The day finally came when we had to leave Darwin. We were sad because it had been so much fun. We went to Victoria River stayed for 1 night. There is not even a town here – just a roadhouse, and a big cattle station down the road a bit. We left really early the next morning and went to Kununurra.
When we had finished unpacking, we got our bathers on and went straight to the pool. Ten seconds later, someone came up to mum and said “Are you Jude Moar?” It was a family who were friends of friends. We all introduced ourselves to Cate, Damon, Ruby and Lucas McMath, and they were also travelling around Australia. We played with them and had dinner together that night. They were going the same direction as we were, so we made plans to travel together. The next morning we went to Wyndham, where we saw a very big boab tree in the caravan park, then we went to see some Aboriginal Rock Art. Soon after we went back to Kununurra.
The next day we started our trip on the Gibb River Road. Our first stop was Home Valley, which is a massive cattle station which has a camp ground right on the Pentecost River. Lucas, Ruby, Cate and Damon came with us too. On the way to Home Valley we went through a very, very big river crossing called the Pentecost River. My mum drove our car across with the caravan while dad took a video of it. The McMath family didn’t bring their caravan because the Gibb River Road is a really rough dirt road with lots of corrugations and big sharp rocks. We took our van because it is an off road van.
It was really dry and hot weather, and we all went to the pool. It is funny that we can be somewhere in winter that is so hot when it would be so cold in Geelong. After a few days here we set off for our next stop on the Gibb River Road, which is called El Questro Station. It is like Home Valley, but was nicer because we had a nice grassy camp site next to the river. We also had a fire here and had marshmallows!
One morning Lucas and I went to a talk with the local Ranger, then went on a horse ride around the station. It was heaps of fun! While we were on the Gibb River Road we did lots of gorge walks. There are so many around El Questro. Our favourite was the Emma Gorge walk. Also, Zebedee Springs were pretty cool…actually hot!!, because it was an ancient thermal spring where the hot water came from inside the rocks to form a bunch of warm water pools.
Because the Gibb River Road is so rough, we decided to do the other end of the road after driving around on the highway, and after we had been to the Bungle Bungle Ranges (Purnululu National Park). The Bungle Bungle Range is in the National Park, and is a bunch of really large cone shaped sandstone rocks which are about 350 million years old.
We also walked to Cathedral Gorge, Echidna Gorge and out to the Domes while we were at Purnululu National Park. It was a really long, and very hot day.
Our next stop was Fitzroy Crossing. The caravan park that we stayed at had great roads that made really good bike paths. It also had a pool. We stayed at this park and did a day trip up to Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek. Walking through Windjana Gorge we saw at least fifty fresh water crocodiles just lazing about on the side of the river.
Tunnel Creek is right near Windjana Gorge. It’s a tunnel through the limestone rocks with a creek running through it. We all walked through it with our head torches. It’s so dark, but it gets brighter in the middle where some of the roof has caved in. It was so much fun exploring for the day with the McMaths.
When we had finished unpacking, we got our bathers on and went straight to the pool. Ten seconds later, someone came up to mum and said “Are you Jude Moar?” It was a family who were friends of friends. We all introduced ourselves to Cate, Damon, Ruby and Lucas McMath, and they were also travelling around Australia. We played with them and had dinner together that night. They were going the same direction as we were, so we made plans to travel together. The next morning we went to Wyndham, where we saw a very big boab tree in the caravan park, then we went to see some Aboriginal Rock Art. Soon after we went back to Kununurra.
The next day we started our trip on the Gibb River Road. Our first stop was Home Valley, which is a massive cattle station which has a camp ground right on the Pentecost River. Lucas, Ruby, Cate and Damon came with us too. On the way to Home Valley we went through a very, very big river crossing called the Pentecost River. My mum drove our car across with the caravan while dad took a video of it. The McMath family didn’t bring their caravan because the Gibb River Road is a really rough dirt road with lots of corrugations and big sharp rocks. We took our van because it is an off road van.
It was really dry and hot weather, and we all went to the pool. It is funny that we can be somewhere in winter that is so hot when it would be so cold in Geelong. After a few days here we set off for our next stop on the Gibb River Road, which is called El Questro Station. It is like Home Valley, but was nicer because we had a nice grassy camp site next to the river. We also had a fire here and had marshmallows!
One morning Lucas and I went to a talk with the local Ranger, then went on a horse ride around the station. It was heaps of fun! While we were on the Gibb River Road we did lots of gorge walks. There are so many around El Questro. Our favourite was the Emma Gorge walk. Also, Zebedee Springs were pretty cool…actually hot!!, because it was an ancient thermal spring where the hot water came from inside the rocks to form a bunch of warm water pools.
Because the Gibb River Road is so rough, we decided to do the other end of the road after driving around on the highway, and after we had been to the Bungle Bungle Ranges (Purnululu National Park). The Bungle Bungle Range is in the National Park, and is a bunch of really large cone shaped sandstone rocks which are about 350 million years old.
We also walked to Cathedral Gorge, Echidna Gorge and out to the Domes while we were at Purnululu National Park. It was a really long, and very hot day.
Our next stop was Fitzroy Crossing. The caravan park that we stayed at had great roads that made really good bike paths. It also had a pool. We stayed at this park and did a day trip up to Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek. Walking through Windjana Gorge we saw at least fifty fresh water crocodiles just lazing about on the side of the river.
Tunnel Creek is right near Windjana Gorge. It’s a tunnel through the limestone rocks with a creek running through it. We all walked through it with our head torches. It’s so dark, but it gets brighter in the middle where some of the roof has caved in. It was so much fun exploring for the day with the McMaths.