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Perth to the Kimberley
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Perth to the Kimberley

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  • The GypsiesPerth to the KimberleyThe Gypsies
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    Adcock and Galvans Gorges

    3 de junio de 2017, Australia

    There is always a walk into the gorges we have visited so far. We tried to visit Lenard Gorge but it was closed with a chain across the road, so we carried on to Adcock gorge. A 10 min walk took us into a lovely waterfall and swimming hole. There was some people swimming but we didn't bother as the water was freezing. After leaving there we drove a short way and went down a track into a gravel pit which served as the perfect spot to camp for the night.

    The following morning we drove on to Galvans Gorge. The Gorge is a good 15 minute walk in from the car park, but again a stunning waterfall and swimming hole is waiting at the end. My photos don't do the gorges justice.

    Next stop was Barnett River Roadhouse where we had coffee and paid for 2 nights camping at the Manning Gorge campgrounds.    Leer más

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    Manning Gorge

    4 de junio de 2017, Australia

    This campground is huge! There must be at least 500 campers here. It's lucky a lot of people carry their own toilet and shower facilities because this campground would not cope, having only 3 showers and 3 toilets for both men and women. Having said that the grounds are very spacious and quite shady, but one down fall is the prickles everywhere.
    There is a really brilliant water hole for swimming here in the camp, and then there is a walk trail that takes you up to Manning Falls. We left Phoebe home with the truck and packed a backpack with some food and other essentials. It's well worth the hour it takes to trek up to the falls, and the swim at the end was awesome.
    We stayed here for two nights and met some nice people. There was two Maori boys close to us, well everyone was close to us!!! The place was packed. Anyway Richard and Tummi were plumbers from Derby who were on a boys fishing trip for the long weekend. They caught some cherabin and gave us three to try. I forgot to take a photo, but they look like small marron and tasted like crayfish. They also gave us some chook pellets in case we get a chance to try our luck with the new cast net.    Leer más

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    Drysdale River Station

    9 de junio de 2017, Australia ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    We left Mt Elizabeth to continue on the GR Rd to the turn off to Kalumburu, then on to Drysdale River Station for the night. This Station has many people staying here on their way to visit the famous Mitchell Falls which is one of the iconic "must visit" places here in the Kimberley. The station has a restaurant, a bar, a shop, and fuel. Hot showers, a great laundry and clean toilets - everything a backpacker or traveller needs. $16 pp per night and one of the best spots we have stayed so far in the Kimberley.
    I had read that they have fantastic "Burgers with the lot" so of course we had to have one to compare, but it failed. We don't rate it any better than the last one we had. The best one we have ever had was in Dongara WA.
    We had not planned to visit those Falls due Phoebe (Putz). No dogs allowed!!! However the manager of the station told us that he used to be a ranger up at the Mitchell Falls campground for the past eleven years and had left due to red tape and bullshit beuracracy (spellcheck???). Anyway he said they make allowances for small dogs on day trips only. But after numerous reports of how bad the road was due to corrugations, we decided to give it a miss. Another one back on the bucket list.
    So we headed on towards Kalumburu, which was the road from hell, only to be told eventually, that this was a good rd compared to the rd to the Mitchell Falls.
    Kalumburu is an Aboriginal Mission town where volunteers, and some employed staff look after and administer the running of the town. We bought fishing licences in town at the admin building. You can buy aboriginal art and carvings and visit a museum and shop in the store, otherwise there fis not much to do there.
    We didn't actually want to stay in Kalumburu, our destination was Honeymoon Bay, another 25k further north. We eventually arrived after traversing what Dave thought was really rough 4wd stuff, only to find people had towed caravans in here!!!! Dave's ego was busted. Haha.

    We do get the odd "bloke" coming over to us and wanting to know the ins and outs of a ducks ass of the truck. One of them up here in Honeymoon Bay has one on order and will be returning to NSW to pick it up.    Leer más

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  • The GypsiesPerth to the KimberleyThe Gypsies

    Mt Elizabeth Station

    9 de junio de 2017, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We left the Manning Gorge Camp mid morning, and stopped at the Mt Barnett Roadhouse for a burger and chips to share. Then back on the very badly corrugated GR Road on our way to Mt Elizabeth Station. We finally had a couple of nice river crossings, but nothing deep, and the road into Mt Elizabeth (30k ) was a dream compared to the GRR.
    The Mt Elizabeth Homestead is lovely, built to take advantage of the kimberley weather. Large undercover areas with a mixture of no walls or shade cloth walls. You can stay in the cabins behind the homestead, or down in the campgrounds, which is cheaper but still expensive at $22 pp per night. The facilities are old but clean and there is no washing machine. We built a campfire and invited the neighbors to join us, which they did, cooking their meal on our campfire, and chatting till midnight. A rare thing for us as we are usually in bed by 8 or 9pm.
    We went into Mt Elizabeth because Dave wanted to go out to Bachsten's Camp, a very remote camp near the Walcott Inlet. You can access the track out to it only through the Station, although they don't own it. A confusing and complicated setup!!!
    Due to the change of ownership of Mt Elizabeth Station , total confusion reigns!!. There is a lack of communication by the new owners with the new managers, who had been there only two weeks. We would have needed a SAT phone to attempt the 148k trip, which can take two days. No one could tell us if they thought we would be able to make the trip successfully in our truck, so it remains on the bucket list. I must say I was relieved that we abandoned the idea after reading they have some very serious jumps ups to get through.    Leer más

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  • The GypsiesPerth to the KimberleyThe Gypsies
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    Honeymoon Bay

    9 de junio de 2017, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We arrived here at Honeymoon on the 8th June (Happy birthday Vicki xxx). It is now the 11th. There is no swimming here unless you want to risk attack by salt water crocs. Having said that, we haven't seen one yet but definitely are cautious when down near the waters edge. There is nothing fancy about this place, it's sort of just a "boys" fishing camp. The showers are cold and rarely cleaned and the water isn't considered good enough for drinking as it is a brackish brown colour. A young family live on the property in a two storey home, they are related to the traditional owners and collect the camping fees and keep the camp functioning in their own way.
    I had read you could find oysters on the rocks around here but it wasn't obvious where they could be found until we met a young couple who told us you have to drive to another bay about 10 kilometres away and you can find them at low tide stuck on the rocks. They kindly gave us about a dozen which we cooked on the coals on the fire. They tasted similar to smoked oysters.

    The bay itself is quite pretty and our campsite on the beach is nice but after 4 days here we have decided there is little for us to do as there is no sign of life in the water, no fish, bait fish or even crabs on the rocks. It's another place where you need a boat so you can go out fishing, although even those with boats are complaining about the windy weather making it difficult to go out.    Leer más

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    McGowans Island

    17 de junio de 2017, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    McGowans is the other fishing / camping spot up here north of Kalumburu. This and Honeymoon are favourites of many people who return year after year for the fishing and to relax in these remote camps. McGowans is a few kilometres south of Honeymoon and on the other side of the point.
    This camp has just reopened after being vandalised last year by some Aboriginal families from Kalumburu. A family feud of some sort. They smashed up the traditional owners home and rampaged through the camp breaking solar panel connections and wrecking water pipes and frightening the shit out of the campers here.
    We've been told they had wifi, ice, hot showers, and well kept grounds. There's none of that now, however we liked it here better than Honeymoon. We went picking oysters off the rocks at low tide and Dave used his cast net a few times and caught bait fish.
    Matt runs the camp now, he's a volunteer so gets to stay out there for free in return for cleaning ablutions and collecting the camping fees. He's a friendly bloke and took us out fishing a couple of times. We caught Saddle Tail Snapper, and Cod. They are the most common fish caught up here and of good size too. Everyone who goes out in their boats is bagging out, so plenty of fish up here.
    We've been cooking the fish whole, scaled and gutted and wrapped in foil, then placed on a rack over coals in the camp fire. It's so easy and such a nice way to eat fish.    Leer más

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    McGowans Island

    17 de junio de 2017, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    There are three Iveco vehicles like ours here at the moment, all bought from Travel Trucks where we got ours. Quite a surprise to find three in such a remote place at the same time!!!

    We leave here tomorrow and head towards King Edward River Camp where we will stay the night before going up to see the Mitchell Falls.Leer más

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    King Edward River Camp

    19 de junio de 2017, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    When we were up at the other two fishing camps, people constantly told how bad the road up to Mitchell Falls was, BUT you have to do it. How can you come this far and miss seeing that, etc. So we said we'd go if we could take the dog and we'd wing it and see if we could get away with it. Lucky for us the camp commandants at King Edward offered to look after Putz so we took them up on it.

    We left at 7am and took 2 hours and 20 mins to drive the 77ks, and yes it was a shit of a rd, full of deep corrugations all the way up and back. When we arrived back at King Edward about 4.30 Phoebe was sitting in the little 4wd camp buggy with the camp hosts, driving around and checking that everyone had paid and all was well. We laughed seeing her sitting there like the queen of the campground. They loved, her and even came down to say goodbye to her the following day.

    There's some great places to swim here, as well as a small water fall and lots of rock hopping.    Leer más

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    Mitchell Falls Plateau

    19 de junio de 2017, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Well it was a very rough rd in (77 k's). It can take between 1 and 2 hours to walk from the car park to the Falls over different terrain. Creek crossings, boulder climbing and goat tracks through the bush. We decided to take the 6 minute helicopter flight up to the top of the falls at a cost of $145 per person. It was pretty spectacular to see the Plateau from the air and was my first time in a helicopter. Once up at the top we walked around and took photos for a while before eating a packed lunch. I had a dip, then we walked back to the car park taking about 1 hour and 30 mins. The walk back takes you over the top of two more waterfalls called Big Mertens and Little Mertens as well as past some aboriginal rock art.
    Then it was the bone shattering drive back to King Edward to collect Phoebe and stay the night.    Leer más

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    Gibb River Crossing Free Camp

    24 de junio de 2017, Australia

    Stayed here 2 nights after leaving King Edward. We were meeting up with a couple we had met up at McGowans called Bluey and Theresa from Qld. He wanted to do the Munja Track out to Bachstens Camp and so did Dave, but she wasn't keen and really wanted to head for home. We were meeting them there to see what their decision was and it was a no go. I was happy not to go as we were running low on food and that camp is very remote and supposed to be difficult. Another time perhaps. They have an Iveco like ours bought from Col at Travel Trucks as well. Theirs is No 2, ours is No 9

    Anyway it was a nice place to spend two nights, with fresh water just a few metres away from our campsite and a deep swimming hole caused by the Gibb River running over the Kalumburu Rd.    Leer más

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    Home Valley Station

    24 de junio de 2017, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    We stayed here for the night and caught up with friends Bluey and Theresa. It's a caravan park on a station and they have a huge restaurant, bar and entertainment area. We all went up to the restaurant for dinner. I had scotch fillet steak with mash and veggies. Dave had the Barramundi fillet and both meals were excellent. This is the poshest place we have stayed in so far - really geared up for the tourist.
    You can do all sorts of tours including fishing, horse riding or helicopter flights.

    We are leaving in the morning and going into the famous El Questro for a visit and then onto Wyndham. We will finally get off this very bumpy rd. Although its not the bumping and shaking that bothers me but the noise, as everything in the vehicle seems to rattle and shake and jump about loudly.    Leer más

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    Ellenbrae Station

    24 de junio de 2017, Australia

    Ellenbrae is a station a couple of kilometres off the GRR. It's famous for it scones with jam and cream. You can camp here as well but we didn't. We stopped in to have coffee and scones for me and toasted sandwich for Dave. It's truly an oasis after where we have been. Beautiful gardens, warm fresh scones and a great toasted sanga. The staff were truly wonderful. They forgot our second toasted sandwich that we had ordered and insisted on returning our money for it after we had eaten it. The hospitality is wonderful and I would stay there in a heartbeat another time. They have a very quirky toilet and shower and bath set up in the campground. People told us about it and we drove into the campground to get a photo. A big blue bath is set in an old stone building and you can sit in there and look out at the camp while you have your bath. There is a very rustic toilet and shower in the building and its really clean as well.Leer más

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  • The GypsiesPerth to the KimberleyThe Gypsies
    About to cross the Pentecost RiverZebedee Springs on El Questro StationThe canopy above the Springs

    El Questro

    24 de junio de 2017, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    This is another must see place off the GRR. El Questro is 700,000 acres of vast and stunningly beautiful terrain. This diverse landscape extends 80 kilometres north to south and 60 kilometres east to west and includes stunning gorges, tidal flats, creeks and river crossings and the beautiful "Zebedee Hot Springs"

    We stopped at Zebedee for a look and found it truly beautiful to see.

    They have a variety of accommodation from camping to five star luxury. We pulled into the car park and had a coffee from the cafe before walking through the camping grounds overlooking the Pentecost River. It would definitely be a nice place to stay for a few days and explore the surrounding gorges and lookouts, another time perhaps.

    It's been over 3 weeks since we started down the GRR, and we are getting low on fresh food, so it is time to hit the shops in Kununurra - well at least the shop - Coles - that is, for some groceries. We are heading up to Wyndham for a look before going down to Kununurra.    Leer más

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  • The GypsiesPerth to the KimberleyThe Gypsies
    Boab tree in the Wyndham Caravan Park
    Derby Prison TreeCamp kitchenThe camp kitchen we used for our stay. It had everything !!!"Pure luxury" - A swimming pool

    Wyndham Caravan Park

    24 de junio de 2017, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    Decided to stay here in Wyndham at the caravan park. It's cheaper than anywhere we have stayed since Nullagine at only $25 a night. It's a really nice old park being run by a young couple for the past 5 years. They are the most accomodating and welcoming people. Everything is clean, such a bonus after some of the rough camps we've been in. There is a swimming pool and an awesome camp kitchen. It beats any camp kitchen we've ever seen, but that's not too hard as we haven't seen a lot!!! It's got pots, frypans, plates, cups, eating and cooking utensils, detergent, dish cloths, clean tea towels, fridge freezer, a BBQ and seperate gas burner, TV, and tables and chairs. They even supply coffee and tea bags!!!

    There is another Iveco here, one we haven't seen before. A stranger asked me if they were breeding them up here in Kimberley. Ha Ha. An unusual vehicle becoming more popular I suppose.

    There are many Boab trees across the Kimberley but the two most famous are the Prison tree in Derby and the one here in this Caravan Park. Check out the photos.    Leer más

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    The mud flats from the lookout
    Wyndham Port - taken from the lookoutThis shows where the 5 rivers converge

    Wyndham 5 Rivers Lookout

    25 de junio de 2017, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    This is the highest point of the Bastion Range (330m high). You have a birds eye view over the Cambridge Gulf. It includes the meeting of the Durack, Pentecost, King, Forrest and Ord Rivers. There is a spectacular view of the mud flats and the Wyndham Port.
    There is BBQ's and shaded eating areas, so we cooked a brunch of bacon, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, and fried onion all presented on a toasted wrap. Absolutely delicious! I hope you are salivating. Hehe.    Leer más

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    Hairydogs Fishing Camp

    26 de junio de 2017, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    We were on our way to Kununurra when we decided to take the gravel road towards Parry Creek. It still gets you to Kununurra, but is more scenic than the main rd. We stopped at the Mambi Island boat ramp for a look. It's just a muddy dusty spot where you can launch a boat on the lower Ord River. We saw a huge salt water croc basking on the other side of the river. It looked like a log until we got out the binoculars. After a few minutes looking around we continued on our way. Very soon after that we saw the vehicle of our friends Bluey and Theresa parked inside the fence line of the property we were just passing. Dave said it must be that fishing camp we read about - lets go in and see them. So we pulled in at the gate to see a sign saying "Greg Harmans Barra Fishing - Ultimate Adventures"
    I said to Dave I know this guy, our fathers were work colleagues and great mates back in the day. I haven't seen him since I was a teenager but I'll bet he knows who I am. Greg was out playing golf when we arrived but came looking for us after being told by his wife that there is a "Heales" in the camp.
    Everyone calls Greg "Hairy" and the place is also known as "Hairydogs Fishing Camp".
    Hairy took us for a boat ride down the Ord so we got to see lots of big and small "salties" lying on the banks sun baking. He brought the boat in close to some so they would get up and move into the water in order for me to catch them on video. There is wild couch grass growing on the banks down stream so we stopped to harvest grass runners for the camp grounds.
    Bluey had booked a "Barra Fishing Full Day Tour" so that is why they were here in the first place. Two boats went out with paying tourists and they came back with a "Barra" for everyone. We were given some very large fillets and will be having fresh Barramundi for dinner tonight. Very spoilt!!!!!

    We stayed two days and spent time catching up on family news and old times. It was brilliant and totally unplanned.
    Once again we have no reception so will upload when get to Kununurra.    Leer más

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  • The GypsiesPerth to the KimberleyThe Gypsies
    The Ivanhoe Crossing

    Kununurra

    29 de junio de 2017, Australia ⋅ 🌙 27 °C

    We arrived in Kununurra yesterday (Wednesday) stopping at the famous Ivanhoe Crossing to get a photo. It is closed to vehicles at this time due to so much water rushing over the crossing and making it too dangerous to drive over. A Holden sedan pulled up down at the entrance and a family of 9 indigenous piled out with fishing rods and gidgee sticks. It was funny to see them all keep coming out of that car and then two dogs got out as well!
    Apparently when the water drops later in the season, they take away the road blocks so you can make the water crossing by vehicle.

    We shopped for groceries, and stayed in the Lakeside Caravan Park for the night. After leaving the park in the morning we went out to look around the Ord River Scheme. Of course we had to go driving along unmarked roads and gravel tracks!!!!! And guess what, we had a warning from the vehicle computer system saying “fault code 037 - Engine Failure”. Then she just stopped and we couldn’t get her going again.
    We rang Iveco in Perth, they gave us the number for their agents in Kununurra, and believe it or not they were only a few kilometres away, so came and towed us into their yard.
    An hour later we were on our way back to Kununurra for the night after they (KAI) got us mobile again. There is an issue with the main fuel tank not registering how much fuel we transfer from the auxiliary tanks, which I can’t explain properly, so will just say we are hanging around here and Lake Argyle for about a week until KAI can fix the problem properly for us. The timing is bad due to EFY and stock take duties, therefore we have to wait. These guys really seem to know what they are doing, so while we wait, we will look around for one or more free spots to stay.

    The other problem we have is our beloved new iPad has a badly shattered screen after Dave forgot to get it off the front bull bar where he put it, while he went for a leak behind a bush. We had driven about 10 kilometres before we heard a noise that turned out to be the iPad crashing onto the rd. It turns out no-one up here can fix or replace the screen, so will have to wait till Broome until we can sort out a fix. It is so badly shattered I don’t want to use it although it still works. I will have to work out a different way to update this blog. I’m hoping I can do it with my laptop and camera. Its going to be cumbersome compared to the iPad, but oh well shit happens!!!
    Once again internet access is very random in these parts but I’ll do my best to keep you updated.    Leer más

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  • The GypsiesPerth to the KimberleyThe Gypsies
    From the road on the top of the dam wall looking down to the spillway.
    View of the Dam from the Caravan ParkA larger perspective from the lookoutInfo about the damThe dam wall from the spillway sideThe Bower Birds bower - a lure for his mate

    Lake Argyle

    30 de junio de 2017, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Well here we are at the Lake Argyle Caravan Park. Staying just one night before having a good look around tomorrow. This place is packed with tourists and very busy with people booking tours / cruises on the Lake.

    Lake Argyle is the result of damming the Ord River. The dam wall is only 68 metres high and 355 metres long. Not vey big considering the amount of water it holds, about 11 million megalitres. That is something like 21 times the amount of water in Sydney Harbour. It is the largest man made lake in Australia. The amount of water that comes out of the Ord in the wet season is only second in the world to the Amazon River.
    We went sight seeing around the dam and the views were wonderful. Really spectacular!!!

    We visited the re-created Argyle Homestead, now a museum. It was removed from its old site, stone by stone, during the flooding of the dam. There is some resident bower birds in the grounds. I took a photo of the bower. Its built by the male to attract a female to his home.    Leer más

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    Catching his Sooty Grunter
    Our campsite and front yard water feature. Noice!!"The Fish" Just big enough for a feed.Cooking the "Sooty". We've taken to campfire cooking. It's good fun.The Great White Hunter serving his cooked catch.Our shower tray full of dead moths

    Lake Argyle Bridge free camp

    3 de julio de 2017, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    This is a nice place to camp for a few days while we wait till KAI can fit us into their schedule for a service of the truck, and hopefully fix the issue with the fuel gauge. We will get in touch with them again on Tuesday or Wednesday and see if they can see us. There is no reception here, so will have to travel back to Kununurra before we can make any phone calls.

    The Great White Hunter has been trying his hand at fishing in our front yard water feature (the Lake Argyle Spillway Ha Ha). He caught a Sooty Grunter which according to the fish ID app we have, is only two stars eatability out of five stars. Well we cooked it wrapped in alfoil on the fire and ate it with salad. It tasted fine, not quite as nice as the other fish we have been eating, but still good. The second one he caught I made into fish cakes by combing the cooked fish with onions, herbs and mashed potatoes.

    It is questionable wether there are Salties in this part of the river. There is definitely fresh water crocs because we have seen both dead and alive ones while going for walks along the river banks.

    There is a lot of little moths here. If you walk into the surrounding bush and grasses, thousands of them fly up around you. We woke on the first morning to a graveyard of them in our shower tray! They must have been attracted to the permanent blue light that is in the top of the shower stall.

    Because there is unlimited fresh water here, the truck got its ft wash since leaving Perth. It finally looks sort of clean after being covered in mud and red dust for months.    Leer más

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  • The GypsiesPerth to the KimberleyThe Gypsies
    Not a bad spot to spend the night.
    Part of the nearby river.More of what surrounds us at this campsiteExploring our surrounds.Dave using Putz as croc bait. Ha Ha.Boo Hoo - our busted iPad

    Back to Kununurra

    5 de julio de 2017, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    We’ve returned to Kununurra to talk with KAI about the truck. They have only just taken over the Iveco agency and haven’t actually had any vehicles in since the deal was struck. They are still in the process of setting up the computer communication system that is required to service these vehicles, and it s not going well.
    Until its sorted, we will stay around the area. It’s looking like it could be a couple of weeks. There is plenty to see so we are ok with that.

    Last night we found a gravel pit on the outskirts of town and stayed the night there. We thought it could be the perfect spot to stay each night, but the ranger turned up this morning as we were having coffee and kindly explained that there is a $100 fine for staying anywhere in the East Kimberley other than Caravan Parks. Whoops!!!!
    He didn’t fine us and suggested we go 40 Kilometres out to the nearest allowed free camp spot. We will have to rethink our options, such as find a nice little spot where they can’t find us. He he - naughty I know.

    I got a quote for fixing the shattered ipad from apple today. $450. It would all be done by mail. We had been told to try “Russell” at East Kimberley Computers. After chatting with him, he said he can fix itf or $250. He has done a few already but needs about two weeks to order in the new screen etc. It will void the warranty but what the heck, its a hell of a lot cheaper.

    Well its now 6.30pm and we have found a nice spot well away from town down a dirt track ending on the banks of the Ord River.    Leer más

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  • The GypsiesPerth to the KimberleyThe Gypsies
    Downtown Kununurra - see Coles in the background. There is also an IGA up the street.More of downtown Kununurra including "Subway". Bliss!!On the other side of this lake is the Lakeside C/Park where we stayed on our first night.The diversion dam wallThe picnic park below the wall! The gras needs a mow!

    Another day in Kununurra

    6 de julio de 2017, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    Our camp spot is down river from the Ivanhoe crossing. We were told about it by a young local guy who goes there fishing. We have to travel half an hour out of town to get there, however it is the perfect place for us to stay and hopefully avoid the rangers.

    The iPad was dropped off at the doctors today. I’ve had to re-acquaint myself with the Mac laptop, I’d forgotten how much I love that thing. Although using it to update the blog is’nt as easy as the iPad due to the App not being compatible with a computer. It’s only available for tablets and smart phones.

    We drove down to the Diversion Dam at Kununurra today. It supplies the water for the Ord Irrigation scheme.
    It was quite impressive to see. I took some photos and a video. I am now allowed to upload one video with each footprint on the blog, however only while using the App, so no videos till I get the iPad back.
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    Dave has been talking to Julian (his new best friend) at KAI about what is needed for the truck. He is organising the parts needed for the service and other repairs. They are short staffed and also have an Agricultural Show on next week, so are very busy. We gave him our copy of Idiots Guide to the Iveco 4x4 Daily to read. He was really impressed with the info in it and has ordered his own copy. Julian is the same guy who came and towed us back to his workshop last week. A very nice guy.

    When we were travelling the Mitchell Falls Rd, the UHF arial busted and flung itself into the bush, it bailed out, fed up with the bad corrugations, and as far as we know it is still there. Dave found a replacement today in an Auto One shop, after getting advice from Travel Trucks. We will be buying it and having it fitted, or doing it ourselves. The UHF radio is useful for communicating with vehicles that are within close range.

    Before we left Perth, we bought some “rescue tape”. It is said to mend most leaks. Our fuel filler pipe has been leaking due to a split in it. It was getting worse and worse and leaking badly. So “Dave My Hero - The Mechanic” got it out of his tool box, and wrapped it around the leaking pipe, and it worked, no more leaks. So if you need to fix a leak, the type of tape to buy is some “Rescue Tape” or commonly known as “Self Amalgamating Tape. It works!!!!!    Leer más

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  • The GypsiesPerth to the KimberleyThe Gypsies
    Young cows full of curiosity!
    Brolgas - taken with the camera on full zoomDave says "there's just gotta be Barra in there"Nearing the Ivanhoe CrossingDave and Deputy on the crossingMe on the crossingOn the way back to our campsite. An idyllic spot for cattle.Natural rock formations that look man made.A Jabiru - taken with camera on full zoom.

    Exploring around our bush campsite

    7 de julio de 2017, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    We went exploring today, walking towards the Ivanhoe Crossing, which we can hear as a dull roar in the distance. It’s about 1 kilometre up river from here at our bush campsite. Besides being a scenic walk, it gave Dave an opportunity to suss out some fishing spots from the bank.

    We are seeing plenty of birdlife and lots of cows. This morning a bunch of young cows came frolicking down the hill just next to us. They were so cute the way they all stood staring at us curiously, then tentatively walked towards us before galloping away.    Leer más

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  • The GypsiesPerth to the KimberleyThe Gypsies
    Cooling off!
    The waterholeSide wall of the gorgeThe Marglu Billibong from the top of a nearby rise.Part of the billabongLots of different birdsHundreds of ducks!Climbing down the 140 steps

    The Grotto and Marglu Billibong

    13 de julio de 2017, Australia

    Yesterday we left our campsite and travelled towards Wyndham again, stopping overnight at the junction of the Great Northern Highway and Victoria Highway. There is a 24 hour designated camping area there, so no problem with rangers.
    On our original trip into Wyndham we passed a couple of tourist spots that we wanted to go back and have a look at. We stopped at The Grotto and then the Marglu Billibong Bird Hole. Both are interesting places.
    The Grotto is a 300 foot deep water hole at the bottom of a gorge that you can descend to via 140 man made steps.
    The Marglu Billibong is a large area of water, absolutely teeming with all sorts of water birds. The largest group being ducks, hundreds of them! There were Magpie Geese, Pelicans, Swans, Swamphens, Ibis, Egrets, Brolgas, Jabiru’s and heaps more. I’ve started taking a slight interest in birds and have even bought a bird identification book!
    Dave tells me if I want to be a proper twitcher ( bird watcher) I need to dress appropriately - I need an Akubura hat with a sash thing tied on it, long trousers, boots and socks with putties, a long sleeved shirt and binoculars hanging off my neck. I must walk briskly with head and shoulders jutted forward peering intently. Then I must be able to sit in one spot for a very long time and watch stuff all and still be excited. :-)    Leer más

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  • The GypsiesPerth to the KimberleyThe Gypsies
    Another prison Boab Tree near Diggers Rest
    "Diggers Rest" cattle station -One of the friendly goatsDave liked this truck- lots of character!Saying goodbyeThe muddy King RiverThe cookWyndham's giant crocodile

    The King River Rd and Diggers Rest

    13 de julio de 2017, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Dave wanted to take the King River Rd. Its a four wheel drive rd that was originally the old stock route from Wyndham to Fitzroy Crossing. Its quite a scenic drive that travels through some massive rock ranges and alongside parts of the King River. There is a cattle station along the way called Diggers Rest where you can stay / camp overnight. We were having fuel overheating issues so decided to stay there the night. It’s a dry and dusty place with lots of horses and goats about. At first we thought it pretty uninteresting, however, guests are invited to gather on the homestead verandah in the evening and socialise if you want. They had a large group of artists staying and some horse riders as well.
    There is a memorabilia room full of the history of the place. The movie “Australia” was filmed on a lot of the surrounding station land. Baz Lurman and all the movie stars and staff were housed there in a tent city set up specially for them. All except “Nicole” who only flew in once from her hotel room in Kununurra, while her stand in’s replaced her most of the time. Hugh Jackman stayed in a Winnebago on the station with his son the whole time, and he did most of the horse riding himself.
    After doing a bit of research into Diggers Rest on the internet after while we stayed there, I realised it is mostly about Horse Riding Treks - some are 10 days in length. They supply everything and the longer treks can cost around $3000 a head.
    They get really good reviews on tripadvisor. I think you need to be a horse lover!!!!!    Leer más

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  • The GypsiesPerth to the KimberleyThe Gypsies
    A curious freshwater croc and archer fish being fed bread
    Cruising Lake ArgyleNice sceneryA closeup - he was right below my seatA male Jabiru hoping to lure a mate to his nest.Bombies into lake argyleSwimming in the Lake - but too cold for me!The guide explaining where we were in relation to the mapWe've returned to the boat ramp

    Lake Argyle Cruise’s

    16 de julio de 2017, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Lake Argyle Cruise’s 16 July
    We went back to the Lake Argyle area today, Sunday, To go on our separate cruises, previously booked at the visitors centre.
    I did a 2 hour morning cruise of the Lake, while Dave did a 4 hour fishing cruise. Mine was on a boat with about 50 other people, just cruising the lake and being told some of the history of the area.

    We saw rock wallabies, who came hopping down to interact with the boats skipper, who signals them down with a whistle, and then throw pellets out to them. Very cute little fellas!

    We fed Archer Fish, which can accurately project a stream of water at an insect hovering over the water in order to stun it into falling and thereby becoming its prey. We were holding small pieces of bread out over the side of the boat and being bombarded by water spurts coming from the fish. While we were doing this a freshwater crocodile came along side just to show off or perhaps hoping to catch itself a fish for a snack. It didn’t touch any of the bread that was thrown in to feed the fish.

    The lake is home to about 25,000 freshwater crocodiles, 3 species of Cat Fish, Sooty Grunters, and Garfish. Only one species of cat fish is edible, and is marketed as “Silver Cobbler”.
    On the way back, the boat stopped for 20 mins for those who wanted to swim and jump into the lake from a rocky ledge.
    Dave enjoyed his fishing trip and came back with about 3 kilos of filleted and ready to cook “Silver Cobbler”.    Leer más

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