A new perspective

Hello all
I've been very busy of late, with the tourist season in full swing but still try to get away for a drive on the weekends.

Lake Argyle is such a stunning location and the drive through the Carr-Boyd Ranges is spectacular. And the Fact it is only about 70km away makes it a regular destination for me.

In fact I don't need to go far at all for stunning scenery.

I only need to walk about 150 metres for this view of Lily Lagoon and the Sleeping Budda.

About an hour away, in the other direction is the Wyndham Prison tree where in the past authorities used to lock up prisoners in the trunk of this stately Boab, while transporting then to larger towns for trial.

This stand of Boabs on the King River floodplain always catches my eye.

Not far beyond that is the Bastion, or Five Rivers Lookout.

40 kilometres east is Thompson Spring, another great little spot away from the tourist season hordes.
I have deliberately stayed away from the Gibb while the tourists are here, as the thought of being clobbered by some overloaded crazy driving at twice the speed of their ability is too scary for me.

With my tax refund I have purchased a DJI Spark Drone and absolutely loving it.

With the drone things take on a whole new perspective, I can't wait until the Wet Season with waterfalls and thunderstorms and should be able to get awesome shots.

I am still experimenting and on a massive leaning curve but very happy with the results so far.

That little bit of height makes a big difference

 The one thing that has become blatantly obvious, working in the Motor Industry 25 minutes from the Gibb River Road is...............
People seem to have totally forgotten the reason they are visiting..............A HOLIDAY......hurtling at breakneck speed in an overloaded and under prepared vehicle along the Gibb is NO HOLIDAY
It turns into an ENDURANCE/TORTURE TEST.
Slow down and enjoy and DON'T lose sight of the fact you are on HOLIDAY.

30 Metres directly above

Maybe next Weekend I want to go out to Arglye and explore a back track near the spillway which should be a good place for the drone.
Bye for now

Marlgu Billabong and a whinge

Hello all,
Last weekend I went out to Marlgu Billabong near Wyndham.

Wandering Whistling Ducks

 Marlgu is a RAMSAR listed birdwatching site of the floodplains of the Ord River.

Marlgu Billabong

 The last time I was here there were several 2-3 metre Saltwater Crocodiles basking on the opposite bank.

Pied Cormorant

 Sitting in the Hide watching the Birdlife was an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon.

Marlgu Billabong

 Until the next car load of people arrive..........

Corellas

 I was even visited by a large flock of Corellas.

Pied Cormorant

 Nearby is Telegraph Hill with the Ruins of the old Wyndham Telegraph Repeater Station.

Ord River Flood Plain

 Late afternoon looking across the flood plain towards House Roof Hill (features in the movie Australia) was pretty special.

Marlgu Billabong from Telegraph Hill

 There is a good collection of magnificent Boab trees spread around the chimneys and ruins of the old Telegraph Station.

Beautiful Boabs

 I am loving revisiting these places I have been before and eagerly await to see and experience the changing Seasons of this timeless magical landscape.

This leads me to the next issue.......


Having travelled extensively through the Kimberley and Top End regions, I have seen my fair share of Dramas people have inflicted upon themselves.
Let me explain that................
I would conservatively say, that the MAJORITY of problems travellers encounter are self inflicted and could have been easily avoided.
Working in the motor industry I see 4 or 5 instances every day of travellers needing to spend hundreds of dollars, and even thousands to fix things, that shouldn't need fixing. 

Number 1 cause of these problems are caused by speed.
If you need to travel at warp speed to complete your HOLIDAY (I emphasise the word holiday) you have chosen the wrong destination.
You should be holidaying in the Flinders Ranges or the Blue Mountains, not the Kimberley.
At the speeds I see people driving on the Gibb River Road, if you have a blowout or tyre failure,  
YOU HAVE NO CHANCE OF SAVING YOURSELF OR TRYING TO RECOVER FROM DANGER

You are on a HOLIDAY not on an ENDURANCE TORTURE TEST.

Slow down, smell the roses and enjoy, it will surprise you how much you will save in repairs.

A mate from Derby told me a story a few weeks ago of a guy arriving at his work last season with a list of vehicle issues. my mate asked.....have you come off "the Gibb?"
The response floored my mate.............Yes I left Kununurra this Morning...........my response was.....What a waste of time and what a bloody idiot. Sadly this sort of story is not uncommon. That is 640km of gravel road.....

Number 2 would be overloading............I see so many people now, who feel the need to have their Outback and Kimberley wilderness experience in a 4 bedroom two storey apartment (complete with lap pool) swinging off the back of their Landcruiser completely overloaded and driving at a speed well in excess of their ability and experience.

I see examples of this each and every day without exception. 
There is no need for Canoes and Bicycles for the majority as they never seem to get removed from their racks.
The purpose of this rant is to try to make YOUR experience more enjoyable and less expensive.

Just remember current recovery cost by flat top recovery truck from near the Kalumburu turn off on the Gibb is around $5000.00 

Keep in mind the locals drive this road all the time with minimal problems, with most complaining of the speed visitors travel on unmade roads.  

Kununurra is over 3500km from Perth and over 800km from Darwin, so when you arrive in town don't expect us to have every part your require, or to get your Volkswagen Toureg serviced, or have replacement 20" low profile tyres for your pride and joy all waiting for you to drive into town. The population doubles this time of year and our service bookings are booked out close to 2 weeks in advance. 

Prepare your gear and do preventative maintenance before you leave home, and remember, what works in Tasmania may not necessarily be the best option up here. 

Just ask the guy who came into work the other day trying to charge four deep cycle batteries and a start Battery (5 x batteries) off his alternator unsuccessfully, and blaming faulty batteries.
It is a different ball game up here. The days are hot and the evenings are mild so trying to run 2 or 3 fridges off solar and vehicle is not an easy task. Many try and most fail miserably........

The majority of people plan a night or two at El Questro for example, I spent a week there last time and that wasn't anywhere near long enough......... and that was my 5th visit!

One last gripe, which I see all the time.............do yourself a favour and refuse to start the engine until your passenger removes their feet from on top of the dash. Airbags go off with great force and while probably saving your life can leave you with broken noses. broken ribs and multiple injuries. with your feet on the dash, if this happens, trying to enjoy the rest of your holiday with your shattered broken legs jammed tightly up you clacker will not be pleasant!!

Over time I will try to post common issues and tips to try to help you have a relaxed and trouble free visit to the Best place in Australia.

Bye for Now......


 

Up the River without a Paddle

Hello All
With the Ord Valley Muster in full swing, the Town has filled up. And with that comes some benefits.
I have flown over Lake Argyle and the Bungles, and enjoyed the sunset Cruise on the Lake on previous visits, but never got around to doing the Lake to Lake Triple J cruise.
To celebrate the 30 year anniversary they were doing the Tour at 30 year old prices, so instead of $185, I got the tour for $80 too good to miss.

Powering up the Ord River

 It is a 55 kilometre trip to the Argyle Dam Wall and another 55 kilometres back again via the River.

Ord River

 Lake Kununurra Diversion Dam backs the water up for some considerable distance before you reach the river proper.

along the Ord River

 Once the River is reached things get a bit more exciting.

the rapids begin

 Now, ripping along at over 50kph in a 50 seater boat in a river not much wider than the boat, and in less than a metre of water gets the blood pumping.

Lake Argyle Dam wall from below

 The boat was quite impressive with 3 x 350hp outboard motors pushing it from zero to hero in no time.

the beast

 At the base of the wall is a 30 Megawatt Hydro Power station built in 1996 and powers Kununurra, Wyndham and the majority of power to Argyle Diamond mine.

Argyle Hydro Power Station

 On the way up we were on a Schedule to meet the bus with more passengers, so the down river trip was more informative.

Fruit Bat having a strech

 

big boat, narrow river

The Skipper, Jeff, was very knowledgeable and informative.

Jacana and chicks

 Late afternoon cruising down the river was displaying the colours of the Kimberley.
 

Late afternoon in the kimberley

 

afternoon colours

As the afternoon drew to a close we made out way back towards Kununurra.

We sat and watched the sun go down over Lake Kununurra before docking for the day.

Bye for now
 

Loving life in the East Kimberley

Hello all, 
I'm all settled in, and loving being back in the Kimberley.
The scenery and sunsets here has to be seen to be believed.

Ivanhoe Crossing

 With the start of the Gibb River Road a mere 25 minutes away I plan to spend a lot of time out chasing photos.

Bindoola Falls

 Today I went for a cruise out to Bindoola Falls hoping there was still water coming over the falls. The East Kimberley unfortunately had a fairly dry Wet Season unlike the West Kimberley. My friends in Derby copped a drenching.

Stunning Boab with the Cockburn Range as a backdrop

 While the Town here is starting to fill up it is still relatively quiet out on the Gibb, but with Mitchell Falls Track opening last Thursday that will soon change.

Boab and Cockburn Range

 I think the weather is holding a few people back, as the hot weather doesn't seem to want to leave, with 36-38c daytime temperatures and 19-23c at night.
Next Saturday I am booked on the 55k boat cruise up the Ord River to the Argyle Dam Wall and 55k back during sunset. so I am looking forward to getting some good pictures.

Cockburn Range

 Now working in Town i am also looking forward to getting some hot tips from the locals about those hidden gems that only the locals know about.
Bye for now until an update next weekend after the cruise.

From 6 to 42 in 12 Days

Hello all
Relocation  is now complete and a new adventure begins.......

Over the last 12 days I have relocated from Siberia to Heaven, it was 6.5c when i left Manjimup, where I have been working for the last 13 months.
First port of call was Perth and dinner with friends. I have covered the North West coastal highway in previous posts so will not go into too much detail this time.

Bridgetown heading North

 With everything going well I pressed on through Geraldton and Carnarvon, About half way between Carnarvon and Karratha whammo the heat hit with fury........
All the way through to nearly Broome was 42c day temperatures and high 20's at night so free camping was off the list. you can't run the airconditioning in the van on Gum Trees.

Approaching Broome the temperatures dropped to a more pleasant 35-36c but with that the humidity soared. during the day was quite good but once the sun went down the humidity was well over 80% with temps sitting around 27c at night.
Being school holidays friends from Derby towed their van down for the week, suffice to say we spent a lot of time catching up in the pool....... 

The hilux on Cable Beach

Sunset on Cable Beach

Camel rides on Cable Beach

It was nice to experience Broome without the rush and crush of Tourist Season,

Cable Beach

Cable beach

After a few days in Broome catching up with friends and getting a few last minute things sorted it was time to head onward.

The countryside was looking good after the recent numerous tropical lows and cyclones.

The Van towed beautifully behind the Hilux, even in the 42c temperatures. The only issues I had was, for some reason my driving lights decided to stop working (yet to investigate) and I need to fit some sort of vent into the roof of the alloy canopy on the ute. On hot days I could slow cook a roast in there.........and with the Waeco in there running on freeze its working pretty hard.

I was opening the Scupper vent on the van on hot days travelling and that was keeping the van from heating up so much, so I need to do something similar for the canopy.

Scupper vent faces forward and creates positive air pressure in the van limiting dust entry

So now I settle into my new adventure in the East Kimberley, I have iconic destinations like Home Valley, Elquestro, and Lake Argyle a little over an hour away. Places like The Bungles and Gregory National Park an easy weekend away.

 

Meanwhile, "just another day in the Kimberley" taken at Ivanhoe Crossing just outside town. 

Stay tuned for more regular updates as I head out and about in this stunning part of the country.

 

Bye for now.