Saturday 22nd June 2013 – Middle Lagoon to Derby

Packed up this morning and back on the road.  Initially back to Broome and then on to Derby ready for our flight out to the Horizontal Waterfalls tomorrow.

Fuelled up in Broome and then called into the market for lunch.  Also bought some more mosquito coil holders (they hold ‘bits’ of mosquito coil).  We found the one we purchased the other day very handy at Middle Lagoon where there were a few midges around sunset.

The drive to Derby was uneventful.  There’s not a lot of variation until south of Derby where one crosses the Fitzroy River flood plain.  We also passed Curtin Air Force base on the way into town, not that you can see anything from the road.

We set up in the Kimberley Gateway Caravan Park right in the centre of town.  It’s a well run park and even though we were crowded in it didn’t seem so bad as there were lots of trees throughout the park.

On dusk we drove down to the pier to see yet another sunset - quite dramatic through the piers on the jetty.  As the moon came up we also saw our only glimpse of what the staircase to the moon effect might be like.  Looking back towards town from the jetty there was a slight effect on the water as the moon came up.  Unfortunately we were not in Broome at the right time of the month to see the real thing over Roebuck Bay.

Sunday 23rd June 2013 – Derby

Up early this morning and breakfasted ready for our pick up at 8:15.  After picking up a few people from other accommodation we arrived at the airstrip where two Cessna seaplanes were waiting for us.  In addition to their floats they also have retractable wheels which enables them to land on land.  Consequently they sit quite high off the ground.  After the obligatory safety talk (we had to wear life vests) we, along with about 10 others squeezed into one of the planes with the pilot, Richard,  who looked about 16 years old.  Fortunately he was very capable and the lift off and later the landings both on water and land were all quite smooth.

As one would expect the view from the air was amazing,   initially over the mudflats around Derby and then over the land on the way to Talbot Bay.  We did a circuit of the falls from above and then came in to land on the water near two house boats fastened together and to quite a large area of pontoon decking – almost a floating village.

After a drink and some fruit we were aboard a 600hp boat to go and see the falls.  There are two falls, one wider that the other.  The falls exist because there are large lagoons (or small inland seas) which are filled only trough a small gap.  Because of the extreme between high and low tide in this area the water rushes in as the tide goes in and out as the tide goes out.  Today on the outer falls (the wider ones – about 20m wide) the variation from one side of the falls to the other was about 2.5 metres.  It can be up to 5 metres.  We sped through the falls several times much to Jill’s horror but didn’t go through the inner falls.  The gap being smaller meant the water was rushing too much and made it too dangerous.  Ben, the driver, did back into the beginning of the inner falls and held the boat at 11 knots to stay in the one spot.

Back to the “floating village” where Bryne fed the sharks.  The sharks (nurse sharks apparently) are quite large (up to 3 metres) but not dangerous although you still wouldn’t go swimming with them.  There were about 10 of them and while Bryne fed them you could enter shark cages either side for a closer look.  There were also lots of fish, small yellow and green stripped fish looking for a feed.  The highlight however, was Gordon the Groper – at least 3 metres long and quite majestic. 

Back in the boat and we were taken for a more sedate run up Talbot Bay into Cyclone Bay and eventually Cyclone Creek.  This was quite a protected spot where ships could anchor to avoid the cyclones which are common up this way in the wet.  Amazing rocks again. Twisted and lifted Leopold Sandstone which was a bit like what we had seen in Hamersley Gorge.

Lunch was barramundi with salad (and gluten free toast instead of the buns on offer) – very nice.

After lunch we were back on the fast boat for a run through the inner falls.  The tide had now dropped and both falls were much easier to navigate.  The interesting thing was that while the tide had started to run out from the outer falls it was still running in to the inner falls.

Flying back we took a longer route down the coast – very scenic looking out at the Buccaneer Archipelago.

For sunset today we went to the Dinner Tree, a boab on the edge of town which is quite effective with the sunset behind it. It’s called the dinner tree because in the past it was where drovers rested the sheep and cattle before loading them onto ships at the wharf.

We had an excellent dinner at the Spinifex hotel – Jill had Kangaroo and I had Salt and Pepper Squid.

Monday 24th June 2013 – Derby to Fitzroy Crossing

Drove out of town via the Prison Tree where aboriginal prisoners may have been kept in the days of blackbirding (when aboriginals were ‘kidnapped’ for use in the pearling industry).  Also ‘checked out’ the Myall’s trough (the longest in the southern hemisphere) which was another resting spot for stock on their way to the wharf.

Another uneventful drive to Fitzroy Crossing (about 230 km) with a break about half way at a 24 hour stop.  Lots of people set up here in the middle of nowhere.

Arrived at Fitzroy Crossing about lunch time and headed for the Fitzroy River Lodge which we had heard good things about.  A very pleasant spot.  Lots of green grass and a few shade trees.

After setting up and having lunch we headed for town to check out the Information Centre and Supermarket (for those few things we had forgotten).  Drove back via the historic River Inn and the historic cemetery site (graves have been relocated to a new cemetery because the site on the river bank is subject to constant flooding and erosion.

Tuesday 25th June 2013 – Fitzroy Crossing

Set off the Geikie Gorge for the first tour of the day at 8am.  We figured it would be cooler and their might be more birds around.  The tour (operated by DEC – Department of Environment and Conservation) was in a 60 seat flat bottomed boat and took about an hour.  The guide/driver was very good, giving us lots of information about the river, animals etc without being too scientific.  Interesting that the Fitzroy River while being not the longest river in Australia at 700km, carries the greatest volume of water.  If you drained Sydney Harbour and connected the Fitzroy it would fill it in 8 to 10 hours.  Presumably this is when it has lots of water in it in the wet.  It’s a pretty slow old river today.  Amazing rock once again.  Geikie Gorge, along with Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek are part of a Devonian Great Barrier Reef resulting in Limestone outcrops of all manner of shape and colour.  Saw our first freshwater crocodile of the trip along with a night heron and various other water birds. 

Drove back to camp via the old crossing on the Fitzroy River.  Any sort of flood would have cut the road when this was the only crossing on the river.  A late breakfast of bacon and eggs and coffee then spent most of the day writing postcards, catching up on the blog, reading etc.  Went to town to post the postcards and fuel up.  Then back to the Lodge for afternoon drinks at the bar.

For dinner we’d planned sausages on the park’s barbecue (with potatoes and salad).  We put in our dollar but nothing happened so out came the fry pans on the camp stoves.  Lucas, who we’d met at Karijini, came along for a chat while we were playing cards.  He’s travelling in the same direction with his wife and three boys in a huge van.  May see him again along the way.

Wednesday 26th June 2013 – Fitzroy Crossing to Windjana Gorge

Off to Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge today.  After backtracking 40 km towards Derby we turned north and were back on gravel.  Let some air out of the tyres and continued on to Tunnel Creek where K&M and I walked through the tunnel eroded under the Napier Range.  Jill thought it would be too claustrophobic so choose to chat with the aboriginals who were running tours through the tunnel instead.  The tunnel was fascinating.  Incredible coloured rock at the beginning (looks like marble).  The tunnel is about 700m long with a gap in the middle where the roof has caved in at some stage in ancient history.  As you would expect it is very dark inside and at times wading through water up to your thighs was necessary.  The creek meanders through the tunnel so the wading was necessary to get across the creek occasionally.  Didn’t see a lot of wildlife apart from a few bats and a cute frog (Bilingual Froglet), certainly no freshwater crocodiles that some people had talked about.

Next stop was at the Lillimilura Police Station ruins where the story of Jandamarra began when he turned on and killed his policeman friend at join his people in a guerrilla war against the white settlers which end three years later when he was shot near Tunnel Creek.

About lunch time we pulled into the camping area at Windjana Gorge (flushing toilets and hot (solar) showers – quite a surprise).  Rain is forecast so we put up the big awning.  It’s very hot at the moment – 34 degrees (hard to believe it’s winter) so we waited until about 4pmn to go and have a look at the first part of the gorge.  We’ll do the full 7km return walk in the morning.  What an amazing spot this is.  Beautiful rock and lots of freshwater crocodiles.  As part of the Devonian Barrier Reef there are quite a few fossil imprints of marine creatures in the rock.  One fossil of a nautiloid was particularly impressive.

After dinner we decided to take the spotlight and go back to the gorge to do some croc spotting.  As we got near the spot where we had seen them during the afternoon we could see lots of red eyes and quite a few crocs.  There was then this enormous noise which sounded like thousands of waterbirds taking off.  Turned out that it was the crocs launching themselves off the bank into the water.  When we got to the spot there were hundreds of red eyes with crocs behind the eyes floating around in the water.  What an experience!!!!

On the way back we also encountered quite a few little bats in crevices in the gorge wall.  Later spoke to the ranger about them and she bought us some books which enabled us to identify them as Northern Cave Bats – very cute.

Thursday 27th June 2013 – Windjana Gorge

After breakfast we set out to walk up the gorge (7km return).

There were lots of crocodiles sunning themselves on the sandbanks – it looked like hundreds but later in the day the Ranger told us there were around 120.  They were very relaxed and you could get quite close to them.  Even though they are freshwater crocodiles I wouldn’t like to get too close.

In the information shelter there is a picture of a crocodile bite on someone’s foot.  It was quite a mess.  Apparently once they grasp something they shake their head from side to side – and while their teeth might not be that large they are very sharp.

Further up the gorge we saw flying foxes and quite a lot of birds – egrets, cormorants, azure kingfisher, double bar finches, rainbow bee eater.  We even saw some Archer Fish on our way back.

Arrived back around 11 o’clock and had pancakes and coffee before the rain set in.  It continued to rain on and off for the rest of the day.  Fortunately the soil is fairly sandy so it’s not too bad underfoot.

We have quite a few bower birds (Great Bower Bird – also saw them at Fitzroy River Lodge) in the camping area and right in the middle of us all one of the male birds has constructed his bower.  Lots of white and green objects inside.  It’s entertaining just watching the antics.

As with most places we’ve been in Western Australia we also have lots of kites flying about.  More entertaining watching them soar overhead.  At one time we had them perched in a nearby tree drying their wings – must have thought they were cormorants.

Dinner was Nachos with guacamole (in a tube from Woolies) and ‘sour cream’ (made from silken tofu, lemon juice, oil and salt).

Not much sun today so the showers are cold – still nice to have a shower in a National Park and we’re having trouble keeping the fridges going – switched over to the battery in the camper but it’s running pretty low too.