Katherine to Kununurra Part 4
We left Katherine on 30th July and made the 500klm journey to Kununurra our first stop in W.A.
Kununurra is an interesting town and like modern mining towns it is better organised than the older settlements.
As we made our journey we observed a change in the vegetation with more substantial trees mainly due to higher rainfall. And there is substantially more rain than Katherine judging by flood indicators on the roadside. No crops observed but cattle roam on unfenced station properties which requires concentration when driving. Mainly Brahman’s however some Droughtmasters.
Anthills abound and change their colour, shape and size depending on the terrain.
I am fascinated by the many different types anthills across the northern part of Australia. They appear as a group of strange beings partaking in group hug bonding. I am sure those of you with imagination can conjure up all sorts of images.
We benefitted from Emmie’s local knowledge and after arriving we did a quick reconnaissance of the area.
The Kimberley land Waterfront Park was excellent and as you will see the grassed area goes right to the edge and shared with some of the local wildlife.
I kid you not, this fellow was just minding his own business on the edge of the park.
Co Driver Marjorie was not perturbed as she took comfort in recognising this was a “freshie” and not a “saltie.
Kununurra is a busy town, particularly if you need to access the services. I decided I was starting to look a little scruffy, an opinion shared by my Co Driver so I decided to book into a barbers shop for a trim.
I should say he was the only barber in town and to make an appointment one has to place ones name on a blackboard list.
Would you believe I waited for nearly three hours before I was in the chair but during that time I engaged in conversation with a young fellow from Chile, an engineer from Woodside offshore platform and tour boat skipper from Broome who had worked the Kimberley coast for years.
The Chilean, who has a Business Degree was working his way around Australia having commenced his working life in Australia as a dishwasher in Perth. In an honest self-appraisal
He confessed he did not feel he was cut out for this role and had since obtained work on a cattle station before moving to the east coast for greater opportunities.
The Woodside Engineer talked about his life on the offshore rigs and is now working closer to Kununurra presumably in the Timor sea.
Finally the tour boat skipper talked about the changes he has seen having lived here for thirty years. His concerns were the issues relating to the culling of crocodiles which believes is necessary for tourism to grow in the region. He was particularly critical of tour operators who conduct tours which encourage the reptiles to leap out of the water which has heightened the danger of boating. He gave an example where a crocodile attempted to launch itself into a boat recentCrocodile farms can only take so many and this is a problem as the croc population has increased ten fold over the last few decades.
Readers will note my time was not wasted in the barbers que and once I made the chair I then met a somewhat extroverted French Hairdresser who could really spin a story most of which cannot be repeated in this update because of political incorrectness.
That evening we took a cruise down the Ord River to the Dam wall.
The Ord River project has had a chequered past with failure to take full advantage of water storage many times that of Sydney Harbour. Early cotton crops initially failed until a variety was developed appropriate to the soil and climate.
Sugar was attempted without any real success but more recently mangoes and vegetables have been grown successfully, however there are signs of salinity problems starting to emerge.
An Indian company has invested heavily in Sandalwood plantations and hopefully we see success there.
The full moon rising over the Ord river is something to behold. But as you can see there is always something lurking!
Some years ago I visited Lake Argylle and always enjoyed the spectacular scenery and it was pleasing to take a cruise on the river at sunset which was stunning.
I thoroughly recommend a few days in Kununurra as there is so much to see and it is the heart of the Kimberley.
Enjoy sharing our journey.
Best wishes,
Noel and Marjorie
Noel and Marjorie’s Northern Safari Part 5
Today is the 8th August and since arriving a few days ago we have seen so much of Broome particularly the restaurants and bars thanks to our professional tour guide Emmie who spent some time here approximately nine years ago.
Since we were last here the population seems to have increased remarkably to todays level of about 11,500 of which 25% would be indigenous. The population is boosted by thousands of tourists travelling here by caravan, air or sea and it is obvious there is a range accommodation to suit everyone everyone What make Broome different to many holiday destinations is its history, sometimes violent and sometimes romantic.
Many of you have already been here but I am fascinated by its diverse history dating back to when the local Goolarbooloo people who had cultural and commercial activity with people from the Indonesian archipelago.
Pearling proved to be an attraction as far back as the 1870’s but prior to that William Dampier explored the West Australian coast from Shark Bay northwards. He was an explorer, writer and frankly a pirate hence the Buccaneers Archipelago was named after him.
This area abounds with history and Beagle Bay has an interesting connection with Charles Darwin who travelled here on the HMS Beagle. The ship was used to survey the coast in 1838 but earlier Charles Darwin travelled the world v in this ship gathering knowledge for his famous book “The Origin of the Species” Pearling attracted people from all over the world particularly from the Japan and China and this laid the foundations of its culture today. The buildings have been preserved where possible but even many new buildings in Old Broome have a distinctive architectural style.
Everyone who visits here enjoys the sunsets, the camels on the beach but also the international feel due to the cuisine choices. The infectious enthusiasm displayed by the international backpacker fraternity just adds to the fun of Broom.
We had fun last night as we enjoyed a sunset cruise on a renovated and modernised Pearl Lugger. We really entered into the spirit of the occasion as revealed in the pictures below.
1) Marjorie doing very well for a non beer drinker but Matsos Ginger Beer, well that is something else…….. It will be interesting to see how we cope with the after effects in a small caravan!. How will she handle an alcoholic drink later, mmmm…..we will just have to wait and see.
2) Noel just held on to the ropes while a very attractive Argentenian female crew member did all the hard work. The athleticism she displayed was awesome!
3) Emmie(L) and Lynette (R) enjoying the coast.
Today ( Wednesday) we leave Broome for Cygnet Bay, 200klm north from where we will be close to Cape Leveque which has a reputation for fabulous scenery and whale watching. Before our departure we will have a farewell breakfast for Emmie’s friend Lynette who returns to Rockhampton via Perth in the next couple of days. She leaves for Portugal to undertake a trekking trip so there is no respite, just a change of scenery. Good luck Lynette and bon voyage.
We may be out of range for a few days up there before we return to Broome for the Broome Races and the Speedway meeting next Saturday. Wishing you all well and hope you do not read about us in the newspapers!
Noel and Marjorie