SYDNEY BROOME TRIP 2006
Saturday 17 June to Friday 23 June
Timber Creek to Kununurra
Blog 8
Our stay at Timber Creek was not what we thought it would be. We had planned on seeing Limestone Gorge but the road was still closed The Police Station Museum at Timber Creek was also closed but we enjoyed seeing what was outside anyway and then we decided to stop at all the lookouts west of Timber creek on our way to Lake Argyle.
Policeman’s Point Lookout was down along the magnificent Victoria River then the Timber Creek Scenic Lookout took us to the top of a hill which over looked the town of Timber Creek, the meandering of the Victoria River and the valleys. It also had a monument to the Nackeroos, a volunteer group that kept a watch over the territory during WW2. They are fantastic stories and things that we knew nothing about. Our last stop near Timber Creek was Gregory’s Tree Boardwalk which was the Boab tree that the explorer Augustus Gregory had marked in October 1855 and July 1856 when he left. The writing was beautiful and had grown as the tree had grown.
We crossed into Western Australia gave up any fruit we had left, turned back our clocks 1.5 hours and headed for Lake Argyle.
The colours of Lake Argyle were striking, the red of the rocks the blue of the water and the sky and the trees were fantastic. We explored some of the surrounds of the man made lake which was built to irrigate the farms at Kununurra. We drove to the top of the Water Tank Lookout then on down to the Boat Ramp, over the Dam Wall and down to the Ord River Power station. We then headed to Dead Horse Springs and Pannikin Sunset Lookout which were 4 WD tracks. We just managed to get there at sunset and the view was breathtaking.
We visited the Durack’s Homestead that had been dismantled and re-assembled exactly as it was. We had been here on the previous trip so we just waited in the beautiful garden and watched the Bower Birds in their nest. It was fantastic.
In the evening we took a sunset cruise on the Argyle Lake. The Lake is so big that it is classed as an inland sea. It is 18 times the volume of Sydney Harbour.
We saw rock wallabies, very large fresh water crocodiles, archer fish that squirt at insects out of the water in order to make them drop and then they eat them. They are very accurate with their squirt. The huge spiders that we have been seeing everywhere are called Golden Orb spiders. They are not dangerous but their web is SO strong that NASA analyzed it and has since produced synthetic material out of the same compound for space suits and other things.
We then drove on to Kununurra and made it our home base for a few days. Time to stop, relax and do a bit of much needed house keeping.
Kununurra is surrounded by large farms of melons, mangoes, sugar cane and lots of other crops. The Barra Barra mango and paw paw farm provided a beautiful spot for lunch by the lagoon filled with lilies and to our surprise a water python. We drove through some of the farms and saw the amazing structure of the irrigation in the area. There are canals of water at the edge of the paddock and tubes that pump the water the length of the rows. There is also a paddle wheel set up that regulates where the water goes.
We stopped at Ivanhoe Crossing which is the old river crossing of the Ord River before the Ord River scheme was established. The river was flowing too quickly to be able to cross. We tasted the local rum at Hoochery Rum Distillery and managed to get to Kelly’s Knob lookout at sunset and enjoyed the beautiful view of the Kununurra area and its farms.
We decided to take the 4WD track to Wyndham and started with crossing Valentine Springs which was a lovely fishing and camping spot. Even though there are a lot of salt water crocodiles, people still fish!!!! We then drove to the other side of Ivanhoe crossing where we were yesterday.
The river looked quite different from the other side. Ivanhoe crossing was the original road to Ivanhoe Station which was one of the original Durack properties. We then continued along the track and took the turn off to Middle springs which was very beautiful and then on to Black Rock Falls which didn’t have any water in it this far into the dry. Our next stop was lunch at the most magic bird sanctuary. It was Parry’ Lagoon Nature Reserve and the hide on the Lagoon made it possible to watch the birds closely in their environment. It was a magic spot.
We stopped off at the Afghan Cemetery and were amused to see that the graves were large because when the camel drivers died they were buried with their head camel!!!
We continued on to Wyndham which is pretty much a dead town now since the building of Kununurra in 1961 and the closing of the meat works at Wyndham. The best spot in Wyndham is the 5 rivers lookout where the Pentacost, Durack, King, Forest and Ord Rivers all enter the sea. It is a superb sight. They are all mighty rivers.
We drove down to look at Wyndham Port and then onto the Crocodile farm which is now under administration. The huge Aboriginal Dreamtime Statues are majestic and then we headed to see the Prison Boab Tree along the King River Road. What a great drive and the road and scenery were great.
Somehow we managed to take a wrong turn and what was supposed to be a short cut to the Gibb River Road and back to Kununurra ended up on a long explore along a beautiful 4WD track with the Pentacost River on our right and the Cockburn Range on our left. We didn’t get home until after dark at about 7:30pm. The track was quite difficult and we were fortunate enough to come across a young local who told us how to get to the Gibb River Rd. It was funny in retrospect and a great drive.
Saturday 17 June to Friday 23 June
Timber Creek to Kununurra
Blog 8
Our stay at Timber Creek was not what we thought it would be. We had planned on seeing Limestone Gorge but the road was still closed The Police Station Museum at Timber Creek was also closed but we enjoyed seeing what was outside anyway and then we decided to stop at all the lookouts west of Timber creek on our way to Lake Argyle.
Policeman’s Point Lookout was down along the magnificent Victoria River then the Timber Creek Scenic Lookout took us to the top of a hill which over looked the town of Timber Creek, the meandering of the Victoria River and the valleys. It also had a monument to the Nackeroos, a volunteer group that kept a watch over the territory during WW2. They are fantastic stories and things that we knew nothing about. Our last stop near Timber Creek was Gregory’s Tree Boardwalk which was the Boab tree that the explorer Augustus Gregory had marked in October 1855 and July 1856 when he left. The writing was beautiful and had grown as the tree had grown.
We crossed into Western Australia gave up any fruit we had left, turned back our clocks 1.5 hours and headed for Lake Argyle.
The colours of Lake Argyle were striking, the red of the rocks the blue of the water and the sky and the trees were fantastic. We explored some of the surrounds of the man made lake which was built to irrigate the farms at Kununurra. We drove to the top of the Water Tank Lookout then on down to the Boat Ramp, over the Dam Wall and down to the Ord River Power station. We then headed to Dead Horse Springs and Pannikin Sunset Lookout which were 4 WD tracks. We just managed to get there at sunset and the view was breathtaking.
We visited the Durack’s Homestead that had been dismantled and re-assembled exactly as it was. We had been here on the previous trip so we just waited in the beautiful garden and watched the Bower Birds in their nest. It was fantastic.
In the evening we took a sunset cruise on the Argyle Lake. The Lake is so big that it is classed as an inland sea. It is 18 times the volume of Sydney Harbour.
We saw rock wallabies, very large fresh water crocodiles, archer fish that squirt at insects out of the water in order to make them drop and then they eat them. They are very accurate with their squirt. The huge spiders that we have been seeing everywhere are called Golden Orb spiders. They are not dangerous but their web is SO strong that NASA analyzed it and has since produced synthetic material out of the same compound for space suits and other things.
We then drove on to Kununurra and made it our home base for a few days. Time to stop, relax and do a bit of much needed house keeping.
Kununurra is surrounded by large farms of melons, mangoes, sugar cane and lots of other crops. The Barra Barra mango and paw paw farm provided a beautiful spot for lunch by the lagoon filled with lilies and to our surprise a water python. We drove through some of the farms and saw the amazing structure of the irrigation in the area. There are canals of water at the edge of the paddock and tubes that pump the water the length of the rows. There is also a paddle wheel set up that regulates where the water goes.
We stopped at Ivanhoe Crossing which is the old river crossing of the Ord River before the Ord River scheme was established. The river was flowing too quickly to be able to cross. We tasted the local rum at Hoochery Rum Distillery and managed to get to Kelly’s Knob lookout at sunset and enjoyed the beautiful view of the Kununurra area and its farms.
We decided to take the 4WD track to Wyndham and started with crossing Valentine Springs which was a lovely fishing and camping spot. Even though there are a lot of salt water crocodiles, people still fish!!!! We then drove to the other side of Ivanhoe crossing where we were yesterday.
The river looked quite different from the other side. Ivanhoe crossing was the original road to Ivanhoe Station which was one of the original Durack properties. We then continued along the track and took the turn off to Middle springs which was very beautiful and then on to Black Rock Falls which didn’t have any water in it this far into the dry. Our next stop was lunch at the most magic bird sanctuary. It was Parry’ Lagoon Nature Reserve and the hide on the Lagoon made it possible to watch the birds closely in their environment. It was a magic spot.
We stopped off at the Afghan Cemetery and were amused to see that the graves were large because when the camel drivers died they were buried with their head camel!!!
We continued on to Wyndham which is pretty much a dead town now since the building of Kununurra in 1961 and the closing of the meat works at Wyndham. The best spot in Wyndham is the 5 rivers lookout where the Pentacost, Durack, King, Forest and Ord Rivers all enter the sea. It is a superb sight. They are all mighty rivers.
We drove down to look at Wyndham Port and then onto the Crocodile farm which is now under administration. The huge Aboriginal Dreamtime Statues are majestic and then we headed to see the Prison Boab Tree along the King River Road. What a great drive and the road and scenery were great.
Somehow we managed to take a wrong turn and what was supposed to be a short cut to the Gibb River Road and back to Kununurra ended up on a long explore along a beautiful 4WD track with the Pentacost River on our right and the Cockburn Range on our left. We didn’t get home until after dark at about 7:30pm. The track was quite difficult and we were fortunate enough to come across a young local who told us how to get to the Gibb River Rd. It was funny in retrospect and a great drive.
