24/5/2015 – 25/5/2015 2 nights Fitzroy Crossing Lodge ($38 p/n)

About a four hour drive today and was glad to get out of the car . On the way we stopped at Wolfe Creek turnoff for THAT photo!

Met Bob, a local indigenous man who carves Boab Tree Nuts and sells them… I order two, gave him a cold drink and left him to it.

Spent the rest of the day cleaning the van (yes you still have to clean) changing the bedding and backing up and editing hundreds of photos… Boring!

Then drinks and homemade pizzas with Craig and Kim and the Triple D's.

The following day we checked out the Pioneer Cemetery (many of the graves have been relocated to the New Cemetery after the Fitzroy Crossing flooded). Also visited Fitzroy Crossing Inn, which is the oldest Kimberley hotel on its original site, established in 1897.

We came back to find Bob sitting outside our van on the mat. He told us ants were biting him… I asked him if he wanted a drink… His response "Cup of tea"… Sorry no tea what about coffee? ... “Yes and toast” Peanut butter or jam?... “Vegemite”!

So we got him sorted with breakfast at nearly 1.30pm and gave him a chair, which he took under a tree for some shade. We gave him a spare chair (sorry Karzi it was your chair we gave him), which he proceeded to store in nearby tree, paid him for his carvings and left him to it and headed out to Geikie Gorge. The gorge will be renamed to its traditional name of Darn Goo very soon. The Fitzroy River is 700km long and flows at a rate of 30,000 cubic metres per second!

This Gorge tour was one of the cheapest and certainly one of the best. (When I was paying I asked for 1 Adult and 1 Child… the guy laughed then Mark said OK more like a pensioner… which he then proceeded to charge us for! (Pittsy if you are reading this you can have a little giggle). The boat ride was excellent and the guide was very entertaining. The selfie stick came into its own being used as a telescopic tripod over everyone’s heads! (Lucy this justifies its purchase!)

Beautiful colours and amazing scenery. Saw a few very timid Freshies, some Wallabies and Bird life. Also got to see a croc feeding off a dead wallaby (watch the video)... Confirmed I will not be swimming with them!

On the way home captured some footage of fires… looked amazing on the night skyline.