July 14th-23rd
Day 85-94
The things you see in toilets in OZ apart from Red Back Spiders & snakes.
Vive la France! Today is the national day for the french people. When I was riding in La Bella Italia in 2017 with a group of like minded cyclists, our first stop was in Sicily. I asked a very friendly French Lady to take a photo of my Australian friends I was riding with. Her name is Karine who is from Amiens 120klm from Paris. Karine has traveled extensively and came to visit us in Australia in January 2020. Karine brought with a her this Bottle of Ilrhea, which is an ‘apertif’. We have saved it for a special occasion. Merci Karine, a votre sante!
Declan, have you got anything better than grass?
Mary Pool.
You will find this gem between Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek beside the Mary River. We arrived around 3 pm and there were 6 vans parked and obviously set up for the night. This number had more than tripled by the morning.
There is ample room for quite a few vans and we found a great spot with a some good shade. The temperature when we arrived was around 35c. After sunset the temperature dropped quite a bit and it made for a very comfortable night.
Above and below a comparison of the spillway in the dry and wet season.
When traversing this part of Australia, not only are the distances long and remote, but many roads are reasonable to good dirt roads, particularly into some National Parks and places of interest. You may have to travel 50-80klm on these roads, so you have to choose if you wish to take our van, which is not a fully off-road van, or leave it outside in a parking area and drive in the 4WD. It can be slow going in a van, plus the risk of hinges draws, appliances vibrating loose.
One such road is The Gibb River Road. It is 650 klm long but is accessible from many points off the main highway, but it has many beautiful places. It runs from Derby, Kununurra and Wyndam. It is a “Badge of Honour’ for 4WD people to say that have completed this road. These purists are bemoaning the possibility that this road will be sealed. “What is the country coming too if we lose all our Outback Roads,” they say.
We visited some of the sites along this part of the Kimberleys, some we will have to visit next time. If you break down on the Gibb River you risk having the van towed out if damaged, which we heard was about a week. Here are some great places in this region.
Geike Gorge 
Windjana Gorge
The Fitzroy River has carved this 30 metre deep gorge into the ancient limestone barrier reef that existed here in the Devonian period.
Tunnel Creek flowing beneath the Napier Range. The cave features many beautiful formations, including stalactites and stalagmites, and is also home to a variety of bats, olive pythons and freshwater crocodiles. You need to wear old sneakers and be prepared to get wet – the water is mainly just over knee height.
North east of Fitzroy Crossing, the Mimbi Caves are also part of the 350 million year old Devonian Reef system.
We stop at Fitzroy Crossing for the night. Took this photo of a couple of freshwater crocs from the bridge. Wet season traveling can be challenging in this region.
Friendly Roo in the caravan park and also looking north from the bridge at the Fitzroy River, limited flow in the dry season.
Overnight stop at Spring Creek. This is just outside the entrance to the bee-hive shaped Bungle Bungle Range, rising 300 metres above the plains. The orange and black sandstone domes are a fascinating geological landmark.
Purnululu, meaning ‘sandstone’, has long been inhabited by local Aboriginal people, but did not become widely known to the rest of the world until the mid 1980s. Below is part of the range from a downloaded image. Will have to come back and re-visit this area next time.
Moving on towards Kununurra, beautiful drive and the usual interesting signs. I previously mentioned the challenge of the introduced ‘Cane Toad’ species, and the damage they have done to local wildlife as they are poisonous. These are the only species that are not protected in National Parks. They have spread right across the north of Australia.
Arrive in Kununurra for a few days. The lake and the dam.
The Diversion Dam, built to contain the flow of water from Lake Argyle
Designed to divert and regulate the flow of water from the Ord River into the Ord Irrigation area. Salt water and Fresh water crocodiles are present.
There is a local peak in town which I walked up, pretty steep but worth the view. This is the elevated view of Mirima NP. Our caravan park is at the base of this range. We walked straight into it, this ‘mini-Bungles’ sandstone is 350 million years old.
Special Day. 21st July
Our family arrived in Australia on Monday 30th June 1969. Three weeks later, Monday the 21st July (in Australia) Man Landed On The Moon. All the schools were given a half day off school to watch the landing. I had only started a new school in Australia (Bentleigh High) a week before. As I was from England, I gravitated to students playing soccer (football), as Australian Rules Football was completely foreign to me. Playing was another student who was a migrant like me, his name was Taner (pronounced Tanner), his family was from Turkey. He was very kind and invited my brother Chris and myself back to his home to watch the event on a small black & white TV. In Melbourne the landing occurred between 1-2pm. (Lesley & Maree the first game Taner took me too was St Kilda v Sth Melbourne, Aug 1969, the second was at Waverley Park at the second game played at the park on ANZAC Day 1970. Sth Melb v Footscray. I support Sth Melbourne because of the same colours as Man Utd. Also Taner’s team. Pity St Kilda were black red & white. Ahh Cowboy ONeale, Ditterich, Smith & Stewart)
My Mother was also born on this day and would have been 106 today.
In the last 12-18mths Sarah and I went to the movies to watch Downton Abbey. I enjoyed the film but had not watched the popular series version. It was a reminder to me that in the British class structure system, being a servant was not much fun. (It probably is a global system).
Many of us have paid roles and can serve on a nine-to-five basis where we can assume appropriate attitudes during working hours and then separate ourselves from the roles when we are off duty. People who really serve on a 24/7 basis, their needs and preferences are considered unimportant, they are basically slaves, probably why we no longer have such people.
It is rare to find a person who has sincerely internalized the qualities of someone who serves. I know of one such person, my Mother: She was hardworking, non-assertive, self-effacing, obliging. This quality is best described as meekness or gentleness. They say a meek person make the best leaders. Sadly, today these words have come to mean weak or soft.
It is a quality I was not aware of growing up, it is only with the passing years and my own experience that I realise mum was not a milksop or a doormat. Being gentle demands great strength of character, it is a choice mum made to serve eight children, dad and the wider community, not by pious words, but by the manner in which she lived her life, to be gentle means being very strong.
Mum I can compel you by power, but you drew me with gentleness. I can drive you by force, but you lead me by gentleness. I can crush you by arrogance, but you nurtured me by gentleness. I can destroy you by vengeance, but you forgave and healed me by gentleness.
This is a litmus test I could apply to myself, whether I am a leader or a follower. The paradox is that you became a leader mum, by following those that went before you. I am happy to be a follower of you mum and walk in your footsteps even though I wear my own shoes and walk my own path. Happy Birthday mum until we meet again.
Lake Argyle, was created by the Ord River Dam. It is more than 18 times the size of Sydney Harbour, that’s big!
Fabulous for bushwalking, mountain bike trails, kayak, crocodiles, fish, wallabies and hundred of bird species. You can cruise the lake’s shoreline and many islands. Bring your own boat if you have one. Cross the dam wall towards a picnic area at the base of the dam and view the Hydro Electric power station.
Infinity pool at Lake Argyle
I visited this Pink Diamond shop in Kununurra and asked the lady serving if I could take a photo of this 0.36 carat 1pp clarity, the highest quality pink diamond you can buy.
I don’t know if you know much about these diamonds, I didn’t until I investigated. Here are some facts. Rio Tinto’s Argyle Pink Diamond Mine, which closed last year after 37 years of mining. It is one of the rarest diamonds in the world and this mine produces 90% of the worlds known pink diamonds.
Of all the diamonds mined here, less than 1% is pink diamonds and would not fill a champagne flute in a single year.
In 2002, Ben Affleck went into Harry Winston to see about a pink diamond. Legend has it that it was just because Jennifer Lopez liked the color pink. Affleck eventually decided on a 6.1 carat with white diamond side accents. The shop assistant said people buy them for investment mainly as they have appreciated over 500% in the last 20 years. Now that 90% of the worlds supply has been removed from the market know wonder.
I decided to take the one in the picture for Sarah on lay-by, put a deposit of $1000 and make annual installments.
As the Zager & Evans 1969 hit song said in the Year 2525,
I’m kinda wondering if man is gonna be alive
He’s taken everything this old earth can give
And he ain’t put back nothing, woah woah
But Sarah I’m gonna come back and pick up that pink diamond ring, whoa! whoa! In 2025
Oh What a Feeling!
After 2 months 17 days and 1.5 hrs, 12000 klm we finally exit WA into NT
Judburra/Gregory National Park
Everything in this part of the Victoria River District is big, including the barramundi, saltwater crocodiles, the landscape and challenges on the many four-wheel drive (4WD) tracks through the park. Last year they pulled a 4.4 mtr ‘Salty’ from the boat ramp where Sarah is standing.
Tommy the local Ranger gave us a wonderful slide show at dusk about the park.
Stop for fuel in Victoria River, nice sign!
Katherine Gorge
Worn centimetre by centimetre from the red sandstone over the millennia, Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge snakes its way for 12km along the Arnhem Land Plateau on its way to the sea. As our cruise vessel drifts along on emerald waters between cliffs up to 70m high, our guide animatedly brings to life the stories of Bula the Creator and Nabilil, a dragon-like creature who camped at the entrance to the gorge.
“He heard the song of the cicada – nit, nit nit – and called the place Nitmiluk,” he explains. Aside from cicadas, Nitmiluk is the traditional home of the Jawoyn people, (pron. Jarwin) who jointly manage the 292,000ha Nitmiluk National Park with the NT Parks and Wildlife Commission, as well as owning and operating Nitmiluk Tours.
Around each bend brings another delight, like Butterfly Gorge, Jeddah Rock, people swimming, (brave or foolish?). So many mysteries of the Jawoyn Dreamings. The Creation being Bula travelled this land leaving his image as paintings in the rock shelters.
Estimates date the many recorded rock art sites at 10,000 years old. Often described as 13 gorges, Nitmiluk is actually one continuous gorge, but during the dry season the flow slows considerably, water levels drop, creating areas the boats cannot navigate continuously, so you have to swap boats.
There are wonderful walking trails along the top of the cliffs and also MTB trails which I rode with great delight. Temps in the mid 30’s during the day, so early morning is best for activities. Nights are beautiful at this time of year.
Their are two types of Bats, The Flying Fox, which is the larger variety and the Fruit Bat, thousands of them in this colony. They strip the trees, but in actual fact they are just pruning them, then with their droppings they fertilize the soil, if you look up long enough they will fertilize you.
If they landed on the ground or water they would not be able to take flight, hence they hang upside down in the trees, drop and take flight. They need to keep hydrated and being a mammal they have fur not feathers. They are more active during the night, but as the day heats up they require water. They way they do this is by flying low over water, scrapping their belly on the surface of the river, return to the tree and drink from the water trapped in their fur. This is repeated many times.
We witnessed something special, straight out of a David Attenborough documentary. Disembarking from the cruise, approx 30 metres away, two Sea Eagles, were patrolling the colony of bats. They were working in tandem and as one of the bats descended to take water, the eagles kept swooping him from rising back to his tree perch forcing him to land in the river. They cannot take off from water, he was distressed and flapping in the river. One of the eagles swooped picked him up in his tallons, carried him for 2 metres, too heavy and dropped him. Next thing a crocodile appeared thinking this is a nice meal, but in front of his open mouth, the second eagle successfully picked him up and carried him to the safety of tree on the opposite shore and proceeded to feast. Jaw dropping experience.
In the wet season the water level can rise up to the second hole in the rock
Great MTB ride along the top of the gorge, but always enjoy the descent after a hard climb over rocks.
Just below the base of the crossing is the 18 mtr flood mark, which is also the street level of the town of Katherine. In 1998 the town was under 2.5 mtr of water. That’s some flow.
