Daly Waters and Kununurra
After some short deliberation we opted out of crossing the Tanami Road, mainly because I talked to a trucking company in Alice (Tanami Transport) and they said the road was in very bad condition. Also, and that there isn’t a lot to see, with the exception of Wolfe Creek Crater. So the short cut is out and we’re going ‘the long way round’ (up to Katherine, across to Kununurra and down and across to Broome). It adds about 600kms to the journey, but a much easier drive.
So we headed off relatively early from Alice and decided to drive as far as we could to make up the extra kms. After a 10 hours of driving and 930kms, we ended up at Daly Waters Pub and treated ourselves to a cabin and pub meal for the night. Every night they put on a beef ‘n’ barra meal for the ‘tourists’. It was pretty good and topped off with a pint of Pale Ale! Our lunch break was at the Devils Marbles Conservation Park for lunch. Very weird all these round boulders out in the middle of nowhere!
Next day was another push for distance as we’ll be coming back along this route to Darwin. After morning tea at Katherine, we turned south-west for Western Australia. After an hour of not much we went through Gregory NP and the Victoria River. Very pretty, just like its name sake! It is still relatively green, but they are slashing and burning already. A bit surreal driving through thick smoke with fires on the side of the road with no warning signs.
We ended up in Kununurra, just 50 kms over the border. We’ll stay for a couple of nights, have a rest day, before a push on to Broome.
Would you believe the next morning after breakfast and chatting to some other travellers, Charlotte hugs this little girl as if they know each other very well. It’s another Prince of Peace school family, the Quine’s! They’re doing the same as us, heading to Broome. Steve and Lisa with Jake and Taylor are tackling the Gibb River Road (GRR) tomorrow after good news about it being open and in good condition. I’m tempted to tag along with them, but have decided to go to Broome first without any problems/delays, and then after we’ve done our pre-paid tour, we might come back on the GRR considering it’s in good condition.
We spent the morning at some sights around Kununurra, and then a relaxing afternoon at camp and around the pool.
We‘ll probably be in Broome earlier than planned, so we might head south of Broome about an hour to Barn Hill Station, right on the beach for a longer stop and take in the Indian ocean.
Did you know … #6?
There is a quarantine station at the WA-NT border to stop you from bringing in fresh fruit and veg into the Ord River produce region. They also take honey off you, as we found out!
Daly Waters
Kununurra
The photos are gorgeous Greg.
Thanks Robyn, but I can’t take the acknowledgement for them. Susan has taken most of them (sometimes by Charlotte too)!
Greg
Just catching up with your news after being offline this weekend! Amazing coincidence with Charlie’s school friend! It’s a small world after all!!! Everyone at the retreat asked about you Susan! Put March 28 2014 in your diary.
We went through similar quarantine going to North Queensland some years ago. We had to buy everything fresh in Malanda before going further north and had to have it certified that that was were we had bought it.
Greg my suggestion with the beautiful photos you have taken is that you could make us all a calendar for next year . We could all have a different one !!!!!! I think when you get home that could be something you start straight away. Everyone that has been looking at these photos would agree with me as they are spectacular .
Good idea Jules. Will look into that when I get home, that is if I come home!
you certainly have seen some countryside…..yes I agree with Sis – great idea!
Yeah, we have done some miles, but that was sort of the plan and we’re chilling now. Got quite a few days here in Broome. Plan to start heading back from the 1st May, but taking our time.