Ok, so this post was meant to be ready to go before the bombshell/trip’s over post, but I couldn’t find the time…
After Emma Gorge we drove to Kununurra to find a caravan park to stay in. He was having to duck away during the week for a couple of nights, so we thought it would be best to get settled in a caravan park for the week. We found a pretty nice spot with some big shady trees and a swimming pool.
Spent a quiet afternoon swimming and relaxing at the van park before an early bed time, which wasn’t really planned, but the sun sets so early that you think you are going to bed later than you are.
Monday morning we drove out to Black Rock Falls and Middle Springs, about 20km out of town. On our way out we came across a small flock of red tailed black cockatoos, which I am still pretty fascinated by. The cockatoo family are all pretty interesting. Funnily enough, the red tailed black ones are much more like the normal white ones than the yellow or white tailed ones – the yellow and white are more prehistoric and have a much nicer cry.
Red tailed black cockatoos
Red tailed black cockatoo
After the gorges at El Questro, Black Rock Falls was a little disappointing, though we had a nice enough morning, and given it was pretty hot and we’d started a bit later than we probably should have, the short walks were appreciated. Middle Springs was pretty beautiful, though we didn’t stay long.
BSB and MMB walking to Black Rock Falls
Middle Springs
On our way back into town, we went to the Ivonhoe crossing which isn’t open at this time of year, but I think opens once the water goes down a bit. It was a pretty wild and crazy river – I’d hate to fall in, apparently someone dies or gets seriously injured there most years.
Him standing at the Ivanhoe crossing
His parents came to Australia in the 70’s from England, and the first place they lived was Kununurra, so it was great to be seeing some of the places that they remembered and had stories to tell us about.
The Kununurra library was only built last year, and is unusual as it is located right next to the school and is also used by the school as their library. Great use of a resource, though it does mean that there is quite often large groups of fairly noisy children to contend with, and there are certain areas that you are restricted in using while the kids are there. We spent quite a bit of time hanging out in the library as it was air conditioned and allowed us to catch up on a bit of journaling and homework, another library where a temporary membership was available so we could borrow books, which was great, as well as a DVD each day, which kept the kids happy.
We had decided to do an aeroplane flight over the Bungle Bungles as we hadn’t been able to do any walks through them. The Bungle Bungles are amazing, and probably one of the most amazing things was that it wasn’t “discovered” until the 80’s, maybe even 1984, and Purnululu National Park wasn’t established until 1987, and the whole area is now on the world heritage list. I’m still a bit baffled that with all the flying that was surely going on at the time that this enormous set of rocks wasn’t found earlier. Anyway, we were lucky enough to get a flight on Tuesday morning that left the airport at about 6am, meaning a pickup by the courtesy bus at about 5:15; lucky the gang had all been getting up really early anyway!
He and I really loved the flight which went over Lake Argyle (the enormous man made lake built in the 70’s to provide water for the Ord River scheme so that more farming could happen in the area), the Bungle Bungles and then the Argyle Diamond Mine (I think the only supply of pink diamonds in the world – meant to have about 15 years of pink diamonds left, and then that’s it – good investment opportunity apparently).
Getting ready to go on the flight over the Bungle Bungles
The diversion dam
Sleeping Buddha Rock, or Elephant Rock
Crocodile rock in the middle of Lake Argyle
Lake Argyle
The clouds – the kids loved them
The Bungle Bungles
One of the gorges in the Bungle Bungles
More Bungle Bungles
Whole kit of the Bungles
Argyle Diamond Mine
The rest of the week passed pretty easily. We spent most mornings in the library catching up on some journaling etc, and most afternoons hanging out at camp and around the pool. He did fly to Sydney mid week for his job interview, so the kids and I spent couple of nights solo – which could easily translate as cheese and biscuits for dinner and a movie before bed.
We had a lovely frill-neck lizard visit us one afternoon in camp. It was pretty cool.
The frilled neck lizard in camp
The frilled neck lizard on the ground
I think I’ve covered the rest in the other blog, except to mention that there is this cool rock called Zebra Rock just out of town. They mine it from under Lake Argyle when the water is low enough, and then carve it into all kinds of bowls and statues etc. Worth a look if every you are there. This one seems to be a bit of a poor effort, but there you have it.
Backus Adventures 