Elsey NP to Soudan RA



Cat Haul Trucks on their way to Borroloola

22nd June 2012

15591km's to date 866km's today

Back down the Stuart Highway and once again onto the Barkly. A long driving day today. We had a break at the High Way Inn Daly Waters and sat in the huge que for fuel. There were people every where. We had a bit of breakfast and John threw up all over the front passenger seat. John and the seat cover received a quick wash and we were on our way again. Stopped at Three Ways for diesel and planned to get as far along the Barkly Highway as possible. We considered stopping at Wonarah Bore as we had stopped here on our Northern Territory trip in 2010 and knew it was good. Everybody else decided it was a good spot too so we drove on to Soudan Rest Area where there was not another soul around and this rest area was so much bigger than Wonarah Bore and it had wood fire barbeques.

Our camp at Soudan Rest Area Barkly Highway Northern Territory

We had passed a lot of cat trucks being ferried to some mine somewhere and some of them stopped at the Soudan rest area, so Chris took the kids to have a look and a chat. It was really cold and windy here. A quick and easy dinner of two minute noodles and into bed. There is no firewood at any on the rest areas along the Barkly Highway and tonight we really wished we had some with us.



Limestone RA to Elsey NP

Roper River - Elsey National Park

21st June 2012
14725 km's to date 190km's today
We were the first ones to leave the rest area this morning. It was freezing cold and our fingers hurt as we packed up the camper. The kids got into the car with their sleeping bags to keep warm. In Western Australia we would get up at about five thirty and the sun would be almost high in the sky. It is going to take a bit of getting used the 'normal' time of day. We called in to Katherine and were lucky enough to not have to join a que for diesel at the Coles servo. There were five cars behind us and another five in the line up for the other diesel pump. We located a carwash and Chris gave the Pajero and Camper a proper wash.

Roper River

We discovered Katherine has come up in the world as it now has a McDonalds, so we called in for breakfast. This would probably be the third maccas stop for our entire trip and I don't think we will ever eat McDonalds again. It was nice at the time, but not so nice a few ours and days later. We arrived at Elsey National Park just before lunch time. Our neighbours Murray and Ange from Mesa Camp at Cape Range National Park had recommended this place to us so we thought we would go and check it out.

swimming pontoon Elsey National park

It is the best National Park campground we have ever come across. Hot showers, flushing toilets, gas bbq's, nice big bitumen sites and your allowed to have a fire. We headed straight to the river for a swim. Everyone had fun messing about on the swimming pontoons. Chris was sick but still managed to take the girls out in one of the canoes you can hire for the afternoon. John and I didn't make it as John was now sick too. poor John boy was a ghost and in and out of sleep for the rest of the afternoon. It was a long night.

Wyndham to Limestone rest area

Victoria River - Old River Crossing

20th June 2012

14535 km's to date 552km's today

Today is the day we realised how lucky we were to be on our way home and not at the beginning of our travels. We stopped in Kununurra to visit Coles again (this would be our third time during our entire trip) and Chris needed to pick up his Valvoline Super Diesel Engine Oil that he ordered during our last visit to Kununurra. The Pajero was about five hundred kilometres overdue for a service. Kununurra was packed. So incredibly busy with hundreds of tourists. Every caravan park was full and the overflow (Kununurra Showgrounds) was almost at capacity. It was now definitely peak tourist season. When we stayed in Kununurra back in early April, there were about five campers in the whole caravan park. Our first stop in Kununurra was the car wash, which to our dismay, was out of order. We were really looking forward to getting the car clean knowing that we wouldn't be travelling on any more dirt roads.

Victoria River

We borrowed the hose at the Coles petrol Station and gave the Pajero and Camper a quick wash down. This was better than nothing and at the least would stop us getting covered in the fine Kimberley dust that coated the back door. Chris discovered his engine oil hadn't arrived and was reluctant to mix different brands of oils, but it had to be done. He was more uncomfortable about the Pajero not getting a service than mixing engine oils. Before we knew it, we were back in the Northern Territory and setting our clocks forward an hour and a half. There are so many caravans on the road now. It is kind of annoying having to overtake them all the time. We did a bit of a survey on the types of cars other people are towing with. We were quite surprised at the variety, although the Nissan Patrol won, it wasn't by much.

Our rig getting a wash in the Victoria River

On the western side of Timber Creek, there is a little dirt road that takes you down to the old Victoria River crossing. It was here that we took the opportunity to wash the Pajero and camper. We drove into the water and parked up, and went to work with our sponges and brushes. The water ran red from all the Kimberley dust for a little bit. We stopped in Timber Creek for a break and some fuel and encountered some disgruntled tourists who where unable to get into either of the two caravan parks there. Timber Creek is a fairly small place and we begun to worry slightly about wether we would have any trouble getting into camping spots during our trip home.

The Pajero getting it's long awaited service

There is a time in the afternoon where you start to notice fewer carvans on the road and each roadside free camp you drive past is just about chockers. You realise even though you know you want to push on, you better pull over soon or you may not have anywhere to camp. We stopped for the night in the last decent available space at Limestone Rest Area. Plenty of others pulled in after us and ended up being pretty much ontop of the neighbours. Within minutes of being set up, Chris was under the Pajero draining the oil.

New Air Filter - Old Air Filter

El Questro to Parry's Creek Farm

Wyndham - Five Rivers Lookout

five rivers look out

19th June 2012

We said goodbye to the Wright's and Murray's and went up the road to check out Wyndham. We found an awesome cafe and hand brunch and purchased some take away for later. A quick drive up to five rivers look out and then down to visit Wyndham's huge crocodile. Other travellers had advised us that the caravan parks in town were a bit rough so we chose to stay at Parry Creek Farm. Fellow travellers beware of the expensive and very small quantity of their meals. I caught up on some washing and we all enjoyed a hot shower. We took a sunset walk through the boabs whilst dodging the enormous mosquitos.

The BIG Croc

Walking through the boabs at Parry's Creek Farm

El Questro

Helene, Finlay, Katelyn, Millah & Lily

18th June 2012

All the big boys took off to Chamberlain Gorge to try and catch a Barra. You aren't allowed to put your boat in anywhere at El Questro and Chamberlain Gorge was easy to get to and had a jetty making for easy fishing. The kids sat and did a bit of school work for a while. Once the boys were back, everybody had a bit of lunch and it was back up to the main camping area to swim in the swimming hole behind the restaurant. The kids had fun rearranging rocks to make their own little cascades and rock hole. We took a drive up Saddleback Ridge just for a look before setting a huge pot of stew for dinneron the fire.

The kids playing in the Pentecost

The view from Saddleback

El Questro

Our camping buddies at Zebedee Hot Springs

Everybody was off to Zebedee Hot Springs this morning; so was everybody else staying at El Questro. The place was packed but we were all lucky enough to find a rock pool that would fit all of us. It was very nice. The kids went of exploring a few times but the adults were happy to soak. Reluctantly left Zebedee and wandered off to do El Questro Gorge. Most of the gorge walks are long which means whinging kids and husbands. El Questro Gorge walk was picked as we had been told of the cool water crossing that had to be done just to get to the start of the walk.

Water crossing into El Questro Gorge

It was long and fairly deep and just a little bit of fun. We were only walking to the halfway pool along which we actually did in half the time stated on the walking guide pamphlet. The walk was mainly over boulders along the flow of the creek. Sometimes it was actually easier just to walk through the water than trying to stay dry. The kids all took off leaving us adults trailing behind and after a swim and messing about with the Sooty Grunter, they did the same on the way back.

El Questro Gorge

Halfway pool El Questro Gorge

The afternoon was spent hanging around camp before paking up some food and other gear and heading over to John and Sue's camp for a BBQ.

El Questro

Crossing the Pentecost

16th June 2012 13768 km's to date
It is Lily's eigth birthday today and we are off to El Questro. El Questro is home to heaps of amazing gorges and lots of walking to get into the gorges. Everyone besides me hates bush walking so it was pretty much a given that we wouldn't truely experience what El Questro has to offer. We camped up at one of the private river campsites with Kellie and Lee. John and Sue were in the campsite next door (500m away) You pay more to camp by the river with no power or toilets than up at the main campground, but they are very private as you can't see your neighbours and it is one lane bush track in and out.

Camp view from the river

The kids jumped in the river for a swim whilst the adults chilled out on the bank. All info states to be incredibly wary about crocodiles and we were. It was fairly shallow and there were a few cascades so all was good. The kids had a blast all afternoon playing beside the river. No kids needs toys when your in a place like this. Their imaginations ran wild and they created all sorts of games themselves. Kellie and Lee have an oven in their van, so we borrowed it to cook up Lily's birthday cake. Lily was lucky enough to have the Murray's and the Wrights around to sing happy birthday and eat cake before dinner.

Clayton, Finlay, Helene, Lily & Millah

John having a nap in his kinderkot (aka kids swag)

Helene, Millah, Finlay & Lily in their kids camp

The Pentecost River

Lily's 8th Bush Birthday

Home Valley



Finlay, Millah, Lily, Katelyn, Sue, John & Helene cooking damper on a stick at Kellie & Lee's camp by the pentecost River

14th & 15th June 2012

Pentecost River Cockburn Ranges sunset

Our last two days at Home Valley Station were super easy. Just hanging out at the playground, down by the river, by the pool, at John & Sue's or Kellie & Lee's camp, or in and around the bar. The boys put the boat in again and also took a drive further up the Pentecost to a secret fishing spot. Unfortunately for them, there were no fish caught.

Pentecost River Cockburn Ranges

Pentecost River Sunset

Pentecost River Cockburn Ranges sunset

Home Valley

John & Lily feeding BigBen

13th June 2012

I didn't think we could relax anymore, but we managed to. Sitting around camp, chatting with neighbours, afternoon naps, chilling out at the bar. With the kids playing at the playground, it was pretty quiet around camp. We had some fun sinking in the mud to put the boat in the Pentecost River. We didn't get too far before we spotted one of the legendary locals. A large crocodile was sunning himself on the muddy bank and the girls become a little worried.

The Pentecost River

We had our own little cruise up and down a small section of the river. A few lures were cast and a livey set out but we didn't really try very hard to catch anything. John had a good afternoon sleep. The boat and dirt roads never fail to send john off to sleep. it was a quick trip to fit in with the tides, as Lily and John were going for a horse ride this afternoon. They really enjoyed their little horse ride around the campground. We were all supposed to go up to the bar to watch the State of Origin, but everybody was so tired that only Chris went up to watch the game.

In the boat on the Pentecost

Crocodile

The Cockburn Ranges above the Pentecost River

The Cockburn Ranges & Pentecost River

John & his pony.

Lily & Pistol

Home Valley Station

Driving across the Pentecost River

12th June 2012

All our supplies were extremely low, there wasn't even any baked beans left, and our camper battery needed to be replaced, so we did the final section of the Gibb River Road and back on the Victoria Highway and into Kununurra. Boy was Kununurra busy. A bit different to when we were here at the beginning of April. We phoned everybody we could think of whilst we had phone reception, did what we had to do and headed back to Home Valley.

The view through our very dirty windscreen

The Pentecost River crossing was a bit of a non-event, pretty easy and there was about twenty kilometres of the Gibb between El Questro and the Victoria Highway that was bitumen. We had deluxe sausage sandwiches with, cheese, lettuce, beetroot, tomato and red onion for dinner and enjoyed lots of fruit for afternoon tea. Everybody had really missed fresh fruit and vegetables and we were all really excited to be able to eat them again.

Cockburn Ranges

Drysdale to Home Valley

Cockburn Ranges

11th June 2012
Back on the Gibb River Road again. There is a lot more traffic and dust on the Gibb now as there are so many more tourists travelling the road. It has been a pretty uneventful day. We needed to get a powered campsite as the battery in the camper trailer has given up. The riverside camping is probably nicer but there is a playground and a pool nearby here. we didn't see the kids all afternoon as they were playing with the many other kids in the playground. Lily was very happy as there are loads of horses to pat here.

Cockburn Ranges

Our dust encrusted car & camper

Mitchell Falls

Little Mertens Falls

10th June 2012

We were up before the sun this morning and on the very bumpy, steep and windy road out to Mitchell Falls. The Pajero was lucky enough to get a break from towing the camper today and it helped us to take only an hour and a half to get out to the start of the walking track. The worst section of the road was the twelve kilometres into the national park day use area. We had considered getting a ride in the helicopter out of Mitchell Falls, but at $110 a person, even three year olds, we would be walking in and out. After a quick breakfast, we were on our way. It took us two hours to walk to Mitchell Falls. The walk is not overly challenging, just long with two water crossings. We had a rest and started the long walk back.

Little Mertens Falls

There is no correct wording for what we experienced at Big Mertens Falls on our way back, but I will do my best. A 37 year old Victorian woman walking with an APT tour group tragically fell at Big Mertens Falls and our family was present for the immediate aftermath. The remainder of the APT tour group moved away and the woman's husband and one tour guide remained. They were both in shock. I am not sure we will ever forget their faces. Chris dragged the devastated husband away from the sixty metre cliff edge and did what he could to make sure that the two men were ok. There was little else that could be done as there was no equipment or first aid kit with a shock blanket. The feeling of helplessness was hardest for Chris as he is trained to respond to these kind of situations. With heavy hearts, we continued our walk back to the car in silence. Everybody was very sad and the kids had the odd question but it was a general grey heaviness that accompanied us home.

Aboriginal artwork Mitchell Falls Walk

We stopped for a bit of a snack before getting back in the car. A gentleman approached us with our underwater camera that we didn't even know we had lost. In a funny turn of events, he found our camera after his had stopped working so he used our camera to take some photo's. We made it back to camp pretty quickly and packed up and headed back down the Kalumburu Road to Drysdale Station. We arrived pretty late and everybody was a bit worse for wear. A hot shower and dinner at the restaurant and bed. There were things that happened days prior to today that lead to today occurring how it did. For some reason, we were meant to have this experience. I am not sure exactly what it is we are supposed to take away from today; maybe in time......

Big Mertens Falls

Top of Big Mertens Falls

Michell Falls