The Doc left Katherine in the Northern Territory heading west to Kununurra in Western Australia on the Victoria Highway, part of the Savannah Way.
The Savannah Way is a system of roads across the tropical savannah lands in northern Australia covering Queensland, the Territory and WA. They are now the largest intact savannah anywhere in the world. The main native herbivore are not wildebeest or buffalo, but termites. This is the tallest termite mound The Doc saw, about 5 meters high, or about 16 feet. That is a mining hard hat on top of the mound.
Lots of bird life including budgies, red tailed black cockatoos and raptors (looking each morning for roadkill).
The Doc drove through Judbarra/Gregory National Park covering the Victoria River Region of the Territory: steep red escarpments, flowing rivers and great scenery. Not as well known as Katherine Gorge and Kakadu National Parks, but it should be. Definitely on the To Do List. Although the pictures do not do it justice.
Crossed into WA and had to give up all my fruit, although The Doc got to keep the carrots, the only thing he would have happily given up. A fairly short trip to Kununurra to buy groceries, fresh fruit and fuel. The Doc was not taken by Kununurra, a bit big, so he drove to Lake Argyle Caravan Park.
Lake Arygle
In the sixties, the Ord River Dam was built and flooded the Argyle Cattle Station forming Lake Argyle. The workers camp was later converted into a Caravan Park.
Lake Argyle is now the largest fresh water lake in Australia with a 900 kilometre shoreline. Some more trivia, the Ord River has the second highest flow rate of any river in the world, only beaten by the Amazon which has a catchment 4 times larger. The Lake has a holding capacity of 19 Sydney Harbours. It was expected to take 8-10 years to fill up, but only took 3 wet seasons! A BIT OVER 2 YEARS. If the Dam wall was breached it would take 4 years to empty. Before damming there was 2,500 freshwater crocs in the Ord system, now there are over 30,000.
This was chance to relax after the long hours on the road driving some 4,700 kilometres. However the heat and humidity was making that hard. So The Doc booked a sunset cruise on the MV Kimberley Durack and a morning cruise the next day. Swimming in the Infinity Pool also cooled things down. It was Kimberley Durack’s idea to dam the Ord River, he was the grandson of the first grazier to settle the Kimberley. Kimberley died one year before work started on the Dam.
Some photos including the Hydro Power Station, pictures from the cruises and Aboriginal Rock Art.
Wyndham
Leaving Lake Argyle The Doc headed to Wyndham near the coast. Upon reaching Wyndham The Doc liked the sign pointing out the Five Rivers Lookout. The ascent up the imposing mountain called The Bastion started. A steep drive but on top was a great picnic area, a Telstra Tower and Weather Bureau Doppler Radar.
The vista was spectacular, it is the junction where 5 rivers the Ord, Durack, Pentecost, Forrest and King empty into Cambridge Gulf. Never managed to get a photo to convey the scale of this vista, at one point The Doc could see over 180 degrees.
Off road
After leaving Wyndham The Doc headed off road to Moochalabra Dam, a nearby Aboriginal Art site (including wave rock fossils) and a Boab Prison Tree (one of several in the Kimberley). Plenty of finches everywhere, a birder The Doc stopped to talk too rattled them off, including Gouldian finches.
Parrys Lagoon Nature Reserve
It was after sunset but not yet dark, so The Doc decides to drive into the Reserve to look around. It looked like a haven for birds so The Doc headed out using the Old Halls Creek Road. That was a big mistake. It is now dark, the track was overgrown, 2 metre spear grass on each side, less tall in the centre but sometimes at eye level. Very hard to see the track and which direction it went, looking very close at the HEMA maps to ensure he did not stray. A few Hail Marys thrown in. Thankfully the creek crossings were still in working order.
No room to turn the trailer around and head back, the only choice was straight ahead. About an hour and half later The Doc emerged unscathed, after seeing 3 types of micro bats (that Bowra “training” paid off), an owlet nightjar and 3 other birds he could not identify.
Probably not the smartest move, but a risk when you explore. Perhaps better done in daylight hours without the trailer. 🙂
Then back to Kununurra to refuel at around 8pm. Some 14 hours on the move, so far this day.
Roadtrain
A roadtrain was refuelling and we got chatting. This train had 3 bogeys of liquefied LPG and weighed over 120 metric tonnes. It used a 1 litre of diesel every kilometre travelled.
The Doc saw this very truck returning from Darwin 4 days later on Victoria Highways when he was returning from Purnululu National Park to Kununurra! Small world even out in the great expanse of Australia.
Worlds End
Next destination was Purnululua National Park famous for the Bungle Bungle Range and its Beehive Domes near Halls Creek.
So back on the Victoria Highway towards Wyndham where it meets the Great Northern Highway. It began to rain, so The Doc pulled over into a rest area at the intersection of the two highways. No way to tell if this would cause flooding.
Nature put on one great light show, lightening illuminating the whole sky, the ground shaking after peels of thunder roared in the night sky. After watching it for half an hour, it was time for bed.
