Into the beautiful WA and our first stop is at Kununurra for some groceries after handing over all fruit and veg at the border then on to Purnululu for the night. On Kirsty’s Must Do List is a helicopter ride over the Bungle Bungles. We arrived at the park about 2.30pm and there was a space on the 3pm flight so off she went.
The campground was a bit crappy so we left the next day to head to Fitzroy Crossing where we’d stayed before and really liked. Stopped at Hall’s Creek for petrol (not somewhere you stop for fun). Service Station has large signs to lock your car while filling and paying. The whole town is barred or caged up and the Tourist Info Office, which previously had some lovely merchandise, has closed altogether. A quick coffee in a cage
The two other things on Kirsty’s Must Do List were a cruise on the Victoria River at Timber Creek which unfortunately had stopped due to Covid and had never resumed, and the Geike Gorge cruise from Fitzroy Crossing which we had both done previously and really enjoyed. We duly booked for the 4pm cruise and arrived in plenty of time. Hung about chatting with the other passengers as the Ranger said there was going to be a delay. Half an hour later another ranger comes to tell us that a King Brown had been sunning itself on the boat and when they tried to catch it, it hid under the seats and they couldn’t get it out. Cruise cancelled due to King Brown!! Kirsty was very disappointed but it wouldn’t have been good to be on the trip and have the snake reappear – decisions, get bitten by a King Brown or jump overboard and take your chances with the crocs.
Poor Kirsty only got to do one of her four Must Do’s but, it’s ok, cos I have a big list and she can do mine with me plus we’re heading to Derby so she can do the Horizontal Falls trip.
Stopped overnight at a great free stop further along the way called Mary Pool,
and while sitting doing nothing except soaking up the serenity, I spied a Bowerbird’s bower. How lucky was that?
Then on to Derby
where we stayed at Birdwood Cattle Station on the Gibb River Road as we’d been advised it wasn’t safe to stay in town.
The airport was only about half an hour away from camp and well out of town so it was easy for me to drop Kirsty off to do her tour. She said it was fantastic but, at $1,000 for a five hour trip to see rushing water, I’m happy I stayed behind.
Then on to Broome, which we hadn’t planned on going to but, at the last minute decided to go up to Cape Leveque. We had been there 9 years ago when it was a rugged 4×4 track only but we’d heard that it was now sealed road all the way up and, as it was so stunningly beautiful, figured we’d have another look.
But the newish bitumin road up the centre of The Dampier Peninsula is literally the road to nowhere . All the roads off to various points of interest and scenic spots had been blocked off and we were warned of steep fines should we try to enter. We were told that the two First Nation communities, who now owned the land, were feuding so had decided to close everything up. We drove 416kms to look at bitumen. The less said about that the better.
Neverthless, we did happen to be in Broome at the right time (again) to witness the Staircase to the Moon.
Starting to see quite a few wildflowers now, which is just gorgeous.
A quick side trip in to see Port Smith (very pretty)
and now we’re at the truly stunningly gorgeous 80 Mile Beach.
