Kununurra | This Adventurous Age

November 9, 2020
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2007 Travels June 26

TUESDAY 26 JUNE KUNUNURRA

The sky was still grey, but there was no rain today. It was a bit windy, which was different and hopefully augured well.

Set out to do a little more exploring. Went driving, out across the narrow highway bridge that was also the wall of the Diversion Dam. Passed under the gantry structure that is the big crane, used in the raising and lowering of the gates below us that control the flow from the Dam. To our right were box structures that, presumably, were also to do with the regulation or monitoring of water flow. When this was built, they certainly were not interested in making a “pretty” structure – it was to be a dam, and the addition of an all weather road route across its top was just a secondary feature.

Beyond the Dam, turned left off the Highway and drove out the Packsaddle road, looking at the farms established out there, but also looking for a zebra stone rock gallery that was out this way. This proved well worth the visit, really making a feature of that rock. John talked with the owner and inspected several large-ish slabs of stone, with a view to maybe buying some to experiment with making “things” back home.

I cautioned him to remember the results, in 2005, of overloading the van with his treasures! Rock is bloody heavy. So, for the moment, rock purchase was left in abeyance.

There was a small cafe at the gallery here, and we enjoyed a coffee in the very pleasant surrounds, looking out onto the greenery that surrounded it. I noticed that they seemed to have some caravans stored there too.

Back at camp, I wandered around, taking some photos of Lake Kununurra, from the Park frontage to Lily Creek Lagoon. They were a bit different to the usual views taken in bright sunlight.

November 7, 2020
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2007 Travels June 25

MONDAY 25 JUNE KUNUNURRA

The rain eased off during the morning. The sky was still that dense grey colour, and there were occasional showers. There were big pools of water on the ground in the caravan park – it was very slow to dry. I guessed it was all so saturated. That sensation of dampness in everything was back.

**From the veranda of the amenities block – that’s the back of our van on the right**

There had been two inches of rain overnight!

However, the forecast was that his weather would clear away through this week. I hoped!

The amenities block floors got really mucky as grass and leaves and mud were tracked in. The staff did their best to keep it clean, with repeated visits through the day – but it just could not be helped in these conditions.

There was talk that food drops were being organized for campers stranded on the Mitchell Plateau. Probably by helicopter rather than plane. Campers were stranded in the Bungles too. There would probably have been other pockets of campers having to stay put in places along the Gibb River Road, but at least the campgrounds there had, for the most part, stores nearby.

John went out with a purpose, and found a local firm that would sandblast and paint our roof rack, which was getting quite rusty where paint had peeled off. He reckoned the time here might as well be used productively, and he liked using businesses in such towns. At least he had help there to get the rack off the roof – it is a pig of a job when there is just the two of us!

I went to the Park office and through them booked an Ord River trip for Saturday, with Triple J. I was being optimistic that the weather would be fine by then. We would travel both ways from here to the Ord River Dam/Lake Argyle, by boat. Travellers most commonly did the boat trip one way, then a sunset cruise on Lake Argyle, travelling back in the dark by bus. But we had done the sunset cruise on a previous trip. I thought the river would look different coming back, anyway. M wanted to do the combined trip but could only get a place for Thursday next. She gambled that the weather would be on her side.

**The weather might be going to clear?**

Whilst I was out and about in the Park, and having a bit of a walk around, Telstra phoned John, and managed to convince him to order a Next G phone – with a more costly plan, of course! He also changed over the computer internet card. I wished he would have left any changes to our current technological set up, until we were at home. I had some memories of several previous efforts to upgrade things, or get things working, whilst on the road. It was never as seamless as the sales people promised.

The new phone and computer card would be mailed here, he told me. Well, we had a week until we were due to leave here – what could possibly go wrong?

November 7, 2020
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2007 Travels June 24

SUNDAY 24 JUNE KUNUNURRA

It rained steadily for most of the day.

The accommodation problem in Kununurra was ongoing. We were so fortunate to arrive when we did. In this park – one of several in the town – they have packed vans in where they normally wouldn’t put them. The unpowered camping section, closer to the lake shore, was only partly full, because some of the ground was just too wet. Even so, there were a lot of campers there.

At one point, when the rain eased off somewhat, M and I went for a walk all around the park. The ground was very soggy. We saw a group of campers in the unpowered section, with camper trailers and 4WD’s smothered in red mud. They had just arrived – from the Tanami Track, which had been closed for five days now. No doubt – judging from the state of their rigs – their passing had churned it up considerably. Apparently, they told people they didn’t know the Track was closed. Hmmm…..I could be charitable here, but most travellers do not take five days to traverse the Tanami. Its thousand-odd kms were usually done in two or three days. Me-thought they had set off from the Alice Springs end, regardless of the closed road status. If so, that was exceedingly selfish, because of their impact on the road.

Word is about that the management up at Drysdale River roadhouse, on the Kalumburu road, was refusing to supply any travellers with fuel, whilst the road remained closed. Good for them – should be more of it!

Filled in part of the day by continuing research and planning for when the dirt roads would re-open.. John spent most of the day gaming on his laptop. Not much else could be done on such a dreary day.

No photos from this drab day, so here is a cheerier one from earlier days..

November 5, 2020
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2007 Travels June 23

SATURDAY 23 JUNE KUNUNURRA

Today was grey, a little humid, and with showers through the day. It did not look like this nasty little low pressure system was going anywhere else, anytime soon. At least, the ongoing rain had saved face for me!

Whilst John was still sleeping in, M and I walked to the town shops, so I could buy a Weekend Australian paper. The town seemed even more crowded with disgruntled travellers.

After John was up and breakfasted (late), I packed some sandwiches and we drove out to the Diversion Dam, just on the western edge of town.

**Highway across the Diversion Dam (Google)**

When the Ord River Irrigation Scheme was being established, the Diversion Dam was built across the Ord River, in 1963. This marked the start of the first stage of irrigated farming on the river’s rich flood plains. Before the dam, the absolutely huge Wet season flow of the Ord River – many millions of litres – flowed into the sea. Then, by the late Dry season, the river was almost dry. Successful farming would require regulation of the water flow, hence the dam, which created Lake Kununurra behind it – the stored water able to be released as needed for downstream irrigation.

One of the first crops tried in the new irrigated farmlands was rice – a logical enough product. The problem with this was that magpie geese love rice seedlings. Word quickly spread amongst the magpie goose population of the tropical north, about this new bonanza, and that spelled the end of rice cropping in the Ord. Cotton was another experiment. There seems to have been fairly consistent growing of some fruits and vegetables – melons, mangoes, beans, pumpkins and the like. But it is a long way from major Australian markets for that sort of produce. So the whole scheme sort of staggers on.

The Diversion Dam is an impressive structure, with its movable “gates” that can be lifted up and down to control the volume of water outflow. A bonus of the building of the Diversion Dam was putting a road across the top – the current highway. As we drove over the dam, could see the gate operating mechanisms, close up.

On the far side, a road goes down to a small picnic area, below the dam wall. From here, there were good views back to the wall and its gates, which were not letting out a great deal of water, it seemed. We kept a careful eye out for crocs. It was common to see people fishing below the dam wall, here, and where there are barra…….

**Diversion Dam from picnic area; two gates letting out water**

Ate our sandwiches here, admiring the river and the nearby boabs.

After that, drove back across the dam wall, and north, out the Ivanhoe Road, to the Ivanhoe Crossing. Today seemed to be developing an Ord River theme!

Before the Diversion Dam was built, up to 1963, this cement causeway was the way for travellers to cross the Ord. This was built in 1953, improving on an older causeway that had been made where a large rock outcrop broke the river into two smaller channels. It was probably originally used as a crossing point by the pioneering Durack family, who established the Ivanhoe and Carlton Downs Stations, on opposite sides of the river.

In the Wet season, the Crossing was often impassable for months on end. These days, since the upstream dams control the river differently to Nature, the water was over the causeway for much more of the Dry season, and generally at a higher level all year.

We had previously seen it at a driveable level – just – for the adventurous or foolhardy – but too high for us to tackle it. Mostly, we have seen it closed, as it was now. It was one of the local tourist attractions, and some people came here to fish in the waters below the causeway – definitely croc territory!

**Ivanhoe Crossing – the force of that water coming over the causeway should not be underestimated!**

Back to camp and a leisurely rest of the day, spent reading my newspaper.

The No Vacancy sign was a permanent fixture at the front of the caravan park!

At night, I phoned son, who was just back from his four day work trip to NZ, being Customer Service Manager for both Australia and NZ, for the motorhome rental company he worked for. He sounded alright – was minding the children while their mother was out socialising.

November 3, 2020
by wendyviney 3 Comments

2007 Travels June 22

FRIDAY 22 JUNE KUNUNURRA

The skies continued to be grey. It still felt really damp. However, there was no real rain today, just a light drizzle that was almost just mist.

Went driving, north out the Ivanhoe Road, then River Farm Road, to the Top Rockz Gallery. This place featured the local colour banded stone – zebra stone and ribbon stone.

This rock is unique to these parts. Currently, there was only one deposit known of, that was still above the waters of Lake Argyle. It was being mined by the gallery owners.

The rock is composed of silts and sands, with an unusually high number and variety of elements, including rare earths – things like vanadium, strontium, chromium, iron ore. Scientists can’t really explain how it came to have the uniform patterning that is shown in the rock pieces. It may be the result of freak geological conditions.

The gallery also had normal gemstones – most fairly locally sourced. It was a great place to browse. I bought some small pieces of striped stone, with a view to one day shaping them and creating a pair of earrings. Or possibly carving them into beads for a bracelet.

Since we were out that side of town, wended our way across to the Weaber Plains Road and to the Hoochery. This establishment had been making rum from local sugar cane for the last decade or so. Since I had a fondness for rum back in my uni student days, as did M, the place beckoned.

The Hoochery was established in the mid-90’s by a local farmer. The development of sugar cane growing in the district gave him an idea………

I am very selective about group activities, like guided tours, but the one on offer here promised to be too interesting to miss. And so it was – well worth doing. We were shown all around the works, and the process of rum production was explained as we went, along with some of the local politics and issues. The distillery is on a small scale, so the tour did not last for too long.

Back at the rustic sampling bar and sales area – the place was put together by its founder using mostly materials he found around the farm – we enjoyed the sampling of the product! It was very tempting to buy a bottle of rum, but a bit too expensive for us. Actually, it was tempting to buy several bottles! Really yummy rum. It would probably have been sacrilegious to buy some and then drown it in coca cola, as I would have done.

Settled for buying a stubby holder and a polo shirt for John. I’d have liked a shirt too, but they did not have my size.

The future of the business – and indeed of sugar cane growing here – was in doubt, because the little local cane mill was to close down. It was overseas owned and apparently not profitable enough for the owners. As cane needs to be processed soon after harvest, this was a major problem. Growers had nowhere else close enough to send their cane to. So it looked like sugar cane growing around here might be on the way out, to become just another one of the several crops that had been tried up here and failed – for a variety of reasons.

The latest “growth” venture was Indian sandalwood trees, to be grown mainly for oil extraction for use in perfumes. We’d toured such a venture down near Albany, a few years ago, but that was more reliant on native sandalwood growing out in the bush. Around Kununurra, we saw a number of farms where little sandalwood plantations had been established.

Back in town, bought fuel – $1.54cpl. Did a small food shop, for the weekend. Tonight featured takeaway fish and chips from a local shop – not bad.

November 1, 2020
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2007 Travels June 21

THURSDAY 21 JUNE KUNUNURRA

There was no rush to get up and go anywhere. Of course, those are the mornings when I wake up bright and early…..

The weather seemed to be clearing this morning. (I wondered what the other two would have to say to me, if we ended up stuck here for two weeks in sunny weather! )There was occasional light drizzle only. But it was quite cool, for these parts, and everything felt so damp.

When we all got going for the day, (i.e. John) walked to the town shops.

Kununurra is another of the relatively recently purpose- built townships that we’ve encountered. Unlike most, which are mining related, it was constructed to serve the needs of a new irrigation project, about 1960. So it has the usual cluster of shops and services together, with houses radiating around these, and a designated light industrial area, all in a pattern of curved roads.

The small shopping mall contained supermarket, newsagent, souvenir shop, a jewellers with wonderful pearl and diamond creations (reflecting local industry), some food shops.

Not far from the mall, was the Argyle Diamond shop, selling diamonds sourced from the nearby mine, including a comprehensive array of the famed pink diamonds. We went and had a browse there – an exercise in wishful thinking!

Now, of course, although irrigated farming continues in the surrounds of Kununurra, servicing the needs of tourists like ourselves has become a major industry.

Noticed, on our walk, that there were camping rigs of all descriptions, from large caravans to 4WD’s with tents, parked up everywhere. They were all around the parkland perimeter that was across from our caravan park, with some tents in the park. They were parked in ordinary streets. I also noticed No Vacancy signs outside all accommodation places.

Kununurra was more than bursting at the seams!

**Not much dry room left…….M’s rig squashed in there**

After the walk, just did the usual camp things for the remainder of the day. Back at home, I’d phoned the Derby Visitor Centre and ordered a copy of the 2007 Guide to the Gibb River Road, that they produce and revise annually. This was an essential source of up to date information and charges, in an area where things can change considerably, from season to season. So now, I dragged that out of its storage box, together with the Moon’s guidebook on the Kimberley, which was similarly essential for track information, and started, with M, looking at what we might do. That filled in time, at least.

I was amazed by the costs of everything through the Gibb area, these days. Clearly, whatever little jaunt we did undertake, was not going to be cheap!

October 30, 2020
by wendyviney 2 Comments

2007 Travels June 20

WEDNESDAY 20 JUNE KEEP RIVER TO KUNUNURRA 70kms

We woke to continuing rain and a very damp camp. That meant we were not sure about our plans to leave here today.

**That dish was empty when we went to bed last night!**

Just after breakfast, the Ranger arrived. He informed us that we’d had 60mm of rain. Whilst it didn’t sound like much, in those terms, was much more impressive when translated to two and a half inches! No wonder the camp was damp!

The rain event was widespread over the Kimberley, he said – an intense low pressure system that snuck in from up Indonesia way.

He declared all the Park roads closed, effective immediately. However, he said that he would escort anyone who wanted to leave, who had a proper 4WD outfit – vehicle and van – out of the Park. That was us, and only us. Everyone else had to stay here until the Park roads were opened again. I had a feeling that could be quite a while.

We had already begun the pack up, in case, so it did not take us long to be ready to go. Wet van awning was bundled up and laid on plastic on the van floor. M bundled up her living tent and it went onto roof rack.

The Ranger waited patiently for us.

The track was slushy on top, but there was a good firm base underneath, so we did not slide around at all. That was very good, as sliding about with the van on the back could have been somewhat hairy!

There were several places with water over the road, including a couple of causeways that were already flowing fairly fast.

**Sheet of water across the road – there’s probably a creek channel in there somewhere….**

We made it to the highway with no dramas and waved goodbye to our very helpful Ranger friend.

As soon as I knew we were leaving the camp, I’d phoned Kununurra and booked us into the Kimberleyland Caravan Park. I made a snap decision to book for two weeks. My thinking was that, if all the dirt roads of the Kimberley region were affected by this, it could be at least a week, and probably more, before they were open again. Travellers would keep arriving on the sealed roads, so there would be a great rush when the roads re-opened. Two weeks could give us time to wait out that initial rush that would see everywhere crowded.

At least, we would know we had a place to be for that time!

The rain seemed to be easing somewhat by the time we got to Kununurra.

Now we were in WA – and there before we’d actually departed camp, thanks to changing time zones!

Our powered site at Kimberleyland cost $26 a night, with each seventh night free. We were close to the amenity block.

The park was generally well set up, but the sites did vary in quality. Our site was rather wet underfoot – especially after John had washed today’s accumulated mud off the rig!

M was given a smaller site, not far from us, that was partly also a walkway.

But we were happy to be in there at all. By early afternoon, people were being turned away, even from the informal unpowered camp area by the lake shore – itself rather soggy. There was no accommodation of any sort left in Kununurra, we heard.

All dirt roads in the Kimberley were indeed closed, as was the Tanami Track south from Halls Creek into the NT. Groups of travellers were stranded in lots of places, including in the Bungles and up on the Mitchell Plateau, and all the camping places along the Gibb River Road.

The caravan park had a frontage to Lily Creek Lagoon, an offshoot of Lake Kununurra. It would be really attractive in good weather. It was within walking distance of the town centre shops, initially through a pleasant park.

Setting up camp, manhandling large expanses of wet and dirty canvas, was not fun! We tackled our awning first, then gave M a hand with her living tent.

After set up and lunch – stomachs still on NT time – drove to the town centre.

Collected our bag of mail from the PO. Went to the Visitor Centre and gathered some information from the displays. Stayed away from the service counter, which was busy with people looking for somewhere to stay! Did some food shopping at the supermarket. I was able to buy a newspaper and catch up with the world again.

Drove out of town on the Ivanhoe Road, to the north, through the irrigated farmland, to where we knew there was a produce packing centre and associated market stall. Bought some fruit and vegies there. But there was not the range and variety we’d found on previous visits.

Back to caravan park lifestyle – tea, followed by TV, laptops and reading, and trying to sleep with background caravan park noises – so much more intrusive than those of the bush. Well, most bush night noises – the beach thick knee (curlew) call can be incredibly intrusive!

June 1, 2020
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2006 Travels September 13

WEDNESDAY 13 SEPTEMBER HOWARD SPRINGS TO KUNUNURRA 848kms

We pulled out of Howard Springs at 7.15am.

Basically, it was a day of driving, stopping only for quick coffee breaks and leg stretches.

I had packed sandwiches this morning, and we took a brief lunch break at a roadside rest area, somewhere west of Katherine.

Refuelled at Katherine – $1.38cpl; Timber Creek – $1.67cpl; and Kununurra – $1.66cpl.

It became quite hot as the day wore on. We discovered that the Truck air con could now be used while we were towing. The previous problem of the engine temperature climbing too high when we did so, had been solved by the new radiator! This made a very big difference on my hot side of the vehicle, especially around my feet. The layout of the Defender meant that the passenger foot compartment was quite constricted and made hotter by the central drive shaft housing.

The country around Victoria River Roadhouse looked very interesting – worth a visit in the future?

Just before the Roadhouse, we crossed the Victoria River, in a bridge that would undoubtedly flood in the wet season, cutting the highway.

Victoria River

The Roadhouse had a camping ground attached, a fact I mentally filed away for future reference.

Although we had driven this route, from the west, in 1993, I found I did not remember much of it. In 2000, we came from the south-west, Dunmarra through the Jasper Gorge, to Timber Creek, so avoided that Victoria River section.

Victoria River

The last part of the day was through starkly spectacular country – really “wow”.

We started to see some boabs, so typical of the Kimberley country.

Resize of 09-12-2006 nr vic river 5

Passed through the border checkpoint with no issues

Reached Kununurra about 5.30pm, WA time. We had gained 90 minutes crossing the border, so it was “really” 7pm. It had been a long day on the road!

Booked into the Ivanhoe Village Caravan Park – $23.40 after discount of $2.60. We were able to stay hitched up.

Walked to the shops and bought green groceries, now we were through the border quarantine.

By the time we got back to the park, it was almost dark – the night falls quickly in these parts.

We were not very hungry, so just had tinned soup and dry biscuits for tea, and fell into bed.

Back in the Kimberley country that I love so much – but just passing through. I resolved, at this point, that if we managed a trip next year, we would come to the Kimberley. That made me feel a bit better.

Resize of 09-13-2006 to k

November 14, 2017
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2000 Travels August 11

FRIDAY 11 AUGUST BARNETT RIVER GORGE TO KUNUNURRA 555kms

John had a bit of a rash on his torso, yesterday afternoon, and he woke this morning much worse, with hundreds of little spots and itchy lumps. It was almost a measles-like rash, but he was not really feeling ill enough to have something like that. In fact, he did not really know if he was feeling ill or not! It did not seem to be a heat rash. We wondered if there had been something in the water at one of the swimming places – but I was not affected at all. Quite strange and rather concerning.

John feeling miserable

Very spotty!

We packed up and continued west on the Gibb River Road, to Mt Barnett store, for fuel. This was $1.22 a litre.

We debated whether to continue on to Old Mornington, as had been our plan. This was about 100kms south of the Gibb River Road, by the Fitzroy River, and thus rather remote if John did get really ill. Our plan after that had been to drive the Tableland Track back to the east, if it was open – and that would be particularly remote.

We decided to play safe and head back east along the Gibb, abandoning the plan to drive the Tableland Track.

Fortunately, we had gotten away early this morning.

So we traversed the road already driven on this trip.

Gibb River Road – burnt and unburnt sides. The road is an effective firebreak for early dry season burns

Stopped to have lunch at Bindoola Creek crossing, so we made good time to there. The ford was much drier than when we’d come this way a month ago.

Bindoola Creek with much less water

There was not much traffic. We wondered if the early heat was deterring some travellers?

Kapok trees, the Cockburn Range and long dry season grass

The Pentecost River again

The road was more corrugated. There were now quite a lot of burnt areas. It was a relief to reach the highway and the bitumen again – it had been a while!

We reached Wyndham about 4pm. John went into the store to buy a newspaper and a cask of wine – we had been deprived of same for some time. I stayed in Truck , trying to phone Kununurra to see if we could get a place in a caravan park. John really wanted to press on there, if we could, rather than overnight at Wyndham. I think he just wanted one last burst of effort to get set up for a few days, before giving in to feeling miserable! It made sense to get settled in the larger town, in case he got worse.

An elderly aboriginal kept leaning in the open window of truck, asking me for the “loan” of a dollar. He was being quite pestering. This sort of thing is not the greatest experience for tourists. I remember R at Honeymoon saying that there was too much booze and fighting in Wyndham.

At the caravan park, it was great to see the van again, and see that all was well, even though it was also disappointing to have cut short the time along the Gibb. I actually felt quite dislocated – this morning was camped by the creek at the Gorge, and expecting to be camped by the Fitzroy River tonight, instead of being back in town!

It took us a while to hitch up the van, and secure things for travel, with some distraction from a horse that wanted to find food in the van, and actually stuck its head in the door.

Packing up at Wyndham

When we began to open up the van, I got quite a fright. This is rather a quirky caravan park and someone had put a life sized plaster statue of a jabiru by the van. I went to pick it up and move it out of the way – and it squawked and moved of its own volition! Totally tame bird.

Jabiru – for real!

We paid our $80 storage fee.

It was just on 6pm when we reached Kununurra.

As it gets dark early in these parts, we drove the last part in the dark.

Set up at Ivanhoe Village Caravan Park, also in the dark. Our site cost $19.80, after discount. Having the last six nights free camped had been good for the budget.

John insisted on doing the full set up, even though he was tired and ill tempered by now. He made some annoying mistakes, which didn’t help, like putting the wrong side of the van up on a levelling block!

Late tea was bacon and eggs for John, which he requested – not really invalid food! I had some lovely vine-ripened tomatoes that I bought at the Reception desk when we were checking in.

The lady at Reception said there was a mysterious rash doing the rounds, and most of the Kimberley had it! It was hard to work out how John came by it, though.

Well, at least we do not have to move tomorrow, and we are close to medical facilities, if needed. Greater peace of mind.

I have to admit that a proper shower was much appreciated!

Because of the requirement to get to Karratha for the Olympics, the original rough plan that I’d made for this jaunt, had us away for only about a month, anyway, and back in Kununurra about this time. However, it had not included such a long stay at Honeymoon. It had included Old Mornington, the Tableland Track, the Bungles, and the Duncan Road back to here! Clearly, was a rough guide only, and we have unfinished business in these parts. Next year?

Where we drove and camped

October 29, 2017
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2000 Travels June 29

THURSDAY 29 JUNE LAKE ARGYLE TO KUNUNURRA 76kms

This morning, John slept in, but we still managed to leave the Park by 10am.

We had an easy run to Kununurra, through magnificent, rugged, range country. There was some flood damage, and other places where road repairs were evident.

We booked into the Ivanhoe Village Caravan park, initially for two nights, but with the option to extend. Cost $16.20, after discount. This was an excellent park – we stayed here in ’93, but it is on the costly side.

It was good to be back in Kununurra – the place had a good “feel”. There was a buzz about it today because the Olympic Torch Relay was coming to town tomorrow – the first place in WA it would visit. It had already been in the NT and Qld.

After setting up, went to the shopping centre. Kununurra has the same layout concept as purpose built mining settlements in WA – a central core that is the service centre, with housing around that – and with the roads in a circular sort of pattern.

The shopping centre had changed since we were last there – more shops and even a Coles supermarket.

I put a film in for processing, at the Pharmacy.

At the Post Office, we collected the sapphires that had been sent from Rubyvale. The PO only charged us $21 in COD cost. It should have been $211, so we phoned Rubyvale and said we would send a cheque for the difference. The ten stones were not that little, after all, and cut up well. There was a mix of colours and one substantial diamond-like zircon. We were both pleased at the quality and size of the parcel.

We bought lunch – a treat after the wilds! John had a sausage roll and a pie, I had a vegetable pasty.

We bought some spare parts for the lamp at a disposals type shop.

We went and looked in the Argyle diamond mine gallery – some wonderful stones and jewellery pieces, but oh, so expensive! Looking was all we could afford!

Drove out to the melon farm a few kms to the north, out the Ivanhoe road. Bought grapefruit and melons. It seems a much smaller operation than last time. There used to be a dairy out that way, too, but it had gone.

Back at the park, there was another Trakmaster van in – a larger Nullarbor. He told us he’d only had it since February, and he is heading off along the Gibb River Road.

Tea was steak, mushrooms, potato, tomato, followed by lovely fresh rock melon.

06-29-2000 TO KUN.JPG

This Adventurous Age

Adventures travelling and working around Australia.

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