Week 11 of the DownUnder Tour

Week 11 of the DownUnder Tour

We began this week with what has to be one of the highlights of the trip so far. We took a flight over the East Kimberly area, including the Ord River Dam, Lake Argyle, the Bungle Bungles, and the Argyle Diamond Mine.

It was a 4:30 am wake up so we would be sure to be prepared for the sunrise flight but we were all smiles nonetheless as we piled into the small 8 seater plane for the trip.

As you can see from the pics, the Ord River Dam was a very big project in its day, with the resulting creation of Lake Argyle in its present form. Note the curvature of the dam wall from the picture on the left. It is part of a huge irrigation scheme that is the lifeblood to the cropping industry in this region, and it is planned to be expanded to a much larger area when the state and federal governments stop arguing about the funding and get on with it.

Lake Argyle is the world’s largest manmade body of water and Australia’s only inland sea, holding on average 9 times the volume of water of Sydney Harbour. During the wet season Lake Argyle can double in size and has literally hundreds of waterfalls. As I have shown sooo many waterfalls in recent weeks, I'll spare you pics of these and focus on the more unique aspects of this area.

When the dam was constructed it required the relocation of a cattle station but now provides an incredible resource to supply the region with an ample supply of water.

There is a unique stone called Zebra Rock, which is only found in this area and is mined from a low peninsula in Lake Argyle. The area can only be accessed at the end of the dry season, which means it is only accessible for about 1-2 months of the year. The rock can have different variations but generally looks like the pic shown. It is made into everything from jewellry to vases to coasters, as shown, and its value is derived from its rarity.

The area surrounding Lake Argyle is also quite scenic, with a number of creeks extending from the lake, and mountains surrounding much of the area.

Though I did not take the time to wet a line, the fishing is reportedly good for poor quality fish such as catfish but the larger and more desirable fish such as the barramundi are said to be quite scarce in the lake itself. The Ord river, however, has a better reputation for an area to catch fish but is also home to more sharks and crocs which may take their share of a catch before you get it within arm's reach.

The Bungle Bungles are 360million years old, give or take an hour or two, and are similar to the "bee hive" structures we saw at King's Canyon, only a few hundred km's west of Alice Springs.

The photos do not do justice to the views as it is difficult to capture the depth of the mountains, especially in photo sizes this small.

Returning from the Bungle Bungles we flew over the Argyle diamond mine, which produces over 1/3 of the world’s diamonds. The pilot was telling us that the workers there are paid very well, being able to make over $400 per day as well as having their accommodation and meals provided. The mine is owned by Rio Tinto so perhaps that is one of the reasons the shares are now over $100.00 each! The Argyle Diamond mine is an open cut mine, though we did not spot any diamonds from the air. :)

The scale of an operation like this is immense, with dump trucks having tyres twice the height of most people.

Access to the mine is primarily from air, with the mine having one of the largest private runways in Australia. The diamonds are flown in and out which provides an element of security but if the cargo door ever flies open mid-flight I hope to be nearby!

I was a little concerned that the children might be uneasy in such a small plane with the associated occasional turbulence, but they relished it!

Our next stop was Fitzroy Crossing, home of Geike Gorge. This time we did not take to the air, but rather to the water, with an afternoon cruise of the gorge.

The gorge is fed by the Fitzroy River system and water levels can vary significantly depending on the time of year. There was an interesting array of wildlife in the area and the ever present crocs by the dozens.

There were also these brolgas in a field near the gorge. As you can see there are quite a few of them, though they did not dance for us.

I will leave it there for this week but next week will cover Windjana Gorge, Tunnel Creek and Horizontal Falls so don't miss it!

Week 10 of the DownUnder Tour

Well after two weeks we finally felt we had “done” Darwin and once again headed south. First stop was Berry Springs, which is actually a spring fed series of pools that one can swim through, moving either upstream or downstream depending on whether you are Ian Thorpe or Tom & 2 children. The water temperature is very pleasant and there are reportedly no crocs in the pools, which is always a consideration when this far north. Leaving the springs and heading back to the motorhome for a bit of lunch, Mariah made a friend, a green tree frog that must have thought she was a tree. Small wonder the way she is growing, but he climbed right up her until he was on top of her head, stayed there for a while then climbed down and hopped away a bit only to come back and climb Christian! We finally took him back to a tree near the pools and headed out before he could follow us.
From Berry Springs we continued south to Litchfield National Park. This is a very large park with many areas to see so we allowed a few days. Our first foray into the park was to Buley Rock Hole, stopping at some termite mounds along the way. Yes, I know I have written about big termite mounds but couldn’t help sharing this one with you, along with an enlarged photo of one of the million or so blind residents.
We have learned that there are many different varieties of termites, most of which can be differentiated by their mounds. The mounds vary from the type in the picture to ones that look like dinosaur droppings to ones that are shaped like tombstones, with a wide face but narrow depth, reference pictures. These types are referred to as “magnetic termite mounds” because the mounds are typically oriented north – south so the wide sections are exposed to the east-west sun, providing the termites with the heat they need to stay active.
According to the signage in the area the termites are the “principle grazers of the plains, consuming more grass than all the other inhabitants put together”. No wonder the cattle look a bit thin!
Upon arriving at Buley Rock Hole we donned our swimmers and took the short track to the spring fed series of cascading pools. Christian of course had to swim in each and every one of them. There was a goanna on the prowl who thought maybe I would serve as a light snack and walked up to me and licked me on first the shoe and then the shin. He finally backed off when I began to recite my BBQ’d Goanna recipe, but was quite at home wandering amongst the tourists.
The next area of the park we explored was Florence Falls, where a short hike takes one to a lookout overlooking this majestic waterfall. From the lookout you can continue down the “Shady Creek” walk where there are more scenic creek crossings as well as a tropical rainforest boasting both high temperatures (about 28 degrees C) and high humidity, (of around 78%). The area has an abundance of wildlife, including this rock wallaby.
The bottom of Florence Falls is nearly as pretty as the top but perhaps more tempting for a swim.
On one of the nights we spent in Litchfield, we stayed in the campground adjacent to Wangi Falls, an area that they have closed to the public for now due to a number of drownings as a result of people getting trapped under water from the currents from the falls.
For sheer beauty though, have a look at the photo on the left of Tolmer Falls, one of the falls with a big vertical drop into a deep pool in a gorge. The beauty of nature is everywhere here, from the flowering gum nuts to the bower birds bowers. Note that whilst blue is the colour of choice for ornaments in Queensland with the bower birds, in the Northern Territory it is white. Comically, since coming to WA, we have noted that the bower birds use both blue and white, just to be sure I guess.
From Litchfield we ventured south again to Katherine where we made the turn to the west toward WA. We revisited the Katherine Hot Springs and explored areas such as low level crossing, (pictured).
Between Katherine and the border is Gregory National Park, offering a hike providing splendid views over the ranges and Victoria River. This was a good place to stretch the legs and get the blood moving as we headed up the escarpment for some fresh air.
We finally made it to the West Australia border and the quarantine station where we donated our remaining lettuce, cabbage and limes. It did not seem too bad at the time, but once we got to the next town to restock, you would not believe the prices of fruit & veggies! I may never pay $2.96 for 2 limes again, but one really needs them to make a proper gin & tonic right?
Next week we take to the air with a flight over the Bungle Bungles, Lake Argyle and the diamond mine, take a cruise through Geeky Gorge in Fitzroy Crossing, then head to Derby, (home of the biggest tides in the southern hemisphere) to celebrate Maree's birthday, take a 4 wheel drive coach tour of Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek.
What an incredible country!