Postcards from the Road - East Kimberley
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Days on the Road 84 Traveled 8,560ks Campgrounds 20
Temp 16 - 31°C Waterhole Temp 14°C Thermal Pool 34°C
Catch of fish | Silver Bream 22 | Dusky Flathead 2 | Sand Whiting 7 | Spotted Mackerel 2 | Flounder 1 | Golden Trevally 1 | Orange Spotted Cod 1 | Yellowfin Tuna 1 | School Mackerel 2 | Cobia 1 |
Barramundi (under-sized) 1 | Golden Snapper 1 | Bluenose Salmon 1 | Silver Cobbler 2 |
Mud Crabs 5 | Apple Pies 1 | Prawn Rolls 3 | Barra Wings 1 |
Horse Rides 1 |
Ochre red earth, layers of rusty red rock, chunky termite mounds and flame red mountain ranges. Olive green Spinifex grasses dot the plains, eye-catching Boab trees bulge and Kapok trees in flower add brilliant pops of bright yellow to the landscape. All this beneath cloudless blue, blue skies, these are the colours we see in the east Kimberley.
Crossing the border into WA is a buzz, we had made it. Biosecurity at the border to protect Australia from harmful pests, diseases and weeds from state to state, meant we surrendering any fruit, vegetables, honey and shellfish on board. In preparation we had eaten all relevant items, except the remainder of our honey which we had to handover.
At the first town we came to, Kununurra, we re-supplied our groceries stores, before journeying on out to Lake Argyle to camp for a few days. An immense man-made lake amid the mountains was a magnificent sight to behold as we approached. We had some restful days here by the lake, however the fisherman took the kayak out on the lake to explore (the lake being nine times the size of Sydney Harbour!) and he got a little bit lost, which was a big bit stressful for us both. For ten minutes we communicated via radio, to him everything looked the same, thankfully I spotted him through my binoculars from a lookout above the lake and was able to guide him back on track to the boat ramp. Oh my! He came back weary but with fish and I needed a lie down.
From Lake Argyle we drove on to El Questro Station, as we travelled towards the Cockburn Ranges it seemed like we were on set in the wilderness of a John Wayne western. The long, looming mountain ranges, the red earth plains, a backdrop to the formidable spinifex; the prickly heart of Australia dominating the landscape, and playing a crucial part in the spinifex, termite, lizard triangle* that exists in the Australian desert regions.
The Gibb River Road, a notorious section of off-road driving which crosses from the towns Kununurra to Derby and many see as a medal winning achievement (think 'I did the Gibb' t-shirts and bumper stickers) was before us. We spent time driving parts of ‘The Gibb’ from place to place, and the unsealed road we drove into El Questro Station saw us bouncing over corrugations, dodging rocky patches and potholes and churning through water crossings to gain access to the campground. It’s a hot dry place, with scarce shade in the campground and we based ourselves here to visit various gorges, water holes safe for swimming and lookouts to take in the colossal landscapes of the Kimberley.
Our 4WD skills were expanded as we climbed ridges and crossed rivers to see more hidden places, Pigeonhole Lookout and Saddleback Ridge Lookout were epic to be at, both in the middle of the day and at sunsets. On another mode of transport, I enjoyed a guided horse ride in the late afternoon through up and down the ridge right on sunset. That was a cool experience and I thought about my friend Maggie* and her horse Frank as I went. Emma Gorge and El Questro Gorge were favourites for us; beautiful, boulder scrambling hikes that rewarded us with icy, yet refreshing and pristine waterhole swims.
Our final night in the east Kimberley we free camped at the Pentecost River Crossing, where the fisherman threw a line in, while I built a fire on the sandy shore and cooked omelettes for dinner. The sun sunk low, and the night sky filled with a zillion stars, we dozed off comfy in our camper. A dozen nights in The Kimberley whet our appetite for more and the road west to Broome and other unique places to discover beckoned.
Lake Argyle Discovery Resort An immense freshwater lake formed by damning the mighty Ord River, has created an amazing marine environment offering a wide range of adventures and activities that are based our of the Discovery Resort. We camped on a powered site, with a lovely infinity pool to cool off in and a restaurant and beer garden to enjoy.
El Questro Station From deep gorges and majestic ranges to thermal springs, mud and salt-flats, rainforests and cascading waterfalls, everything the Kimberley has to offer is located across the property's 700,000 acres in the heart of the East Kimberley. It is a wonderful place to base yourself to explore this part of the Kimberley. Again we had a powered campsite for 5 nights.
Emma Gorge, Zebedee Springs & Horse Riding with Big Sky Horses
4WD to Pigeon Hole Lookout & Saddleback Ridge Lookout
Steakhouse & Cantina Dining on our final evening at El Questro we enjoyed pizza and drinks around the open fire as live music played.
Pentecost River Crossing Free bush camping on the Eastern side of the river, get there around 9am to claim a spot, camp well back from the river as it is a known crocodile spot.
A little extra detail:
* The real spinifex grazers however are termites; the triangle of spinifex, termites and lizards in the Australian deserts has been likened to the great African grasslands, antelopes and lions (etc). The mass of termites per hectare in the central deserts is greater than that of all other animals. Each spinifex clump has a tunnel opening beneath its centre. In one small area near Alice Springs there are 50 termite species. In turn this supports the world’s greatest concentration and diversity of lizards.
* My friend Maggie MacKellar writes about rural life in Tasmania and riding her horse Frank weekly at The Sit Spot.
