Broome

The Doc visited AWC Mornington sanctuary in the central Kimberley last week. Being an AWC supporter gives you privileged access to this magical location, during supporter events. Fully paid for by the supporters.

The Doc flew from Sydney to Broome, via Melbourne. Broome was once the pearling capital of the world. Plenty of history around the town, the old pearling luggers, the Japanese cemetery as many divers were Japanese, the Roebuck Hotel where The Doc stayed is located in Chinatown, renamed at the outbreak of WWII.

A quick visit to the dinosaur footprints at Point Gantheaume (where most of the stunning Broome Sandstone is located) and then sunset at Cable Beach. The sunset camel rides being a big attraction. It seemed like half of Broome was there at Cable Beach.

Next morning we caught a Cessna Caravan to Mornington. The flight took 1 ½ hours, even saw the Allandale Diamond Mine on the way.

 Mornington

Rocks in the central Kimberly are amongst the oldest on the planet, second oldest to be precise. Billions of years old, so old they predate complex life, so there are no fossils in the rocks. That is old!

The area has a distinct wet and dry, the wet is high rainfall, thunderstorms and flooding.

We stayed in the safari tents at Mornington wilderness camp, part of the Sanctuary.

 Sir John Gorge

Enough talk, The Doc will now let the pictures do the talking. Sunset drinks at Sir John Gorge, saw rock wallabies on the other side of the Fitzroy River. Then off to the restaurant for dinner. That was a hard first day 😉

Bird Watching

Bird watching for the endangered Gouldian finch, we saw 40-50 finches with almost half being juveniles. Sorry no pictures of the birds, but they are at the top of the smaller boab tree.

 Roses’ Pool

Roses’ Pool next in a remote part of the Sanctuary, did I mention we were flown in by helicopter?

We visited Bluebush Wetlands next, then another great dinner. To bed early as we had a special treat the next morning.

Bluff Breakfast

The treat was a Bluff breakfast, that helicopter again. The copter dropping us on a bluff for bacon, eggs and pancakes for a sunrise breakfast. What an experience.

 

Next was Dimond Gorge (the person who named the gorge was a notoriously bad speller) by canoe. When we arrived a water monitor was by the river (Fitzroy River).

Then to finish off we were treated to a Sunset dinner over looking Fitzroy Bluff, Mt Brennan and the King Leopold Ranges.

Sometimes the reds may look artificial, they’re not, it is the golden light of sunset or sunrise intensifying the already strong reds in the soil and rocks. It gives a surreal look. By the way, these are only the pictures from The Doc’s point and shoot camera!

The Doc will return to Mornington around May 2015.