kalumburu.....up the gibb river road

We packed up and left ElQuestro the girls leaving with julie driving before us heading back to kununnara for a few days without Ian and I ...we also took the spare as ian's nissan took the same tyre ... for a few days fishing with Sharon's( Ian;s daughter's parents in laws ) Wolf and Pam who have been going up to kalumbru for 10 years....

the infamous Gibb river rd  ( dosen't look that bad )

the cockburn range scenery awersome 

the first leg was 160 klm of gibb river road ...renowned for leaving bits of your car there !!! corrugations and shale as well as dust washouts ,water, so we were a little aprehensive but confident we could get there ...first  crossing the pentecost river ..then home valleystation .. the turn off  another 70 klm  to drysdale station

a bit rough in places..........

boab tree unique in these parts of the kimberly

just a small station  up here.....we made the turn off the gibb even had bitumen in places a few water crossings we arrived at drysdale station had a bit of lunch rang the girls to make sure they got back ok...they did ..the next leg the kalumbru rd changed the gibb was a highway and it got worse

typical kalumbru

more often than not

another river cossing

red dust colour of the grass

the camp at honeymoon bay

it was 230 klm of dirt from drysdale station we arrived at honeymoon bay at about 7:30pm doing the last 70 klm in the dark slow going but the spots helped us old buggers pam and wolf had tea for us FISH ? fresh....red emperor as it turned out caught that morning !! ...the last part of the trip into honeymoon bay was sand ,washouts, rock and at times no road we thought we may have stuffed up a couple of times but it all worked out....

showers and toilets

hot water for showers

in the shinmarno

 

first one caught  grunter( not naval)

The spanish arrived  Ian & I hooked at the same time  the one above is mine which we gave to the locals whose diet is still 80% fish..... but Ian landed a beauty  and it provided quite a few meals once done

a great fish kel ...

Wolf also caught a few grunter as well as shark a bronze whaler and another which broke his rod.. Pam caught a shark and grunters as well ..this was spaced over 2 days  ..we also had a motor problem and came back one morning on one out board ..wolf's boat is a beauty  and can get up and go !

the bronze wolf caught & released....

Wolf's Boat

the lost city ...benedictine monks arrived in this area in 1901...it must have been rough and ruggered then

this was mine a GT trevally ..which we released back  ( no I didn't kiss it )

it is a loverly place and we  enjoyed the company Wolf and Pam , as well as Shirley and Ken from Echuca who have also been coming up for years ...I got up early for the sunrise  you be the judge !

there is probably more I could add but to be there was just beautiful so it was off to kununurra after breaky ...this time in the daylight so we were able to have a look at kalumbru and then make our way back down to drysdale station where the funniest thing happened Brian & Sharon Walker who we have known forever just happened to be there ready to fly over mitchell falls ...it was great to catch up and we hope to all meet in Broome shortly....

 past hope valley station across the penecost river .....bang left front tyre  the gibb got another anyway changed it and got going again ..kimberly off road camper busted a spring so they were stuffed..lucky elenbrae station was only a couple of klm away ...shit happens the woman said "it's true "

we made our way back finally making the bitchmen and getting back just in time for tea ...

kel was still crook  and so it was doctors for him and I started on the ute  cleaning  dust dust and more dust ....until next time...................................

 

 

 

 

 

kununarra..kulumbru....and beyond.......

our view  from the van

LIFE in kununarra..has been good over the last 2 weeks staying at discovery caravan park on the edge of the ord river catching up with old friends michael (gabby) and nola hayes who once lived across the road from us in Frankston when I was in the Navy...loverly to see them ...although I only got to catch up with gabby for a few days as he was working at Arglye diamond mine.. once we got here it was off to the grocery for fruit and veg as everything goes at the border as well as honey the supermarket must do a roaring trade you'll like to own it....the pumphouse is just a short walk up the road for another sunset ...couple of beers then off to town for a meal ....

 ...relaxing few days with nola last weekend

we went out to El Questro wilderness park for the weekend taking our tents and setting up the plan was to enjoy the weekend visit the hot springs on sunday morning and do the walk into emma gorge stay sunday night  and Ian and I to head off to kulumbru  along the gibb river road and turn right and up to the coast about 500klm  of dirt stone and shale oh I forgot to mention DUST....on the moday and Julie and Anne would  head back to kununarra for a few days without us.....

julie driving the water crossing....

 

 

El questro is about 80 klm from kununarra cattle station that is also a well run resort approx $60 a night to camp so its not cheap ..and if you want to stay at the homestead expect a $1000 a night  2 night minium but there are some amazing views ...arrived ok couple of water crossings and a bit of dust  set up camp had a swim in the river and kicked back they have a buffet styled tea and music a duo who were very good

 ..Ian was not well has a bug cold so he had a couple of totties...when we there last the entertainment was buddy tyson whipcracker ,storyteller  and the mc was chilli the guy now doing the show at Daley Waters pub...buddy died in october but he was a legend around these parts....

a good nights music and food off to the  hot springs in the morning  julie along the trail into zebadee

the walk in

kel cold and all

Ready for Emma Gorge and the walk in 3.7 klm  but a little rough from memory Kel ,Anne and I  were walking in ...too rough for mother she relaxed at the pool at the resort it is a good walk in I saw a few that were not going to make it...............

the easty bit !!

the reward  Emma Gorge

and friend....with nappy..na tracking device !!!

the great thing was we were there all by ourselves not a soul around ...on the way out about 40 people making their way in  so how lucky were we eh ! back to julie then lunch and back to el questro for the night before the trip  north !!!!!!!!!!! check in later

 

 

 

from darwin to kununnurra

WELL....a hiccup ..julie's mum first of all had her op ..not successful and has had a light stroke in the aftermarth so this has seen us  back from daley river to darwin a night at Chris and christine 's julie on the plane and back home to see her mum and as I write this she is still in ballarat but coming back up thursday ....so I'd better get the Vanwork done !!!!!!...Mum is doing the best she can and will go to the QE for rehab ...whether she is able to go back to the village remains to be seen but she has improved..ne step at a time ...Kerri spent time with her immediately after and did a great job , Billy also went in this was important ..Peter and Bill  came down and Julie arrived the next day as did Katie.......that's a snapshot...lots more happened but back to the trip ...................................

down to the Daley river  about 100 klms in from adelaide River first part the road was a little narrow but at the turnoff it changed into a better road then the freeway !! they are also building a new bridge there as well I imagine to get across in the wet ....

as you imagine fishing is the big thing at daley river relaxing is a part as well they hold the barra championships there as well ...a boat is the best way but we had a crack when the water gets a bit cold the barra go off ...and don't want to know ..needless to say we didn't do any good but is was another experience ...it's one thing fishing and another keeping an eye out for the crocs which are prevelant there but we survived sun up sundown is just too pretty

with julie's mum having a setback we were off ..Ian and anne stayed there and waited for me to return

we were tryin !! still we headed out of daley river and stopped for an overnighter at adelaide river in the middle of the national park  then it was down to katherine for some shopping and on to  victoria river  camping overnight $10 per person powered site basic but fine....

now into escarpents  and sure enough we got up early and went fishin....

lots more to follow

only a quarter but nice

 cooking with kel and the stir fry using up all the vegies before the quarintine  crossing before kununurra...

morning

the victoria river

the most common thing up here ..friends

we are still tryin !!! ian caught a couple of catfish  me zero !!

perhaps i'm getting better at the nightime shots ...........

the new wife sign was still up from the last time maybe he trades them in

so up and under way down to another overnighter before kununnurra

a lot more escarpments and Boabs along the way for fuel and $1.90 a litre ..100 yards away $1.93

Tea and scones this says it all.....

off we went to our free camp for the night  the speed limit is a little higher than victoria but the roads are no different ..and there is a lot of traffic at times !

and last but nor least the boab in kununnurra now kicking back ...yeah right !!

bye for now