Category Archives: States

ODO Update #2

Australia, landscape, ocean, river/creeks, WA

Quite a few kilometres since the last ODO Update, and what a collection of places visited:

  • Francois Peron National Park, Shark Bay World Heritage Area, WA, 73,000 kms
  • Gascoyne Junction, near Kennedy Range National Park, WA, 72,000 kms
  • Millstream-Chichester National Park, The Pilbara, WA, 71,000 kms
  • Karajini National Park, The Pilbara, WA, 70,000 kms

Currently located at Kalbarri on the WA coast north of Geraldton. The Patrol will get a minor service next week. The Doc will then make his way to Laverton and travel across the Great Central Road arriving at The Olgas, the most famous part being Uluru, aka Ayers Rock.

Murchinson River, Kalbarri National Park
Gascoyne River
Qoubba blow holes

Leper Colony

Australia, Kimberley, WA, WA

One of the places to visit at Derby is the old Bungarun Leprosarium. It is no longer called leprosy but Hansen’s disease to avoid the stigma of associated with “leprosy”. The Doc bets the title caught people’s attention.

The Bungarun Leprosarium closed in the 1980s and the ruins are still in good order. It had an A class hospital, living quarters, morgue, gaol and cemetery. The cemetery is well maintained by the inmates from the nearby regional prison.

For many years the Leprosarium was run by the Sisters of St John of God. Surprisingly it was only closed 30 years ago. More surprising was the suggestion that isolated cases still occur around the West Australian and Northern Territory border to this day.

It was an eerie place to visit. A few photos from The Doc’s short visit.

Expensive Broome

Australia, Broome, coastal, Landscape, rock, WA

Caravan Parks in Broome sure know how to charge. $37 a night for a small unpowered site next to a noisy road, a total of $111 for 3 days.

The Doc decided to stay 20km out of town at Broome’s Gateway Caravan Park. It was $15 a night for a large site and far less noise. For a few dollars more than $111 he got 3 nights accommodation, a 2 course meal and drinks at The Roey (Roebuck Bay Hotel) and watched the new Mad Max movie at the Sun Picture theatre, the oldest Picture Garden in the world, 99 years young.

They are not the only ones who make you pay top dollar, Autopro charged $11 for a small packet of split pins. The Doc sourced over 200 for $16.50 delivered on eBay.

The Doc’s likes Broome, but it will be a shorter stay when prices are so high.

Next stop Cape Leveque tomorrow.

Gantheaume Point
Gantheaume Point

Artesian Range-Charnley River flight path

Australia, AWC, Kimberley, Landscape, river/creeks, WA

The flight path for the second day on the helicopter. What a  spectacular part of the Kimberley.

This area is  rarely seen, you must fly in. It is also different landscape to most other parts of The Kimberley. Flying down a gorge with 80m high sides was something to behold.

Sorry pictures will come later.

ArtCharn

A nice mud flat on the way.

_J5Q4946

Sir John Gorge – Mornington

Australia, AWC, Kimberley, sunset, Uncategorised, WA

Some more Mornington Magic. A sunset shot at Sir John Gorge, at AWC’s Mornington-Marion Downs.

AWC also announced today an historic deal with NSW Parks and Wildlife to bring back long extinct animals into NSW National Parks. Press Release here.

Kimberley Mornington Pentax 2015 - 0001_stitch

 

Buccaneer Archipelago

Australia, Kimberley, WA

The Doc was in the helicopter today flying over the Derby mud flats, King Sound and the many islands of the Buccaneer Archipelago.

The tidal movements can be as large as 10.5 metres in Derby, high tide today was 11.33 metres.

The mud flats contains natural fractals. Fractals exhibits a repeating pattern that displays at every scale.

The Doc flys over AWC’S Artesian Range-Charnley River Sanctuary tomorrow.

A map of today’s trip.

Buccaneer Archipelago

The R44 at Derby Airport and on a deserted Island in the Archipelago.

Kimberley Carnage – dropping like flies – 22 May

Australia, Kimberley, WA, WA

When The Doc arrived at Drysdale River Station on 19 May the damaged trailers total was three. The tally started on 1 May. The bushfires had closed the road for a week, so the total was for 2 weeks only.

Drysdale River Station is located on the Kalumburu Road, off the Gibb River Road, on the way to Mitchell Falls and Kalumburu.

On returning from Mitchell Falls on 22 May the total dramatically increased that day. The day’s total included:

  • wheel fell off a Jayco Expanda caravan;
  • damaged wheel bearing on a camper trailer;
  • spring fell off another camper trailer;
  • a new Nissan Patrol had 2 tyres slashed on the side wall;
  • a Mitsubishi Triton came in with a bent chassis, too fast into a floodway towing a caravan;
  • sheared studs on another caravan;
  • a steering rack shaken loose on a Toyota Landcrusier; and
  • a camper trailer had been abandoned just before Drysdale River Station.

While the Kalumburu Road is not great, the Mitchell Plateau Track to the Mitchell Falls is a shocker, this is what did most of the damage. Some of the damage is preventable by not over loading the vehicle and driving slower. However, the road was so bad there will always be damage, even if you are prepared and cautious.

ASCII
Qoubba blow holes
Murchinson River, Kalbarri National Park

Be flexible on the road

Australia, Kimberley, WA

One of the lessons of the Excellent Adventure is to have a general overall plan and be flexible. It probably started out as have detailed plans and cover all your targets.

Another lesson: knowing how big Australia is, is not the same as travelling the vast areas. You often get a sensation of only scratching the surface, although the occasional flight helps address that. The Doc never got that sensation on the 4 day helicopter trip around Cape York.

The Purnululu (Bungle Bungle Range) trip was originally to be 4 nights but The Doc changed that after finding out about Mitchell Falls. If The Doc left 1 day earlier and returned to Kununurra to refuel and resupply The Doc could visit El Questro and Mitchell Falls along the Gibb River Road and still make it to Mornington, AWC’s Wilderness Camp by 4 May.

It was not to be. While at Purnululu The Doc felt moisture on his forehead, where the skin cancer had been removed. So he placed a bandage on the area, as it has been slow in healing. When returning to Kununurra it became clear it was infected. A quick fix on the road (having a good first aid kit is an essential), then to Kununurra Hospital to have it looked at and treated. The heat and humidity are not helping. The wound was opening in 2 places, so it was cleaned again, butterfly strips used to close the wound, re-bandaged and The Doc given anti-biotics. The Doc hired an air conditioned room at Lake Argyle for 3 nights to help the healing. It would be foolish to enter the remote Gibb River Road until the infection is clearing up.

A change of plans again, visit El Questro, then Mornington and head back to Mitchell Falls afterwards. The roadhouse where The Doc was refuelling is between Mornington and the Mitchell Falls turnoff. So only little back tracking is involved.

Next report Katherine to Kununurra.

Flinders Island – Castle Rock

Australia, coastal, Flinders Island, Landscape, mosses/lichens, Tas, Tasmania

A photo from The Doc’s recent visit to Flinders Island. This is Castle Rock a granite monolith on the edge of Marshall Bay. The rock is 4 or 5 stories high. The “small” rock on the right side is taller than a human. That is orange lichen growing on the rock, something not uncommon in Tasmania. The earlier image The Doc posted had even more lichen, click here.

The picture is two images stitched together. The Doc was testing a new tilt + shift lense. Nothing special in post processing, just a small re-crop, plus some saturation and sharpening.

FI Castle Rock