The Final Chapter

Sadly we packed up at Quobba and started the long drive through Carnarvon and down the Great Northern Highway, at this time of year edged with lovely wildflowers. Towards evening we realized we would not make Geraldton so decided to stop over at Kalbarri. Although 60 kms off the Highway we knew it was an attractive seaside town from previous visits over the years. Set at the mouth of the great Murchison River it is surrounded by National Park as the river cuts an impressive gorge through the surrounding countryside. There are also spectacular cliffs plunging into the sea with wonderful view points, and whales and dolphins are often seen swimming by. We stayed 2 nights at Kalbarri doing some sightseeing and dodging the showers...and getting used to the lower temperatures! From then we drove inland and stopped the night at a little wheat belt town Moora en route to stop over with Michelle. The countryside was lush and green from all the rain they had had and we could not believe how far away we still were even though we were technically almost home!
Shelly and the children were thrilled to see us and vica versa..they had grown and so had the dogs, chickens, lamb and other members of her household. We had a lovely day catching up with them all, and went to school with both the grandchildren as part of their “show and tell” to the class. The classmates could not believe we had driven all the way round the country, or the stories of the huge crocs! Lots of fun and it was lovely to re connect with the family. Our arrival home was quiet and thoughtful..both of us were sorry that the adventure was over, yet looking forward to seeing how the new garden had grown and having our own bathroom and chairs. The next day we went and saw our new grandson and the girls and had a wonderful reunion with the family, and started the unpacking and rearranging of our home.

Would we do it again...DEFINATELY! In fact we can’t wait to see the stuff we missed this time. Both of us had a wonderful time and it was an adventure a day. Nine months was not long enough to see and do it all..but far too long to be away from family.
We did 29,135 kms and had almost no problems with our Commodore or Caravan. We ate mostly wonderful home cooked meals (fresh fish!) so our living expenses were low. Petrol was higher than we had hoped, and we did a few tours and rides which were an added enhancement to the area.
We came back fit and well, and Paul’s blood pressure is the lowest it’s ever been 113,68,61
All our planning and equipment worked perfectly and the route and weather planning also went according to plan with a few small surprises. Would we use the same rig again? Probably not, but we are not sure what changes we would make yet. A 4x4 would have been good in the northern reaches of WA where it was so remote and undeveloped, but we are not sure if it warranted the extra costs. We would like a small bathroom/loo in the next van, and are not even sure whether next time we would take a campervan because it’s so much easier to just stop somewhere..although there are disadvantages too. These are all plans we are going to make after a lot more homework.
Advice to those thinking of this trip? DO IT WHILE YOU STILL CAN. As we get older we will obviously be able to do less and camping becomes harder when knees and backs are not as supple. So many people we spoke to knew of someone who had planned a trip like this but their partner died or became incapacitated, or they had a heart attack or something. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. It really paid off that we did loads of research before we left, and preparation with the house/finances/equipment etc.
Best buys: Wireless Internet (kept us up to date with family and we could access it most places except most remote)
Sat Dish. Meant we could get clear TV anywhere and watch the news, cricket etc
Small 12V/140V freezer. Meant that we could have fresh bread/meat etc as well as store all the fish we caught.
GPS. The marriage saver. In urban areas was worth its weight in gold to have the little lady say...”take second exit at roundabout;!
Air con: we had some really hot days and it was really essential for my mood and well being that we could be cool.
Have your entire dental up to date before you leave because two appointments 2 weeks apart cost a month in a place that may not be the best place to spend a month.
These are just a few items that stand out, but there were many more little things that we have found useful over the many years we have caravanned.
Paul and I thank all of you who have read and commented on the blog. We hope you have enjoyed hearing about our journey and we would love to hear your comments.
Picture Kalbarri – Free like a bird oh! what a feeling!!!!!!!

A Whale of a time at the Coral Coast

From the Pilbara we headed west to the Exmouth peninsula, and turned north again to Exmouth at the tip of the narrow land mass. The west side of the coast has the famous Ningaloo Coral reef, which is one of the few rare coral reefs on the WEST side of a continent. Here the coral comes virtually to the shore and is so easily accessible..unlike the Barrier Reef which is sometimes 90 kms out to sea. It is also the place where the famous Whale Sharks swim up and down the coast. These are the biggest creatures on earth ..huge gentle giants which eat plankton and cruise along the edge of the reef with their gaping mouths open like funnels. Many whale watching cruises take people out to snorkel with these beautiful creatures..but they cost a fortune so we did not do it. However, we saw many other whales swim by, dolphins, turtles and a giant Potatoe Cod which was about 6 foot long with a girth of a couple of meters. ..probably weighing well over 200 kg. Unfortunately when we got to Exmouth we realized that it was school holidays, and since this is such a wonderful family place and also warm in the winter, all 5 if its Caravan Parks were booked out. For a while we thought the 300 kms journey was wasted, but finally managed to get 4 days in one park, and another 4 at a park on the west side nearest the Coral. We had a few wonderful days snorkelling at Turquoise Bay and Oyster Stacks beaches, and also tried our hands at fishing the rugged coast. It is still an area that is very remote and treacherous despite the crowds in the parks. Going south again we had wanted to spend a week or so at Coral Bay, our favourite holiday spot from years ago. Here the Coral comes into shore in an idyllic azure bay with pure white sand and gentle waves. The coral and fish are wonderful and it’s like swimming in a giant aquarium. Once again we knew we would have trouble getting a place since the school hols were still in full swing, so had resigned ourselves to having a swim and driving to the next town. Somehow there was ONE spot left for a couple of nights for which we were grateful, and managed to get in some nice snorkelling despite the windy and miserable weather. Disappointed, we drove 300 kms south to Carnarvon where we restocked and decided our next destination.
We re- evaluated and decided to explore a remote area along the lower WEST side of the peninsula which had only one dirt road going up through a couple of Sheep stations and then ending abruptly. We had heard that the fishing was good along that coast, but it was difficult to get information..people we asked seemed evasive and mumbled..”Yes, the fishing is good, but it’s VERY dangerous”. There was no real accommodation except for a bush camp where the campers were allowed to camp on the edge of a lovely bay, but there were NO facilities...one had to be self sufficient with everything. power, water, food etc. Since we had our little freezer full of fish, we opted for the only other place..a sheep station that had turned its shearing sheds into basic Fishermans cabins, and cleared some bits of bush for caravans...VERY remote and basic. There was borehole (salty) water, a wood fired hot water for the dingy showers, generator power for 8 hours a day, and nothing else. Only windswept salt bushes, sheep, and the pounding of the huge ocean nearby. We wondered WHY people came here..the coast was spectacular, but surely it was more than that? Well, we soon found out..here fishing is an EXTREME SPORT, and fishermen come from all over and risk their lives fishing on this very dangerous coast.
This is the world’s premier Balloon fishing region, and many people have lost their lives along this savage coast. Balloon fishing is basically land based big game fishing. The fisherman stands on the edge of a high cliff and releases a large helium balloon into the wind and it floats out to sea, dangling a large fish with coloured tassles just onto the surface of the waves. They need large rods, 700 metres strong tackle..but more than that..nerves of steel! In this area the cliffs are 40 meters high covered with large jagged rocks which extend to a shelf out to sea. The sea is wild and has huge swells which foam up and dash 20 meters or so up the rocks, often washing right over them. Add to that, this is the area of the King Wave..extra large waves that come from nowhere and engulf the whole cliff face. Enthusiasts come here for weeks/months at a time, getting up before dawn to get the best vantage point..often on precarious ledges or rock stacks out to sea..reached by scrambling along wave swept ridges. Sadly, the whole coast is testomy to this obsession for the fighting fish...cliffs are studded with crosses, memorials and warnings. Only last year, we were told, someone was swept to sea at this ledge, or that high rock. The fish they catch are Tuna, Spanish mackerel, Cobia, huge sharks, Sail Fish ,and other game fish. Once a ‘strike’ has been made, the fish has to be brought up to the cliff which often involves scrambling down the cliff face with many different kinds of gaffe arrangements..only to have the catch chomped in half as it leaps out of the water by a huge shark!
Yes....We DID go fishing here..how could we not at least give it a go? Since we don’t have the balloon gear needed for that type of fishing we decided to just put our ordinary rods into the water and see what happened. We chose a high rock (the highest we could find to hopefully be out of range of the swell) which had a steel cable running along the edge so that fishermen could tie themselves to the cable, and the rods to shackles. (Even so there had been people washed over at that same place the year before).The sea crashed onto hidden ledges below, and anyone with vertigo would feel seasick immediately. To get to this place one had to traverse half a km across sharp rocks of moonscape, and there was nowhere to stand or sit comfortably. Paul immediately tied me to the cable with a cord (it’s not that I am clumsy or foolhardy you understand, it’s just that he was afraid that a big fish would jerk me suddenly into the drink!) We spent an exhilarating day fishing and Paul caught enough for dinner. Dolphins swam just below, and the highlight for me was watching the whales swim by, diving and leaping with their tails flapping in the waves. At one stage we looked behind us at a little bay and there were two whales swimming only meters away...so close we could see their eyes and hear the swoosh as they spurted the water...huge and wonderful creatures. The dedicated fishermen at the station were quite a clique..they all knew each other and watched balloons bobbing around along the cliffs and could tell who had caught what. They were also very generous and we came away with large pieces of tuna, mackerel and other fish which we sliced to take home. On our last day we went to the big rock we had fished from before and pitched our bait into the swirling maelstrom below us. From our high vantage point we had a view of the whole coast and the whales and dolphins swimming past. We also had good day fishing with Paul catching a large Spangled Emperor and I caught a huge Rankin Cod (well, huge for me..he was about 3 kg and 53 cms). Since this was the best fish I had ever caught (they are wonderful to eat) I was so thrilled and did a dance on the top of the sharp rocks..for a minute or so!
Before we realized it a week had slipped by, and it was time to start the final journey home. We are nearly home now, even though it is still 1300 kms away!!
Photos
Coral Bay
Fishermen on rock stack ballooning
Quobba Coast
Huge waves crashing over high cliffs
Fishing from cliff
Colleens cod

Mudcrabs and the Pilbara

In perfect weather we headed south of Broome to an interesting coastline with long stretches of wonderful beaches and interesting lagoons. We stopped at a small caravan park called Port Smith down the end of a 23 km long dirt road. Here it was like living in a bowl of red talcum powder...every footstep throws up a puff of red dust, cars drive in a cloud of crimson and the dust gets into every nook and cranny ...before long everything seemed to look pink. The reason we went off road was because we had heard that the fishing was marvellous at Pt Smith, and what a lovely place it was! We drove down to the edge of the large, azure lagoon which stretched several kms before going through a channel into the sea and gazed at the clear water lapping the edge of the mangroves. We thought..OK , looks pretty..but not so special for fishing. Next day we walked to the lagoon and could not believe our eyes! It was as if a bath plug had been pulled out of the bottom of the lagoon because there was NO WATER in the whole lagoon except odd pools and trickles where the rivers had run....just sand as far as the eye could see and islands of mangroves. The tides were 8 meters or more and one has to see it to believe it! The trick to fishing here was the fish that were caught in the pools that were left behind were generally easier to catch..and we proved that by catching about 6 fat Bream as the tide was running out one morning. We caught a variety of fish, but the most fun was had by catching the muddies (Mud Crabs). Another couple we befriended who knew the ropes offered to take me and show me how to catch a mud crab the way the locals did it..by hooking them out of their holes at low tide. This was not as easy as it sounds cos the tide comes rushing in faster than you can run, and there are so many little rivulets and islands one could easily get caught. Also the mangroves are full of twisted roots in knee deep foul smelling mud. Even one of the pros dallied a few minutes too long the day before and before he knew it he was up to his neck and going against the tide..scary!
Anyway, while Paul fished nearby, “Bruce” took me sloshing down a small stream between the mangroves brandishing a long piece of thick wire with a hook on the end. After slipping and sliding in the mud for a while, and climbing over and under tortured roots, he spied a hole in the bank and told me to put the hook in and jiggle it around until I heard a knocking sound...then to yank the large and angry crab out of his hole..which I did. He then said “now grab it by its back legs and hold it up,” I said “ERRR, he has huge claws which are thrashing around and look like they could easily bend backwards...” But I did what he said and moments later proudly staggered out of the undergrowth bearing my huge and frantically wriggling mud crab...you should have seen Paul’s face! I also said to Bruce...what about crocs and sharks here? He replied casually “No worries Mate... haven’t seen a croc in years and no sharks here!” Next day a fisherman hooked an 8 ft Hammerhead Shark which took his rod and reel out of that same lagoon.... Next day Paul and I set off early at low tide to catch our own muddy. We slipped and slithered up banks and streams of mud which sucked at our feet and tripped us up over the mangrove roots. We prodded countless holes until we found a MONSTER mud crab and caught him very professionally the way we had been taught..even getting him into the bag which is no mean feat as they grab the edges with their razor sharp, strong claws. He was delicious and worth every bit of muddy struggle. I must add that I was completely out of my comfort zone as normally I like to be able to see my feet at all times!
Reluctantly we left Pt Smith for a place further down the coast called 80 Mile Beach. Another red dusty road brought us to a lovely park right on this perfect beach which DOES stretch for 80 miles and as far as the eye can see is just perfect white sand and turquoise water. The beach is famous for its Salmon fishing at high tide, so we headed off to the beach at sunset to try our luck...together with what seem like hundreds of other fishermen all lined along the beach every 20 meters or so...as far as the eye could see. After a few casts Paul caught a lovely Salmon which was delicious, and to watch the magnificent sunset while we were doing this was just mind blowing. Next day we caught another Salmon and I caught an enormous Silver Cobbler...about 8 kg (Released).
By then our supplies were finished so we headed into Port Headland to restock. It is mainly a port for the huge Iron Ore mines of the Pilbara region, and there were always at least 10 Ore Carriers on the horizon and a few in the dock. It was really something to see the ore carrying trains coming into town as some were 2.70 kms long..3 locos in front and another 2 mid way!
The coastal road then went via Karratha and Dampier, which were two more port towns. We decided instead to veer inland to the Karijini National Park which is known for its awesome gorges. This is the Pilbara region which has red earth, unusual ridge and mountain formations, and wide open flat arid vegetation. It’s also the region which has rich mineral deposits and there are huge Iron Mining operations which have opened it up. But it is the National Park which people flock to from all over the world. We stayed at a nearby mining town called Tom Price and took a tour into the park. At first glance the NP looked unspectacular except for the red earth and mauve hills surrounding it. But what was hidden until we walked right up to them were the deep gorges cut into the valleys and waterfalls, pools and narrow chasms....the more spectacular because of the ruggedness and colours. From the lookouts we gazed at these sheer cliffs and the rivers a 100 meters down and wondered what they looked like in the Wet season. One of the gorges we took a walk down to the bottom to find a lovely fern pool and lush vegetation. But the highlight was another lookout where 4 gorges met and the narrow passages between them had waterfalls and rapids. Even with fenced lookouts the area is treacherous because of crumbling rock and there have been many deaths here. Last year a tourist fell down a slope and was injured and while being rescued a shower of rain further inland miles away caused a flash flood in the gorges and washed one of the rescuers many kms down the gorge. Sadly he lost his life, but the other two rescuers were able to hang on to the stretcher and save the tourist and themselves. After a well prepared buffet picnic lunch we all donned swimming gear and non slip shoes and were taken down one of the more spectacular gorges. It was breathtaking when we got to the bottom to see these high coloured walls of ancient rock rising on either side of us. But more was in store! We trudged along the sandy bottom as the chasm got narrower and narrower and then started to wade through waist high icy water. Eventually the cleft was so narrow we were holding both sides as we walked through slippery icy water gushing into a huge pool deep in the rocks. The final part was scary in that we had to hold tightly onto surrounding rocks as it started to slope downwards, then became a rushing torrent! As the water became a small waterfall over the steep, slippery rock there was a handrail on one side that we had to cling onto to save ourselves dropping many meters below...talk about canyoning! All this time the walls of the chasm rose steeply and ruggedly 100 meters blocking out most of the light..but what filtered through had an eerie blue look caused by the water onto the now blue/black ironstone! Once at the edge of the pool we only had time for a quick photo clinging precariously to the ledge before starting back UP the waterfall. We learned later that this part was a Grade 5 climb and at the next part of the chasm it became Grade 6 where you have to have a licence and training to do it! Definitely the best thing we have done for a while..very memorable!

Photos

Karinjini Nat Park hand rail pool

Karinini Nat park Weano Gorge

Red Dust on road! -Port Smith

Mud crab monster -Port Smith

Colleen's first Crab - Port Smith

Hunting crabs in Mangroves - Port Smith

80 Mile beach Salmon

80 Mile beach Magnificent Sunset

Fishing on 80 Mile Beach

The Kimberley and Beautiful Broome

The Kimberley region of WA is the most northerly, most isolated and most remote in West Australia. We had been dreading going there because we don’t like deserts, hot weather or arid vegetation...Paul and I are cool, lush forest types! So we started the next phase of the journey with some trepidation. But its huge skies and dramatic scenery tugs at the heart strings and we found that we actually loved it in a strange and primitive way. Most of the region is inaccessible, harsh, and many of the billabongs, rivers and bays have never seen a boat. The coast line is inaccessible except by plane or large boats, the tides huge and dramatic, and it is almost an unexplored frontier. The Outback is known as the red heart of Australia, and it is easy to see why because the soil is crimson/maroon and glows in the brilliant sunlight. The sunsets are breathtaking.
The first stop in WA was Lake Argyle where the huge Ord River is damned so that crops can be grown in otherwise arid country, and water and Hydro can help the north of Australia to open up. It was a massive undertaking building this dam, and it now holds up to 55 times more water than the Sydney Harbour. The country reminded us of Kariba, but the difference is that dramatic red cliffs frame the dam and drop dramatically into the blue water. It is huge, but only a small part accessible unless you have a boat or take a tour. We stayed a couple of days as it was peaceful and had great bird life, but then left to stay in the nearby town of Kununurra. There we camped on the edge of a billabong covered in water lilies, with freshwater crocs swimming around under the reeds.
Next on the journey took us to the most northerly town in WA, Wyndham. On a huge delta where five massive rivers drain into an even larger estuary it becomes a wide Sound. The town is small and rundown with a harbour and the huge tidal river is surrounded by mangroves and tidal mudflats which extend for many kms. Our first thought was...one night and we are out of here! There was a small jetty, a magnificent lookout where you looked down on the 5 rivers that drained into the delta..and not much else. But as luck would have it we met a real old character in the caravan park..a legend in the area. He and his wife knew the history of the area and the flora and fauna, and were its best ambassadors. He also knew all the best fishing spots around, and when he heard it was Paul’s birthday he offered to take us to a secret billabong. We set off with two other 4x4 across the mud flats with clouds of red dust billowing behind us, then onto a badly rutted track lined with mangroves and boab trees. Our first stop was at a muddy hole where he threw his cast net into the shallows a few times and caught some small mullets which he kept alive in an aerated bucket. Then off to another spot on the King River where there was another muddy billabong. I thought..”you must be joking; there are no fish in this shallow, muddy hole!” But he said calmly..”the tide will be in soon.” We were about 15 kms from the coast and so again I looked incredulously at him..what tide? However, true to his word there was a noise and a small tidal wave came roaring through the river bed and the next thing the river was a few meters higher and lapping at the banks! We all threw our lines in and waited. Paul caught a Barramundi but it got away. Our new friend caught a nice one, and it was very exciting, muddy work. Between us all we had a marvellous dinner of fresh Barramundi and chips..what a birthday! Paul also caught a small shark off the jetty which we cut up for bait and some tasty dinners. We stayed longer than we thought we would, and drove off with many waves and exchanging addresses.
We stopped overnight at a little place called Fitzroy Crossing, which, surprisingly enough, is at a bridge crossing the mighty Fitzroy River. Near the town is a gorge which has been eroded out of the ancient limestone beds formed when an ancient Coral Reef 350 million years ago was raised out of the sea bed..many fossils are found in these beds. However it is the Gorge that is interesting. The river runs through during the dry season at a rate that would fill Sydney Harbour in 5 hours. But during the Wet season it is at least 6 meters higher and rages as a torrent down the narrow chasm. We took a boat ride and evidence of the flood line was easily seen on the walls of the gorge. The walls were eroded limestone with interesting shapes and colours in the high sheer cliffs, and the bird life and crocs we saw were an added bonus.
Next stop was another little town further down the inaccessible coast called Derby. Once again we stood on a jetty that had pylons 3 stories high because the tides were a staggering 11 meters. The low tide showed mud flats as far as the eye could see, the high tide had water lapping the top of the jetty and showing only the top of the mangrove trees. We dropped some crab nets and caught 3 huge “mud crabs” which are delicious eating and have claws as big as golf balls. Tricky getting them into the bucket cos they are aggressive and go for unwary toes with razor sharp pincers which can cut through a can! That night we dined on chilli crab and wine. We also went to a typical outback fun night where they had “Crab Racing”. Mud crabs were put into a roped off ring and bets were taken on the various crabs ability to run, claws up and angry, to the edge of the ring. All participants were eaten at the end of the evening and much beer was consumed during the various races! The Boab tree is common in Derby and the sunsets were marvellous.
Finally we drove into Broome..the jewel of the Kimberley. This small town is so popular in the cooler months that its population multiplies 3 times and you have to book a year in advance. We took a chance and managed to get 3 days in one of the many caravan parks at an exorbitant price. But I must admit that there is a romantic holiday atmosphere in the place and it is gorgeous. We stayed near the famous Cable Beach (voted as the 5 th best beach in the world) and it is wonderful. Palm trees, pure white sand stretching 22 kms, and azure sea...and a balmy climate to watch the famous sunsets. A former Pearl Diving town it has a long history, and is an interesting little place with a thriving Arty community. There is also a huge tidal variance here and the impressive jetty with pylons 3 stories from the sea in low tide always have many hopeful fishermen leaning over the dizzying rail trying for the big one.
We took some photos at sunset one evening at some weird shaped rocky cliffs overlooking the beach..they literally glowed! Another night we watched the moon rise over the mudflats and witnessed a remarkable phenomenon known as the “Staircase to the Moon” because the mudflats and reflections look like a heavenly staircase..very lovely. Regrettably we packed to go to our next destination south of Broome on the impressive 80 Mile Beach.
Photos: Lake Argyle at sunset
Lookout at Wyndham showing the huge delta and 5 rivers flowing
Paul caught a shark
Geikie Gorge on the Fitzroy River.
Our Mud Crabs
Sunset at the point in Broome
Cable Beach with some tourists on a camel ride
Stairway to the moon

Darwin and Kakadu

Darwin is a busy modern city, with a turbulent history. Not only were early settlers constantly wiped out with disease and other tropical maladies, but it was frequently flooded and hit by cyclones. The worst cyclone ( Cyclone Tracy )to hit the town was in 1974 Mid night on Christmas Day when it became a Category 5 and winds of over 280 kms an hour almost wiped out the whole town, killed 400 people (most had left) and left a terrible scar on the morale of the townsfolk. They were also bombed repeatedly by the Japs during the Second World War, so they have had a lot to contend with. But to my mind the hardest part is the HOT WEATHER!! The tropics only have two seasons..”wet” monsoonal which is humid and very hot, and “dry”, less humid. Even though it is the ‘dry” season, days were almost always 35 deg and nights 25 deg. Also it is a VERY long way from anywhere...a long boring drive of hundreds of Kms to Darwin and then out again. Having said all that it had a certain vibrancy which comes from having a mix of many ethnic backgrounds. Being so close to Indonesia there were folk from the Asian countries that had made it home, as well as many from all parts of the world. It was teeming with tourists and backpackers, and the inevitable Victorians who all go “up north “ to escape their dreary cold winter. There were lots of colourful markets selling not only the usual clothes and souvenirs, but also some mouth watering food sold at stalls featuring all sorts of Asian and local delicacies. We went to a Sat morning market where we had lunch by trying tit bits from multiple stalls, and bought the biggest, reddest paw paw I have ever seen, and huge pineapples. We also went to the Mindle Beach Sunset markets which were set on the beach as the sun went down with buskers, side shows, people having champagne on the beach..and again the aromas from the dozens of wonderful food stalls. Darwin is not attractive as such. The beaches are often mud banks because of the huge tidal rivers, the vegetation not as tropical as one would expect (most of the big trees get blown away during cyclones! And the “dry” IS dry and dusty!) But it has a lot of atmosphere and tropical character and is a clean and modern city. We went to the excellent museum and art gallery. In the former they had a huge stuffed crocodile named Sweetheart who once had attacked dingy motors and tipping the occupants into the drink..something which made the fishermen a bit nervous..Understandably. Apparently Sweetheart thought the hum of the motors were other males (??) and so got all territorial. Unfortunately when they were trying to move him out of the area he got tangled and drowned. There are a lot of military museums and remnants of the WW2 camps, artilleries and other buildings dot the country. Darwin played a big role in protecting Australia during the war and even now there is a large army, navy and air force base. We tried our hand at fishing at a river mouth but had to be real careful cos the river was teeming with crocs. Our van park was very noisy because the whole town seems to be set around its huge airport so we had not only the Freeway noise, but jets taking off night and day. So after 5 days we left Darwin, having seen the best, had the car serviced, bought some new fishing tackle and prepared for the long drives ahead.
One of the biggest attractions for the overseas tourists is Kakadu national Park which is a World Heritage place not only for its scientific and ecological significance, but also for its cultural. It is a vast 20,000 sq km flood plain where the major rivers of the Northern Territory drain into the ocean, and in the “wet” they virtually flood the whole area making it one huge bird sanctuary. This is the place featured in Croc Dundee, and there are also Aboriginal paintings going back 300 000 years, and beautiful escarpments. Fishing is also good if you can avoid the huge number of monstrous Crocodiles. Once again we were blown away with the size of this land...what looked like a suburb of Darwin on the map, is actually a round trip of nearly 500 kms. Our first stop was near the Mary River which has the most crocs in the whole world! We found a spot on the bank which looked suitably steep (so steep we were almost slipping in) and went fishing one evening. As we fished we watched some really big crocs glide up and down the river. Next thing Paul caught a large Barramundi..one of the prize fish of the area..not only for its good eating but for its good fight! He was so thrilled, especially as the fish really prefer summer water temp above 30 Deg and are harder to catch in the “cooler” weather. It was tricky landing him on the steep bank without getting too close to the water, and then getting him up to a safer place to unhook him!
We went on a cruise on the famous “Yellow Water” billabong (a billabong is like an ox bow lake, a small lagoon in the dry season which is usually covered in lilies and reeds). This one is a huge stretch of wet land with reeds, Lotus lilies, thousands of birds and of course crocs. We did the early morning cruise ( dawn) and it was magical seeing the sun rise over the still water with the birds all flocking over the reeds and lily beds. We saw Jabiru, Brolgas (huge stork things) Large Fish eagles, colourful bee eaters and kingfishers, Kookaburras, and many other water birds...and the crocs of course. Lovely memories.We then started our long drive back through Katherine, and started heading west, passing some wonderful rock formations and ridges rising out of the generally arid and sparse landscape reminding us of the Kariba escarpment. We finally got to the West Australian border after two days driving, and I must say that I was pleased that we had passed through the NT and were now back in “our” state.

The “Top End”

From the first few kms that we left Mareeba the vegetation started to change from green farmlands to arid Savannah. We started heading west and came to a place called Undara Lava Tubes. A huge shield volcano had spewed lava for many years and it had flowed for hundreds of kms towards the sea. As the outer crusts cooled the liquid lava continued to flow through the tunnels until the volcano gradually emptied...leaving huge tunnels stretching for hundreds of kilometres. These lava tubes are particularly well preserved and are now a national park and preserved area. We camped there for the night and in the morning took a tour around these amazing structures...like huge cathedrals these tunnel walls show amazing colours and the level of lava as it flowed. Where the roof had fallen into the tunnels a rainforest had sprung up in the micro climate. We saw bats, rare wallaby’s, and many birds. Then onwards into the very arid Queensland interior where the road deteriorated into a single strip of bad tar and huge road trains came barrelling towards us every now and then towing up to 5 trailers and had 120 wheels! You just get off the road completely and hope!
We travelled to a little fishing village way up on the Gulf of Carpentaria called Karumba..very isolated and wild. The Normanton river flowed into the sea there and the biggest croc on record was caught in this river...”Kris” was 28 and half feet. A replica had been cast and to stand next to it was awesome. While at Karumba Paul and I did a fishing trip and he caught a large Queen fish and several large Salmon..all excellent eating! They gave a nice fight and he was thrilled...we filleted them and now have our freezer full of fish.
Now our trip through the Outback started in earnest. Once again we could not comprehend the size of this country. What looked like a reasonable trip from Cairns to the Darwin was 2 and half thousand kms odd and took us a 7 days of driving all day and just sleeping in little roadhouse parks overnight...the heat was oppressive. The country became more and more arid, and petrol more and more expensive until we paid nearly $2.00 per litre. We crossed the border into the Territory which is like the Ozzie Wild West. We turned north up the Stuart Highway( The Track as they call it here ) to Darwin and still had to stop a few times enroute.
One of the stops was at a little historic pub which dates back to the original homestead of 1830 called Daly Waters..its airstrip had been used extensively in the WW11 but otherwise it was in the middle of nothingness. When we drove into the (awful) caravan park we could not understand why it was so full. But the pub had oodles of character..Memorabilia from years of tourists’ decorated the walls...bank notes, T shirts, bras, ancient artefacts. There were amusing slogans and signs all over the place and it looked like it had come straight out of Crocodile Dundee. That night a fairly well known country and western singer entertained the crowd with singing and bush poetry and jokes until 10.00 pm and the crowd was swinging..what a surprise! The man was a comic and he had two funny looking chooks (chickens) sitting next to him while he played which he called his Baby Wedge tail Eagles...and they were part of the act.
We stopped at some thermal pools along the way which were set in a wonderful tropical oasis of palms and ferns..the pools were crystal clear and very pleasantly done...and free! From there to the Katherine Gorge. The Katherine River has eroded a huge gorge over the centuries and is now a very scenic national park. During the wet season it was a raging torrent of 13 meters higher than the normal river flowing half way up the walls of the gorge. During the dry it was a series of gorges connected by rapids. We took a boat ride up to the fourth gorge and it was spectacular to see the sheer red cliffs on both sides of the boats rise up with bands of coloured rock faces. We saw two crocs sunning themselves, and walked to a lovely waterfall and pool with water lilies where people swam.
Before we got to Darwin we stopped over to see the Litchfield National Park. Within this park were gorges and breathtaking waterfalls, and clear cool natural pools with water slides. The country was arid but the vegetation surrounding the waterfalls was a tropical oasis. There were also giant termite mounds, some 3 meters or more, as well as the very clever Magnetic Termite mounds where the termites build the towers exactly north to south to make the most use of the sun and shade. After a couple of days there, we left for the Darwin, the most northerly point of our journey and the Capital of the Northern Territory.

The Tropical North of Queensland..Above the clouds and below the water!

We stayed at Airlie Beach for a full week because it was an attractive park with huge tropical trees, amazing bird life, and quite reasonably priced. We did some admin things like doctor checkups (Skin and Mole!), Haircuts and Mail drops. The drive further up the coast saw the vegetation getting more and more tropical..the sugar cane fields, banana plantations etc reminded us that we were really up the north of the country. The constant humidity is draining, and the bush looks not only thick and lush but quite threatening and prickly in a way. Rivers now routinely have “beware of the crocodiles” signs, and the sea is dangerous because of the lethal Jellyfish. We passed the huge and interesting Hinchinbrook Island which is close to the coastal delta and has high mountains, thick forests and lots of crocs! Mission Beach was postcard perfect and we had a park right on the beach for only $15.00 per night. It is crescent shaped, lined with coconut palms and looking over the turquoise water with islands dotted in the bays. Only thing was..you can’t swim there in summer cos of the box jellyfish....bummer! The wind started blowing steadily and stayed that way the whole time we were in Q...so much so that we did not think that a trip to the Great Barrier Reef was an option since it is a 2 hour fast cat trip and in the 25 and more knot winds not only would that be unpleasant but we would not see much. So each place we went to with the intention of going to a coral cay never happened so we moved on.
From Mission Beach we stopped at a place called Paronella Park..an amazing and hard to describe place. A Spanish man had come to Oz early last century and decided to build a castle to remind him of home. Over the years he built this amazing castle with gardens and features all set around this wonderful waterfall...the castle became the hub of the areas recreation with dance hall, movies, tennis courts, playgrounds, swimming holes and much more..acres of this fantastic fantasy which he had personally moulded hundreds of pots, railing supports and fountains.. Unfortunately the area is in a cyclone belt, and after two devastating cyclones he died and the family let it go to ruin. They have now turned it back into a wonderful attraction with night tours lighting up the lush botanical gardens and ruined castles, and interesting birds, butterflies and botanical species. The sheer scope of this man’s work is unbelievable..we really enjoyed it.
From there we travelled to the Atherton Tablelands where we stayed with a friend who had a coffee/banana/pawpaw farm overlooking the scenic mountains of the Great Dividing Range. It was great not having to cart the caravan up and down the passes to see all the sights..and there were many sights to see in that area. In Kuranda there is the historical railway that goes up the mountains, hewn by hand with tunnels raising from sea level to 750 meters to the top and going over the gorge and right next to a waterfall which literally flows past the train line. Then to descend back to the valley there is a 7.5 km cable way which soars over the gorge and rainforest, 60 meters in the air and with views of the whole coast...all with stops and guides. We managed a trip to Green Island which is a coral cay only an hour out of Cairns even tho it was windy and choppy. It was beautiful and lush but the snorkelling was not that great. We also visited the World Heritage Listed Daintree Rainforest area which is the last remaining untouched rainforest in the world with the area dating back to pre Gondwala land...very beautiful. Just what one pictures in a rainforest..vines, buttress trees, ferns. From there to the tip of the forest..Cape Tribulation, and also Cooktown..way up on the York Peninsula. One of the highlights of the stay was a complimentary Balloon trip! We got up at 4 am in the morning and were treated to seeing these giant balloons being filled with gas and light, and then being one of six balloons to soar into the air over the Mareeba Tablelands seeing the most spectacular sunrise over the mountains. It is really something to glide over the farmlands and see kangaroos hopping away below...then onto a champagne breakfast!
We truly loved this part of Queensland for its scenery and loads of wonderful things to see and do. However I would not want to be doing it in the “wet” season as the humidity was high even in the ‘dry”.
Now we start the long trek across the Gulf and Savannah way as we start going across the “Top End”....REAL OUTBACK!!!
More wildlife spotting!
We have seen a Cassowary in the wild..large flightless bird with blue neck..quite aggressive.
An Amathystine Python ..14 feet, yellow and black markings
Feral Pig
Gorgeous butterflies including the radiant blue Ulyssis Butterfly
Rare Mareeba Rock Wallaby
Photos:
Paul in the Balloon with sunset over Mareeba
Mission Beach sundowners
Paranella Park ..part of the castle grounds
Paul on Beach of Green Island..Great Barrier Reef off Cairns
View taken in Skyrail Cable car showing gorge and railway in distanceGiant Curtain Fig in Daintree Rainforest

Central Coastal Queensland and the Whitsunday Islands

We drove up the north coast of Brisbane called the Sunshine Coast. Much of that area is an extension of Brisbane’s urban sprawl, so although it was pretty we just drove through it. After an overnight stop in the little village of Gympie we found ourselves in the twin hamlets of Agnus Water and 1770. The latter was named a number to commemorate the landing on that spot of Captain Cook in the year 1770. It had lovely inlet and cove, but the main reason for their popularity was for the boatie clan and because they were the ports for the two Coral Cays of the southern Great Barrier Reef.... Lady Musgrove Is and Lady Elliot Is. It was expensive to get to these Islands and it was windy so we only stayed there for 2 days and moved on. We passed a sign for a large Dam on the way called Lake Awoomba where they advertised catching huge Barramundi and other fish. We decided to spend a day or two having a look as it was a pleasant bush camp with views overlooking the pretty lake and surrounding mountains. The fishing unfortunately had been bad since the floods (this dam had risen by 6 meters), so we again decided to move on. So after only 5 days out of Brisbane we found ourselves in Rockhampton and into the Tropic of Capricorn. We found a little park in the centre of the city with large trees and on the banks of the big Fitzroy River..the one that had flooded the whole area only weeks before. There was debris hanging from impossibly high branches in trees, and photos of the caravan park under water! Couldn’t believe how nice and normal everything looked considering. We were amused by the sign on the bank of that river advising that there were crocodiles in that river and not to venture too close to the bank. We laughed at how the council could be so overprotective of tourists; after all, this was the centre of a large town. Then we heard that a croc had taken a man only weeks before...... The tropics are attractive with lots of lush vegetation, palm trees, native Hoop Pines ....large flowers,large butterflies, large mozzies! The main “wet “season is almost over, but the temperature is still warm and humid.
From Rockingham we detoured to the small coastal strip of Yeppoon, Causeway and Emu Park. We tried fishing but the water is so shallow there because of the Barrier Reef that you can walk out many meters in low tide on vast sand flats. The area was pretty but the beaches were on the whole rocky and muddy. So once again after only a day or so we moved on.
Near Mackay we went inland to the Great Dividing Range again, this time to see the Famous Finch Hatton Gorge and Escarpment overlooking the Pioneer Valley. This area is known for its bird life, and for Platypus in the Rivers. The road was flanked with miles of high, green sugar cane, which contrasted with the blue of the surrounding mountains.
We are now at Airlie Beach which is the very touristy gateway to the famous Whitsunday Islands ...a dream area for sailing and boating, and some of the most exclusive resorts in Australia. We decided we would try a boat cruise and see what the Whitsunday Passage was like, and booked on a fast boat which took us to Border Island for some snorkelling, and then to the famous Whitehaven Beach which is the third most photographed place in Australia and voted one of the most pristine beaches in the world. The Whitsunday Islands look just like a submerged mountain range (which of course they are..volcanic mountains which were once part of the mainland) set in the most gorgeous azure sea. The passage between them is perfect for sailing charters and there are thousands of yachts, tall ships and schooners in the many miles between the 74 Islands. Some are high enough to have a cloud cap, others mere rocky outcrops. The day was wonderful..we enjoyed our snorkel for an hour and half and saw many amazing coloured fish. The visit to Whitehaven Beach breathtaking, especially swimming on the beach and walking on the white, icing sugar sands. It was a really great day.We decided not to go to the outer reef from here as it is still 90 miles away so expensive, but will wait until it is closer to shore in Cairns.

Beautiful Brisbane

Crossing the border at the Gold Coast and Surfers Paradise we drove through the busy, touristy Miami style beach front as quickly as possible. This is the place of the Great Theme Parks like Sea World and Movie World, and we were glad not to have children with us who would have wanted to do all those gut wrenching rides. Instead we went to Mt Tambourine, a piece of the scenic rim which rises over 1000 meters from the coast and is very scenic and pretty. It is actually flat on top so there is a small, arty town on the top, lots of pretty walks and lookouts, and wonderful patches of rainforest. We did some hikes to waterfalls, visited craft shops and also went to a mine which had “thunder rocks”..those rough egg shaped rocks which reveal wonderful crystals and topaz when cut in half.
From there we went to my brother and his wife who live south of Brisbane. We spent Easter with them and their delightful children, fished in the Logan River, and went on some pretty walks along the creeks. The following week they moved house so we were able to help them pack and then unpack into their lovely new home..busy time! We found Brisbane to be a young, vibrant city and we were very lucky with the weather which was cool and pleasant. My other brother and his wife from the UK were visiting their daughter and stopped over in Brisbane ...we were so lucky to have been able to meet up with them and that our itineries coincided as we had not seen them for over 10 years. It was a great family reunion.
Brisbane itself is not big; the city is built around the winding Logan River with several bridges spanning the two banks. We took a bus into the city and the fare included the very efficient ferry service up and down the river so we took a ride up the river one day and down the next time we went in...that way we got a good view of the houses along the banks. We also managed to see the very good art gallery and Museum, and other sights in the city. One Sunday we met up with some friends of ours from Perth who were visiting their son, and together we went to Mt Coo-tha and Brisbane State Park for a picnic..the former giving views of the whole city and surrounds. A lovely day in very scenic surroundings ..even though it was misty and some of the views were guesswork!
Our stay lasted 3 weeks and it went very quickly..we were sorry to leave the dear family and continue the circumnavigation of Australia again. After hugs and goodbyes we set off for northern Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef, and more adventures.
Photos:
Paul on Ferry in Brisbane
Fishing with family
Family reunion
New house
Brisbane Nat Park...Aboriginal Humpy