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Bert’s Loop
  • Regina and Ian
  • Regina and Ian

Bert’s Loop

A 552-day adventure by Regina and Ian Read more
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  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    Walker Creek

    August 28, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    Contrast and them some. It is so pleasant in the valleys with deep shade and plenty of water. Then we find ourselves out on the Savannah Woodland where the water is being sucked out of our bodies.
    Fabulous!

    Walker Creek is a series of deep rocky waterholes that stretches over almost 2 kilometres. The water is abundant, refreshing and clear.

    We walked the length of Walker then branched out for just 8 kilometres of the 39k Tabletop Loop Walk. After being roasted and gulping all our water we returned to one of the Walker Creek rock pools for rejuvenation.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    On the move.

    August 29, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    It doesn’t matter how good our previous camp site was, it feels great to be on the move again. Who knows what is just up the road.

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    1

    Flora River Nature Park

    August 31, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Lordy it’s hot here in the middle of the day. The locals say we are having an early “buildup” this year. However 22° overnight is just about ideal, and mornings are great for getting physical. And the ice cold beer at the end of the day, well we all know what that can do to your spirits.

    Abundant nature, so the park has earned its name.

    A Nail Tailed Wallaby came into the camp last night and showed me her Joey as we prepared dinner for our respective broods. Meanwhile, Regina reported seeing dozens while she was out for a run.

    Plenty of bird life including some nesting White-Bellied Sea Eagle.

    Stretching from just near us and northward on the river, is a colony of Little Red Flying Fox. Cute as, but they stink when you get close to the colony. There is a naturalist staying in the camp. He estimates the colony at 20,000+. Apparently they have ways to measure this.

    On the track to the creek, a very large Olive Python showed me the last almost 2 meters of its body as it disappeared into its burrow. I’ll head back there later to try for a photo.

    March flies.

    Lots of crocs. No swimming in the distinctively limestone coloured waters coming over Djarrung and Kathleen Falls. These are located within 0.5k of our camp and are made of accumulated tufa.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Dashwood Crossing - Victoria River
    Ready for the cattle muster. Big modern multinational resources.Jasper GorgeJasper Gorge

    Top Springs > Timber Creek

    September 2, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Wringing the changes.

    Immediately out of Top Springs we trade the single lane bitumen for gravel.

    Loose grouping of Raptors as the dominant birds are replaced by big flocks of agile Woodswallow.

    The soil is intermittently showing limestone colouring after being predominantly red (I wonder what colour the van will be at days end.

    In the first 65k we have seen ~8 abandoned, burned and mostly overturned cars. Funny that they are all sedans while the few vehicles moving on the surface are all 4x4.

    It’s become a bit more hilly. Undulating terrain replace with small flat topped ranges that produce runoff contributing to small rivers and washouts on the road that can catch you by surprise.

    The route is leaving big pastoral leases behind and heading toward Aboriginal Land Title and the Judbarra/Gregory National Park.

    There is also the normal oscillations between Savannah Woodland into forests around permanent water like Victoria River which lends its name to the famous Victoria River Downs as one of the biggest cattle farms in Australia. VRD was once owned by Vesty and is not far from Wave Hill of sit-down strike fame.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    Gregory River National Park

    September 2, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 34 °C

    First encounter within the Judburra/Gregory (pronounced Jutburra) is Jasper Gorge. So unexpected. Approaching, the escarpment is spectacular with its topping of hard weathering resistant rock. The cliff tops hover 230m above with no obvious way through, until the Gorge reveals itself. From the east it is very narrow and there are a lot of “Oh Wows!” coming from Berts Prado. (A couple of aerial shots borrowed from Google)

    We would turn around a go through again except that we already have 242k on gravel today. Probably don’t need more.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    51

    Sortie Into Gregory River NP

    September 3, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    We left the van and came with a tent and some basic camp gear.

    The entry road of the park is beautifully graded and the progress is so easy. Perhaps we should have brought the van.

    Our first objective is Limestone Gorge, but the sign says “Closed to all vehicles, bicycles or walking until 2022”. Sound like they are serious . Scratch that.
    Moving on to Bullita Homestead, where we learn some amazing stories of how hard life was even into the ‘70s in this big harsh land. 1970’s that is.
    Just look at the stock yardstick Bullita, which was lorded as the standard that homesteads should adopt. Charlie Schultz who was 19 when he started managing Humbert Station, built/rebuilt 32 of these things.
    Or.
    A story of Lyn who was trapped in a tree overnight during a massive flood with her head just above the surging flow. The destruction that was left behind, and how physically hard the rebuild was.
    Or.
    Then there was Tom who in 1929 was branding cattle with his boss, when a steer tripped the boss’s horse causing it to fall on the rider. Tom came to his aid, but with all animals in a panic the steer again knocked over the horse onto the already unconscious station hand. The rescue involved a 16 hour horse ride by Tom to locate the station manager with the car. Return to the station to collect the injured chap who in his concussed state had saddled up and with the dogs, herded the cattle into the bush with a trajectory unknown. They locate the now seriously unwell cowboy after a day and a half. and then drove him 200 miles to a doctor.

    I can’t imagine that trip when I think about the 48k we did today between Bullita and Humbolt Top Yard Campground in a beautifully comfortable and air conditioned Toyota Prado. Our average speed was about 15kph, and I am sure that the road surface today was much better and the navigation much less challenging. What a genius plan to leave the van in Timber Creek.
    It was 39° just after midday today. Did I say this is tough country? The rain cloud that we spotted from the lookout sprayed a few desultory drops at us, but it did bring the temp down to 31° for a while before rising to 34° for the afternoon.
    The camp site along the 4WD track on the Humbert River was pretty special and mercifully free of mozzies.

    In the morning after a breakfast that can’t be beat, we find an alternate route. It’s longer but has much less 4x4 action and gives us an apportunity to go through Jasper Gorge again. I think it appeared more spectacular on the 2nd time through.
    Surprise, surprise. A big downpour in the afternoon and an evening-long special effects show from lightning to the west and clear skies overhead for some star gazing. The 45 min shower was enough the deposit 10cm of water at the concrete causeway near the camp. I am trepidatious thinking of the state of the roads when all that Bull-dust starts getting wet. The dust that was already on the car soon set in a thick clay-pan. Crikey.
    The rain washed escarpment was beautifully highlighted by the sun rise today.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    No wall at the Border

    September 6, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    We successfully crossed into Western Australia at 12:42 today.

    A quick stop at the Timber Creek Police Museum on the way out of town this morning. The photo has us smiling but the invasion stories presented by the curator are a bit upsetting. Talk of many massacres, enslavement and servitude are details that I didn’t learn in school. It’s alarming to know that it was still going on until late into last century. If only it were not so. The records are very detailed and extensive. Along with a great variety of paraphernalia made us wish we had more time to potter about. The caretaker would have been happy to have us move in.

    Random assessment: the Timber Creek Bakery makes an 8 out of 10 pie, and a very acceptable coffee.

    We hit the jackpot at the border. No queuing, Happy police and helpful quarantine staff. Temperature was very pleasant in the mid 20’s. Apparently there can be long periods with queues of 10-20 cars and vans. Imagine that in soaring temperatures.
    You can’t take any fruit or veg, fresh fish, honey or firewood into WA. We had done our homework so no issues there and we also invested the time to complete the border pass properly. We were surprised that nobody checked our temperature - such a simple and indicative test.
    We rolled into Kununurra and immediately did a restock on veggies etc., but after emptying the fridge we are suffering a little from the expected checkout price shock.
    The Campground at Hidden Valley is beautiful and sits under an amazing rock formation of the striped red rock of Mirima National Park. They call it a mini Bungle.
    We are close to Lake Argile, the Ord River Scheme, El Questro and Wyndham. Heaps to do over the next few days.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Our camp site in the late afternoon shadow of Kelly's Knob. You can see it's distinctive shape.
    Mirima Rock Formationskelly's Knob. Panoramic views from the top. The walk up the gets the heart rate going.The Hootchery. Oldest continuouslty operated legal still in W.A.Diversion Dam built on sacred aboriginal land to created Lake Kununurra.

    Surprising Kununurra

    September 7, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Construction of this town started in about 1963 in response to the start of the Ord River Irrigation Scheme.
    It wasn’t a very auspicious start with the diversion dam being built on a Sacred Site of the original owners. The Dreaming lines of those people gradually becoming inaccessible as the waters rose.
    It’s fair to say the scheme was groundbreaking and audacious engineering. As a project, there were many challenges like the remoteness and terrible roads, the poor communications (a bit like the service that Telstra offers up here today), and cantankerous seasonal weather. All of which means it’s remarkable that it ever finished.
    The end result is that the town is pretty damn good. It’s nestled amongst some beautiful natural features, the man made features are quite agreeable, nor have the tourism potential been missed with so many features in close proximity.
    As outsiders we notice that the Aboriginal communities are more functional and more affluent than in many towns we have seen.
    The weather since 32hrs before arriving here has hit a purple patch compared to the previous month. That certainly disposed one more favourably to a place.
    Still, I think e would like to stay longer.

    We did a walk this morning into Mirima N.P. (Called mini Bungles), A bike ride around the town and then out to the Kununurra Lake, fix the resulting flat tyre, then a bit of caravan maintenance that was a bit outstanding. Sunset from Kelly’s Knob was sensational, but the video is disappointing because of wind noise.
    Telstra stole 4 hours in trying to get our phone services/billing sorted out. Just don’t get me started.
    We might go back to Kelly’s Knob for sunrise tomorrow. You will be the first to know if we do.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    Lake Argyle

    September 9, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    I love dams. Really love them! This is a good one, and it has been with me since primary school. One of my teachers must have really loved dams too, because some of the details stayed with me.
    So we went out there for a Sunset Cruise. It’s a bit touristy, but fun, with some highlights like Short Eared Rock Wallabies, target practice with Archer Fish, a Johnson Croc tracking the boat, a noodle float with a beer (and a cuppa), and the run home in the dark.
    Did I mention it is a really big dam at 72kilometers x 32k or 21 Sydney Harbours.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Five Rivers Lookoutdistant view pf Marlgu Lagoon - home of many birds

    Wyndham

    September 10, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    We we warned “there is not much going on in town” and they might be right. But we didn’t plan on spending much time in town of 900 anyway. A lookout named - Five Rivers Lookout - was calling. We were met at the bottom of the hill by a “No Caravans” sign. So we parked, jumped on our bikes and rode straight up for 3.7k. What a view. Wyndham is at the inland end of Cambridge Gulf where the Ord River and others end.
    The tidal variation here is 8.3 meters and the coastal plains extend inland a long way between very high ranges on all sides.
    We rocket back down the mount into town for a Crocodile Pie. Yep, a lot like chicken.
    Out of town we discovered Marlgu Billabong & bird hide. I am conservatively guessing we identified 30 species of bird. Plenty of Ducky ones went unidentified. No trouble identifying the Estuarine Crocodile that lay draped in weed and unmoving the whole time we were there. Truely fantastic. Standout birds: several very large Darters (Rufus in colour), a flock of more than 100 Royal Spoonbills, and generally, the overwhelming variety. As we near the end of the Dry, they must be tolerating the close quarters. So engrossed with the birds - forgot to take a photo.
    Then onward toward Purnululu and a free camp on Bow River (is this the place in the Cold Chisel song?) that flows into Lake Argyle. We have the camp site to ourselves under a blazing show of stars. Bliss.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    Bungle Bungle - From the north

    September 11, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    We arrived at Kurrajong (Purnurlulu NP) camp site at about 11am. Regina drove the narrow, gravel, 53k into the park. She is now an old hand with gravel and corrugations, but Spring Creek Track also threw up 14 creek crossings, one of which was the upper reaches of the Ord River. Two crossings were surprisingly deep considering we are so far into the Dry.
    We had some glimpses of the range during the drive in and we were keen to get amongst it. We chose the northern gorges because they are closest to the camp. An irrefutable truth is that the west side of an object gets hot in the afternoon, especially when the object is a 300m high slab of dark red sandstone. It was damn hot on that walk. The oasis enclosed in both Mini Palm Springs and Echidna Gorge made it all worthwhile.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    112

    Bungle Bungle - From the south.

    September 11, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 31 °C

    Cathedral Gorge, Whip Snake Gorge, Piccaninny Creek Lookout, The Domes, The Window. We got the visit all these features by two trips to the Piccaninny area. The trails course along dry creeks most of the way. There is plenty of sand and thick beds of river rocks between water scrubbed and grooved sandstone. The walking is pretty hard even though it is quite flat.
    Do not forget your water bottles! Mid to high 30°’s and the land out here will suck the moisture from your body. The pioneers who sought fortunes or anonymity out here deserve some kudos.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    Bungle Bungle - from the air.

    September 13, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    That has just topped it off!

    From just a 20 minute flight we gained an appreciation of the extent of the main Bungle Bungle Range, a better perspective of the height of the Range and the depth of the gorges, an introduction to some of the features we couldn’t get to on the ground and the relationship between the Bungles and surrounding ranges.

    Regina and I are no longer helicopter virgins. Gently guided through the experience by a very proficient, personable and informative pilot. We even flew without protection; the helicopter having no doors.

    When we were back in Kununurra we met an anthropologist who worked with indigenous Leaders back in the early eighties to record and preserve rock paintings. They recorded 242 sites in the Bungle Bungle Range. Today NONE of these are accessible to the public. What a treasure they must be.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    1

    Wolfe Creek Crater

    September 16, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Don’t ask if that’s where the movies was based. I’m a bit precious when it comes to watching that kind of story.
    Anyway, we came out alive.
    A 500,000 ton meteorite crashed down here some 300,000 years ago. That would have been quite the splash. Today the Crater has been filed in by about 120 meters of sediment so the bottom of the crater in now only 20 meters below the level of the surrounding plains.
    We walked the rim which has a circumference of 3.4K. That was a three-water-bottle-job. When we ducked back up the next dawn, we were delighted to catch a brilliant sunrise.
    It was a bit bit too hot to do much, other than a bit of van/car maintenance during the hot part of the day. That of actual cloud cover at the start of the day and there was. 11 drop s of rain, but that soon burned off as the mercury reached 40°    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Just called by to set if you have a cup of sugar.
    1

    the Lake Ellendale

    September 17, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C

    The generosity of some landowners is amazing. Here we are at The Lake Ellendale where the owners says as long as you close the gate and don’t leave rubbish you can stay for free at this Billabong with all these lovely birds and our cows.

    Excellent. We will stay 2 nights, thank you very much.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    MoonriseSunrise

    Fitzroy River

    September 20, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    This site doesn’t have a name. The WikiCamp reference is “Various Camp Spots“.
    Variously we selected one - let’s call it - “Ripper”.
    Right on the river / quiet (except for the birds) / private / Short drive off the highway / no bugs / some phone reception.

    We met some other travellers, who talked about this place, but they could not find the track in here which is actually not marked on the map.

    There is a lot of commotion in and on the water this evening. I wish I had a decent spotlight to see what is going on down there. It does make me nervous about a swim, but at 40° a little splash in the shallows will be fine.

    Unusually, it didn’t cool down last night. At 9pm it was still over 30°. We were bug free, so we inflated the air bed and slept outside. Life on the road is not all pleasant idylls because a wind came in from the east and chased us indoors during the early hours. It’s 31°@ 8am, which means we are in for another 40° day.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    1
    2

    Cool Town Broome

    September 22, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    A quick visit to town to do a mini re-provision and refuel before 2 weeks off-grid. The town Feels a bit like Port Douglas with dust. We are heading onto the Dampier Peninsula and will come back here for a week. Looking forward to the Art Galleries, brewery, cafes and the trappings of “town”.

    Shame about the dysfunction of some social components. I am sure there are smarter people than us working the issues of the First Nations People. But what we saw is not good for a town this affluent.

    While we are there we watched the moonrise at Town Beach. There is a phenomenon called Stairway to the Moon. Very nice. I stole the photo from the internet

    Then we duck out of town to a gravel pit for an overnight stay. No frills here. Now we are off to the costal beaches.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    2

    Willie Creek - Dampier Peninsula

    September 25, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Wirrkinymirre to the locals.

    Such a change to be on the coast. Cooler temps with a marked difference between day and night.
    The beaches are white, the sea shells are plentiful, the helicopter traffic is quite amazing and I guess that is the FIFO phenomenon or perhaps military. Caution is still required with Crocs in the water, with 2 big males and some accompanying females. The advice is not to camp in the one place for more than 72 hrs. The crocs will watch and learn your routine. After that, trouble and strife will follow.
    A most amazing thing is the tidal difference of just over 8 meters which transforms this place. A narrow beach suddenly becomes an expanse of rock shelves and big drop offs. At low there is a meandering channel off our camp site, but when the tide rushes in we look straight out to sea. It also a makes for an interesting satellite image.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    James Price Point
    James Price Point - from our camp siteCygnet Bay. Surely the cute fish that nibble your toes are not what brings the fisher people

    Dampier Peninsula - Top & bottom

    September 29, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    We left Willie Creek needing water for the van tanks. There is so much here at high tide but nothing to drink. We also wanted to see the Cape Leveque area which is largely allocated Aboriginal Land Titles and therefore there are no free camps and very heavy fines if you wander into any of the community areas during the pandemic.
    We stayed at Cygnet Bay, formerly a cattle station, now a haven for fisher people. The outlook is south over the pristine waters of King Sound across 100k to Derby. It’s beautiful and well protected from the Indian Ocean. There must be a omething in this fishing caper. I don’t know what it is, but determined to find out I am now the owner of a new fishing rod and some thingys that I am assured I will need if I am to put something wet and wiggling on the dinner table.
    Returning to the south of Dampier we head to the coast again at James Price Point. Here we’re camped on an ochre tinted cliff over a narrow white beach all framed by the bluest sea and sky. Something must be wrong with this place because there is almost nobody here, while the Camp about 13k further south has over 100 people and some perilously boggy sand to negotiate. Perhaps they are there to watch the unfortunates dig themselves out of the mess into which they drove.
    Here we have kilometres of beach to walk. We watch White Bellied Sea Eagles and Petrels patrol the shore and cliff line. There are many varieties of shore birds. The antics of a rather aggressive Lesser Frigate Bird was fascinating to watch. They like to rough up the Terns in arial dogfights until they regurgitate their catch and the Frigate Bird will scoff it.
    We watch sunsets over water from an elevated position.
    Can it get better?    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    Broome Bird Observatory

    October 2, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Delightful place.
    Eco focused and feels like we are visiting somewhere familiar. A favourite Aunty perhaps.
    They are serious about their birds and why not - the birds who come here are pretty damn serious about it. Roebuck Bay is an Internationally significant site for Shore Birds. Some species have travelled from Siberia and Mongolia. One travels non-stop for 11,000k to hang out in the Bay.
    We did a 5k out-and-back walk on the beach and saw thousands of birds. Perhaps 8-10 species constitute 80% of the numbers, with massive variety making up the rest. (Just my observation/estimation). So odd to see the statuesque Jabiru sharing the shallows and mud flats with diminutive and populous Plovers, Godwit & Stints.
    The sky is busy with Terns, Gulls, Eagles et.al.
    The scrub birds aren’t being left out either. In the camp ground there is a big fly-screen sided “Shadehouse” (excellently provisioned kitchen and sweet place to hang out) with a natural bush outlook that has several birdbaths. Across the day, many bird types visit and display themselves as determined by their feeding times and habits.
    It’s also a favourite place for Nail Tailed Wallaby.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    Which iconic beach - is which?

    October 4, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Aren’t they the same? There might be some slight differences.
    * One is Nice on the Cote d'Azure - the other is Cable Beach on the Kimberley West Coast.
    * They fringe beautiful oceans and spectacular landscapes.
    * They are visited by the young and beautiful from around the world.
    * Vehicles are integral to life of the beach. Along the Promenade des Anglais the moped and Euro sports cars are de rigueur. At Cable it is whatever you can get on the beach - preferably something with AT tyres.
    - At one place there is one place to get coffee. At the other every other place will offer coffee pastries and all manner of yumminess. .
    - At one place 22€ will get you an umbrella, deck chair and a towel for the day. At the other, the current rate is $20 per hour.
    - One is about 20 hours away. The other is about 20 hours away (from my home)

    Where will you spend your next holiday?    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    Barn Hill Station

    October 7, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    On Thangoo Station which is one of the few remaining cattle stations in the Kimberly that is family owned and operated. More power to the family for making a real good go of it in this tough country. Diversifying by hosting tourists. I don’t think the cows will be too upset that Regina and I took over that bluff for a few days.
    Perhaps the familie’s labours are a little incidental to us because we are excited by access to 50k of beaches and specifically by the cliff line and beaches immediately below our Van. The aspect to the north has two faces. High and low tide. At low the beaches are 150 meters wide, changing to a mere crescent of sand on the high tide with waves surrounding the headlands.

    Leaving Barnhill wasn’t very easy this morning.
    Early rise, yoga on the cliff top over the beach, a breakfast that couldn’t be beaten, a walk on the beach to the south. We might have hoped we would have to stay because the rapidly rising tide may strand us behind one of the many the rock outcrops that push out from the escarpment. No such luck - we just made it through.
    Then breaking camp was so very slow and a final shower in the open roofed amenities. The time has come so off we go.
    We may come back here to see what it looks like early in the season after The Wet.    Read more

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