Western Oz leaving late in the touring season
23 September 2015 - 12 January 2016

Katherine Gorge to Wittenoom, WA

15 - 16 - Oct Katherine Gorge

We arrived at Katherine Gorge the day before the kids and hired rubber rings for the afternoon to beat the heat in the lower reaches of the gorge. When the kids arrived next day we hired tandem kayaks to go much further into the gorge. Great time swimming, high jumping from the gorge walls, kayaking through stunning scenery. On the return leg Robbie & Steve grew weary so Robbie held her sarong aloft as a sail and we returned slowly under wind power. Possibly a first at the gorge.

We sadly farewelled the kids here not expecting to see them till the west coast - far away. We stopped for the night roadside west of Katherine only to have the kids stop beside us after they spent 3 hours enjoying the air-con in Woolies at Katherine. We farewelled again the next morning. .

Rubber tubes at Katherine Gorge	Zoe jump	&
Tandem kayaking at the gorge	Lots of swims of course. Saw no freshies	More jumps even for old fart
Picturesque lunch stop	Happy days!

18 - 19 Oct - Keep River National Park

Overnighted at a beautiful spot overlooking the Victoria River, west of Timber Creek and well off the road. Unbelievably as we were settling in, the kids found us again. Love their company.

After a long drive on bitumen we drove in to the Keep River NP on an average dirt road, without any expectations. Except for the heat it was a delight. The only water is too muddy for swimming and is packed with bird life - aquatic & land bound.

There is a wlaking track which is sandy except when scaling ridges. It winds through lush palm valleys, past indigenous art galleries, beehive type ridges and even boab trees abound here.

Very hot overnight. On the way out we stopped at the lagoon for hours watching the flocks of birds coming to drink. They came by species - multiple types of ducks, geese & parrots

We managed to trap a large rock (15kg) between our twin rear tyres just outside the park gate. Steve lay in the dust in ridiculous heat and failing light at sunset trying to dislodge the thing. No success so had to remove the outer wheel first. No showers round here either. Yuk!!

Picturesque lunch stop	Keep River walk
Indigenous art on the wall at left	Robbie pointing at something/anything?	At rest in another picture gallery
	Big trouble	A scene at the waterhole

19 - 22 Oct - Kununurra to Geiki Gorge

Heat is reaaallly oppressive so we booked into a park with an infinity pool overlooking Lake Argyle. Didn't we love that pool - all day and the next.

Reluctantly we left that pool and made the long drive to Halls Creek where we saw the kids as we entered town.

We overnighted at Mary Pools. Instead of hundreds of vans like last time, there were less than 10. Lincoln had bought a frozen kangaroo tail in Halls Creek and bar-b-qued it for us. Fat, gristle & bone. We sent it hopping.

Next day we soaked in the water hole before driving to Geiki Gorge. Walked along the gorge this time rather than boating. The boat would be better & definitely cooler but we were too late in the day.

Beautiful overnight stop somewhere in NT	Lake Argyle from the Ord River dam	How happy is Robbie in the infinity pool
Met the kids at Halls Creek when we saw them outside this store	Hazard reduction burns are plentiful	Kangaroo tail anyone
Roadside camp. Linc loves his campfires	Robbie loves a party	Walking the Geiki Gorge track

23 - 25 Oct - Winjana Gorge

The road into Tunnel Creek and Winjana Gorge is very long, sandy (boggy) with creek crossings. This is the road that links the bitumen Highway 1 with the Gibb River track which runs parallel for 800 hundred kms.

At one stage we pulled over to let a road train pass and got bogged to the axles. Took a bit of digging. Always a pleasure in the heat and dust.

Tunnel Creek was as always brilliant, though a little scarey. Get's mighty dark in places but so late in the season water was rarely knee deep. The cool inside is always welcome, especially in late October.

Winjana Gorge is one of those specials. Spectacular gorge, lots of freshies & bird life, and a good walk if desired. Overnight camp in the carpark is always convenient. Due to the warm water the crocs were swimming rather than sunning on the banks as in the past.

After an overnight at a beautiful spot in off the Gibb River Rd we drove to Derby for a shop. Not much to see in Derby when the Boab Fest is not on so we didn't stay but ran into the kids again.

The kids' first creek crossing	The kids regularly waited for us as we travel much slower	Bogged to the axles
Kids in car park at Tunnel Creek	Start of the walk into Winjana Gorge	These rowdies (Curlews) are really noisy at night
Linc looking for crocs	Beautful Winjana	More Winjana
Plenty of freshies (Johnson River crocs) here	Another superb overnight road side stop	Gibb River Rd bitumen section

26 Oct - Willare road house

Robbie & I arrived at the roadhouse for fuel intending to go further for the night. It was so hot & humid - storms looming. The build up has started in ernest the last few days. Fires, storms, dust, heat & humidfity. Then the kids arrived. I had been admiring the roadhouse pool. When we sugested that we all book into the attached van park and we'd plug in to power up our air con the kids excitedly agreed.

What a night. The ringers from the station were staying as they were mustering the cattle into trucks there the next morning.

The pool was very lively and fun. We ate greasy take-away for the first time on trip and swam the night away till the best storm ever hit us. Drops the size of buckets, screaming thunder and forked lightning. We ran for the air conditioned van, played cards then slept in the cool for the first time on the trip.

Next day we watched the chopper drive the cattle in and the ringers load them onto trucks. The loudest of the ringers was missing as he'd been fired the previous night after becoming way too 'boisterous' after we left. The chopper driver was new as his predecessor died in a copter crash recently. The way they fly is insane.

Willare pool party	Cards during the storm - in the COOL	Helicoptor yarding cattle
Loading into trucks	Note the jeep. It shunts the recalcitrants forwards	All done

28 - 30 Oct - Broome & Dampier Peninsular

Overnighted at a beautiful spot near the mouth of the Fitzroy River. Camped high though as many very, big crocs live there.

In Broome we rendevouzed with Jake (our) son and long-time friend, Pete. They had flown from Sydney for a shortish holiday with us to Perth. Jake will travel with us but Pete has rented a campervan.

Broome is a tourist mecca for good reason & so good to see the ocean again. Lots to see and excellent restaurants & bars by any standard, let alone those of the wild NW. We are hoping to see the stairway to the moon this time as our timing is right for the first time. This is a phenomenon visible at full moon when the rising moon reflects off the water lying between the exposed mud flats. Crowds line up along the foreshore. We chose a pub with live music to watch. It was cloudy so no ladder but the distant scrubfires & lightening typical of the buildup season enertained us.

We visited the site of the dinosoar prints at breathtaking Guillaume Pt at the end of superb Cable Beach. We had intended to fly to the remote NW Kimberley coast but the season had ended. Disappointed but saved much cash.

Zoe & Linc left us to meet up wiith friends who'd hired a 4 wheel drive to visit remote Cape Leveque. Pete, Jake, Robbie & I followed in our van. The 100 km road in is 50/50 narrow bitumen road & a soft sand track. Almost made it alright. We decided to drive into a resort and got stuck on their road 300 metres from the resort. They kindly dragged us out as we couldn't get traction on the fluffy bull dust even downhill - we weren't bogged.

The communities out in that wilderness were interesting but the highlight was the pearl farm at the end of the road. Their pool was pretty fantastic as well. As we were returning to Broome we met the kids travelling north in their hired red rocket. We watched the sun set over Cable Beach each before staying at a nice van park in town. Enjoyed the showers, washing macine & air-con.

Cattle stay well away from river unless drinking, not so Jabirus	Overnight stop beside the Fitzroy, with Brolgas in flight	Robbie, Jake & Pete at the Broome open air cinema
Near the site of the dinosaur foot prints	Reunion celebration at a massive bar/restaurant for viewing the 'ladder'	Picking mangos in suburban Derby
The track along the Dampier Peninsular to Cape Lleveque	The altar of the church at Beagle Bay made from local shells	Stuck but not bogged - weird
One of the reasons we enjoyed the pearl farm. This & the adjacent bar	Bumped into the kids again miles from anywhere	Jake, being Jake, in the Broome sunset
Local labourers on the way to work with pretty backdrop	Last night in Broome	Our Broome van park

28 Oct - 4 Nov - Barn Hill Stn to Wittenoom Gorge

The next stage is long empty roads but there are some nice side trips. The first is Barn Hill station with its beautiful beach, then Port Smith with its tidal lagoon. Huge tides make it a fine swimming venue at high, and excellent exploring at low. Wary of crocs always. 80 mile beach is always a nice break as well.

We saw a very big willie willie in the distance and chased it into Port Headland. While there we had the van serviced. There was a fascinating book in the mechanic's waiting room about the building of the Fortesque mines, port, plants & railway by 'Twiggy' Forrester & co. Well worth a read.

We now head back to one of our favourite landscapes in the world - Karrijini national park. Zoe & link headed off to see friends at Karratha and then head up the long private mining road via Millstream NP to meet us at Wittenoom Gorge.

The kids didn't show at the rendezvous. Turns out they arrived late at night & couldn't find us & continued onwards. We had parked in the ghost town for the night. After the mine was closed due to the asbestos scares the town was occupied only by the hardiest. The govt evicted them all some years after though..

We & Pete continued without them to a place new for us - the famed Hammersley Gorge. It's a long dusty out of the way place but wow!!! It's a steep walk down to a beautiful swimming hole with a gorge enticing a swim through but the rock formation is the highlight. Spectacular folded, red, layered rock.

We retraced our steps to a secret camp place way up Wittenoom Gorge along a now, badly delapidated tarmac road. A superb swimming hole in a scenic part of the gorge.

Port Smith lagoon at hight tide - watchful for crocs	Port Smith lagoon at low tide - still watchful for crocs
The boys planning the next stage	Lovely overnight free camp beside the De Grey River	Running repairs
Buffeted by road trains again. This time iron ore carriers	Big willie willie in Pt Headland	The extraordinary Sturts desert pea
Asking a local if they's seen the kids - o/s Wittenoom	Sad to see Wittenoom dead, cursed & deserted	Pete & Steve in trekking gear with our rigs at rear
It has a beautiful swimming hole	This is the rock wall in the previous picture	View from near the carpark
Jake starting the swim through the canyon	Pete found a small rock chip to sunbake	Jake at our 'secret' spot in Wittenoom Gorge

Go forward to Karijini to Perth

Go forward to Bunbury to Sydney

Go back to Sydney to Mataranka