Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge.

Not feeling as if our car had the appropriate height clearance to tackle the Gibb River road, we decided to just take a dirt track that goes from Fitzroy Crossing to Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge and from there to do the last 150kms of the Gibb river road into Derby.

The road from Fitzroy Crossing was a definite challenge, corrugations, water crossings, general bumpiness and dustiness, but great fun.

Tunnel Creek was both awesome, creepy and fun. As the name suggests it is a creek flowing underground through a tunnel. The walk involved wearing protective footwear that could get wet, wading through water up to waist height, all with colonies of bats in places hanging from the ceiling. There were warning signs that fresh water crocs were around but reassurances that they would stay away. Yeah, I wasn't really having fun yet and to top it off, it was pitch black and the whole thing had to be done by torchlight. I am not ashamed to say I was creeped out.

Our next stop was Windjana Gorge.

In contrast to Tunnel Creek, this was open light and airy, and all the crocs were clearly visible.

Windjana Gorge in the evening light.

Early morning, here we go!

Through to this.

1st stop, a look at a fossilized shell.

Plenty of freshwater crocs.

A film was being made for the ABC to screen later this year about Jandamarra, an outlaw aboriginal who hid at Tunnel Creek and was shot at Windjana Gorge.

See ya!

The Moerks

Kununarra - more unseasonal weather!

We arrived in Kunnunarra via visiting the big boab. It was lovely when we arrived but soon the weather deteriorated (unseasonably of course!) to a wet and freezing 17 degrees. The locals were beside themselves and Target quickly became the site of a frenzied winter clothes buying melee.

The big boab, visited in blistering heat via dusty corrugated road, quite frankly it was too hot to really concentrate on what it was all about. I believe it was an important explorer who had made a base camp nearby.

The Kimberly was lovely country. We loved the boabs, the Kapok trees with their yellow flowers and the red soil.

We also loved these signs.

We ventured to Wyndam where five rivers meet the sea.

The views were amazing.

Sadly, the town had seen better days.

 

 

Just in case Nan and Pa are reading. All clear!

During our time in Kunanarra, we also drove out to see Lake Argyle.

The kids were blown away by its size.

And this little freshie who was sitting below a rock watching a famly with young children fishing. They beat a hasty retreat when it came out of the water to surprise them.

By little, I mean 2.5 to 3 metres long! (big for a freshie).

It stayed there for the tourists to take snaps.

Just perched above the town of Kununarra is this lovely little National Park.

We enjoyed a chilly visit.

The rock colours were amazing.

Some people describe them as mini bungle bungles.

Despite the weather we loved our time there.

The Moerks

Yellow Waters Sunrise

Breathtaking is the word for this.

We got up in the dark. Dressed in long pants and tops and shoes despite the stifling heat and humidity for the sunrise Yellow Waters tour.


Mozzies as big as elephants launched a continual assault until the sun was fully up. Funnily enough we were so distracted by the beauty of the waters and birdlife we barely noticed them.

• 

Mr M. was in photographic euphoria, snapping away at everything.

Our absoulte favourites were the baby Jacana birds walking around on the lily pads and the water, sort of like fluffy ping pong balls on legs. Miss B proved to be an excellent bird spotter, sighting the sacred kingfisher and azure kingfisher, Master B and Big Boy learnt to spot crocs by the ripple of the water.

The locals call these "crocalogs". To us it looked like 'breakfast time'.

It was a lovely way to start the day.

To top the morning off we finished with a cooked buffet breakfast. I have never seen Big Boy run for food. We shared  a table with a lovely family we had bumped into several times along the way and exchanged many travel tips.


Mr M. has many more photos and I will post some soon.

The Moerks

UBIRR-Rock art and sunset.

My apologies for lack of posts. We have been out of range for a bit and have some issues with our photos. Plus I must say when it comes to a choice between the computer or the beach, well beach I say!

High up in the Top End of the Northern Territory lies Ubirr, right on the edge of Arnhem Land and Kakadu. Ubirr is host to wonderful galleries of ancient aboriginal rock art. It is also perched high above a plateau of land that floods in the wet season and is home to many kinds of bird and wildlife.

We ventured out later in the heat of the day to see the art while it was light, and to see the sunset. Fortunately the local ranger was there giving talks at the sites and at sunset. It was a fantastic experience.
We took heaps of photos, here are just a few.

Through this intriguing pathway lies some amazing rock art.

The stripes on the rear of this animal suggest it is a thylacene.

Maybe an ibis, brolga or jabiru?

The aboriginal people did not believe in touching up others work. Instead they painted over the top resulting in large galleries of works. Many were overlapping.

A glimpse from up high on to the plateau below.

Mr M. checking out the view.

Sun setting over the rocks.

The Moerks

Kakadu - Norlangie Rock Ark

Here we are in the World Heritage Area, Kakadu National Park.

We camped in Jabiru, lovely green grass campsites and a great pool.

Our first visit was to see the rock art at Norlangie.

Master B was complaining at the start because it was hot and he had to walk. By the end he thought it was awesome as did we all. The rock art was just amazing. I loved the pictorial explanations.

The colours of Norlangie Rock itself were absolutely amazing.

And if that wasn't enough rock art we decided to go to UBIRR that night for more and to see the famous sunset.

The Moerks