This blog site is closing down so I
have to find another place to write my journal and post photos so you
can see what we are up to. This is the last from here so if anybody
has any ideas let me know. Its a shame this is so easy to use for
people like me who usually don't have much time to sit and write,
even though I do scribble notes down I only sometimes type it out
before I go on line.



Now for the travel bit.
At the end of our first volunteer
position, for Wa parks and wildlife ,we were headed towards our next
position knowing we did not have to make the over 1200km trek in a
couple of days as expected. There had been a cyclone build up off
the coast ,that did not make land but dropped a lot of water where we
were going , closing roads and parks. After speaking to the head
ranger he did not expect to be opening the park for a couple of weeks
so we could slow down and see some places we were not expecting to be
able to stop at.



So leaving Millstream we go along the
dirt road out of the park towards Roebourne past Python pool. We did
not stop for a swim as we had the caravan on the back and you could
not get it in to Python pool.

Our first stop was Balla Balla inlet
and on the way in we find a Centralian blue tongue lizard on the
track , he was lucky we look for this sort of thing as he could have
been very easily run over. We pulled up to take photos and make sure
he was ok. He was not pleased and flattened out his body , flicked
out his bright blue tongue and headed for Larry's boots attacking
them. We took video and photos before making sure he headed off into
the grass away from the track.

 
 




Our next stops were Yule river, Port
Hedland for shopping, DeGrey river then Cape Keraudren.



All these we have stopped at before but
we could spend a few days at Cape Keraudren again. We swam ,
snorkelled in an inlet being mindful we are close to salt water
crocodile country. Did not see any just some baby sharks. We walked
the beach and went rock pool searching and found crabs and octopus.
There is also a mangrove walk here
that a lot of bird watchers come to , it was not as good this time
and there were so many sandflies . Nothing I used stopped them
attacking me , I was covered in itchy lumps that got scratched of
course. I resorted to deet spray, which did not work, and they still
managed to bite me through long sleeve shirts , I could not sit
outside for long.


 
We were thinking about spending a few
days at Barn Hill station, everybody says it is good. It is owned by
the sister of the lady we left the caravan with, outside Derby ,last
time here. Barn Hill is on the coast just south of Broome.




We then found Port Smith south of Barn
hill . Its got a ocean fed lagoon and is between Traditional owned
lands and a pastoral station . The area is to be kept as natural as
possible and a permit is needed form traditional owners to enter the
lands either side. Sounds ok we thought ,and it was not bad either.
 
 
We snorkelled in the lagoon at high
tide and got our permit to enter protected land and Mirntanymartaji
[cowrie creek.] The creek flows with the tide into mangroves and out
in the ocean. The beach has turtle protected areas. You have to
drive on part of the beach to get in here and we got bogged ,because
we are caring lots of stuff and we are heavy. Even after letting our
tyre pressure down we found a very soft bit. We would have dug
ourselves out but a young couple, who also wanted to get to snorkel
in the ocean with turtles helped us. Its not breeding and hatching
time until end of the year so you can get into the sea as long as
there are no crocs around. We put a snatch strap onto the other car
after we had taken some weight out of our ute.

So once out we all decided it was too
loose sand to go any further and turned around , went back to more
packed sand. So did the young couple who then went off walking the
beach. We did not ask for more help as they had not seen each other
for a couple of weeks as she works on a pearl farm and he works in
Broome.

 


So now the car was on packed sand
beside the creek and a lot of our things were 300m back up the
beech. So for the next 2 hours Larry and I walked back and forth to
get our stuff and bring it to the car. When it came to the 2 full
gerry cans of water I emptied them before carrying them back. I kept
jumping in the water to cool off , by this time the tide was going
out and the creek was flowing very fast out to sea. I could not swim
against it so jump in, get wet ,go back to carrying stuff back to
car,-- 38deg.
We had brought vegemite sandwiches with
us and fruit and water so had late lunch ,after everything was back
together.

Then jumped in the creek Larry put on
his fins and powered across I just sat and lazed in waist deep water
holding onto a rock. While We were sitting there a rock moved ,it was
a turtle , of course we went ready, no camera.
We only had 2 days here we will return
some day.



When we got back out onto the main
Great Northern Hwy again before Broome we rang the ranger of Windjana
gorge again to see if things had improved and they still were not
opening until late in the month .

We had had an email that Purnululu NP-
Bungle Bungles needed volunteers so we spoke to them . It worked out
that it was not worth us hanging around to only get into Windjana
gorge for a few days of volunteering and we could use that time to
get to Purnululu to volunteer at one of their camps for June.



We then started heading across the
Great Northern Highway from Broome to Kununurra to drop off the
caravan at the parks and wildlife office for the month ,as no vans
allowed in Purnululu np.

We stopped at Nillibubbica rest area,
Fitzroy river at Willare Bridge, Elendale rest area as the farm we
stayed at last time is not open for business,, Ngumpan cliff lookout
for sunset and sunrise then Mary pool on Mary river for a couple
of days. These are all 24 stopping places for travellers supplied
free with eco toilets and rubbish bins. There are always some people
that find it too hard to do the right thing and walk a little extra
and put rubbish in the big bin or even use the toilets . These people
give everybody else that uses these places with respect and are
grateful for them a bad reputation. I get fed up of cleaning up after
lazy people.



We stop in Halls creek only to get
fruit and bread at the IGA store. Then on for the night at the Ord
river and its hot after a walk so end the afternoon sitting in the
river. It is flowing quite fast but as there is not much water at
this end of the river it is not much more than knee deep in most
places. This will be so different at the other end of Ord river at
Kununurra.



Each day we are travelling about 200km
so next place is Dunham river . We have been before and last time got
to walk down to the river from camp site and along mostly dry river
bed not easy this time . There is lots of prickly grass and weeds so
I climb up onto hwy at the bridge and walk back on the road. . To get
here we have to pass the entry into Purnululu national park but we
still have to go to Kununurra to drop off the caravan ,in a week.,
still another 300km
 
 

We have a week so we head for Parry
creek farm between Wyndham and Kununurra , yes we here last time too.
Its in the middle of Parry creek lagoon and flood plains Nature
reserve . Which is listed as wetlands of International importance
under the Ramser Convention and is important breeding and feeding
grounds for many rare bird species. Last time here, Larry sat hours
looking for the Goudian finch that came to a couple of places early
mornings to drink. He did not get to see them. Some people camping
here did and came back and showed him photos, so we are back again .
This time for 5 days and no after long walks and lots of time he
still did not see them . He did find lots of other birds and I found
lots butterflies and lizards.



One day we went out to the east end of
the Gibb river road and out along it to the Pentecost river ,as our
videos from last time had not worked, and this time they did . The
river is tidal and we got there before high tide but it was not over
wheel hight on the car. We drove the Gibb 2 years ago East to west so
we got different views of mountain range after playing in the
Pentecost river and turning back east towards the caravan at Parry
creek.



The Gibb river road is sealed from east
end to El Questo Ranch ,American owned and over priced . It was the
first station on the Gibb road to turn itself into a tourist place,
and is now too commercial, with permits needed to enter even for the
day. It would have cost us $66 a night with the caravan to see the
gorges and water holes plus permit fees, All the tourist buses go
there mainly as day visits but some overnight stays, so far to many
people making noise scarring away any wildlife – not for us.



One other day we drive the old Halls
creek road to Kununurra to see some waterfalls and springs but all
were a bit dry. Silly really as the other end of the Gibb river road
from Derby was so wet. And most side tracks are closed to traffic
and you can not get into most of the gorges and waterfalls.



We finally got some photos of Barking
owls as there are 3 resident at Parry creek farm.

  We did not see salt
water crocodiles at Parry Lagoon like last time but that does not
mean they are not there . There is more water so they could be
anywhere. The people who own Parry creek farm say they have seen
maybe 3 this season in their part of the creek and lagoon.
Well its was time to move to Kununurra
do some shopping and move things from car to caravan and other way
for our 4 weeks of tent living again.



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