Sunday in Kununurra...

We slept for 9 hours, solid! The early-birds were off at 5.30 for the flight to the Bungles. So...we had our day of leisure.

Doug got hooked up to the internet, this is one happy Dude I'll tell you! Fellette found the laundry and tossed in the lot, and hung out to dry before heading out in the 40c heat to look for a church.


The town is virtually dead on this Sunday morning, except for campers and bush trackers gassing up before heading out.

We found an Anglican service that was 1/2 way through, where we were greeted and ushered in to an air conditioned glassed in 'sanctuary' with about 35 mixed-age in the congregation. Some with young babies. One couple had three aboriginal foster kids there.


We stayed for tea and chatted with a few finding out a bit more about the area. Many are here for a few year stint, some came for that years ago and stayed. It actually is a very nice little part of the world. Good climate, lots of water and all the amenities a growing town of 6,000 could need. Not for everybody with the heat though. This is the heart of an 'agricultural zone' as a result of the dam and now lake established 40 years ago. Nothing is older than 40 tears as a result.

There are some aboriginals around, as I mentioned earlier, many seem to sit about in the shade of the canopied trees on boulevard and parks as a group and sit and talk, for hours and hours on end.


A fellow traveller said that she had heard that they rest during the heat of the day and do their 'work' at night. [?] Apparently in the schools the mix is about 50-50 white to aboriginal. We have had two guides that have been of mixed blood and they were very professional and informed.

After church we stumbled upon the only open shop in town and wandered through.



Fortunately all the diamond shops were shut, yes diamonds! More about that in days to come. Back to the resort and bring in the laundry then a relaxing swim prior to a meat pie for lunch.

After that a short coach tour to see the results of all that water in the farming district just outside town. Mangoes, melons, sorghum, and other crops are grown here. Sandalwood is also being cultivated here to make up for the world shortage from India, where they use native trees. They try to plant what is not in season in the other parts of Australia to command a better price.


Transportation is a really big factor, I am not sure if the area is really going to its full potential because of the transportation costs. The distances are so vast, from here to Perth, Melbourne or Sydney, [where the market is], is in the thousands of kilometers. Road Trains are the only way out as thereis not any train service to this part of Australia. Petrol [gas] is 1.55 C$/liter, and that is not the highest around.

An interesting spot today was "Ivanhoe Crossing". It crosses the Ord River, the run-off from the dam system on the way to the sea. It was constructed by hand by a small crew over two dry seasons when there was no or little water.




It allows vehicles to drive safely across the river. Some people swim and frolick in the steady running cooling waters. There are saltwater crocs in the water below the crossing, but it does not seem to bother them. Once again it was about 40c outside.

Kununurra

Day 4 Sun. Kununurra Tour.
Commentary taken from tour brochure, pics from the net.

Enjoy this morning at leisure. In the afternoon, take a tour of the area to gain a better understanding of the importance of the Ord River Scheme, the success of which is evident in the area’s lush crops.


World Heritage Purnululu (Bungle Bungle) National Park Scenic Flight and 4WD Tour Day 4 touring may be substituted with a scenic flight over Purnululu National Park followed by a 4-wheel drive adventure tour of the Bungle Bungle.


Enjoy a walk into stunning Cathedral Gorge and take the opportunity to test out the acoustics of this natural amphitheatre. Seats are limited and must be prebooked.


Additional: A$575 (includes lunch). Conditions apply. Replace one night in Kununurra with an overnight stay at our award-winning Bungle Bungle Wilderness Lodge. Enjoy the comfort of our exclusive tented cabins with private en suite. Additional cost (including flights and 4WD tour): Twin Share A$895, Single Traveller $995.

Ord River, Lake Argyle, Kununurra

Day 3 Sat. Ord River Wildlife Cruise, Lake Argyle, Kununurra.
Commentary taken from tour brochure, pics from the net.

Crossing into Western Australia, we view Lake Argyle, Australia’s largest man-made lake with a storage capacity 18 times that of Sydney Harbour, then cruise the majestic Ord River, keeping an eye out for the area’s prolific wildlife.


Afterwards, head to Kununurra, the eastern gateway to the Kimberley.
Two Night Stay: Kununurra, All Seasons Hotel.

Day One of Road Trip

Turns out that Doug and Fellette DID manage to get online in Katherine. Here's their description of Day One...
Craig

Lazy start at 10 am. Off we go, heading south on the Stuart Highway. The first stop is Adelaide River where we visited the war cemetery prior to a bite to eat in this crazy bar/restaurant/motel/campsite. It is a watering hole for all people heading up or down this hot and formidable area. A stuffed water buffalo sits on the bar!



Next stop Pine Creek, a newly revived Canadian Gold mining venture bought the population to 600 from 200. I think it might have been hotter still. I hope the people living there want to be there, it would be terrible to have to be there against your will.


Next stop is Katherine. Now this was the most interesting of all. It appears to be an aboriginal centre. They seem to do what they have done for 40,000 years, sit about and wait for something??. It is a bit intimidating to walk by a group of them, men women, babies, youths etc. They, however, are not the least bit concerned about us. Maybe the white mans time in their area is just a little blip in their history, who knows? I found it very interesting. The merchants and shopkeepers are aware of how tourists look upon the town. I talked to a few, they are here because they fit in and love it. [My opinion.] This town was wiped out a few years ago by the river that rose 60 meters after surrounding areas received heavy rains. Around 5 we arrived at the Katherine Gorge for our Dinner Cruise. After a short boat ride we 'portaged up through a 600 meter canyon for another boat ride.



It was spectacular, it was a bit like Sedona in Arizona, with water, times 10. A walk back down the canyon to where our dinner boat was pulling in. Next we were served and spoiled with a fantastic dinner, with champagne etc. The native captain stopped the boat and for the next 1 1/2 hours we ate and talked in the most special of places as the sun went away and we were in silent darkness on the river. A magical moment Ian.


A short walk to the coach in pitch darkness and to our beds for the night that really looked beckoning. Knotts Crossing Resort. [Motel really.]

A fantastic day, made better by our tour leader Louis and expert driver-commentator, Kevin.


443 K's travelled. The weather was around 35c. [very hot.]

Adelaide River and Katherine Gorge

Doug and Fellette are currently in the "communications black hole" which is Northern Australia. They asked that I post a brief description of the day's itinerary for the coach tour that they are on for the next few days.
Craig

Day 2 Fri. Katherine Gorge Dinner Cruise.
Commentary taken from tour brochure, pics from the net.

Today we depart Darwin for the quaint town of Adelaide River, where we visit the Adelaide River War Cemetery. Here 434 servicemen are buried, all of whom died as a result of the Japanese bombing raids in 1941-42. After pausing for reflection, we head to Katherine for a dinner cruise through the Katherine Gorge, one of the 13 gorges cut into the Arnhem Land plateau by the Katherine River. A local guide will provide commentary on the plants, animals and Aboriginal rock art while we watch for freshwater crocodiles.
Stay: Katherine, Knotts Crossing Resort.

Rainy Day in Darwin!

Thursday September 27th, off to breakfast where we seemed to be famished. I have no idea why, we haven't done a darn thing for two days except get here. After that we checked out of one hotel and went to the tour hotel, two or three blocks away. We checked in at 9.30 and surprise, there was a room. 
Soon we were off to a walking tour of the harbour front and surrounds of Darwin.


The water bottles were too heavy so we left them behind, it looked cloudy anyway. Mistake. We sauntered down to the beach and park area near the hotel. The cenotaph aspect was very informative and moving. Darwin took a real beating from 1942 to 1945. Many of the buildings were destroyed, that is why Darwin is such a modern city. Most civilians were evacuated and it became a bit of a fortress and centre of operations for the Army, Navy and Air Force. Darwin returned to normality as a somewhat changed city after the war.
We ended up at the beautiful new Parliament buildings.




The NW Territories do not have enough people to be a Sate, but at the rate of growth and construction going on it soon will be. The weather is weird, hot and humid as heck, with several months of wet. Some people must love it, hence the growth.
Soon we were back to the hotel where we read up a bit before meeting our tour companions at 2.30. Water is a must, I believe we got dehydrated in the couple of hours outside. The guide book says that in hot weather to stay out of the sun between 10 and 4. And in the really hot, to drink a litre of water an hour! No wonder I did not feel too well.
2.30 arrived and downstairs to meet the others. Actually we were put on a coach and then a short chat by the tour leader, a pleasant lady called Louis. The driver, Kevin, is an excellent speaker and driver. The coach is a 48 passenger air conditioned beauty.

Fellette and I would rather be in an 8 passenger safari van than this but, then again, possibly we are ready for an air-conditioned Mercedes for a few days.
We did a tour of the surrounds getting off at one spot to take a peek at the rain forest in a botanical garden when the skies opened and we had to stop the walk and huddled under the dripping leaves of whatever tree was closest.

On the positive side it was a warm rain. back to the coach and our get together tour continued.
Next a visit to the Aboriginal Art Museum and Museum of Natural History. Sounds boring, but as the rain pummelled down outside it turned out to be a good place to be. Some of the art work is absolutely amazing. Unfortunately, no photographs!!! Except in the natural history where I snapped a 16 1/2 foot long crocodile.


Drinks in the bar at 6.30 preceded a relaxing dinner where we met a few more of the participants. The mix of people so far is a pleasant surprise. Some older, many younger and not a nasty in the bunch. Apparently there are about 39 total. Canadians account for about 10 or 11. Aussies and NZ seem to make up the rest. We have not encountered any Brits or Americans so far.
It was a somewhat nothing day, but necessary. We are still jet lagged and as I write this at 9 p.m., Fellette is sound asleep for the night. Odds are that at 4 to 5 we will be up and about. The schedule is to be on the road at 10, heading south to Katherine.
Internet connections will likely not be available for a week, so Craig will just post what we are supposed to be doing and where.
Pictures, bird and jungle snake tree on the walk. Fountain and parliament building, with Aboriginal art in the parliament. Big bus, rain-forest and crocs.

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How to get to Darwin in 33 hours and, where the heck is Darwin?

A 2/12 hour flight to LA, small layover, then 14-15 hour flight to Sydney, small layover and a delay then a 4 1/2 hour flight to Darwin, whisked off to the hotel. A total of 33 hours door to door.

We could have got a direct flight to Sydney but we bought a package that included for domestic flights in Australia and that was the downside. In a weak moment several months ago we decided to fly SKI class, that means Spending the Kids Inheritance. We had lay flat beds, like being in an old fashioned pram, see photo. They even gave us pyjamas. SOME of us put them on, I did, but it didn't seem right to take a photo when everybody was getting hunkered down to go to sleep.


Darwin. Remember that bump at the top of Australia, on the Timor sea? Darwin is at the left of the bump. Population 80,000. It is sort of the William's Lake of Australia. Somewhat rustic, with some trendy and sophisticated places. There is a lot of adventure tourism going on here. Bush driving and outback stuff. Cruises, crocodiles and trekking.

Darwin was bombed by the Japanese in WWII, New Guinea is just across the strait, and a cyclone wiped it out in 1974. It is dry, dry, dry, and hot, hot, hot. When it rains it really rains. From November to April? It reminds us of Maui, the humidity is killing.

Culture here means Aboriginal, sort of like our Indians. [Doug calls Indians, Indians, just like the Indians do.] It is a big business here. The art work is very interesting. And so are some of the souvenirs. [I really think that I NEED a six foot didgeridoo, but how to get it on the plane?]


When we got to the hotel, we had a shower, a lay down, a walk, a great dinner at Lewinsky's, [named after Clinton's friend Monica, then to bed at 7.45. After six or seven hours of a really good sleep we are up around three am, for coffee and into tour books, cameras, photos, computers, and blogs, waiting for this sleepy place to come to life so we can get out there!


I remember what we like about this country and the friendliness of the people with their plain and simple openness. It reminds me of earlier days at home when we were not so concerned about bad things happening to us. We seem to have become more uptight about our status and having to be "cool" all the time. It is nice to be here.

Ready, set, OZ!

One more sleep and We Are Off To See The Wizard, The Wonderful Wizard of OZ.

We have finished struggling with the suitcases and packed a collapsable one to pull out after the road trip in Broome. [We are only allowed one case each on that trip.] After that the only real limitation is the carrying capacity of Rod's car/van/police cruiser.

Apparently Rod and Lyn have a ex police car that Rod said could carry up to six prisoners, so we should be ok. I wonder if Australia still has a thing about transporting prisoners? Possibly a hang over from earlier days. Lyn can trace her ancestry back to one of the 'prison ships' that sailed from England to Australia. Apparently this young prisoner was found guilty of stealing some cloth. Oddly enough Lyn buys cloth on her travels around the world, and ships it home. Coincidence?

I thought that I would do a fun-posting prior to leaving. back to the flag thing folks. Except Fellette said that this time she was going to appear 'dressed', she said we were sending the wrong image about us. Oddly enough you cannot tell if she is fully clothed or not. [She is.]

The bowie knife is staying home, but the mosquito [mossie] nets are packed along with the robin on Fellette's shoulder, he too is going south.

Talk to you in Darwin, Lord willing.

Fine tuning the blog site

Spent the evening with the Blogmaster trying to get so that I can do this dag blammed Blog thing without Craig sitting next to me!

Testing photo insertion

Time to go south!

Our plan, at this time, is to fly on September 24th to Darwin, in the north and do a tour of the top end, as they call it, to Broome. This takes about 11 days. Then off to Perth, [on the left side of the country] for a week. Then back to the 'middle', Alice Springs and Ayers Rock. We then fly to Brisbane, 'right side of the country', where we meet our friends. We then toodle about via car to west of Melbourne for a few weeks. Then, fly home November 28th. All Lord willing.

The seasons are reversed in Australia to here. Their hot months are the months that the shower at the 100 Mile cabin looks like the picture shown.

Time to get down to packing and sorting out what to take with the limited luggage we are allowed on the tour from Darwin to Broome. We each are allowed one case and a carry-on. [My electronics, gadgets and cables will take up most of my space.]

Our friends in Australia, Rod and Lyn, assure us that the snakes, lizards and other sharp, pointy nasty things do not come out until we leave Australia in late November. [They never lie.] Have you ever heard of 'the Funnel-web spider? Also that some of the most poisoneous snakes in the world are in Australia? On the positive side, the Australians make some very good beers and wines.