Onward and Upward – Kalumburu Road, Drysdale Station, Honeymoon Bay & Macgowans Island.

We really were both itching to get to Kalumburu and set up camp for a decent amount of time and get the boat in the water. We hit the dirt once again and travelled to Drysdale River Station for an overnight stay before travelling to Kalumburu and the north WA coast. Instead of staying at the station campground we decided to head up the road another few km’s and stay at their Miner’s Pool campground. It is a beautiful area to camp, no facilities except the much loved pit toilet and a clear, freezing creek to take a dip in. So tonight was the first of many cold showers I was about to have in the next few weeks. In fact it wasn’t even a shower, but a very quick and freezing cold wash in the creek!

We packed up early and continued to head north on the Kalumburu road. It’s approx 200km to Kalumburu community from the Gibb River Road turn off. We were lucky to be travelling it really. While in Kununurra there was so much talk about the road being so damaged in the wet season that they wouldn’t re-open it at all this year! Given this we were expecting a shocking road but to our surprise it was very reasonable. The last 100km was a bit slower but we took our time and made it through the small community of Kalumburu, without stopping, and out the other side to travel another 25km to Honeymoon Bay.

Having travelled to Kalumburu with work while in Kununurra, Ben had visited Macgowans Island campground but not Honeymoon Bay. We decided to drive to Honeymoon Bay first to decide if we would camp their or Macgowans. Unfortunately for Honeymoon Bay, Macgowans was a much nicer place to camp and easier access for us to boat to the river inlet and close reef bommies. Honeymoon Bay campground was not very well kept, not shady and more exposed to the ocean.

Having settled where to stay we headed back to Macgowans and set up camp. You really have to be self sufficient here. There is water, probably not suitable for drinking, cold showers and flushing toilets, but no power. Lucky Ben put his foot down and bought those solar panels... they have been working a treat! Macgowans was reasonably busy when we arrived, it wasn’t the private or secluded area we were expecting, but it’s nice to have company sometimes. The beach itself is quite beautiful, a small bay with oyster covered rocks at either end. No good for swimming though as we are still very much in croc territory. Fish and Oysters were on the menu pretty well every day for 1 week.

Of course it wasn’t long and Ben had the boat in the water. First day fishing to the river and Ben landed a 1.05m Spanish mackerel. We couldn’t fish for long after that as we didn’t have an esky big enough for the fish! On other days Ben caught some great queenfish and we got onto a few Nanagai, cod and of course sharks at the small bommies offshore. For a while their I thought I had lost my fishing ability but after a few days it came back to me!

We met some great people here, shared a few campfires, swapped fishing stories at the end of the days, and I landed a great new fish recipe that I will be adding to my book. Joan and David are from Cooktown and were very kind to let us try their pickled fish. Ben and I are both hooked on it, as well as my version of my friend Heidi’s ceviche recipe. Both will follow this post. A must try.

We stayed at Macgowans for 1 week. I was ready to leave after 7 days in the boat but a week later all i want to do is go back. Definately one of my favourite places and one I am sure Ben will drag the boys on a fishing trip to! We said goodbye to new friends David and Joan and hit the road once again. This time about 200km, across the Mitchell Plateau and on to Port Warrender, Walsh Point.

Let the Gibb Begin ... Off to El Questro We Go

I am already freaking out about the amount of money we are about to spend on fuel....today we start our journey across the Gibb River Road. We had been waiting for this, and as exciting as it was I knew the price of fuel along the way was going to hurt. We decided to back track to Kununurra to refuel before hitting the Gibb River Road, it would be alot cheaper than anywhere else and was only an extra 90km. So, all fuelled up we pulled up at the Gibb River Road sign for a quick pic and headed for first stop, El Questro.

Everyone has always talked about El Questro, it’s been on TV and we were a little unsure if it might have lost some of its beauty to being over commercialised. Not the case at all. We are very lucky the owners of this station allow people like us to visit and they seem to be doing a good job at balancing tourism with the outback. We have heard so many fellow travellers complain about El Questro being “too expensive” and having not visited for this reason but they have missed out. For what it is, we didn’t find it expensive at all. It was $36 night to camp there, the same as any other caravan park (we’ve actually paid $40 night for no power or hot water). In addition to this they ask you pay a $36 park permit, valid for 7 days, allowing you to visit many beautiful gorges, swimming holes & lookouts. Well worth it!

On arrival we were offered to camp at the grounds with facilities near the office & restaurant or at a private riverside camp for the same price. It was a no brainer really, we were given a choice of campsites and picked a real beauty with our own swimming hole, views of the ranges and plenty of room for the dogs to run free.

Even Ben was impressed by El Questro’s scenery, it’s magnificent. You could drive around for a week, do bushwalks everyday and still see something different and spectacular. We were only staying 2 days on this visit, in hindsight we should have stayed longer.

We drove the steep incline to Saddleback Ridge and Lookout for sunset and the next morning headed to the much anticipated “Zebedee Springs”. The thermal pools are the best we’ve been to and surprisingly there are a few of them around the country. To help monitor the flow of people into the springs and to stop overcrowding they are open to guests from 7am-12midday only... i think the tours visit in the afternoon. I thought this was a great idea, the springs were still busy when we arrived at 9am in the morning but it would have ruined a very relaxing swim if we had to share with a bus load of people. Zebedee Springs is such a tropical oasis, surrounded by palms and high red cliff faces. I could have floated around and admired the view for hours.

The wrinkly skin set in however and we decided to continue our days exploring. We set off to Emma Gorge, as short drive back out to the main road. We were ill prepared for this one. The park info states:

“Enjoy an invigorating but partly shaded 1 hour walk with some pools along the way. At the top, plunge into a huge waterhole with a droplet waterfall enclosed on 3 sides by 65m sheer cliffs.”

So, having tackled alot bigger walks we set off with our 700ml bottle of water and our thongs. We were soon to find out the walk was more challenging than we expected, over many rocks, crossing the creek etc. We weren’t turning back now... the walk seemed to go forever but it was beautiful and the waterfall at the end was extremely magical... it felt like I was on a movie set. Instead of the usual gushing waterfall, the drops fall around you like gentle rain.

The other thing they failed to mention that the swim that you are really looking forward to when you get there is about -100 degrees. (Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration.) We used to think Mossman Gorge in Qld was the coldest water around but it had nothing on this. There was no way I could brace myself to jump into that. I dipped my legs in to cool down but Ben braved the swim... a very very quick breathtaking swim!

The walk back always seems much quicker than the one there... why is that? We made it in one piece, pluggers in tact, slightly exhausted and very hungry. We considered joining on to the end of one of the tour groups stopped for lunch but headed back to camp instead.

We also took a drive to Explosion Gorge. The track is beautiful with a spectacular lookout, looking across the ranges, over waterholes and across the gorge to the famous homestead. The homestead sits on the edge of the gorge but unfortunately you are only able to visit there is you pay hundreds of $$ as a guests. This time around we decided to enjoy it from afar.

Tomorrow we are off to Kalumburu, tonight treating ourselves to a bbq at the campground with some live music and a fire. We really enjoyed our stay here and would love to come back and take some more time to look around. I think Bear & Xena really appreciated having their own campsite and creek to roam and swim in too! Magic!

Start of the Gibb River Road

El Questro Lookout

Looking across the Pentacost River towards the Cockburn Ranges - Spectacular

A short walk to Zebedee Springs

Zebedee Springs.

The Bungle Bungles

So this is it, finally after near 3 months we are moving further west into untravelled territory, untravelled by us that is! Today it was time to visit the Bungle Bungles. We ventured to the Bungle Bungle Caravan Park, about 3 hours from Kununurra and 50km from the Bungle Bungles. Again, it was our best option as we couldn’t stay in the NP with Bear & Xena. It wasn’t a problem though. The campground is relatively new and still working on improvements but they’ll get there. I loved the way it was set up with little impact on the land and it really fit into its surroundings, definitely no Big 4. The office was a large safari style tent and to it left was a large marquee with communal fireplace and bush kitchen style restaurant. We were only staying the night, leaving Kununurra early in the morning we quickly set up camp and the dogs then made our way straight into the NP. The road was rough but easy in a 4wd if you take it slow. I think it took us around 1.5 hours to do the 50km.

Before continuing on to the Bungle Bungle walk we did the right thing and stopped in at the rangers station to pay for our day pass, $11 per vehicle and might I say this was the friendliest ranger and NP officer I have ever met. They advised that given we only had ½ a day to head straight out to the Bungle Bungle’s and do the Cathedral Gorge walk... so we did!

After seeing Ayers Rock, The Olga’s and Kings Canyon we had seen alot of rocks and gorges and while I didn’t think the Bungle Bungles were quite as spectacular they certainly were unique and worth the visit. They are stripped in colour and similar to a beehive. The walk into Cathedral Gorge was easy with a tranquil ending. A tall gorge with a large clear pool at the bottom and bordered by a curved cave. We were lucky to be alone here and to be able to enjoy the peace and tranquillity, so many of our natural attractions are ruined by being over crowded.

With that done it was time to drive back to camp and show the dogs some love. Tomorrow we are off the the much anticipated El Questro.

Ben climbing a Boab tree on our way back to Kununurra.

The Kimberley - Via Dawin & Bali.

Ok, so we didn’t head for the bumpy Gibb River Road just yet. While in Kununurra we couldn’t  resist dirt cheap flights to Bali and booked a 9 day holiday departing from Darwin. It was a 10 hour drive, 800km back to Darwin but well worth catching up with friends when we arrived. Ed & Jodie that we had met at the Roper River were now living in Darwin and we were very lucky to stay with them before flying out. It was also great to catch up with Leigh and Katrina and the kids!

Ed & Jodie kindly offered to babysit the dogs and the camper trailer, although it was extremely hard to leave them. It would be the longest time we have left the dogs but they were in very good hands... too good in fact. When we returned home they had been spoilt rotten, put on heaps of weight and eating 4 times as much. Good on ya Ed!

Bali is another story... it was the first time both of us had been overseas, we were excited and looking forward to some luxury. An eye opener to say the least... the details will have to wait for another blog, we’ll be here all week! An enjoyable break, interesting but one we’re not in a hurry to do again and vomiting publicly through their airport we made a quick escape home!

We ended up spending another week in Darwin. I was still ill and had passed the bug onto Ben and it sure wouldn’t have been fun getting sick in the camper. We got a new exhaust, new tires and stuck around to help Ed & Jodie move into their new house. We were very lucky to have their hospitality and look forward to them visiting us one day. Thanks for putting up with us guys!!

For now though, there’s nothing like back-tracking. It was on the road again, an overnight stop near Timber Creek, back across the border for inspection and on to Kununurra where it was great to catch up with Tony and Shannon for an overnighter. Ben worked for Tony & Shannon while we were in Kununurra and we had to get out of there before we were convinced to stay!

Welcome To WA, East Kimberley, Kununurra!

Wow, what a spectacular drive it is across the WA border and into the East Kimberley region. A brief stop at the gorgeous Victoria River and then on to quarantine. Boy did these guys take their job seriously... and rightly so. The NT/WA border has 24 hour patrolled quarantine, no fruit and veg, pests, cane toads etc are to be carried further, although I can’t imagine anyone would purposely smuggle a toad?? Luckilly for us we were prepared for this and used up all of our fresh produce but our word wasn’t enough. We had to lift our boat and open all the boxes on the trailer to be inspected, and honest Ben had to dig out his cast net from the deep for them to check. With everything approved we were in....the much awaited WA and only 50km to Kununurra.

As many of you would know by now, there was an abundance of work in the Kununurra region and due to the Gibb River Road not yet being open we decided to stash some cash for 2 months. After trying 2 other caravan parks we ended up setting up house at the showground... a fantastic place, loads of space and great for the dogs.

Ben and I both started work the first week we arrived, Ben as an electrician and myself back in recruitment. It truly was nice to be back in a reutine, making money instead of just spending it, and using my brain again! It wasn’t all work of course, we wanted to use Kununurra as a base to see many of the surrounding attractions.

Many a weekend was had at the Keep River, about 80km from town and great  Barra fishing. We both caught some decent fish here and the drive is extremely picturesque with burning red ranges, rice fields and irrigation channels on the way. We were lucky enough to meet up with Ruth and Stewart again when they spent a few days in Kununurra. As the Keep River was one of our favourite spots we took them for a drive. The boys put the boat in and we all got onto a few  Barra. By this stage I  was giving them away!! We spent a bit more time and had a lovely dinner with Ruth and Stewart before they continued on their journey west.

We couldn’t leave town without a visit to the Hoochery Rum Distillery (just a taste of 75% rum nearly dropped me), and Lake Argyle. I don’t think you could prepare yourself for the size of the lake nor the amazing colours. We decided not to spend money on a cruise or flight this time around, we could already see so much from the drive.... it was something! There were also a few trips to the renowned “Ivanhoe Crossin” although it was still closed to traffic due to high water flow. Ben caught just a few small Barra here.

I am not sure if “Lucky” is the right word but Ben was “Lucky” enough to visit a number of local communities in the region. Most involved driving to remote indigenous communities, on one occasion a flight to Kalumburu and a few to the coastal town of Wyndham. I still hadn’t visited Wyndham as yet, so Ben decided to take me for a weekend drive. Quite disappointing really, there isn’t much to the town itself, but the 5 rivers lookout if definitely impressive. It is no wonder this region see’s so much flooding in the wet season. On the way back from Wyndham we took a drive towards the Cockburn Ranges to the “Prison Tree”. I great drive and super tree, of course I convinced Ben to jump inside for a photo!

I can’t forget to mention how nomadic our life was in Kununurra. I know you are thinking “well you are travelling” but in this one small town in 8 weeks we managed to stay in 5 different places. As mentioned our first month was spent at the showground where caretaker Troy looked after us and the dogs very well. Unfortunately we had to move out of the showground the week of the show and we moved to camp behind the office store where one of Ben’s mates Mum worked. From here we went back to the showground for a few days before caretaking a spectacular home on acreage just out of town, the dogs had friends to play with, I had a bath to relax in, Ben had fresh eggs every day and we were all very happy. Then, as lucky as we are, we were able to stay in Ben’s   boss’s unit for cheap rent the last 2 weeks.. awesome!

For the foodies out there, surprisingly there a a few nice cafes in Kununurra these days. The Mango Cafe in the middle of town is great, good food and good coffee. One place i really enjoyed however was “The Pumphouse Restaurant”. It quite literally is the old pumphouse on the edge of the water and the tables are seated around the old pumps inside as well as out on the verandah overlooking the water. It’s a beautiful place, very interesting and alot of history. I would recommend for breakfast over dinner.

It’s hard o fit everything from the last 2 months into one post... but alot of it was work. I can’t help but think there is alot I have missed. As our time in Kununurra draws to a close, it’s both tempting not to stay longer and exciting to see more of the Kimberley. Fortunately for us, the Gibb River Road was now open, as well as the road north the Honeymoon Bay and Kalumburu, get ready for dirt dirt and a bit more dirt!



Keep River Barra!




WA Quarantine Border Inspection




Ben fishing at the Ivanhoe Crossing. Still far too high to cross.




Rice & Ranges, Kununurra




Bear & Xena's new home for a while.




Ben in the boab prison tree near Wyndham.




More rice & ranges.



The Adelaide River War Cemetery & Katherine

On the road towards Katherine we stopped in at the Adelaide River War Cemetery. A truly moving experience with an ghostly beauty. We quietly wandered the site, reading the names of many soldiers that had lost their lives during the war, as well as civilians that died during the Darwin bombing, many as young as 16. Reading through a long list of names we found both POWELL & THOMPSON’S, we felt extremely humbled and forever grateful for their sacrifices. There is no way you could leave this site and not feel extremely lucky and proud to be Australian, as we did.

For a short time it was a quiet drive on to Katherine as we both reflected on our visit to the cemetery, but as you know, I never stay quiet long. We arrived at Springvale Homestead where we were to camp for the next few nights. A beautiful place to stay with alot of history. We enjoyed a cup of tea and scones and walked through the old stone homestead (in true grey nomad style). Mostly we used our stay here as a base to explore the Katherine area.

We decided to head out for the day, first stop Cutta Cutta Caves. It compulsory to take a guided tour of the spectacular caves and well worth the extra information along the walk. We slowly crept further and further into the caves admiring the beautiful stalagmites/stalactites that shined a crystal white as if covered in diamonds. We even learned of history of the soldiers coming into the caves during the war and blowing the beautiful formations off for fun, you can still see the results of it today.

I was excited about heading the to the Katherine Gorge but that soon deflated when we arrived. There isn’t much you can do that isn’t expensive there. All activities at the gorge, including flights and boat tours must be booked through one agent when you arrive. Unfortunately we had just missed the last boat tour which was $75 each for 2 hours. Our only other option was to do a flight and we decided to give it a miss. We walked to the boat ramp and I have no doubt the rest of the gorge would be spectacular, however I still can’t get my head around how inaccessible some of these place are, hence no photo's of this one sorry. They are NATIONAL PARKS and we should be free to visit them, so frustrated and with no bushwalks to take us exploring further we returned to camp to prepare for our trip across the border in WA tomorrow!! We knew there would be many more spectacular gorges where we were heading.

Entrance to the Adelaide River War Cemetery

The Historic Springvale Homestead

Litchfield National Park

Deciding for various reasons to give Kakadu a miss this time around... we were bound for Litchfield NP. A short drive south of Darwin we passed through the small town of “Rum Jungle” before arriving at our camp ground. Really... who comes up with these names... imagine living in the “Rum Jungle”. We stayed at the Litchfield Caravan Park just outside the NP due to travelling with the dogs. It was a huge improvement on Darwin hospitality. The manager was very friendly, the grounds were excellent and we had the unpowered area completely to ourselves. They also told us to let them know when we go to the NP for the day and they will keep an eye on the dogs and make sure they have plenty of water. Highly recommend and we really enjoyed our stay. The NP itself is beautiful but like most things the secret is out! We always heard people saying “go to Litchfield, its equally or more beautiful than Kakadu and less crowded.” Not these days.... there is no entry fee into Litchfield, unlike Kakadu, and nor should there be. It was beautiful but busy. The main Wangi Falls area is a excellent place for a picnic, view of the falls and a cold swim in the waterhole, however being so close after the wet season and for risk of crocodiles it was closed for swimming when we visited. Florence Falls was gorgeous and a bit of a hike up and down hundreds of stairs... a bit disappointing when it was so crowded when we got there, presumably because the other swimming hole was closed. Not willing to fight the crowd to get into the water we opted to head for a swim at the cascades. Again beautiful but it seems such a shame to visit these places and have them be over crowded. I can’t forget to mention the very interesting old tin mine ruins and ant beds. We had a great time exploring but Ben was starting to get the Kimberley itch.


Huge Termite Mound



Old Tin Mine



Florence Falls



Wangi Falls