Finally we made it to WA. Yeehaaa!!!
We had arrived in Kununurra on Thursday the 21st
and went straight to the engineer to fix the hotwater service. He found there
was a blocked pipe from the hot water pressure relief valve which caused the
valve to leak water. He replaced that and we thought it was fixed. We then
booked into the Ivanhoe Caravan Park. The Lakeside and Big 4 Discovery Parks (both
right on the lake) were booked out because of a big Kununurra Festival on this
weekend.
When I connected water to the van water flowed out of the
relief pipe so it wasn’t fixed. To cut a long story short, Bruce, the engineer,
came over the next morning to the van and replaced the valve. The blocked pipe
had not allowed pressure to be relieved from the hot water service so that
caused the valve to fracture. I don’t think I cut that story to short after
all. Anyway it was fixed so we were good to move on to the Gibb River Road
(GRR) in the kimberleys the next day.
One thing we have found surprising is that the sun comes up
so early in WA. It is light from about 5.15am. We are waking up even earlier
than before.
Saturday the 23rd we headed off to the long
awaited GRR in the East Kimberley Region. It has been an ordeal to work out how
we were going to tackle the GRR. It is a badly corrugated gravel road normally
and you have to be lucky and/or calculating to travel on it soon after the
grader has been through if you want to take a non off road van on it. The road only stays good for a week after the grader goes over it. Ours is a
sturdy dirt road van, but not an off road van. We don’t want to wreck it but we
did not want to miss out on the experience. The alternative was to leave the
van behind and tent it all the way. It actually became quite stressful and we
have had a deal of angst working out what to do. We have eventually settled on
getting the van to the start of the GRR at both ends at locations that we can do a mixture of day
trips and overnight tent jobs and see it all.
We started briefly on the gravel at the El Questro turn off
heading toward Home Valley Station further along the GRR. We
let the tyres down. The plan was to go to Home Valley for a couple of nights.
The road was pretty bad straight away, ie for our van. So we turned around and
went into El Questro. We could do Home Valley on a day trip, it was only about
40km from El Questro. The road to El Questro was 16km of gravel and it was a
bit corrugated but that short distance was OK. There were two creek crossings
with the water about half way up the wheels. No problem.
El Questro is just beautiful. We have only been here one
afternoon and I can say that it lives up to its reputation as a beautiful,
amazing and rugged place. The campground is situated right beside the Pentecost
River and it is well grassed. It was the most expensive van park I have
experienced. $62 per night for a powered site for two. Camping was $20 per
night per person but there was a discount for a four night stay which would
make it $16 per person per night. I knew we would need at least four nights so
we took a camp site and therefore paid $32 per night for the two of us. There
was a $20 per person park pass (basically paying to drive around on their
roads, which was not covered by our National Park pass). But hey, I’m not
complaining. I am in one of the most amazing places in the most amazing country
in the world and paying an average of $42 per night for two of us, park passes
included.
Views from our campsite.
Pidgeon Hole Lookout
After setting up and lunch we went to the Pidgeon Hole
Lookout. The tracks around the station are all 4WD. There was a steep incline
over rough rock which was a low range job but the views were well worth it,
even in Linda’s book. No problem for the Cruiser.
Chamberlain Gorge
Then went to Chamberlain Gorge. It’s nice but not that
spectacular compared to many others we have seen.
The Station Homestead is set up overlooking the gorge and
that in itself makes it a bit more special. From an elevated view the pictures
have been one of the magazine regulars for the GRR for a long time. The cost to
stay there per night is in the thousands, not the tens of dollars that we are
paying. When we do Branco’s Lookout we will get a better view of Chamberlain
Gorge.
That was enough for the afternoon for sightseeing. Went back
to camp for a swim in the river. The water was not cold, just right on a warm
afternoon. We are camped right beside the river. Sitting here typing this I am
realizing it does not get any better than this. I guess I am OK with that!
Saddleback Lookout
Next day, Sunday the 24th, Linda and I went up to
Saddleback Lookout which was the closest one to the El Questro campground. It
was spectacular. There was a view to the campground and a total panoramic view,
not that my camera can show that.
There were steep inclines getting there.
GRR, Pentecost River
Crossing, Cockburn Range
We then went out to the GRR toward Home Valley Station. We
came to the Pentecost River crossing and got some photos. This crossing is
probably ‘the main’ iconic magazine photo of the GRR in the Kimberley’s.
Then went on to a lookout just after Home Valley Station.
The view to the Cockburn Range was amazing and the photos don’t do it justice. Up
until then we had no reception on our phones on the GRR but right at this point
we had it. We were able to call our girls. And I was able to call Blake back at
work and ask him how to take ‘panoramic’ photos on my iphone. He had shown me
before but I had forgotten since. Luckily he answered the phone and we chatted
but I still struggled. Another traveler was there and he helped me the rest of
the way so I got an amazing ‘pano’ photo of the range. It seems though that it is only great when you expand it. That landscape is probably not the best subject for a panoramic photo, it takes in to much foreground.
We dropped into Home Valley but we weren’t keen to do any
walks there. They do not allow you to do any drives of their lookouts and
gorges as they want you to pay to be taken on a tour. They, as well as El
Questro are really cashing in on the tourists. At El Questro you have to pay
$450 per vehicle to do a tag-a-long tour of the Cockburn Range. They charge
$135 to $150 per adult to be taken on a tour of EACH of their gorges. It’s a
rip off I reckon, or is it just good business? I don’t know but for us it is
just the fuel getting there (as long as you accept that the cost of buying the
van does not come into it). Those tour offers are just the start of it.
There were more amazing views of the ranges on the way back
as well as crossing over the Pentecost River again.
Zebedee Springs
Next day, (Monday, been away 6 weeks now) we left early for
Zebedee Springs which is only about 10kms away on the road into El Questro.
They were nice and warm but nowhere near hot. The springs are in a beautiful
setting of palm trees and a mountain
backdrop. It is amazing because it is completely natural. No landscape gardener
could do better than the divine gardener has done. They open at 7am and close
at 12 noon. We went there early to beat the crowds. Even at 7.30am there were
quite a few people there.
El Questro Gorge
We then went on to El Questro Gorge. It was amazing with
crystal clear water in rock pools, sheer vertical gorge walls, palm trees
everywhere. The walk to the halfway pool was not easy but the walk the rest of
the way was a very difficult and challenging walk. We got to the halfway pool
and there was a big boulder in the middle of the gorge which you had to climb
around to go further. The trek notes of the walk indicated how difficult the
second half would be. Another couple had been there for a while and the lady
had attempted to scale the boulder to no avail. So she stayed behind and her
hubbie went on. I had intended on staying behind with Linda and returning back
to the vehicle, but with the lady there waiting for her hubbie to return gave
her company while I went on, and the fact that her hubbie went on without her
gave me licence to do the same. So, you beauty, I got to go to the end of the
gorge for the best part of it. It was a deep swim hole of ten metres, maybe
more. The trek notes did not exaggerate, it was very challenging.
There was a deep water crossing to get to the gorge car
park. The Cruiser got through it well on the way over. I have a snorkel and the
front and rear diff and gearbox all have breathers up high. But as it was deep
I put my water bra on for the return trip. We felt the engine was not idling
well when we came out of it. Spoke to the mechanic at El Questro and he
listened to the engine and thought it was fine. There was no moisture in the
air filter box. The mechanic reckons the only problem was in our head. So all
good. A young French bloke and his girlfriend thought they could just go through
in their 2WD Hiace style wizbang. The El Questro mechanic’s offsider had come
out to get him out. He had to drag him out via the entry route and then drag
him back out to the workshop to fix his vehicle.
We found the main swimming hole at the Station which was
only just up from our camp. It is so good to cool off after the walks and
driving during the warm days. It is a beautiful balmy temperature here and I
have been just walking up to the waterhole with swimmers on, throwing the
thongs off, having a dip, no towel required walk back, read of a book, when you
dry off go back and have another dip. I am starting to get into my ethos from
the first big trip, ie ‘No shirt, no shoes, no problem’. Oh, if only I could work more. Just
kidding!!!
Emma Gorge
The next day, which was now Tuesday the 26th May,
went to Emma Gorge which is part of El Questro Wilderness Park. It was
absolutely beautiful. I won’t say it is the best we have seen as there are
other gorges that are spectacular for different reasons. But in terms of plants
and design and sculpturing (talk about divine landscape gardeners) this was the
best yet.
We are heading off tomorrow as there are some things in town
we need to attend to. We will return here gladly some day. Next time we will
probably be coming here with friends, Larry and Annette, who so badly wanted to
fly in and join us to visit the Kimberleys, especially El Questro. We predict
that maybe in three to four years from now, given our circumstances for each
couple. They will be retired and we will have been right around Australia and
heading back around again by then. When we do return we will have to do
Branco’s Lookout and the Chamberlain Gorge Cruise and maybe the walk around the
hills of what they call the El Questro ‘Township’ . There are two gorges we
have not done, Amalia and Moonshine. There is no water running through them at
the moment and we have been told they are nothing special right now. So we can
do them next time if we want. Don’t want to get gorged out just yet. Always
good to leave something to come back for.