Lake Argyle

We drove to Lake Argyle, the enormous man made Lake about 80kms from Kununurra.  There is only one caravan park on the shores of the lake which really surprised us given that there is 950km of shoreline (yep, it is that big!).  The nearby dam wall is only 350m across and is holding back the entire volume of the lake, which is the size of 52 Sydney Harbours.  It is really hard to imagine how big the lake is, even being there, as you can’t possibly see it in it’s entirety from the ground (or even from a chopper, you'd have to be very high!)

Maybe 1% of the lake..

Another small section.

The caravan park doesn’t take bookings so we hoped that both vans could get in.  When we first arrived, the guy managing the vacancies said that we would have to go to unpowered sites for the first night but luckily 2 sites freed up while Barb and I stood there talking to him.  We were amused and bewildered when one of the other attendants asked us not to use our UHF radio as it interfered with the helicopter doing sightseeing flights but we agreed to turn them off anyway.  Pretty much everyone with a van and 4WD in this part of the world has a UHF and it’s ridiculous to say that they would interfere in any way with a commercial aircraft.  

We both scored powered sites which weren’t too far away from each other and boys ran from one to the other easily. We had initially planned to stay for 3 nights but we really wanted to go on a sunset cruise and the only spaces the had were on a cruise 4 days later so we decided to stay an extra couple of nights so we could do it.

The caravan park/resort has a well known Infinity Pool that everyone takes photos in.  We went for a swim and were disappointed to find that the water was freezing!  We all hopped in and took our photos before the adults quickly got out to thaw.  Daniel and Ben lasted a bit longer but Ben is so slim that he started shivering after 5 mins and we had to drag him out too.

Awesome views. Cold pool!

Daniel is doing distance education and spends most mornings on schoolwork which works out well as we are doing informal education with Ben too.  His reading, writing and maths is coming along well and we hope that having some structure, however small, will help prepare him for school next year.

New neighbours arrived to replace the grey nomads in the site next to us and Ben was excited to find that there were 2 kids, Annabelle and Ellie who were around his age.  He played with them and Daniel joined in once his school work was done.  Barb had been carting around a whole watermelon which they had named Melanie (then Moloney.)  Daniel had drawn a face and body on Moloney and when it was time for Moloney to be decapitated he prepared a ‘grave’ and we had a ceremony.  As we consumed parts of Moloney, all four kids collected the seeds and planted them behind the caravan.  They were most diligent in digging them in and watering them and we wonder if the gardener or future guests will wonder at the watermelon plants sprouting up in a couple of months.

Melanie / Moloney

Decapitated!

The grave site.

Jenny and Ross did a coffee/beer run back to Kununurra in Ross’ car as we had all had forgotten a few items and while they were gone Lou cleaned the inside of the Ranger.  So much red dust!  It is everywhere and just keeps reappearing no matter how much you wipe and wash.

That afternoon Barb and Lou did a 5km trail walk up to a local lookout and it was a great workout.  Daniel had a sleepover that night and that was the start of a regular switch that the boys are having between caravans at night.

We hired kayaks and a stand up paddleboard one day and went out to explore the lake, keeping an eye out for some of the estimated 35,000 freshwater crocs that live there.  Ross has a fishing kayak and paddled out with several lines in the water.  Unfortunately there weren’t any fish biting – the barramundi is remaining elusive.  There are apparently plenty of catfish in the lake and they call it ‘Silver Cobbler’ but we didn’t see any of those either.  On the way back to shore, Barb and Daniel saw a croc on the banks near the boat ramp.  Jenny, Ben and I were already back on land by then so Jenny paddled out on the Standup Paddle Board to take a look but only saw it from afar as it slipped under the surface as she approached.  Lou didn’t have a turn on the SUP in order to avoid the requirement for any embarrassing mid lake rescues.

Jenny on the Standup Paddle Board.

Barb and Lou went fishing that afternoon at a spot recommended by the locals.  Again, no fish luck.  In fact, no bites at all for Lou and for Barb, a baby turtle and a little finger sized flathead looking fish.  Lou is really hoping that the only time she catches fish does not become when she is on a $250+ charter excursion.  So far her only real fishing success has been on the Kalbarri and Lombadina charters.  Paying that much money every time will make for expensive dinners!  Luckily she really enjoys the activity itself, especially with fellow fisher, Barb, and isn’t relying on catching anything for it to be fun.  A few bites here and there would be nice though...

Barb and Lou loved the 5km trail so much that they ran / walked it again on 2 other days, taking Jenny with them on the last day.  There are great views and the lookout over the lake is a great destination.  We all went out exploring along a couple of 4WD tracks to other lookouts too.  The lake is so huge that every vantage point reveals another expanse for you to marvel at.
 

We visited the relocated Durack Station Homestead one afternoon.  When the Lake was created, the original homestead was right in the middle of the land to be flooded so it was dismantled brick by brick to be moved to higher ground.  Unfortunately most of the out buildings and a significant amount of machinery and stock were lost to the waters as an unexpectedly heavy wet season filled the lake more quickly than anticipated and caught everyone short.  The bricks of the homestead were individually numbered as they were removed and the whole things sat deconstructed in 44 gallon drums in Kununurra for 10 years before enough money was raised to rebuild it.  The story of the Durack family is well worth exploring and is detailed in Mary Durack’s book “Kings in Grass Castles” which we are keen to read.   The history of the construction of the dam and lake are also fascinating.  When they set off the first blast at the quarry that would supply all the rock for the dam wall it was the largest non-nuclear explosion in Australia’s history.  The footage shows a worker standing beside a line of fuse wire, leaning down to light it with his cigarette and then running away as fast as he could.  It looked like something from the Road Runner.  How OH&S has changed.  

Lou and Barb at the Durack Homestead.

Ben and Daniel (and then the girls next door) had been cooking/fermenting a special drink in an old milk carton.  They called it SDDF – Secret Disgusting Death Formula.  They were making it for Lou and Jenny to drink and Jenny did bravely pretend to sip an early version, getting a splash on her lip. It was indeed disgusting.  Some of the ingredients were dirt, water, sticks, leaves, Quik, toothpaste, bread crusts, banana skins, carrots, used coffee grounds, tomato sauce, onion, tabasco, tomato and more.  Yummy!

We went on the sunset cruise on our last afternoon and it was awesome.  We saw crocs, birds, beautiful skies and even more of the expanse of the lake.  Despite being out there for over 3 hours we only saw a small area of it.  Whilst doing some fish feeding, the guide pointed out the various species below.  We saw lots and lots of catfish, and he explained that when marketed as ‘Catfish’ the flesh was selling for around $4 per kilo so they changed the name to ‘Silver Cobbler’ and it now sells for around $43 per kilo and is considered fine eating.  None of us really found the idea of eating catfish all that appetising but Jenny and Lou tried the battered ‘Silver Cobbler’ for dinner from the bistro that evening.  It was really average and tasteless.  Jenny went so far as to declare it the worst fish she had ever eaten.  Towards the end of the cruise we were allowed to jump in for a swim and the crew floated/threw bottles of wine or cans of beer out to everyone.  The boys (and Jenny) jumped off the roof of the boat too.

We woke the following morning to find that the pesky bats from the tree next door had moved in over our van and crapped all over the van, awning and the car.  We spent an unscheduled hour or so washing everything down before packing up and heading to the Keep River National Park, only a short distance away.

Kununurra - the second time

We left the awesome Bungle Bungles and headed back to Kununurra for the second time.  Jenny had been posing the hypothetical question “If you were being put into witness protection and could choose between Derby and Kununurra, which would you choose?” and the firm answer from both of us is 'Kununurra' for sure.  The fact that we could ride our bikes in Kununurra without instant punctures was just one easy factor.

We met up with Ross, Barb and Daniel again and have planned to travel with them to Darwin.  We all went out to Gulliver’s Tavern for a birthday dinner for Jenny and were going to buy a nice bottle of bubbles to celebrate but the only option was a $20 brand we had never heard of so we decided to hold our special occasion drink over until we were somewhere with something drinkable.  We contemplated trying our friend's method of putting a bottle of Sav Blanc in the Soda Stream but realised that neither of us had brought our Soda Streams with us ;)  (Miss you Rach!! xx)

The following day we went for a drive across the Ivanhoe Crossing, which is causeway across the Ivanhoe River.  It is pretty fast flowing and there are lots of signs telling you how dangerous it is but in reality it is really tame at this time of year.  There hasn’t been much rain and whilst the water is flowing, it only came to just over half way up the wheels and the crossing is concrete paving with thick low side walls so there is no chance of going over the side unless you really try.  Nevertheless it was a great experience driving across the river and seeing it swirling on both sides of the car.  There are salties in the river but people (obviously locals) were walking across to fish on the other side.  Ross put up his drone and took some video.  

Crossing behind Ross and Barb.

Locals don't heed the croc signs.

On the banks.

After stocking up with food, cleaning the van and buying a load of new bike tyres and tubes we set off, heading for Lake Argyle.

Purnululu National Park (Bungle Bungles)

We left Derby and headed for Kununurra again where we would meet Ross, Barb and Daniel again.  On the way we stopped at Fitzroy Crossing and visited Geiki Gorge.  If you don't do the river cruise up the gorge there isn't really that much to see so it was just a short visit.

We passed through Halls Creek and although we initially wanted to see the crater at Wolf Creek, making that side trip would have meant leaving the van somewhere and doing a 7 hour trip (in a day) on feral roads to look at it.  There isn't much else to do there so we decided to save some time and move on to see the Bungle Bungles in Purnululu National Park.

The 55km road into Purnululu National Park is in terrible condition and several people had told us that the trip would take around 2 hours.  It is definitely not caravan friendly and most people stay at the caravan park near the entrance and do a day trip in or they stay in the park at one of the two campsites if they have camper or tent.

There aren’t any other caravan parks nearby and the owners know it.  Where most parks we have stayed at charge $30-$45 per night for a site with power and water, this place charges $40 per night for a site with no power or water.  Ross and Barb as well as our friends Kate and Rod had both been to Purnululu before us and told us about a free camp called Spring Creek, located on the other side of the road where lots of people stay instead.  We went there and found it packed with vans.  It is an awesome place - a big rest stop with toilets and bins.  We stayed the first night and left the van there to drive into the National Park the next day, staying there a second night when we got back and then continuing on our way, all for free. 

Purnululu is a big park and the two main sites that we wanted to see were at opposite ends of the park, an hour’s drive apart so it was a long day.

We left early and our first stop was the visitor centre where the lady working there advised us to switch the order of our itinerary.  Echidna Chasm is best visited between 11am-12.30pm when the midday sun lights it up a fiery orange colour.  On the way there we stopped at a short nature walk called Stonehenge which pointed out various local trees and shrubs and how the Aboriginal people used them as medicine or foods.

Lots of interesting info about the local flora.

We continued on to Echidna Chasm and loved the walk in.  It was through a rocky river bed, lined in places with lush greenery. We were there at exactly the right time to see the fiery effects of the sun.

Walking into the chasm.

When the sun is right, it lights up.

Interesting rock formations outside.

We drove for an hour or so south to the area where the ‘Bungle Bungles’ are located, with the amazing Cathedral Gorge nearby. Along the way we admired seemingly endless lengths of red and orange rocky ranges and boulders of varied and interesting shapes.  Here is Elephant Rock:

The Bungle Bungles themselves are really interesting.  They are bigger than we expected and the lines through them are very distinct and clear.  We had lunch at the picnic area, surrounded by these enormous striped rocks, before walking through them to the magnificent Cathedral Gorge.   

The huge cavern is so big that it’s hard to capture in one photograph.  As expected, it has great acoustics and we were able to turn it into a science lesson for Ben, explaining how sounds waves and echos work (as well as a bit of info on architecture as we explained what a Cathedral was.)

We left at sunset, which was a bit later than sensible people with 2 hours to drive would leave but meant that we got to see the ranges bathed in the late afternoon light and glorious orange rays as the sun went down.  It was well after dark by the time we made it back to the van but we had had a fantastic day, which was co-incidentally Jenny's birthday.

Derby – ugh

We arrived in Derby on Sunday and spent the day unpacking the car and repacking the van.  Everything was covered in red dust and had to be washed or wiped.  The washing machine got a solid workout too – we think we did about a dozen loads and even so, many of our clothes are still a dull browny red colour.  It might take a few washes and/or a good soak in Napisan to get things back to looking clean although we suspect that some things will never be the same.

The car was booked in for the Monday and we were annoyed to be told at 4.30pm that afternoon that it was going to take the following day as well.   We’re not sure why it took so long.  All they had to do was drain the tank, take it out, weld a couple spots and put it back.  We had been hoping to leave the following day because Derby is pretty crap and there isn’t much to, especially without a car.

So, we were stuck there for another day and took the opportunity to do more washing and go for a bike ride.  That was when we discovered the sneaky, evil, extra sharp ‘Thorns of Derby’.  They should have their own horror movie.  If you ride even a centimetre off the concrete or bitumen these thorns attack your bike tyres in plague like numbers, digging in and sticking like glue.  Overall, between our three bikes we had 9 punctures across all six tyres.   That extra day in Derby was spent dismantling and repairing bicycles.  Thrilling stuff!

As we wandered around the caravan park we were amazed to see an albino peacock walking through the grounds...

 

We finally got the car back, packed up and prepared to leave the next day.  We did go to the jetty to see a nice sunset though - that is something they've got ;-)

We had stowed everything away and were about to hitch up the van the following morning when Jenny double checked under the car and discovered that the fuel tank was STILL LEAKING!! 

We unpacked again and Jenny took the car back to the mechanic, making it clear that the car had better be returned to us that day.  One great thing to come out of this additional delay was that we crossed paths with our friends Kate and Rod who are also doing a lap but in the opposite direction.  We had been keeping in touch when we had phone reception and that morning Kate sent a message saying “We have arrived in Derby, where are you?”  I left her a return message but she realised that we were in the same caravan park when she saw Ben ride his bike past their site.  She called him over and after he got over his surprise, he showed her where we were parked, a 2 min walk away.  

Thankfully the car was repaired properly this time and we got it back at 6pm that night.  We packed up again and left the next morning, stopping off on the way out of town to visit the Norval Gallery with Kate and Rod.  The gallery belongs to Aboriginal Artist, Mark Norval, who is brilliant.  There were many pieces in the gallery that we loved and Mark himself is happy to chat.  He gave Ben a Tiger Shark tooth that was pretty special.

We said farewell to Kate and Rod and headed out of town for the next leg of our journey.  As we left, we felt like we were starting a new phase of our journey.  The epic Gibb River Road adventure was done, the tent was cleaned and packed away (hopefully for a long time) and we were back in the van for the foreseeable future, heading towards Darwin with lots of great things to see on the way.