Week 11 | Wild West
SNAPSHOT
As the chief travel agent, financial advisor and navigator on our big adventure, there isn't a day that goes past without me questioning all of our decisions, it isn't just a simple case of going where we want, staying where we want or doing what we want! We are limited by our van which isn't off road, our budget which although reasonable, isn't limitless and most importantly by time itself, which is ticking by at an alarming rate! And then we have to fit in fun!!! Hah hah
I follow other travel pages with interest, comparing all of our individual choices of roads to travel - and it isn't with jealousy at all!!! Mostly with curiosity ......and have quickly come to realize that everyone's journey is theirs and theirs alone - we are all having a ball within our own parameters!
We have jokingly called this our "Pre-Trip Scouting Mission" - we will absolutely be doing this again.....probably more than once - we have achieved approximately half the things on our list that we wanted to - and that is absolutely okay!
It's been filed into the little black book for next time....for now though we are heading to the Wild West!!! 😜
WHERE ON EARTH ARE WE?
After a beautiful break in Darwin we headed back south to Katherine before turning right towards Western Australia!
It's time to crack down on the budget and with 8 days to get to Broome to celebrate Liv's 12th birthday we set ourselves a goal to see if we could free camp across the Great Northern Highway...bar a night or two in either Lake Argyle or Kununurra!
Limestone Rest Area
Remember in Week 4 when I was petrified of parking up in a Rest Area overnight? Let's just say things have changed somewhat and we are now pros at setting up shop in the middle of nowhere! Every night camped off grid is another $60 in our pockets 😂
Saddle Rest Area
Now, here's the deal with staying at Rest Areas, you need to get up early, hit the road and be in to your chosen area early afternoon to get a good spot.....we pulled in today just after lunch and were rewarded with a spectacular little spot under a shady tree! We are finding that free camping is much more popular across the expanse of the desert.....there isn't much choice unless you like loooonngggg days of driving!
Gregory National Park
It was hot and dusty and Leigh insisted we do this "45 min" walk to see Aboriginal Rock Art....aside from the treacherous mountain climb across rubble, it was actually well worth it.....don't tell him I said that!! 😂
Kununurra
Okay, so here is a prime example of making decisions on the run! Our dream was to stay at Lake Argyle - you can't actually book (unless it's months in advance) so it's a turn up with 50 billionty million other caravans, get a ticket and hope like hell you get a site. For those unlucky 30 billionty million travellers there not granted a site, the choice is what is commonly known as "the overflow" - probably as delightful as it sounds.......so moving along, running into travellers coming from the other direction, word on the ground was Lake Argyle was getting harder and harder to get into by the day......slightly gutted we decided to drive right on past the turn off to Lake Argyle and stay in Kununurra, a regroup was needed!
Both caravan parks located on Lake Kununurra were completely full so (despite some miserable comments) WikiCamps directed me towards Ivanhoe Caravan Park on the other side of town and that's when things actually turned for the better!
Clearly, WikiCamps doesn't always get it right.
A beautiful shady, clean park - our site was spacious and located under some beautiful trees, close to the pool and amenities.
Not only was the actual park awesome, we quickly realised that Kununurra is the perfect location to explore this amazing area in a short amount of time!
We took a day trip out to El Questro, swam in the Zebedee Springs, visited "The Grotto", headed out to Wyndham and climbed up the steep ascent to 5 Rivers Lookout for a BBQ - it was a really fun day out and we will definitely put El Questro onto our "must do" list for next time - will have to make sure we are cashed up though 😂
Lake Argyle
When I explained our situation about Lake Argyle, the understanding Ivanhoe staff were incredible and helped us plan a day trip to the lake including the infamous sunset cruise. With much excitement we woke early and drove out to the Lake, stopping at the famous Durack Homestead before heading to the Lake Argyle Resort for a swim in the popular Infinity Pool and of course lunch! Once onboard with Lake Argyle Cruises we were treated to an afternoon cruising the pristine waters of Lake Argyle, the girls loved seeing the Rock Wallaby families scampering around the cliff faces, close up encounter with our very first crocs (in the wild anyway!) and feeding the Archer fish........it certainly has the wow factor but nothing prepared us for the unreal sunset - was like looking at a painting and watching it go down, champagne in hand, we were all pretty happy how things had turned out!
Two more rest stops!
The downside to Rest Areas is that they are precisely that! A means to an end, somewhere to break up the kilometers! Once settled in there isn't much to do except read......or watch all the Harry Potter episodes back to back! Meh I could think of worse ways to pass the time in the heat! 😂
BEST PART vs WORST PART
🐣Liv
Best part: Definitely the Lake Argyle cruise! I officially swam with 20,000 freshwater crocs! 🤢
Worst Part: Too many free camps in a row - they are fun to start off with but I just wanted some space to myself and there is nowhere to go!
🐴 Maggie
Best Part: Lake Argyle was awesome - the water was like a mirror and we saw Archer Fish that spat water at me! 😂 I also love free camping where there are no people.
Worst part: What I don't love is how hot it is in the afternoons with no aircon 😡
🏌️Leigh
Best part: Lake Argyle for the obvious reasons but have loved seeing all the Boab Trees, they are incredible with some being nearly 2000 years old! Also the 5 Rivers Lookout at Wyndham was amazing.......
Worst part: Having to witness backpackers in free camps having their "morning ablutions" outside their vans - can now see why there is toilet paper everywhere - just disgusting and perhaps rental companies should up their prices and include a chemical portaloo with the rental 😡
Some bad news from home with a respected work colleague passing away unexpectedly. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this very sad time....
🌺 Rana
Best part: Kununurra was a complete surprise - from the Ivanhoe Caravan Park which was a tropical oasis, to Lake Argyle's sheer size and beauty, the sunsets, El Questro 's Zebedee Springs, The Grotto and 5 Ways River Lookout at Wyndham......we hadn't planned on staying at all and ended up here three nights!
Worst part: Mmmm this week we decided to free camp as much as possible so committed to 4 nights across the Great Northern Highway.....not sure if it was the toll of packing and setting up twice per day, the incredible seering heat in the afternoons, close proximity to each other or the fact I ran out of champers and had to drink mid strength beer.......but tensions have been high, the girls have fought non stop, (even my Mummy hissing voice not enough to deter them mid flight!) and to top it off our solar (or battery) are just not playing the game so looks like we are up for some hefty costs to right it...........Basically tolerance levels were just low this week.......and when that happens there is nowhere to go!
On a brighter note we all agreed last night that we ALL need to make some behavioral changes and wiped the slate clean to start this week fresh - wish us luck!
LESSONS LEARNT:
📝 Despite how rough things get at times, we have been bought harshly back to reality for the third time this trip about the fragility of life and reinforced that the decision to undertake this trip was 100% the right one.
📝 Heat can bring out the worst in even the most patient of travellers.
📝 An incident at a service station in Kununurra which involved three guys (clearly munted on drugs) abusing Leigh and threatening the girls left me a bit shaken.....your natural reaction is to protect your family but the safest thing to do was to accept that these people "are who they are", tell the girls to cover their ears, lock the doors and move on......it's not our job to be their moral compass but terrifies me to think of what would have happened should Leigh have decided on a different course of action......😬
NEXT DESTINATION:
Broome......Pardoo Station.....Kirinjini National Park! Can't wait!
The road thus travelled for Week 11!!
Nearly there Aunty Gina....actually not quite true - 3100 kilometres to go! 😂
Liv's turn to be photographer at Gregory National Park and she did an amazeballs job!
Nimble as a Mountain Goat using only my tracking senses to make it back to the car 😂
Despite his family being "nay-Sayers" there actually was rock art and it was really really cool!!!
The beginning of the infamous Gibb River Road- not for the Stollery's this time around but one day......
El Questro's refreshing Zebedee Springs.....
The historical Durack Homestead at Lake Argyle - so much work has gone into this property and it's paid off!! Maggie is on camera duty today!
And equally as refreshing was Lake Aryle's Infinity pool - I am fairly sure we could have got a better snap than this but the selfie stick had to suffice!!
Lake Argyle......we managed to pick an unusually serene day on the water - lucky us!!!
Sunset and champagne - perfect way to end the day at the Lake ❤️❤️
Geikie Gorge, I love my daughter dearly but probably wouldn't have quibbled right at this moment should a prehistoric fish gobbled her up....ssshhh don't tell her 😂
Geikie Gorge - a quick little boat tour run by Parks and Wildlife showed us all the Fitzroy River has to offer!
Our last night of free camping at the "Boab Tree Rest Area".....this tree has been recorded as being close to 2000 years old - it was incredible and the girls could climb inside where the temperature was beautifully cool!!
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