Fitzroy Crossing and Derby

From Windjana we headed south to Fitzroy Crossing for a look at Geikie Gorge which is also a part of the Devonian Reef. We did a nice cruise on the Gorge before spending the night at the “Crossing inn”  at Fitzroy Crossing. Nice quite park until some locals had a disagreement outside the gate at about 3.30am. Checked out a local market in the morning (I had a hair cut and beard trim – finally) before heading to Derby.  Not much option for accommodation in Derby compounded by a major truck prang on the Broome rd which was then closed so anyone heading to Broome needed an alternative. Susan of course landed us a great powered site for the 3 nights. Very busy here with nomads......

We had a bit of a look around Derby in between 6 loads of washing and shopping after the 18 days on the Gibb River Rd. The first night we attended the closing concert for the annual Boab festival which was a nice night out. The next day the  boys felt right at home during the tour of the Derby School of the Air, we visited the Boab Prison and local museum before we had dinner at the wharf restaurant and were amazed at tides in Derby.

Derby tides are up to 11.50m, the largest of any Port in Australia. Like Wyndham and Kalumburu, Derby was also bombed during WW11

Geikie Gorge

Old Fitzroy Crossing

 Boab tree (toilet stop)

 

 Dinner at the Wharf Cafe

Myall bore

Lachlan's clapping sticks - very noisy - especially when in the car

Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge by Toby

Yesterday we left to go to Windjana Gorge NP. We set up camp under the shade of the trees, with a great view of the old Devonian reef which was made from limestone (very sharp rock). After we had set up we went to Tunnel Creek. We had headlamps and reef shoes. It was a big creek in a tunnel and it was not man made. There were stalactites( spikes hanging from the roof) and stalactmites (spikes growing up from the ground). In the tunnel we saw a group of ghost bats hanging from the roof. The water was up to my belly button at the entrance! We also walked past 2 crocs up close in the water!!!

Last night we went down the track to the water and shone our headlamps onto the water and saw red dots everywhere which were the crocs eyes shining in the light. On the way back Dad and Samuel spotted a sugar glider gliding to a tree.

This morning we walked a 7km walk through Windjana Gorge. We saw lots of freshwater crocs along the way, and I collected lots of rocks in the sand. Walking in the sand was really hard. Parts of the walk were like the jungle and there were vines scattered everywhere! On the way back the beach was covered with crocodiles. We saw over 40 crocs! There were lots of crocs swimming around in the water and diving underneath.

 homework and painting

 tunnel creek

 ghost bats.....Toby's wish came true

 dinner time

 nautiloids

 lots of freshwater crocs...

Bell Gorge by Lachlan

Today we did Bell Gorge. We walked all the way to the lookout and then we went across Bell creek. Then we walked the rest of the way to the waterfall. Then we swam to another waterfall. We saw lots of Mertons water monitors. We were too cold to swim back but we had to. Mum, Dad and Samuel went under the waterfall and I slid down the rock. And then we went to the top pool and swam in the current. Then we went back to camp.

Manning Gorge by Samuel

Today we did the gorge walk, at the end there was a waterfall. Dad and I jumped off the highest platforms on the cliffs, one above the waterfall and one below the waterfall, it was scary! Toby and Lachlan jumped off the lower rocks, one about 3m above the water and one about 1m. We saw lots of water monitors and as I was getting out I slipped and split open my knee. Mum put a bandage around it to hold it in place. We had lunch and half way through his sandwich Dad found out there was no spread in between the 2 pieces of bread and that we had taken the wrong bag of bread. We slowly walked back because of my knee and had some proper lunch back at camp with spread in between the bread.

 Lachlan about to jump from the middle

 our camp at Manning

 waterfall at Galvan gorge

Lachlan jumping at Manning

Kalumburu

When we left Kununurra we were not sure about going to Kalumburu as the reports on the road varied from great to abysmal. Anyway we finally decided to turn left and head to the coast. The 103kms took just over 2 hours, quite a nice drive (after 2 hours to travel 76km from Mitchell Falls to the turnoff). The first 50km of the road was ok, the remainder was rocks, creeks and more corrugations. There are not many options for camping here just the two sites, McGowans Island and Honeymoon Bay. Now I know they might sound like something out of Fantasy Island, surprisingly though they are nothing like it. We chose McGowans 20km NE of town on a rough track and arrived at about 4.00pm after topping up fuel $2.99/L and some supplies from the community store. We actually found a nice grassy site under a mango tree with a view through pandanus to the beach. Susan made sure the camper was positioned such that she had a view of the beach from the bedroom window. While the facilities where very basic, (cold showers, thongs a must) we found we really enjoyed it here. The beach was beautiful, some rockpools, and rocks to fish from. The boys landed a couple in the first 30min. Unfortunately no matter how idyllic it was we could not swim (spotted a croc cruising around on the first evening)…..this was a downer. Never mind. We spent the first day doing the sites in town, which you could cover in a couple of hours but as nothing was sign posted we spent a while getting our bearings. Had a nice tour of the Mission Museum also. The weather was still very hot but cooled off nice in the evening. That night we went up the beach at low tide and collected about 2 doz very large oysters off the rocks which Susan cooked up later that night. Even though we were unable to land a decent fish we did have some nice blokes next door who dropped us in a nice sized grunter they caught that day. Susan returned the favour by baking them a brilliant orange and carrot cake which went down well! The last day we spent at the beach or camp relaxing, a bit more fishing with little luck. One thing I should say is in the mornings we all hopped out bed just after 6.00 am and would go down the beach with a coffee and see everyone else down there! The mornings where amazing there and not to be missed.

While the mission officially closed in 1981 there are still some volunteer workers and a Mission store. Supplies arrive every 2 weeks by barge, unlike the in the 60’s when they only saw a barge twice a year.

 our camp under the mango tree...no fruit though

 great sunsets

 bacon and eggs......

 wrecks from the bombing of Kalumburu

 Susan with a medium oyster.....we picked 2 doz of the off the rocks

hermit crabs

 the beach at sunrise

 we loved McGowans!!!

Mitchell Falls by Susan

Spectacular!!!!

However, to get there involves a very corrugated rocky road……………we may have been shaken to bits……..a flat tyre on the trailer but the Ssangyong held up beautifully. Haven’t had to pull the duct tape out yet!

We actually had a night at King Edward river on the way, with a nice swim at the top of the mini falls there and a look around at a couple of Aboriginal art sites close by. The Aboriginal Kimberley rock art is quite something, very old and 3 distinct different time periods with lots of the Bradshaw figures (for those who know of them). The ranger up at Mitchell Falls (where there are another 2 fabulous sites you can get up close to) is something of a guru on it all as he has had some quite prominent people from the archaeology world come and do research, digs and dating. (including the guy who discovered the “hobbit” in Indonesia.)

When we reached the Mitchell falls camp site it was very hot so we made the 800m trek into Little Mertons waterfall and had a great swim in the pool at the bottom and climbed up and around behind the waterfall, checked out the fantastic Aboriginal rock art while we were nice and cool and then walked up the top of the falls and swam there too.

The next day we did the big hike in past Little Mertons ( which we didn’t think was so little) into BIG Mertons waterfall (OK towering cliffs and a huge gorge………Little Mertons is little!) and then around the top of the plateau over to the Mitchell river and the top of the falls where we had a great swim for about an hour in the eddys and currents……..(Wet and Wild eat your heart out). Then we went around an enjoyed the spectacular view of Mitchell falls from the cliff tops and tried not to think about the fact that we were just swimming at the top of that huge drop! Then to top the day off a helicopter ride back which the boys all absolutely loved! BUT they forgot the DOORS!!! I’m sorry but I really do think that if you are being supported by a tiny little rotor blade and dangling over a HUGE waterfall and gorge and your pilot is going to tip the thing on the side that doors would (or at least a much tighter seatbelt/20 point at least harness) would have made me feel just a little more secure.

Have to say it was an absolutely fantastic day we topped it off by taking a couple of beers to the top of Little Mertons waterfall to watch the sunset while the kids played in the water. Must mention poor Woodsy got kept awake by the Quolls doing night raids under the camper trailer and into the back of the car.......... rest of us slept great.

 Kalumburu/Mitchell Falls Rd....nice corrugations!!

 King Edward River falls

 Artwork near King Edward River

 Another snake....brown tree snake well spotted by Lachlan

 Little Mertens Falls

 Mertens water monitor

 Great swim on the top of Mitchell Falls

 Fall from the helicopter

Mitchell Falls

 A selfy from the chopper....Susan hanging on for dear life

The boys......I can understand though, 2hrs 15min to travel 76km