & chips & a few photos of the sunset.

                                                           Windjana Gorge.

                                                              Tunnel Creek.

                                        Fresh water crocodile in Windjana Gorge.

Tues. 7/8.

Another early start & off to Fitzroy Crossing. Have a good drive & able to get there for lunch. Decide to go out for the afternoon tour of Geikie Gorge. Go for a short walk to the gorge before going on the boat trip which was very interesting. Great scenery & lots to see & more crocs! On the way back to camp have a look at the Crossing Inn – decide not to go for a beer but quite a unique place!

                                                                         Geikie Gorge.

Thur 2/8.

Bit of exploring of Broome today. First stop the jetty & walk out to the end. Drive back along Riddell Beach – beautiful scenery with deep red/brown rocks & deep blue sea! Stop & visit Gantheaume Point – tide very high so can only see the cast of the dinosaur footprints. After lunch have very relaxing swim in the pool. Quick visit to town for more info etc. Head back out to Gantheaume Pt. at low tide & find the real footprints. Interesting walk along the rock pools & then watch the sunset. Back for quick tea & then out to the movies. Go & see Best Exotic Marigold Hotel at the deckchair theatre. Very enjoyable!

                                               Dinosaur footprints at Gantheaume Point.

                                                                Deckchair Theatre

Fri 3/8.

Start with a long walk along Cable Beach & then go for a bit of a drive around all the new development there. Go back along Riddell beach & stop at lots of different pull ins & take many photos of the stunning scenery. Another relaxing swim after lunch & then watch the Kookaburras playing at the Olympics. Early tea & then down to the town beach to watch the Stairway to the Moon. Set up & then go for a wander around the markets. Back to watch the moon come up & try to get that great shot – unfortunately with no luck but it is wonderful to watch.

                                                          Cable Beach

                                     Stunning rock formations on Riddell Beach.

Sat 4/8.

Cable beach for stroll – Graeme has a swim. Do a big shop for the next part of the trip. Manage another after lunch swim – maybe getting into “Broome time”. Watch the girls play hockey. Sue & Mike go & watch the camels on Cable Beach. After tea the boys try a second time for “that photo” but still not very successful!

                                                          Stairway to the Moon.

Mon 30/7.

On to Port Smith today. Quite a boring road – lots of caravans on the move though – didn’t know there were quite this many grey nomads! Drive into Port Smith 22kms of sandy/gravel road but not too rough. Go for a drive to the lagoon/beach. Tide is low so able to walk a long way over the mud flats – very unique.

                                                   Lagoon at Port Smith at low tide.

Tues 31/7.

Easy day today. Go for a bit of a drive in the morning – reach a spot quite close to the lagoon but on the coast. After lunch try some fishing in the receding lagoon – Graeme was the only lucky one catching a flathead. Good fun though wading through the water to cast into the channel. Turtles kept bobbing up close by. Before tea go to a bush poet – Roger Cracknell – reading some of his funny poetry. Had a good dig at the grey nomads etc. Good laugh!

                                               Brolgas near the mangroves at Port Smith.

Wed 1/8.

Couple of hours easy drive & we’re in Broome. Not the best site as we are next to the road but the place is booked out so pleased to have somewhere. After lunch have a bit of a wander around town & have a beer/cider at Matso’s overlooking Roebuck Bay.

                                 Graeme admiring a boab tree outside the courthouse Broome.

Fri 27/7.

Day spent looking over Dampier & the Archipelago. Spent quite a while looking at the aboriginal rock carvings in the gorges near the gas project. They were carved onto the rocks which are just strewn over the hillside. Some were quite easy to make out like kangaroo & turtle while some were quite faint & hard to discern. All very interesting. Then on to the north west shelf visitors centre which had lots of info about the gas field. Lunch in Dampier & then to a good lookout with views over the town.

                                               Gorge containing aboriginal rock carvings.

Sat 28/7.

Walk to the fisherman’s harbour before going out to Harding Dam. Stopping on the way at the Roebourne lookout. Road out to dam very interesting with pretty countryside & the iron ore train line & the water pipe going beside the road. The dam is very specky – scenery very unique with the hills all a very deep red/brown. The spillway lake very pretty with ducks & other birds. Had lunch in the good picnic area there. Back to Wickham & make our way out to the yacht club going through lots of road works where they are extending the Cape Lambert port & train service. Stop to watch a huge iron ore train go by – about 7mins! Have a cuppa at the yacht club which overlooks the ocean – great spot.

                                                                       Harding Dam

                                                           Coastline at Point Samson.

Sun 29/7. Trek back to Port Hedland & then onto our overnight stop at the De Grey River. Overtaken by 2 big semi’s along the way – not the best feeling! The camp site is very busy but we find a good spot for the night close to the rail line. Walked down to the river bed – still some water & a few water birds. After tea a train goes by & luckily none do during the night as it would have shattered the peace.

                                                        Being overtaken by a road train.