KUNUNURRA 23/9 TO 27/9

As we neared Kununurra (which means `meeting of the big waters’ in the language of the local aborigines) what first caught our attention was that the countryside suddenly became much more hilly.  The King Leopard Ranges extend northwards towards the Gibb River Road and we drove past their southern-most reaches.

'George'

We stayed in a caravan park which was right on Lake Kununurra, and we had the lake at our doorstep.  Each afternoon 'George' the croc, came to the bank - quite a regular visitor apparently.  Unfortunately the cane toads have also arrived this far west and toadbusters are busy trying to cut down the numbers of these pests before the wet season arrives.

Pumphouse Restaurant

Within walking distance is the pump station, which pumps water to the irrigation channels.  They have converted this into a restaurant and we would recommend it to fellow travellers.

Unfortunately our arrival is late in the season and there have been several fires in and around the Gibb River Road area and the smoke has created a noticeable haze on the surrounding horizon.  When we spoke to fellow travellers most of them commented that they were disappointed at the views they saw during their flights over the local attractions, such as Mitchell Plateau,  Bungle Bungles, Lake Argyle, etc.  Armed with this information about the haze, we decided not to take any of these tours this time around.

We found Kununurra to be a green oasis in the East Kimberley Region.  The town itself is quite new, having been established during the 1960’s at the centre of the Ord River Irrigation Scheme.  The irrigation scheme has basically enabled Kununurra to become the centre of a very fertile farming region and has totally elevated the town’s prospects, so much so that several businesses have chosen to  relocate from Wyndum to Kununurra.

View of Kununurra

 Overlooking the township is the local lookout known as Kelly’s Knob which was quite spectacular.  We could see not only the township but also over the plantations that surround the town.

Mirima National Park

Hidden Valley

During our time here we visited Mirima National Park and walked a few of the local tracks.  We could see why this site is known as the mini Bungle Bungles, as the colours and surrounds are very similar. There are many boab trees located within this National Park which once again is part of the Devonian Reef.

Plaque at Celebrity Tree Park

Lily Lagoon - Lake Kununurra

 Close to the town centre is an arboretum known as the Celebrity Tree Park and it's located on the shores of Lake Kununurra.  There are many trees here that have been planted by visiting celebrities including Princess Anne, John Farnham, John Williamson, etc.

Ivanhoe Crossing

One of the other local must see attractions in this region is Ivanhoe Crossing which is a permanently flooded causeway, leading to the Lower Ord River.  During the weekend we arrived in Kununurra there was a Barra Fishing Competition (known as the Barra Bash) and many anglers were out in all of the local waterways trying their luck and hoping to catch the so called `Big One’.  Mark and two other friends had a try in the afternoon downstream from Ivanhoe Crossing however none were successful.  The $5000 on offer must have gone to another angler, but they certainly worked up a thirst casting those lures!

 Upon our arrival in Kununarra we visited the local Info Centre to check on the road conditions to El Questro.  We were advised that the western end of the Gibb River Road to El Questro Gorge was closed to traffic for several days due to a large number of large fires near Emma Gorge.  We then decided to take a tour with the Rangers from El Questro, so that this way we could safely see this end of the Gibb River Road and also give Mark a chance to see some of the countryside, without having to concentrate on driving and finding pathways through the many corrugations and the deep river crossings.

Part of Cockburn Ranges

The rangers were very informative and told us that El Questro is a working pastoral lease, however it is very focused on tourism.  They have close to a million acres, but the Cockburn Range encompasses one third of this property.

Emma Gorge Ablaze

On the tour, we passed close to Emma Gorge, where the fires were raging out of control across the surrounding mountains and valleys.  The Rangers informed us that this particular fire was started by a horseshoe striking a stone, and as the countryside is very dry at the moment the fire has really taken hold.  According to the local media, the fires at El Questro have raged out of control for the past week and the volunteer Bush Fire Brigade and many of the Rangers are fighting desperately to save the Resort buildings at Emma Gorge.

El Questro Gorge

Rockpool El Questro Gorge

Common Tree Snake El Questro

Donna Walking El Questro

On the tour our first stop was El Questro Gorge where we walked along the rocky waterway, crossing from one side to the other several times.  At the end of the walk, we really enjoyed a cooling swim in the rock pool that was amazing.  Wonderfully clean water was really refreshing in the 37+ degree heat that beat down on us on that day.  After a quick soak, we then packed up and walked back out of the gorge to the airconditioned tour bus.

Jackaroo's Pool

After stopping for a delicious morning tea at Jackaroo’s Pool we then headed onto Zebedee Pool.  Zebedee Pool is a series of waterholes that have been created by thermal springs, which flow from the escarpment to the valley floor.  Another wonderful experience and we were told that the water can have a marked affect on the old aching joints!  It was so good that when time came to leave, Mark was reluctant to leave and wanted a few more minutes at all costs.  The water at Zebedee Pool was so clear that it was difficult for our camera to capture the true depth of the water in each of the pools.

Zebedee Pool

Enjoying the Thermal Pools

Owl at Chamberlain Gorge

We then enjoyed a Beef and Barra Lunch at the Steakhouse Restaurant at the El Questro Township.  We were quite envious of the people camping there overnight, however as soon as we finished the wonderful food, we were ready to leave for Chamberlain Gorge.  It was amazing to see pictures of this particular gorge before this year's floods decimated a significant portion of this area.  Before the 2011 floods the banks of the Chamberlain River were covered with huge trees, eucalypts and boabs.  Now the riverside is quite barren, covered with shale and loose rocks.  I’m sure it will regenerate, but in how many years?
During the tour of the Gorge, we saw the Durack Tree, which is a large boab that was marked by Patsy Durack when he passed this area before choosing his grazing lands on the Ord River.  This huge boab was very lucky to have escaped the floodwaters, but did experience some minor damage to some of its extended branches. 

Durack Tree

Chamberlain Gorge

After a busy day we enjoyed champagne and orange juice while looking at the wonderful views from Saddleback Mountain.  Even had a visit from the El Questro helicopter which gave us and its passengers quite a thrill as it headed down to the homestead at a 90 degree angle!

View from Saddleback Mountain

Mark and Ron Mitchell

It was a long but enjoyable day, and during the trip home we could see where the fires from Emma Gorge had crossed the Gibb during the day.  The gorge itself was still burning and the fire front was very large and destroying everything its path!  Because fires are also burning near Wyndham we decided not to drive the 100km there as we’d heard that you couldn’t even see the water from the five gorges lookout.  A shame, but just something we’ll have to do next trip.