Thursday 21st July
Kununurra to Mary River.
We were away from Kununurra at a record 7.45 am, heading for HALLS CREEK about 380km away and maybe even further if we felt like it. We knew there was nothing much of interest between Kununurra and FITZROY CROSSING, a distance of 650km, so we planned to get to FITZROY CROSSING as quickly as possible.
The road was quite interesting passing through some dramatic escarpment country, and before long we pulled into WARMUN or TURKEY CREEK as it is also known, for fuel. There was quite a bit of other traffic on the road, going in both directions, and at one stage there were six caravans in line ahead of us.
We had to wait in line to get fuel as everyone was like us and making use of the few fuel stops along this piece of road.
The road for about 50 km either side of WARMUN was pretty rough, and for once we were thankful to be following other traffic. A large truck and trailer unit pulled out from the fuel stop in front of us, and we were resigned to following him until we got a chance to pass. About a kilometre out of WARMUN he suddenly slowed down and then started breaking hard, causing us to do the same. Suddenly he swerved and bumped violently as he crossed an exceptionally rough washout in the road. He must have been familiar with the road and knew it was there because there was no way you could spot it before you were right on it. I can’t imagine what damage we would have done if we hadn’t been behind the truck.
Between WARMUN and HALLS CREEK the road gradually improved. We saw Wild Buffalo, Wild Horses and Brolgas in the scrub on either side of the road. At HALLS CREEK we again joined the queue of caravans waiting for fuel, only this one was longer as one of the pumps had broken down.
We pulled off to the side of the road just out of HALLS CREEK and had lunch before continuing on to a free Road Side Camping area called Mary Pool, about 100km past HALLS CREEK. Access to the camping area was across the old main road ford through the Mary River.
The camp area itself was about 20 acres set among trees. There must have been about 60 or 70 caravans, camper trailers, tents and campervans there when we arrived just after 2.00pm, and they kept rolling in to well after dark.
The area was still by no means full and by nightfall there would have been upwards of 100 of us making use of this free camping area. The only problem was there was only one working toilet, and boy was it working.
Friday 22nd July
Mary Pool to Fitzroy Crossing
We were away again by 7.45 heading for FITZROY CROSSING about 180 km away. We wanted to get to FITZROY CROSSING early as we had heard it was quite hard to get into a caravan site there. We arrived at about 9.30 and luckily had no trouble getting a site. By 10.00 we were set up and having a cuppa.
The road from Mary Pool to Fitzroy Crossing was in complete contrast to the previous day, with long flat straights, and dead flat land either side of the road for as far as the eye could see.
Away in the distance we could see the hazy blue outline of ranges. Occasionally the flats would be interrupted by an escarpment that would rise out of nowhere and then just as quick be gone again. Quite dramatic scenery to be driving through.
Our camp at FITZROY CROSSING is probably one of the flashest ones we have been in, in Aussie. There is actually grass on the sites, almost unheard of in the outback, and smooth concrete drives leading to all the sites. As usual these days, as soon as we get to a campground and Cameron has done his job of putting down the jacks on the caravan, he jumps on his bike and that’s the last we see of him. When he does turn up it is usually to tell us that he’s met so and so, that we last saw somewhere further back up the line.
Actually it’s quite amazing how often we bump into the same people time and time again, while we are all travelling in the same direction. After our cuppa we drove into town to visit the Information Centre and get some groceries. FITZROY CROSSING is only about the size of Midhurst, but because it is on the only road through the area and miles from anywhere, it has two petrol stations and two supermarkets to cater for all the tourists passing through.
Ninety percent of the population are Aboriginals, and unfortunately the town reflects on their rather no hope attitude towards life.
We wanted to visit the GEIKIE GORGE which had been highly recommended to us, and also check out the road conditions for access to TUNNEL CREEK NATIONAL PARK, another must see according to those who had been there.
GEIKIE GORGE was only about 20km out of town along a sealed road. The gorge has been cut over millions of years by the mighty Fitzroy River, and it’s main attraction is a boat cruise through the gorge where, among other things, there were many freshwater crocodiles to be seen.
We caught the afternoon cruise and enjoyed a very pleasant hour cruising about 3 km up the river passing along under the spectacular cliffs and spotting dozens of freshies sunning themselves on the river bank or swimming in the water.
We also saw hundreds of the mud, bottle-shaped nests of the Fairy Martins, stuck precariously to the overhanging cliffs above the water. Fairy Martins are little birds much like our swallows.
Back at camp, Cameron took off on his bike again, but soon came back pushing it. He had a puncture. I took the most of the opportunity and carefully showed him how to remove the wheel, repair the tube and replace the wheel again. Next time he’ll be able to do it himself. Yeah right.
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