Once the clam was fixed we were finally back on the road, heading far away from the coast – East bound.  Yaaaay!! 🙂  I say finally, though in reality one week is rather a reasonable time frame to have a caravan towed, fixed & serviced (especially in Broome, where there is an endless stream of busted & banged up caravans & trailers rolling in from The Gibb, & where parts take ages to arrive).  We counted ourselves lucky.  I guess it’s just when you had planned to be else where, exploring new places & moving forward – being stuck in a stalemate did drive us a little crazy.  We loved Broome, but I can’t say that we weren’t smiling ear to ear, stoked to be leading the gypsy life once more.

After being strongly advised by the welders / trailer repairers at the shop; “Do not do the Gibb River Road, it just won’t make it”.  We ummed and ahhed for a day or two, stewing on the thought… Eventually we swallowed our pride & made most likely the smarter decision to not take the dusty corrugated 600 kilometer long Gibb, & instead take the beautifully smooth bitumen Great Northern Highway.  (Through the remainder of The Kimberely on route to the NT border).  Anyway, there is still heaps to do & see along this road, & like I said in our last post if there’s any off-roading to be done, The Clam will stay behind.

So we hit the road again, making way for Tunnel Creek.  Boab trees infest the landscape here.  They are so big & full of mystery.  The really old ones seriously look like they’ve come straight out of a creepy cartoon.  Brumbies & roaming cattle also seem to be permanent fixtures of this landscape.

 

One of our stops was at the man made gorge below.  Perfect spot for some fun & a cool off!

 

If you’re ever near by, don’t miss Tunnel Creek!  The aboriginal peoples linked history with it was really interesting to read, as it is everywhere around here.  There is so much history.  It was a brutal & unfair time when the European settlers made it to The Kimberely.  Tunnel Creek was a place the local indigenous used in the late 1800’s to hide from the war between their people & the European settlers.  The aboriginals here were not giving their land up without a fight, & when they were injured or needing a place to lay low, this is where they came.  The creek is inside a cave.  The entrance is very small & hidden from view.  Only they knew how to get into the cave, making it as safe a place as any when you’re not wanting to get shot or taken away as a slave in chains!!

A breathtaking place, the cave surrounding the creek is HUGE.  Inhabited by bucket loads of bats, fish & fresh water crocodiles there is plenty to keep on the look out for.  A torch is a must.  The majority of the cave is pitch black.  I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit scared, having to wade through the creek (the crocodile infested creek!) in total darkness.  It was mentally challenging at best!  But the rewards of actually seeing some small fresh water crocs up close in the flesh – literally took our breaths away.  They are so sneaky. So statue like. And REALLY cool.

Dog Owners Tip: Tunnel Creek is it’s own National Park. Buuut it is only an hour or so drive from the main drag & before you enter the park it is very easy to toilet your pooch & have him stretch his legs. We left Barney in the car (you’re not meant to, signs say not to, but what can I say, we are rebels!). We parked in the shade, made sure he had bulk water & a treat & he was fine. He loves it in the car anyway. And his spot in the canopy is completely out of sight & with airflow so it doesn’t get too hot. We took just over an hour to explore the cave. (This is what we do with Barney a lot of the time when exploring small national parks for under 2 hrs).

 

Fitzroy Crossing was a lovely place to pass through.  The Fitzroy River itself proving very photogenic & a nice spot to stretch our legs from all the driving!  A great place to stop & just take it all in.  We spotted so many fresh water crocs on the riverbed.

 

Our next big stop was at The Bungle Bungles, inside of Purnululu National Park.  We stayed at the station just outside the N/P & did a day trip in, walking around marvelling at the unique beauty of the rock formations.  See below how the formations share a striking resemblance to beehives!

The caravan park workers were so kind, letting us leave Barney boy all set up at the caravan in the shade for the day.  They even came along & walked him while we were gone.  Stoked!!  If you don’t have a dog we would highly recommend staying inside the N/P, at the heart of the Bungle Bungles.  There are too many walks to do in one day, & the road there is 53 k’s of shittness that you definitely only want to do once in & once out.

At El Questro Station we were treated with a campsite right on the Pentecost River.  Perfect location for a lazy afternoon float around with a beer, a must do in this heat – 37 degrees every day will get ya!

El Questro is known for it’s numerous amazing gorges.  There are so many to explore, you could easily spend a whole week here.  Us being a bit more pushed for time did the old pick & choose which ones to discover.  El Questro Gorge proved a challenging walk, but was absolutely worth it with the astonishing Mickey’s Pool greeting us at the end.

Emma’s Gorge was probably our favouite (I know you shouldn’t have favourites, everywhere is amazing & special in it’s own right).  But the swimming pool at the top of this hike was (as my mother would say) AB FAB!  Vivid red cliffs reaching for the sky tower over a large dark blue swimming hole, with a skinny stream of water falling from the top down past the contrasting green ferns.  We loved it.  If you are ever at El Questro, don’t miss this gorge!!

 

One of the biggest lakes in Australia, the man made, Lake Argyle was our next big stop.  Fred was itching to get the tinny in & explore the close by Ord River.  He had Barra on the brain! (See our pictures from the Ord River below).

Unfortunately we couldn’t hook any of the elusive Barra, only the slimy Catfish.  The scenery here & just being out on the water more than made up for that though.  Lake Argyle itself is enormous!  It has been yet another piece of Australian landscape to leave us feeling humbled, & so grateful to have such an amazing country at our fingertips.

 

Altogether The Kimberley is amazing.  I say amazing & beautiful a lot I know, but it is.  I’m not sure what I was expecting.  Prior to actually arriving here & seeing it, in my head I would think “northern Australia; it’s hot & it’s a desert”.  That picture couldn’t be much further from the truth (well yes it is bloody hot!!!!).  But The Kimberley offers a horizon filled with spectacular high hills & ridges, endless scattered trees & spinifex, wildlife everywhere you look, & so many beautiful gorges with complementing water holes.  A place where the majority of the region can’t even be reached by car, & a lot of the bits that can are along long, dusty, damaged roads.  Where sunsets will blow you away with the painted orange through purple sky.  Where aboriginal culture has not been lost, & where history is abundant.  It is a unique & colourful place, & basically, we loved it.

And so, after 6 months of being in Western Australia & 9 months after leaving our little island state, we are finally heading into the Northern Territory.  New territory for both Fred & I & we couldn’t be more excited.

Thanks for reading.

Until next time.  Xo