Lake Argyle

We left Waterloo Station and retraced our steps towards Kununurra.  As we pulled onto the main road, we passed a couple of Waterloo Road Trains on their way to the station laden with 250 weaners (each) from Queensland.  We pulled well off the road to let them pass.

Waterloo Road Train

We had decided to return to Lake Argyle for a couple of nights to spend some more time in this beautiful place before resuming our journey southwards.  We also had my parents join us for our first night.  

Their journey to Waterloo had been eventful to say the least.  After hatching their scheme to surprise us a couple of months earlier, they had quietly made their way across the country with every intention of meeting us at the Station.  Their car broke down in Blinman National Park, half way between Mount Isa and Darwin.  Unable to be repaired by the local mechanics, it was towed to Darwin.  Whilst on their way to Darwin, the towbar on the tow truck failed, sending their camper trailer into the scrub where it ended up on its side, narrowly missing a tree, and thankfully any oncoming traffic.  They had spent a week in Darwin with the dealer unable to make any progress on getting their car going again, so had hired a car to come down and meet us at Waterloo.  They were anxious to get back to Darwin, or at least to get back in phone range in order to come up with a semblance of  a way forward, but also wanted to spend an evening with us camping.

Waterloo Station and a wonderful surprise!

Our next destination was a cattle stationu in the Northern Territory.  With a father who had spent his life working in the beef industry, I was extremely fortunate to be put in touch with Col and Alison, the owners of Waterloo Station.  Col had been a one time colleague of my old man, and had spent his working life dedicated to achieving his goal of owning a station in the Top End.  Col and Alison kindly invited us to come and stay a few days on their half million acre patch of the NT.

I have no experience of working with beef cattle, other than our four head on our hundred acre block at home.  It turns out that we had at least one thing in common with Waterloo.

We were greeted by fine looking Brahman cattle at the front gate

We pulled up at the homestead not sure what to expect.  We eventually deduced which building was the homestead and went to knock on the door, when who should appear but my parents!  I was completely taken aback.   Col and Alison had suggested that my parents should come and visit Waterloo at the same time as we did.  It was a complete and delightful ambush!

A flying visit to Wyndham, Kununurra and Lake Argyle

We decided to head to Wyndam for a quick look at the historic port town.  The best place to get a perspective of the Cambridge Gulf is the Five Rivers Lookout.  

The Five Rivers (Pentecost, King, Ord, Forrest and Chamberlain) can all be seen from the lookout, but we decided the author of the Wyndam Visitors Guide deserved special mention for their description of the view:

"You will marvel at the intricate patterns of the brilliant green mangroves that line the serpentine meandering of the crocodile infested tidal rivers and creeks."

Five Rivers Lookout

We returned to the town and checked out some bronze figures of an Aboriginal family and other Australian animals.  They were impressive, but sadly hard to find as they weren't signposted, and when we did find them, they were not in the best state of repair

Gibb River Rd Part IV - Home Valley And El Questro

With a big day ahead of us, we made a quick getaway from Mitchell Falls campground, leaving well before 7am.  We literally got out of bed and folded the camper up, although a couple of sleepy heads allowed me time to get a brew made.  After a breakfast stop at Lawley Hill, we paused again near the King Edward River to check out some more of the exquisite art painted in the rocks around here.

  The art gallery was amazing in every way

We found some beautiful Gyorn or Bradshaw figures.  These paintings are around 17 000 years old, and remind me of traditional Indonesian puppets.  

The Gyorn (Bradshaw) figures were incredibly detailed

I sat for a moment looking at the paintings, and then out at the Pandanus Palms and Savannah woodland.  I wondered how much the view had changed in this area in the thousands of years since the artist painted their figures, and if there would be anything as beautiful left behind from our generation.

Gibb River Road Part III - There is so much more to Mitchell Falls than just Mitchell Falls

We made good time following our departure from Manning Gorge and after a quick grocery resupply at the Mount Barnett Roadhouse we rolled out.  The road east of Mount Barnett was probably the worst of the track so far - but Rocky and Matilda handled it with aplomb.  Our destination was initially the King Edward River just off the Kalumbaru Road, on the way to Mitchell Falls, but as it turned out, we didn't end up staying there at all.

We refuelled at Drysdale River Station, some 59km north along the Kalumbaru Road, and were intrigued by a mudmap on the shop counter showing some Aboriginal rock art sites near the King Edward River.  These sites are not shown on the regular maps, nor are signposted.  We followed the mud maps and found ourselves among ancient sandstone blocks coloured with Windjana and Gyorn artwork.

The boys check out some Windjana paintings

Gibb River Road Part II - West Kimberley - Mornington and Manning Gorge

We had been taking every alternative route and diversion off the Gibb River Road that is possible so far, drinking precious fuel.  Our next destination was around 100km off the Gibb River Road, so we were relieved the Imintji store was open on a Saturday.  We refuelled at our most expensive diesel of the trip so far (at $2.365 per litre) and bought an ice cream... who cares that it was half past nine in the morning and cost a fortune... it was delicious. 

About to fuel up at the Imintji Store

Our planned destination was the Mornington Wilderness Sanctuary run by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC).  We had no idea who the AWC were on our arrival, but it turns out they own 23 wilderness sanctuaries around Australia with the aim of protecting all of Australia's native animals, birds and their habitat.  Free from the bureaucracy of government, 80 percent of their staff are in the field actively studying and managing these sanctuaries.  They're assisted in their studies by an army of volunteers.  We came away greatly impressed with what they have achieved here, and the way they are going about it.

The Mornington Station was acquired by the AWC in around 2001,  and since then has been destocked, the fire reigeime altered and feral cats monitored leading to a dramatic rebound in the abundance and diversity of native animals, birds and plants.  We found it remarkable what a difference a fenceline made to the vegetation on the way into the property, being distinctly healthier and more prolific on the sanctuary's side.

Gibb River Road Part I - West Kimberley - Derby to Bell Gorge

And so at last, after a fleeting resupply visit at Broome it was time to point the bonnet east and start our journey into the mighty Kimberley.  We were held up briefly on the road to Derby due to heavy vehicle accident.  It seemed the beer truck had tipped his trailer wheels off the bitumen edge and lost control, ending up with the trailer on its side and beer all over the road.  Thankfully no one appeared hurt, and after a short hold up whilst they righted the trailer, we continued on our way without any more incidents.

Lunch on the Fitzroy River at Willare Bridge

We stopped for lunch out of Derby at the Willare Bridge.  It was a very pleasant spot to stop for lunch - although we kept well back from the river's bank ever conscious of the Estuarine Crocodile.  The river here apparently also has freshwater relatives of sharks and sword fish living in it, left behind when the water levels dropped some millions of years ago.  We didn't see any of course on our brief stop.