Well, we have had a busy time in this little town in the East Kimberleys that was established in 1960 to service the Ord River Scheme. There are some 6000 residents in the greater area, who today support local tourism, mining and a strong agricultural industry that has recently, much to the chagrin of many locals, extended to the development of large plots of Indian Sandalwood. On Thursday we relaxed and went for a bike ride. The following day we did a tiki tour around local sights. This included the Zebra Rock Gallery which features zebra rock, a fine grained siliceous clay stone with rhythmic patterns of red bands or spots contrasting sharply with a white background, found in Lake Argyle);

The Hoochery

the Hoochery, the local rum distillery, the Sandal- wood shop where we learned about sandalwood and of course purchased some products; and the Ivanhoe Crossing, which is on the original Kununurra to Darwin road and is the old concrete causeway over the Ord River built in 1954. Sadly today it is closed to vehicles unless you want to tackle a huge boulder that blocks the crossing and then take on the fast flowing waters of the Ord, home to saltwater crocs and the mighty barramundi.

Ivanhoe Crossing

Then we visited the  Mirima National Park or Hidden Valley to look at the unusual sandstone formations that are known as the ‘mini Bungle Bungles’. They are amazing. We took our lunch and chairs and hiked to the top of the walk that takes you to the top of one of these formations so that we could sit and take in the beauty and then the views across the valley. They are truly majestic and so unusual!

The view from atop one of the domes in Hidden Valley

On Saturday our friends Kerry and Therese took us with them to El Questro. Over the years we have heard so much about the El Questro property and resort, seen stunning footage of this wilderness resort from helicopters on promotional TV programs and of course heard whispers of the per room rate. So this was a must on our agenda. Our first stop was the Emma Gorge Resort which is tucked away just a couple of kms off the Gibb River Road, on the El Questro property. What a stunner this spectacular gorge was. Following a 25 minute climb we came face to face with towering walls, plummeting waterfalls and a large waterhole that shimmered through shards of sunlight.

Emma Gorge

This was a delightful start to our day. From here we ventured further into the property and swam at the Zebedee Thermal  Springs which comprise lots of small pools surrounded by palm trees that create dappled light and excellent shelter from the heat of the day.

Our destination of El Questro caravan park and resort followed. After crossing several streams we arrived at the very well patronised caravan park. What a hive of activity this place was. Choppers flying in and out, a wedding breakfast being set up, campers in abundance. After a picnic lunch and conversation with locals to learn more we went to the Chamberlain Gorge and Jetty which is in a pretty spot….but with a beware of crocs sign, so no swimming here! This was the spot to get a view of the exclusive resort (we campers are not allowed at the resort!). Well, the consensus – disappointing. Of course we could only see the outside and some 300m away. When promoting the resort, which is on the top of a cliff overlooking the river, it has always looked like the escarpment is hundreds of metres high. Sadly its not! It might be 100 feet, but its not what we expected. That’s editing for you. With lots of disappointment we called it a day and headed home…..in reality we had a super day, with excellent company and one to truly remember.

Sunday we took a two hour scenic flight from Kununurra, across Lake Argyle, over cattle stations, down, around and over the magnificent Bungle Bungles that rise 300m from the desert, then over the Argyle Diamond Mine, home of the famous Argyle pink diamonds, along the Carr Boyd ranges (alongside Lake Argyle), over Kununurra and Hidden Valley, Ivanhoe Dam and the agricultural plateau and home again. How can 2 hours pass so quickly!

Looking out over Lake Argyle

This is the only way to get a true perspective of the landscape. This region is truly quite stunning, with some of these ranges being amongst the oldest on the planet. The Bungle Bungles can only be described as inspiring and unforgettable. These orange and black striped domes have been formed over 350 million years. Truly amazing.

Looking down on the Bungle Bungles

I will share more on these once we have visited on foot, and walked amongst the domes in a few days time. We were the only two passengers on our flight, so could ask lots of questions of our knowledgeable diminutive female Kiwi pilot, who has been in this region 5 months.

On Sunday we were both ‘choring’ when a large motorhome pulled up behind us, and it was our kiwi friends Rod and Dearne who have caught up to us again. So yesterday, Kerry and Therese took the four of us to Wyndham. We had been warned there wasn’t much to see, however we wanted to make a trip of it for the day. A 200km round trip, Wyndham is the last port northward before Darwin, servicing the huge cattle and mining industries of this region. The sights of interest for all of us included the 2000 year old Boab Tree in the local caravan park, which, if you do visit the little town is a must. It is quite something to dream and think of the experiences this tree must have had over time! There is a lookout 350m above sea level in the Bastion Range, overlooking the town and the five rivers of this region – the Ord, Forrest, King, Durak and Pentacost Rivers that all enter the Cambridge Gulf.

Six Kiwis atop the lookout in Wyndham

Because it is a working port and there is so much water in the river, it is muddy and unattractive at water level, hiding many saltwater crocs. Talking about crocs, there is a 20m concrete croc in town that is an attraction for many a photo!

Meet croc wrestler Steve

Big kid Steve climbed aboard for a ride….We had a good look around, visiting historic sites and enjoyed lunch at the very busy local café in town before returning to Kununurra.

Tomorrow we head south to the Bungle Bungles, on our journey toward Broome.