Criss-crossing the Kimberley

[JohnM]

First activity the next morning was a helo flight. Bellburn (BXF/YBEB) is the park airstrip, a short distance from Savannah Lodge.

Don’t visit the Bungle Bungle without doing a helo flight over it! (Tip: fly early in the morning to get the best sun angle on the domes.)



Let’s rock ‘n roll. Forget doors.

 

[JohnM]

We then drove around to the E side, parking at the Piccaninny picnic area to walk into Cathedral Gorge.



Termite mounds are present in the most unlikely locations high above ground with mud trails snaking down to access spinifex at ground level.

 

[JohnM]

Back to the lodge for lunch, then an afternoon excursion to Echidna chasm. I’ve been to the Bungle Bungle a few times but never previously got to Echidna Chasm, so I was looking forward to this. I was not to be disappointed.

The geomorphology of the Bungle Bungle bears a remarkable similarity to Uluru/Ayers Rock and Kata Tjuta/The Olgas. Like Kata Tjuta, Echidna chasm is cut into a very coarse rock-fragment sedimentary conglomerate; like Uluru the ‘beehive’ domes of the Bungle Bungle are sandstone.



The riverbed walking trail into Echidna Chasm is strewn with rounded rocks.



Echidna Chasm is noted for its 200m high walls (greater than Kata Tjuta) and the abundance of Livistona palms.



Bower bird’s bower.

 

[JohnM]

Back to the lodge to end a cracking day in time for sunset. Here, you don’t look to the west; rather to the east to catch the sunlight reflecting from the red hills.

 

[JohnM]

Next morning we pulled out of Purnululu and headed to Wyndham, arriving in time to have lunch on The Bastion aka Five Rivers Lookout, with its expansive view over the lower Cambridge Gulf where five rivers (Ord, Forrest, King, Durack, Pentecost) enter the sea.

Wyndham is these days pretty much a ghost town, having been superseded by Kununurra as the regional centre.



We then turned back to arrive in Kununurra early afternoon for a chill to complete a cruisy day and for a one-night stay at the Country Club hotel.



Next morning it was aboard a Triple-J boat for a tour up the Ord River from the Lake Kununurra diversion dam to the Lake Argyle dam wall, while the coach was driven there to meet us.



‘Sleeping Buddha’/Elephant Rock Lake Kununurra.



Comb-crested jacana, aka ‘Jesus bird’ because of its seeming ability to walk on water.



Rock wallaby and crocodile trap – set if a salty is spotted., but crocs are rare above the diversion dam at Kununurra.



Informative spiel about the river, dams and Ord River irrigation system.



Morning tea stop.



Fruit bats.



The river narrows and the flow quickens, all governed by water release from Lake Argyle (21 SydHarbs in size) to keep the diversion dam at a level where gravity alone distributes water to the main (north eastern) Ord River Irrigation Area.

 

[JohnM]

A visit to the relocated Durack homestead; the original site now being under water.



Resident bower bird, then drive back to Kununurra for a look around before heading to the Gibb River Road.



The ORIA stretches out to the NNE. Cotton.



Ord River Ivanhoe Crossing, downstream of the diversion dam.



The old and the new Gibb River Road signs.



Our destination for the next two nights was Emma Gorge Resort, which is a part of the famed El Questro. Not very far along the Gibb River Road and sealed to there.

 

[JohnM]

Next morning. After breakfast a short drive to El Questro proper for a boat cruise in picturesque Chamberlain Gorge.



Enticing archer fish to spit water at ’prey’ of pellets. Too quick to capture on a still camera, but a frame from a movie catches it.

Interlopers included barramundi and some other species I did not get the name of.

 

[JohnM]

Back to Emma Gorge Resort for lunch and then the serious hiking mission – into Emma Gorge.

It starts benignly enough.



But soon gets rougher.



And rougher – but more picturesque.



Beautiful pool – but not quite there yet. Up and over the final hump.



Mission accomplished! Just stunning.

But we’ll need to do it all over again to get out…



A few beers went down well that night…

 

[JohnM]

Next day we pulled out of Emma Gorge Resort to begin the westward journey on the Gibb River Road, stopping for lunch at Ellenbrae Station, before turning N off the GRR onto the Kalumburu road to overnight at Drysdale River Station. The cattle station owns all the infrastructure set up for tourists, but Outback Spirit operates the restaurant and bar facilities.

But first up was a visit to Zebedee Thermal Springs, a thermal stream also at El Questro. It’s in a small Livistona palm-filled valley at the foot of a range. Water temperature is around 30 deg C. It was school holidays on top of being generally peak time in the Kimberley, so it was a bit of a zoo, but still a pleasant place to visit before pressing on.



Leaving Zebedee Springs and the next stop being the iconic postcard-picture GRR crossing of the Pentecost River with the coughburn Range in the background.



Kapok tree.



Continuing along the GRR. I thought that it was in quite reasonable condition. I think the horror reputation is more down to people travelling too fast and towing large - and probably mostly overloaded – caravans and inappropriate tyre pressure. All the gear/no idea…

We saw one caravan with a broken axle, and I believe our driver mentioned another one loaded onto a flatbed truck.

Take it steadily and it’s fine. There were a few patches of fairly heavily corrugated road that rattled the tooth fillings, but nothing to rival the Canning Stock Route (post #80: Way into the WA wilderness) or parts of the road into Rudall River NP (post #112: Covid Revised: Roaming near Rudall River/Karlamilyi National Park).

Another river crossing – the Durack, I think. Our driver went over and back for us the get some pics of the coach going through. Nothing heavy-duty in any river crossings.

 

[JohnM]

Ellenbrae Station is an oasis well-placed for a lunch stop and famed for its scones, included in our set lunch. I don’t like scones, so I declined them and so no pics. Scone lovers said they were good.



Onto the Kalumburu road and about 60 clicks in we crossed the Drysdale River. There were quite a few people camping there.



On to our overnight stop at Drysdale River Station. Comfortable donga-style accommodation and a very pleasant restaurant/bar area with the biggest frangipani I think I’ve seen. Nice spot.

 

[JohnM]

Next day we headed further N on the Kalumburu road before turning onto the Port Warrender road and up onto the Mitchell Plateau, towards Mitchell Falls. Kandiwal is a small Aboriginal community nearby the airstrip, Outback Spirit and APT lodges and the campground, all well separated from each other.

A short distance after turning off the Kalumburu road, there is a rock art site with both Wandjina and Gwion Gwion (aka ‘Bradshaw’) art, and the road crosses the King Edward River which offered a nice spot for a swim after lunch.

Pressing on, the vegetation became increasingly dominated by Livistona palms.



Arrival at Ngauwudu Safari Camp, an Outback Spirit property and a step up in the accommodation, food and bev. Everything is inclusive on Outback Spirit tours, with the bar always open at their own properties, but at lunch and half an hour before dinner and during dinner from a sub-list at other properties.

 

[JohnM]

It was an early start next morning for the slow 1h drive over a very rough track to the helo landing area near Mitchell Falls. Our mission: hike in and helo out. It eventuated that the hike was 3-4 hours; the flight was 6 minutes – including an orbit over the falls.

We had to weigh in at the helo desk before setting out on the hike. The trail was a bit rough in some spots, but the bigger issue was the heat and limited shade.



Moving on to Little Mertens Falls, first from above and then from below, with rock art under the overhangs.

 

[JohnM]

Mertens Falls. And the constant buzz of helos was becoming more evident.



Then the top of Mitchell Falls, before crossing the river to the other side for the main lookouts, the helo landing area, lunch and a swim.

 

[JohnM]

 

[JohnM]

Next morning and out to Mitchell Plateau airstrip (MIH/YMIP) for our 40m flight to Faraway Bay. Outback Spirit has their own Cessna Grand Caravan in their own livery and also shares one with a SA outfit. We were in the latter.

PJM was allocated 1A; 2A for me.



Coming over Kalumburu.



And into Faraway Bay.



A fire had gone through about two weeks prior and was still burning further out.

 

[bPeteb]

Back to the lodge for lunch, then an afternoon excursion to Echidna chasm. I’ve been to the Bungle Bungle a few times but never previously got to Echidna Chasm, so I was looking forward to this. I was not to be disappointed.

The geomorphology of the Bungle Bungle bears a remarkable similarity to Uluru/Ayers Rock and Kata Tjuta/The Olgas. Like Kata Tjuta, Echidna chasm is cut into a very coarse rock-fragment sedimentary conglomerate; like Uluru the ‘beehive’ domes of the Bungle Bungle are sandstone.


Bower bird’s bower.

View attachment 460848

Loving seeing places we walked three years ago. That bower bird bower doesn't appear to have changed!

 

[JohnM]

Faraway Bay accommodates only 12 people. It is the sort of place you would go to in a group, not just rock up to. Access is effectively only by air. It is not owned by Outback Spirit, but they have first call on it.

The cabins are basic but functional. There is no need to spend time other than sleeping and showering in them.

The two nights at Faraway Bay were like an extension to the Kimberley tour. Of the 20, only 12 were going to Faraway Bay; the other eight flew directly from Mitchell Falls to Darwin to end their tour.



The outside showers are a talking point. Great view from them.

 

[JohnM]

A sightseeing boat trip in the afternoon. Low tide and shallow water meant ferrying out to the main jet boat in small groups.



Sea eagles and osprey inhabit the cliffs. The sea eagle was feeding chicks.