Kununurra

Friday 15^th July

Katherine to Timber Creek.

The drive west from Katherine was the usual flat road with scrubby bush either side.  We got to the VICTORIA RIVER ROADHOUSE at about 11.30, and stopped for fuel and lunch. 

Then it was on to TIMBER CREEK where we arrived at about 2.00pm.  After setting up camp we went for a drive to see the sites.

Timber Creek is only about the size of Egmont Village but for various reasons has been a very strategic town in the past.   I was particularly interested in visiting the old Timber Creek police Station, which is now a museum, as it had featured  in a couple of books I had read.  Unfortunately it was closed.

We took a drive down to view the mighty Victoria River at Policeman’s Point,

and then drove up to a lookout on the escarpment, where we could see over the township of Timber Creek, and also parts of the Victoria River.

Then it was back to camp in time for their 5.00 crocodile feeding.

This was done off a footbridge over a small stream running behind the camp.  The crocs were only ‘freshies’, but they put on a good display of fighting to get their dinner off the end of a pole. Somehow, Cameron managed to have a go at holding the pole, and so managed to feed a croc.

He wasn’t over excited about it, and we had to ask questions to get him to talk about it at all.  We think anything short of a 5 metre saltie is child’s play for this seasoned ‘Crocodile Dundee’.

Speaking of Crocodile Dundee, we watched the video a couple of nights ago, and besides seeing the Walkabout Creek Hotel, which we had visited at MCKINLEY, near Mt Isa, we also recognised scenery from UBIRR in the Kakadu National Park.  It was when Dundee was taking Sue to show her where the crocodile attacked him.  They actually climbed over the same rocks we had when we were viewing the Aboriginal Rock Art.  (Just thought I’d mention it!!!)

Back at the van we got talking to our neighbours about the usual things, where have you been, where are you going, etc.  When we told them we were heading for KUNUNURRA, they said “you’d better get there early, we’ve just come from there, and getting a site was damn near impossible.”  With this knowledge in hand we decided to ring straight away and book a site.  There are about six camping grounds in KUNUNURRA.  The first one we tried, ”Sorry we are fully booked until Tuesday”.  The second one and every other one after that, the reply was, “Sorry we don’t take bookings, it’s just first in first served”.

Now how’s that for a bit of first class Aussie Logic.  Instead of taking bookings and then once they are fully booked,  quietly telling people over the phone, “Sorry we are fully booked”, they have queues of caravans parked in their drives, and out on the street, from about 7.00 o’clock in the morning, all waiting  ‘In Case’  a vacancy becomes available.

So being unable to book, we decided we would get on the road earlier than usual to make the most of our chances.

Saturday 16^th July

TIMBER CREEK to KUNUNURRA

We were away from camp just after 8.00.  A record early start for us. Today we would be leaving the Northern Territory and crossing in to Western Australia.   More of the same roads, but this time, as we got closer to the Western Australia Border, we could see quite a lot more hills and escarpments appearing on the skyline.  We knew our trip was going to be interrupted at the Northern Territory/Western Australia Border for a Quarantine Inspection.

Western Australia is very strict with what you can bring into the state, and things like fresh veggies and fruit, honey and several other food items in various forms are all banned.  We had gone through the list of banned foods and made sure we had consumed everything prior to getting to the border.

The search was quick but thorough, and we were soon on our way again.  Not only does Western Australia have quarantine restrictions, it is also in a different time zone to the Northern Territory, so we had to set our watches back 1½ hours once we had crossed the border.  We hoped this would work in our favour as it meant we would be getting into KUNUNURRA even earlier.

It was just after 9.30 WA time when we pulled up in front of the first motorcamp we came to. Already there were four cars in front of us.  There was a large sign at the gate saying NO powered sites available, but unpowered still available.  We went into the office and found about 12 people in the queue, all looking fairly impatient, and one office girl trying to book people in, arrange sightseeing trips, and answering the numerous phone calls from people trying to book a site.   We decided to try the next camp ground. 

About 6 vans parked out on the road this time, but at least no signs.  Christel spoke to the guy from the van next to us.  They had been waiting since 7.30, (just over 2 hours), and were ninth in the queue.  They had no guarantee of a site unless at least 9 campers already staying in the camp left that morning.

Christel went to the office where they told her we wouldn’t get a powered site today, but we could have an unpowered site, and then try our luck for a powered site tomorrow.  Again we decided to try our luck elsewhere.  Of course all this time, time was slipping away, and any advantage we may have had by getting to KUNUNURRA early, was quickly being eroded away as we saw more and more vans arriving.

We decided to try another camp ground a bit further out of town.  This time only 2 vans ahead of us.  Christel went in to the office, and Cameron and I sat in the car and waited, and waited.  It got hotter and hotter.  Either she had been kidnapped, was waiting in a huge queue, or maybe, just maybe, she was booking us in.  Finally she reappeared, waving a plan of the camp ground in her hand.  Yes.  We were in.

A really friendly guy on a quad bike showed us the way to our campsite.  We were well down the back, miles from the toilets, but, we were in.  Power, water, and even a shady tree to park under.

Sorry can’t leave this without trying to figure out why the hell they can’t just open up to bookings, and when they are full, that’s it.  Simple.  But no, they‘ve got to have hundreds of caravans, all jostling for a place in their entranceways and overflowing out onto the streets, some waiting for hours, only to be told, sorry we’re full up now, you’ll have to try somewhere else. 

If they are worried about phoned bookings not turning up, all they have to do is take a deposit on a credit card, or say “If you haven’t arrived by 10.00 you will forfeit the site.”  Is this too simple, or am I missing something?  The scary thing is, we’ve been told to expect this sort of fiasco for the rest of our time in North Western Australia.  In fact, we’ve heard stories of there being up to 40, yes that’s four zero, vans waiting outside caravan parks in Broome at 6.00 in the morning.  All because they won’t take phone bookings.  We are heading that way - can’t wait.

Anyhow, where was I, oh yeah, cosily booked in to a caravan park.  As usual, as soon as we were set up, Cameron disappeared on his bike and an hour or so later we had to go looking for him so we could go sightseeing.

We decided to visit nearby LAKE ARGYLE, which was formed when they dammed the ORD RIVER about 35 km upstream from KUNUNURRA. The dam serves a double purpose of supplying power and also water for irrigation.  LAKE ARGYLE is by far the biggest man made body of water in Australia.

To get to the lake, we had to backtrack 35 km towards TIMBER CREEK, and then go 35 km inland to the Lake.  The views were well worth it.  We then drove across the dam itself and spotted a big croc swimming in the river just below the dam.  We are considering taking a scenic flight over the area while we are here in KUNUNURRA.

Back in town it was groceries and then back to camp for a cold one.