Farewell Western Australia, It's Been Amazing

After nine glorious months it is finally time to say farewell to Western Australia. We arrived in WA at the tail end of the cooler weather in October, basked in the southern sunshine of a western australian summer and in the last few months enjoyed the tropical weather as those back home shivered though the east coast winter. We have been lucky enough to be visited by old friends and family, meet new friends and come across some folk like no others. We were blessed with amazing hospitality from some, enjoyed kicking back in tune with the WA lifestyle and saw landscapes which could only be imagined in dreams.

But we are ready for the next stage of our adventure and can't wait to see what the Northern Territory has to offer. Here's a quick wrap up of the best and the worst of our experience in WA. The best experiences easily outweigh the not so great.

Top 5 Best Ever:

1. Exploring the untamed outback of The Kimberley

2. Becoming a local in Margaret River (including kicking back at the sunday sessions at the tav, swimming in the less known beaches, tasting amazing wines and hanging out at the markets on saturday mornings).

3. The beaches of Esperence

4. Snorkelling and Fishing in the Ningaloo Reef

5. The colours of the PIlbara

Because it's almost impossible to limit the list to 5, it's worth mentioning some of the other highlights, which included: Drinking a beer at Kalbarri Hotel as the sun set, shopping, eating and walking around Freemantle, Searching out quokkas on Rottnest Island, camping right on the beach and playing with the dolphins at Shark Bay, watching an outdoor movie in Broome, relishing the cool depths of the southern forests and hanging out in Perth and Albany with old friends and family we hadn't seen in years.

Least Favourite

1. Camp Hosts!! Almost every campsite in every national park in WA is now managed by live-in grey nomads who get to stay for free in return for collecting money and cleaning the toilets. This sounds ok, except the treat the campsites like their own little kingdom, and those who dare step out of line… watch out.

2. Port Hedland. Need we say more.

3. The boring and incredibly long driving distance between everything on the west coast.

4. The lack of shade everywhere between Perth and Broome.

5. Fuel for $3.70/L at Kalumberu.

The Kimberley

Exploring the Kimberley has been one of, if not the main reason for undertaking our trip. And that's exactly what we have just done. In the last three weeks we have travelled over 1,500 kms through a region three times the size of England with less than 40,000 inhabitants. From the wide horizons of the grassy savannahs, up into the remarkable mountain ranges, down into the stunning gorges and picture perfect rock pools, through the luscious palm forests, and out along the remote coastline, the Kimberley truly is one of the most remote and spectacular places on earth.

Having seen and done so many things over the past three weeks, it would have been prudent to separate the Kimberley experience into separate blog posts. However, to truly appreciate the Kimberley journey, it is best told from it's beginning in Derby to its end at Kununurru. So please excuse the lengthy nature of this post but I hope you enjoy following us along the Gibb River Road and beyond.

We set off from Derby armed with 200 litres of diesel, 40 litres of petrol, 140 litres of water and as much food as we could physically carry. The Gibb River Road travels 700km through the guts of the Kimberley. It has been heralded as one of the last true outback adventures in Australia and is renowned for being isolated and often rough and should only be attempted by 4WD cars and road side signs repeatedly advise of bringing ample supplies to make the journey. However, upon setting out we travelled along over 100km of sealed road and passed several caravans, not exactly the outback challenge we had expected. We soon got over our disappointment over this minor point as we watched the scenery rolling past; boab trees speckled amongst the drying floodplains and riverbeds. The remnant greenery that was evidence of the recently passed wet season was almost gone and was giving way to the  gold, brown, red and yellow colours of the arid dry season. 

Our first night was spent at Winjana Gorge National Park. As we drove across the grasslands we caught a glimpse of a dark looming shape ahead, which we assumed to be a small mountain range. As we approached closer we realised it was the dark rock of a 100m high cliff face. We were later to learn the cliff forms part of a Devonian Reef, millions of years old and we were driving on what once was the ocean floor. It was both humbling and spectacular. We arrived in time to set up camp at the base of the cliffs and watch as the sunset turned them from black to red. Winjana Gorge is the giant chasm that the Lennard River has cut through the reef. We spent the following day exploring the river banks, searching out the native figs and getting acquainted with the resident fresh water crocodiles (no, Rob didn't use the zoom on the photo below, he really was that close).

We didn't travel far to our next stop, the King Leopold Range Conservation Park. The campground was again lovely and we were pleasantly surprised to bump into some fellow travelling friends, The Wrights, who joined us along the Gibb over the next few days. The drive through the King Leopold Ranges is spectacular and we were able to further explore the beauty of the ranges by foot when we walked into the stunning Bell Gorge.

We made camp for the next couple of nights on the banks of the Manning River. It was a gorgeous swimming spot (no crocodiles) and was also the start of another amazing walk into the Kimberley Gorges, this time the Manning Gorge. The swimming hole is quite literally the start of the walk, we had to swim across the river to get to the walk and we floated all our stuff, including Jarvis, across in boxes.

At this point of our journey we turned north off the Gibb River Road onto Kalumburu Road. This road is a little less travelled so was a bit rough going. We went about 60km before stopping in at Drysdale Station for the night. The station was a hub of activity, a little shop, fuel station, accommodation, camping, a beer garden and a huge workshop. While we set up camp we watched several trailers limp down the drive past us (broken axles and springs), this didn't look good for the condition of the road further north. One group came in armed with several boats, trucks and every accessory known to man and the Wright kids started hopping around like mad kids. Apparently the mob that had turned up were the cast and crew of the show "All for Adventure", a big favourite in the Wright household. Much to the kids delight we ended up sitting round the communal fire in the beer garden chatting to them late into the night.

The next day, armed with extra fuel and water and our last hot shower for a while, we tackled the road to Kalumburu. It wasn't as bad as we expected but it still took us 6 hours to travel 230km. The drive was worth the effort in itself, the bush was beautiful and we saw dingos, brumbies and all sorts of birds. Fire is a constant presence in the Kimberley but we hadn't come quite as close to the flames and smoke as we did on this drive. The fires are mostly slow moving grass fires and are deliberately lit and are used as a conservation management tool, the appropriateness of which is widely debated. However, it is easy to see why fire is favoured by so many, the green grass shoots carpet the recently burnt ground and everything seems to spring to life once the fire has passed.

Kalumburu is a picturesque community nestled among giant mango trees and coconut palms. As we drove into town the road was littered with kids, dogs and neighbours stopping for a chat and the the air was filled with the smoke of evening fires cooking up dinners. There is a lovely mission from which Rob remembers buying fresh bread that the nuns had made. Unfortunately the nuns are no longer in residence but the pastor was very friendly and allowed us to fill up our water tanks. In return Rob helped them load some large rocks into the tractor.

We camped at Honeymoon Bay, one of the best places we've been on this trip. Honeymoon Bay is Les' place. He has lived there for over 20 years and his kids and grandkids all live there now too. But the real star of the show is George, he will take you fishing for the cost of the fuel (a bargain if you consider the $300 fishing charters elsewhere), he'll give you fishing tips for free, collect firewood and just generally make sure everyone is happy and the place is running smoothly. The campsites overlook the white sandy beach below and the mangroves over the far side of the bay. We spent over a week fishing and exploring the surrounding bays and rivers by boat and lazing about the camp baking bread, painting and reading. It was a great week but the highlight was definitely the fishing, we caught several large Spanish Mackerel, Trevally, Queen Fish, a small Mangrove Jack and even a couple of Barramundi. Some fellow campers also collected some black lip oysters which we got to try after we cooked them on the coals.

The croc trap (not sure what the chair is for)

Still falling asleep in the boat

Sprinkler Fun

After a restful week we felt ready to tackle Mitchell Falls. To get to the falls we had to take a 100km very rough road off the Kalumburu Road to a campsite, where we readied ourselves for the 8.6km return walk the next morning. The walk was hard going with Jarvis but he was a trooper, he did about 3km of the walk by foot and the rest in the backpack (good going dad). Although the walk was hard work, it was amazing every step of the way. We passed across the grassy plains and into the palm laden river beds, past lily ponds and of course the waterfalls. They are tremendous. There are two smaller falls on the way there providing nice resting and swimming spots and the Mitchell Falls themselves comprised of a four tiered waterfall cascading into dark green pools set against the red rock.

We stumbled upon some amazing Aboriginal rock art sites along the walk into the falls, not an uncommon occurrence in the Kimberley, but we were lucky enough to have most of them to ourselves. There are literally thousands of rock art sites across the Kimberley, most unknown and unsuited by white man. The Wanjina art is associated with the contemporary communities of the area and is at least 4,000 years old. The often large scale, solid appearance of Wanjina art is in stark contrast to the Bradshaw / Gwion art. Bradshaw paintings have been found in tens of thousands of sites covering an area roughly the size of spain. The works are nothing like Aboriginal art found in other parts of the country and a great deal of controversy surrounds their origins. We visited several art sites including large rock caves covered in paintings, tiny nooks which we would have missed if we didn't look down at the exact right time and we even stumbled upon a burial site of two adults and child. We silently and respectfully moved on, obviously without taking any photos.

The journey out of the Kimberley was through some of the most spectacular scenery of the journey. The Cockburn Ranges are certainly some of the most stunning ranges in the country, shaped like a vast round fortress of high orange cliffs, they rise to over 600 metres above the surrounding plains. The formations are shaped by the rivers cutting through them. The largest of which is the Pentacost River, which we had to cross to make our final stretch of the Gibb River Road. The river crossing can be deep and saltwater crocodiles apparently like to hang about here. But Big Red had no troubles and we weren't hanging around to meet any hungry salties.

Although the final leg of the journey through the Kimberley was magnificent, it was also somewhat deflating. After such fabulous camping grounds and friendly stations, we were a little disappointed at the overpriced, busy resort style stations at the eastern end of the Gibb. Both Home Valley Station and El Questro were amazing stations to behold with manicured gardens, bars, pools and all the trimmings but rather than revelling in the luxury after our time in the bush, we were just a bit overwhelmed by it. So after a short visit at both, we decided to push on to Kununurra. 

Sitting here now in Kununurra in the lush Ord River Valley, we are dusting off and letting the memories of the last few weeks settle in. To say it was a trip of a lifetime doesn't seem quite right, as we are still on our journey. But somehow it does feel that we have completed something amazing. The Kimberley will forever hold our hearts and we are sure to be back someday.

Broome Time

Broome is a tropical haven tucked away in the corner of the country, over 2,000km north of Perth (almost 4,000km if you came the way we did) and not really near anything except bush, ocean and wilderness. So it is even more amazing to find such a buzzing town with a thriving cafe and bar scene, boutique shops and bustling weekend markets all under the shade of the boab trees and set to a backdrop of the milky blue waters of Roebuck Bay and sparkling Cable Beach.

We have had two visits to Broome; three days before we went up the Dampier Peninsula and another fours days when we got back. We filled our time wandering through Chinatown, drinking local beers at the Matzos Brewery (including their famous ginger beer), watching the sunset from Cable Beach while the camels wander past, swimming in the gorgeous pool at the caravan park, strolling on the jetty, climbing the rocks at the lighthouse and watching movies at sun pictures.

The caravan park was more like a resort than the rough old parks we've grown accustomed to. The sites were shaded by tropical trees and the pool was spectacular. But the best park was the kids. Jarvis would disappear to the playground every afternoon and ride bikes all around the streets of the caravan park till dusk. His squeals of delight that rang across the campsites were enough to convince us to stay the extra few days.

We were only really expecting our stay in Broome to be a gateway to the Kimberly, somewhere to restock and have a hot shower. However, we were pleasantly surprised Broome with it's laid back  nature and super friendly people.

Mothers Day Breakfast at Cable Beach

 Town Beach

 Courthouse Markets

Caravan Park Pool

Sun Pictures - the oldest picture gardens in the world. 

Jarvis saw his first ever cinema movie (Salmon Fishing in the Yemon)

excuse the first two borrowed photos: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk & fededesigntextiles.blogspot.com.au

Dampier Peninsula

We have just had two amazing weeks. Now that sounds crazy since for the last ten months we've basically been on holiday. But there have been occasions on this trip where our expectations are surpassed. The last two weeks north of Broome, in the Dampier Peninsula, have been one of those occasions. It's wasn't one amazing feature of the area, it was more a combination of lots of things; the deserted beaches, white sand, red cliffs, lush bushland, being able to access sacred and remote Aboriginal Land, being welcomed into friendly Aboriginal communities, cooking bread in the camp oven, catching and eating huge fish and cuddling up by the fire at night.

We spent the first week in the Munget Community (Whalesong). The Munget Community is set on dense bushland overlooking the southern end of Pender Bay. It is idyllic and secluded in every sense of the words. We happened upon a description of the place by chance and then found it very difficult to get any info on where they were or even how to contact them. Of course this made us want to stay there even more. We did get in contact and we did find them. And our efforts were not in vain. 

We were welcomed into the lovely property of Jacinta, Lenny and their four kids; they are the only permanent residents of the Munget Community at the moment but others have come and gone over the years. The family run a cafe out of their house during the dry season, while they move into a safari tent. They have a big vege garden, which supplies the cafe to some extent, and two camels who earn their keep by taking tourists for rides along the beach at a nearby camp ground and spend their days off lolling around in the shade next to the vege garden. The highlight for us though was the camping. They have room for about nine camp sites, each with their own fireplace. There is even a shower which is warm if you use it during the day. We were the only ones there so we chose a shady space, tucked away behind some trees, overlooking the bay. It was the perfect space to hang out for a while. And to really get settled in we cracked out the new hammock. Our last one couldn't quite cope with a family of three piled on and finally gave way. We blame the kid, he just won't stop growing!

We spent the week doing very little except fishing, reading, painting, drawing, cooking, eating and of course lounging in the hammock. We tried to get out in the boat as much as possible but the mornings were pretty windy so that limited us a little. However, we did do some exploring and were blown away by the amazing cliffs, little islands, reefs, pandanas palms, white sandy beaches and the occasional bush shack speckled along the coast. It felt so remote bobbing around on the ocean looking up the striking coast that we felt very privileged to be there. However, of course we forgot the camera, but this in some way seems fitting too. 

The fishing wasn't exceptional. There were plenty of cod (as usual). One even landed in Rob's new hat (it was the final act which has him now dubbed the cod king, after catching more cod than we can count on this trip and now a cod in the hat, it seemed only appropriate). We trolled along the beaches, reefs and deep waters without much to show for it, so we decided to spend a day spinning on the reef (hoping not to catch too many cod). We were finally rewarded for our efforts, a spotted mackerel and a blue bone (both under size so thrown back) and finally a whopper! After a 20 minute battle between man (being Rob) and beast (being the fish), Rob hauled a 1m long Giant Trevally into the boat. It was a massive effort on a fairly light rod. Huge grins and high fives followed, Jarvis wasn't quite sure what all the fuss was about. GT are not supposed to be great eating, especially over 10 to 12kg. However, our fish had put up a long fight and we were uncertain that he would survive if put back. So at an approximate 9kg, we decided to keep him. As it turned out the fish was delicious and there was heaps of it. We gave half of the fillets to the very appreciative family living at Whalesong and the remaining half fed us for two nights.

So we were a well rested, well fed little family as we packed up and left the Munget Community. But not before harvesting some snake beans and rocket from the vege garden. Thank you Jacinta, we were running low on greens by this stage.

We made our way right up to the tip of the peninsula, Cape Leveque. Kooljaman is the Aborignal name for Cape Leveque and is also the name of the camp there. It is almost more of a basic resort than a camp with thatched beach huts, safari tents, cabins and even a restaurant. The cape is spectacular, mostly due to the beaches. The white sandy beaches are great for swimming and fishing and at sunset everyone wanders down to the beach to share a few drinks and a chat, while the kids run of the last of their remaining energy and the keen fisherman make a last attempt at some fishing from the shore.

Unfortunately the wind picked up even more during our stay at Kooljaman and so we didn't get the boat in the water. Rob did some afternoon fishing off the beach but without much luck. However, our travelling companion, 10 year old Clayton brought in a nice sized GT much to the envy of his dad and Rob.

We visited a nearby Aboriginal community called Lombadina. Basil and Caroline Sibosado and their family run Lombadina and are working towards self sufficiency through community ventures which include a general store, artefact and craft shop, a bakery and tourism. We were told everybody here works, nobody takes government handouts. We wandered around the community and bought some crusty wood fired bread (still warm), visited the old church made of paper bark and mangrove and purchased some clapping sticks and hand died silk from the local arts centre.

The church at Lombadina, still in use.

Whilst up here on the Peninsula we've met many people who have been eager to discuss the proposed mining operations at James Price. There seems to be a fairly united front of opposition towards the proposal from most of the Aboriginal groups and other locals and concerned people. For our own part, on our travels through WA we have seen the impacts that mining can have both on the local area and on the towns and communities within them. The Dampier Peninsula is truly one of Australia's last remaining wildernesses and many of the communities up here are trying to make a go of what they have whilst still protecting this fragile environment. In our opinion, the area and the communities within it and nearby Broome could not withstand the impacts associated with off shore gas extraction and in particular the processing operation proposed on the land. it has been estimated (by the mining companies) that thousands of fly in - fly out workers would be required, that's similar to the numbers in areas like Karatha and Port Hedland. It would be a terrible shame to see the Peninsula and Broome end up like so many other mining affected areas in WA.

On our last night in Kooljaman we celebrated Rob's birthday. It was a low key affair, but we had our traditional crepes for breakfast, morning tea at the cafe (with a candle in a muffin), a fishing session and some afternoon drinks with some friends. Really, Rob could't have thought of a better way to celebrate his 34th birthday.

After a fabulous couple of weeks in an amazing part of Australia and with very little food left we packed up headed back to Broome. We're hoping to stock up and plan our attack on the Kimberley and the Gibb River Road.