Kimberley Walkabout

Originally written 13th June 2010:

Three times the size of the UK, the Kimberley region is one of the remotest parts of Australia - and we were heading there! The journey from Broome to Darwin through the red dirt, open eucalypt forest, savannah woodland, tropical monsoon rainforest, semi-arid desert of the Kimberleys past termite mounds and lumps of spiky spinifex grass was via the unsealed dirt track called "The Gibb River Road" (The Gibb), originally a cattle droving track to move cattle from the stations in the Kimberleys to the port at Derby. It is approx the equivalent of travelling from northern Scotland to northern scandinavia (the Perth to Broome flight was approx like flying from Spain to north Scotland by comparison) - and with added little side trips something in the region of 2000-2500 km! We were told that we were particluarly lucky. Unusually they'd had torrential rain storms which didn't normally happen in "The Dry" which meant that the area was going to be lush green and the waterholes flushed out with fresh water. Most of the waterfalls and streams would be flowing. Also fortunately the rains had stopped which meant The Gibb was open and we'd be able to see all this!

We had a lovely mixed group, approx 50:50 male:female with ages ranging from 20 - late 60's and several nationalities represented - 1 Canadian, 1 French Canadian, 2 French, 3 Dutch, 1 German, 1 Japanese, 2 Americans and 6 Aussies including the driver. We gelled together well which was good considering we were stuck in the middle of nowhere together!

Our first day was Broome to Windjana where we learnt the story of a local outlaw / hero (depending which side you're on) Jandamarra. We saw the Boab Prison Tree (boabs are huge with hollow trunks, many of the bigger ones were used as a jail with this particularly one reputedly being able to hold 12-14 aboriginal prisoners - wouldn't have been a comfy nights sleep I'd imagine) which he was held in overnight, and Tunnel Creek which was his hideout for three years. Tunnel Creek was formed by a creek carving out a tunnel (hence the name) through an uplifted limestone reef. Its big enough to walk through, with some wading (up to waist deep in places) to emerge on the other side to a small swimming hole and gorge. On the cliff face was an example of local aboriginal art - Wandjana Spirit. There were fruit bats in the dark part of the cavern screeching at us as we trudged past. We camped out at Wyndjana Gorge and after a honey & soy vegetable stir-fry, we did some star gazing up at the immense ceiling of stars.

We woke with the sunrise approx 5.45am (maximised daylight hours as it was pitch black by 5.30pm at night) with the first visit of the day to Wyndjana Gorge, a steep walled limestone gorge with devonian fossils. Ibis flew overhead and a flock of white cockatoos squawked at us friom the trees. Then, heading through the Napier Ranges, we were aiming for the King Leopold Ranges and Bell Gorge - a 3km hike each way to a swimming hole at the base of a picturesque waterfall. We spotted a monitor lizard enroute. We had to wade through a river part-way along but it was only ankle deep. It was mostly uphill coming back and I desperately fancied an ice-cold coke, icecream and a shower but I had to content myself with an apple! We camped out on a large layby in a saddle of the King Leopold Ranges, watching controlled bushfires burning in the distance, This was a minimal facility campsite i.e. none - a true bush camp! So if nature called, one was required to find a bush!!! In the middle of nowhere we enjoyed pasta bolognaise for tea and enjoyed the twinking show of stars above us!

Probably some of the best sites we visited were on the third day. Breakfast was bacon & egg sandwiches with the bacon & egg cooked over the campfire. After stopping at the Iminji Roadhouse owned by and adj to one of the local aboriginal communities we had a 20min walk to an absolutely beautiful horse-show shaped gorge surrounded by palms with another swimming hole / waterfall plunge pool where we spent quite some time swimming. It was refreshing to say the least and gave us all a good wash! From there it was onto Manning Gorge Campsite. The 6km return walk involves swimming across a billabong at the beginning and end using polystyrene boxes to float walking boots and rucksacks etc across. It was very hot and the quartzite boulder & rock track was open with little shade. We climbed an escarpment overlooking the valley for miles around. There was bush, bush and more bush. We eventually climbed down into a beautiful gorge with another waterfall and plunge pool / swimming hole. Dinner that night was roast lambs, veggies and jacket potatoes cooked over the campfire. Its amazing what you can cook in the middle of nowhere!!!!

From Manning Gorge we were headed for El Questro through more savannah woodland and open eucalypt forest. After passing the Kalumburu Turn for the remotest part of the Kimberley (Mitchell Plateau & Falls, Drysdale River Station & Bradshaw Aboriginal Paintings which we unfortunately weren't seeing on this trip), we had to cross the infamous Pentecost River. We were warned not to go within 5m of the riverbank (we stpped for piccies) as we might become crocodile dinner. Saltwater Crocs (aka Salties) inhabit this river. Incorrectly named - they should be called Estaurine Crocs as they live in both fresh & salt water, they will take humans for lunch, they're not fussy!

El Questro Gorge was a 2.5km walk each way over very rocky terrain with some scrambling over bounlders through a narrow gorge lined with palms giving plenty of shade. Unfortunately the swimming hole, though refreshing, didn't match up to those we'd visited prior to this on the trip. We stopped overnight at El Questro Station, which had preiovusly been a fully working cattle station (still partly doing it), but had been mostly coverted to a luxury tropical resort. After thai green curry & rice we headed up to the bar to enjoy a few chilled drinks and local entertainment!

Zeberdee Hot Springs was our first stop on Day 5 - a stream with a series of pools fed from a hot spring, only 10-15mins from the campsite and a short walk along a dirt track shaded with palms. After an hour playing in the springs we set off to Emma Gorge 15-20 mins away from that. A 3.2km part-shaded walk predominantly surrounded by lush palms over large boulders and rocks bought us to a large plunge pool at the end of the gorge with steep-sided (50m+) walls surrounding the pool in a semi-circle. The pool was very deep and cold and fed a small stream down the gorge which was choked with rocks and boulders. Most of the water was supplied by a waterfall which was dripping rather than flowing over the walls into the pool. Under the waterfall if was like having ice crystals hitting you on the head, but on the other side of the pool we discovered a small hot spring also feeding into the pool and the water was more pleasant to swim in. Then it was an afternoon driving leaving the Gibb and heading to The Bungles where we arrived after dark to pitch our tents. The drive involved a 50km track through Mabel Downs Cattle Station which was pot-holed and rutted and worse than anything we'd driven over on The Gibb. Burritos with sweet chilli sauce, sour cream, onions, peppers and salad was tea for the evening. The Bungles were only "discovered" in 1982 when the farmer collared a TV crew filming geological features in the area and asked them to see what was on his station...

Day 6 was spent in Purnululu World Heritage Area aka The Bungle Bungles. I did a flight over them when I was here on my working holiday 12 years ago. Since then the area has become world heritage listed. Formed 360mya this ancient sedimentary rock was eventually eroded to form the landscape we see today - domed beehive shaped banded mounds dotted across the landscape. We did several walks through the Bungles including a lookout over the Bungles, Cathedral Groge, a Domes Walk and Echidna Chasm, a lot being trails winding through or round the mounds or through narrow chasms.

We had to come out of The Bungles the same way we'd come in along the 50km bumpy track. There were a lot of people feeling green & queasy by the end of it. This was a long driving day to Lake Argyle though we did have a quick stop in Kununurra, the main township in the East Kimberley. At Lake Argyle we did a boat trip on the lake and saw short-eared rock wallabies, archer fish which would shoot water at a piece of bread held in your fingers. Mostly they were accurate but sometimes they'd miss and shoot you in the eye instead! Also catfish and silver cobblers shoved with the archer fish to get the bread crumbs. On one of the islands in the lake we saw the nests of Whistler Kites and Golden Orb Web Spiders. Lake Argyle is a 80x40km body of water that holds 20x the water volume of Syndey Harbour and if required can hold up to 53x. Built between 1969-1971 it is mainly used for irrigation and hydro-electric. Back at the campsite we enjoyed a sweet chilli stirfry round the campfire after a hot shower!!! The campsite facilities were excellent, some of the best (in terms of showers etc) that I've probably ever seen.

From Lake Argyle it was 1/2hr to the Northern Territory border & putting clocks forward by 1.5hrs before another long drive to Katherine. We had a few stops along the way including Bradshaw Bridge over the Victoria Rover where we spotted a huge saltie on the riverbank, Timber Creek lookout and a couple of roadhouses. Katherine is NT's 3rd largest township and is at the intersection of the Victoria & Stuart Highways (we were on the Victoria, Stuart Highway comes from Alice Springs). We stopped at a permanent campsite between the town and Katherine Gorge where we enjoyed barbequed kangaroo with mashed potato, coleslaw & veg round the campfire. Dessert was a chocolate damper, a bush loaf made of flour, beer & chocolate & cooked in the camp oven on the campfire.

Our last day started with a 2km return trip to a lookout over the 1st of the Katherine Gorges. Although called Katherine Gorge there is in fact 13 separate gorges carved out of the Arnhemland plateau. It is also technically incorrect to call it Katherine Gorge because it has been renamed back to its original aboriginal name of "Nitmiluk" meaning Circada Place. We also had a stop at Edith Falls (correctly called Leliyn) with a 2km return walk over an escarpment to a plunge pool and Adelaide River, home of the now-deceased (but stuffed and stood on the bar of the pub) Charlie The Water Buffalo who starred in Crocodile Dundee. If I recall rightly, last time I was here 12 years ago he was still alive & signing autographs!

Then we arrived in Darwin. After checking into our various hostels, we met at The Jetty for A Steak & Seafood All You Can Eat buffet with the rest of the group before saying our goodbyes.

So we've been (and still are) enjoying a bit of chill out time in Darwin. We've done a Heritage Walk though a lot of the place was either bombed in 1942 or destroyed by Cyclone Tracey Christmas Eve 1974. We had barramundi & chips for tea one night. Yesterday was a free tour of the Parliament House & a walk round the Botanic Gardens before having a free backpacker tea at The Vic, one of the few places to survive the bombing and cyclone! Our final plans include the Wave Pool at the harbour, Darwin Museum and Mindl Beach Sunset Market today. Tomorrow we might go to Crocodylus Cove, home to all things crocodile where you can allegedly swim in a pool next to the croc pool or go down in a cage in the croc pool itself. Maybe not eh...?