HALLS CREEK, FITZROY CROSSING, DERBY

So, slowly southwards we travel, down Highway 1, heading through Warmun  / Turkey Creek  to Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing then Derby..

A couple of times we have started out with an intention to stay at Warmun / Turkey Creek but each time circumstances have led us to keep driving through to Halls Creek.

We also had the option to stay at Mabel Downs, the gateway (and closest park) to the Bungles but we have never had any real desire to visit there. This I guess is a little strange because it seems to be a highlight for many people we meet. We have considered it three times now and each time we decide that the degree of difficulty is too high.

The road through Warmun / Turkey Creek to Halls Creek is cattle country and largely unfenced so a good lookout for stock is required. We had to slow and stop a number of times to avoid wandering cattle. The dried remains of many cattle bore testament to the number of collisions that have occurred.

For us, Halls Creek was just an overnight stop. There is quite a nice bakery in the main street run by a Greek family. We called in there on the way out of town for excellent pastries and good coffee! Here’s a couple of nice bird pics from  Halls Creek.

This Pied Butcher Bird loved to join us at Breakfast

No shortage of Black Kites in Halls Creek !

If you do pass this way, take a trip out to Old Halls Creek on the Duncan Highway (4WD) and also visit Caroline Pool, a nice oasis. A visit to the China Walls is also recommended, it’s close to town. We had visited all of these sights on a previous trip.

The Halls Creek Visitors Information Centre is first class, superior to many larger towns and cities.

Our next stop was Fitzroy Crossing and we stayed at Fitzroy Lodge on the banks of the Fitzroy and it was actually flowing this visit. On our two previous trips to this area the Fitzroy has been an “underground river,” still flowing deep under the red sand.

The Fitzroy, still flowing in July 2013

We visited Geike Gorge just for a drive one afternoon and had a brief wander around without taking the National Parks cruise, we’d been there before and it’s nothing like the well organised cruise of Katherine Gorge.

We were keen to get going and left after two days headed for Derby.

I don’t quite know why, but Derby has become one of our preferred places to stay a few days. I suppose it’s because of the living history of the place, the interesting things to be found thereabouts including, of course, the Derby Jetty.

One rather startling example of past practices is shown on the interpretive display at the old Derby Gaol, a sad example of Government sanctioned (in fact legislated) mistreatment of the local Aboriginal people. It is a picture of Aboriginal men prisoners in chains.

Following the introduction of the Aborigines Act of 1905, Aboriginal people (generally men) could be and were gaoled for relatively simple offences like leaving their home area or employer without permission, for failing to work, for spearing cattle, for being in possession of stolen beef or many other offences. Some were held for weeks or months because they were witnesses in other proceedings.

These Aboriginal men probably didn't know why they were being held in chains.

There were also stories concerning the forced removal of Aboriginal children – the stolen generations, just incomprehensible by today's standards.

Old Derby Gaol is a sad and very sobering example of times past.

Another example of hard times past but not forgotten is the grave of William Richardson, a member of the West Kimberley Police who was “killed by blacks” at Lillmaloora Station on 31^st October 1894 “in the execution of his duty”. His grave and memorial  is still in good condition in the Derby cemetery after 129 years.

His grave and memorial  is still in good condition in the Derby cemetery after 129 years.

The Derby wharf is a major attraction to the many tourists that pass through Derby every day. Tourists (including yours truly) take delight in driving and / or walking over it, some while towing their caravans (not I). It’s also a place to gather before sunset with a drink or two and some nibbles to watch the sun go down. It’s a great place to photograph the sunset as well.

Sundowners on the Derby wharf

Sunset from Derby Wharf

NEXT STOP BROOME

Regards

TJ

WYNDHAM, MARGLU BILLABONG AND PARRY LAGOONS

LOTS OF BIRD AND ANIMAL PICS IN THIS POST

We have previously stayed at Parry Lagoons, it's quite a nice caravan park, although the 6 or 7 Km of dirt road discourages those caravanners that wash and polish their vans at each stop and get paranoid about a little dust and dirt.

One highlight of the area is Marglu Billabong, near the beginning of the dirt. Its a transit stop for many water birds and this time we found it highly populated with Plumed and Wandering Whistling Ducks - in fact it's probably true to say absolutely infested with them.

One of the many "encampments" of Whistling Ducks at Marglu Billabong

They are a little unusual in the duck milieu in that they don't particularly like water, don't swim about and spend their days in large encampments in the very shallow water's edge and on the banks under the surrounding trees and scrub. I first saw them in their thousands at Kakadu where our guide indicated that they were visitors from Indonesia and PNG . This is not borne out by Simpson and Day in their publication 'Field Guide to Birds of Australia" they indicate that both the Plumed and Wandering Whistling Ducks are well established on Australia's coast from around Broome toVictoria.

Marlglu has always been a highlight for us and we have spent many hours in the well-constructed  bird hide / viewing area. It's comfortable and has  a metal walkway and a large seated viewing area.

Sitting there quietly with binoculars and camera  late one morning I was surprised when looking  about 25 metres across the billabong to find a 4+ metre estuarine / salt water croc basking in the sunshine.

Quite a surprise ! This  4 metre + croc has not been there in our many previous visits.

Seeing that the entrance to the hide from the car park is on the banks of the billabong and unfenced, and there is only a small vandalised sign indicating the possible presence of crocs I was quite surprised.

Later I did rind the WA Department of Sustainability and Environment and had a chat to a staff member who professed knowledge of the area and of that particular croc. He basically said that the croc comes and goes and DSE is aware. I can't imagine the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service being that relaxed - they do have a nanny state mentality ! NPWS would no doubt close the entire area ! They are quite risk averse!

At first glance this part of the billabong may seem to be an ideal area to unload your canoe or kayak and go for a leisurely paddle through the birdlife    

Looking a little more closely, and on second thoughts, probably not an especially good idea! And NO, I'm not obsessed with crocodiles!.

Wyndham seems to be coming back. When we last visited in 2011 the place was looking fairly run down. This year there is a new public wharf with very tidy surrounds. Some of the more ramshackle buildings have either fallen down or been removed and the town has a new feel of positivity.

The commercial port area has a wharf that caters for fairly large ships, including the fancy tourist ships that visit the Buccaneer Archipelago / horizontal falls etc.

There is also a fuel depot accepting fuel shipped in for subsequent distribution up and down the coast via a triple road train

Another part of the main commercial port area remains involved with the export of high grade iron ore, but in a minor way. The ore is transported by 4 trailer side-dump  road trains from a mine more than 100 Km away. I understand that there are more than 20 of these trucks running day and night.

Carrying iron ore, at least a 200 Km round trip.

The ore is dumped at a depot before being loaded on to a conveyor that loads in on to a barge. The barge then delivers it to a ship moored nearby and the ship then takes it on board by bucket loader. It must be very high grade ore to go to that much trouble and expense.

The Wyndham iron ore loading facility from the Five Rivers Lookout

The Bastion / Fiver Rivers Lookout is a great place to get a real perspective of the area. The local Lions Club has done a great deal of work as has the local government council.
From The Bastion you can see where five rivers flow into Cambridge Gulf.  The Rivers are The King, The Pentecost, The Durack, The Forest and The Ord.

Some people are put off by the size of the mud flats, but that's just the way it is in this part of the world.

From The Bastion / Five Rivers Lookout looking left towards the mouths of the King,  Pentecost and Durack Rivers (through the narrows called The Nek). Part of the port in the foreground.

Another view from The Bastion / Fiver Rivers Lookout looking down Cambridge Gulf toward the mouths of the Forest and The Ord

BACK TO MARGLU BILLABONG

A Royal Spoonbill, Pied Heron, Intermediate Egret and many Whistling Ducks

White Necked Heron and Whistling Ducks

Magpie Goose

Green Pygmy-goose

NEXT STOP HALLS CREEK THEN FITZROY CROSSING

Regards

TJ

A TASTE OF THE GIBB RIVER ROAD PART 4

Home Valley Station 2

Home Valley Station is owned by an Aboriginal corporation and a stated aim of theirs is to use it as a training venue for indigenous people. The main camping ground, swimming pool, bars and restaurant are all of high standard. There is also a range of accommodation available for bus tours and individuals. 

As I previously mentioned, we elected to camp on the banks of the Pentecost, about 7 Km from the main campground.

Birdlife along the river area is prolific and I was pleased to get a number of nice shots, including one of a local bird I hadn’t seen before. After studying my bird books I found that it was part of a minor race of Lemon Bellied Flycatchers this one called the Kimberley Flycatcher. This bird is restricted to a fairly small area in the Kimberley, so a nice find.

Lemon Bellied Flycatcher / race Kimberley Flycatcher

Here’s another quite nice pic, this time a Black Faced Wood Swallow.

Black Faced Wood Swallow

We went back down the Gibb to the Pentecost River crossing and decided to explore part of another track that wends its way along the river and then heads north around the range and in a loop to end up in Wyndham after passing Digger’s Rest Station. 

The going was very rough and the temperature was well into the 30s that day so we gave up after a while. It was only later that we discovered that the track was actually closed. But we didn’t waste the river crossing photo opportunity, naturally.  

I had to have another pic of the Patrol crossing the Pentecost with the Cockburn Range in the background! 

I really fell under the spell of the Cockburn Range (incidentally it’s pronounced “Coburn”) it’s ever –present in the area and changes colour throughout the day.

The river is also such a huge part of the scene round here, constantly changing with the light and, of course, with the large tides. This next pic taken from the camp ground shows the nearby bend in the river with the range in the background.

Here’s another example of the local wildlife, this “log” wasn’t there when I looked over the river from the camp ground in the morning, but was there when I wandered over at lunch time. As you can see from the enlargement, the croc’s colour is interesting.

 I understand that the light colour shows that the croc has spent most of its life in the salt water. Other photos later in these blogs will show the darker colour of estuarine (saltwater) crocs that live largely in the fresh water. This croc looks to be about 3 ½ metres.

The crocs have to lie in the sun throughout the morning and often through into the afternoon to warm up and recharge their systems after a busy night hunting / fishing, ready for another busy night. 

The track shown in this next pic follows the river for some distance past the camping area. It overlooks the mud flats that exist right along the river. Crocs are also on this same side of the river as our camp, but are a little more difficult to spot. There have been none at nearby boat launching ramp since we have been here, but one was spotted on the mud flats a little up river.

This Whistling Kite seemed to be interested in my attempts to mimic his particular whistle, staring intently each time I whistled at him. I couldn’t tell whether it was in admiration of my whistling, disbelief or amusement!!

Overnight we were once again serenaded by dingoes in the early hours. This time it sounded like a small pack, with howls of varying levels as they moved through the scrub near the camp. Thankfully was no sign of them around the campground during the day, indicating that at least there appeared to be no feeding by campers – wise!

After seven days we reluctantly packed up and headed out for a few days at Parry Lagoon near Wyndham. Our original intention was to travel further down the Gibb past Ellenbrae to Drysdale River. That was a round trip of more than 500 Km of fairly indifferent road so I decided not to flog the Patrol any further.

Robyne's bush clothes !

 As you can see in the departure shot, taken as we left, Robyne had dressed for the occasion, harem pants with a flower and a string of crystals! “Purple Power” one over enthusiastic woman yelled out as she drove past.

All in all the camper trailer experiment has been a huge success, we visited, saw and stayed in places that we would never otherwise have seen and we did it in comfort.

Upsides – the locations we visited, the ease of setup, the ease of towing, the space, the swing-out kitchen, the ease of meal preparation, the comfortable bed high in the trailer.

Downsides – none really, we enjoyed and overcame the challenge and the change.

So back to Kununurra we went to collect the caravan and head south once again to new adventures, heading to Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing and then Derby.

More soon !

Regards

TJ  

A TASTE OF THE GIBB RIVER ROAD PART 3

Home Valley Station

We were a little sad to be leaving El Questro, it had been a great camp and we had really enjoyed the scenery and the silence, but new adventures were at hand and so we rejoined the Gibb River road, turned left and set off for Home Valley Station, not very far down the road.

There is now a surprising amount of traffic on the Gibb, far more than I had been told to expect and too many of them are travelling way too fast.  The section of road from the El Questro turnoff is very loose and rocky – and corrugated in parts as well. 

Many people, mainly young blokes in oldish 4wds travelling at 90 and 100 kph in the opposite direction are a major hazard, especially when they don’t slow at all or keep to the left when passing, throwing up rocks in all directions.

I was hit by a large stone, about the size of a sardine tin, it clipped the windscreen low down and then I believe, slid up the screen and bounced off the snorkel – had it hit the screen full on it would have come straight through. It wasn’t until later that I discovered it had cracked the screen – idiots, there’s no need for that !

While travelling along we caught sight of a dingo just about to amble across the road. I stopped and grabbed the camera, quietly getting out and slowly walking around the back of the car and trailer. The dingo had stopped and was looking at the car, when I appeared with the camera he stayed quite still in the grass, unafraid, just surveying the scene and looking quite inquisitive. Unfortunately I was not able to focus because of the grass and scrub and he turned and walked and then ran away.

I followed through the scrub trying to get a shot but the dingo was too quick and was gone. This was the third close encounter with a dingo this trip, the last two being in Kakadu and once again I was unable to get a clear photo. Clearly, there is no shortage of dingoes on the Gibb.

One good thing that I have learnt recently is that dingoes catch and kill feral cats, good to hear, although it remains troubling that we have seen cats in the middle of nowhere, apparently miles from civilisation – they are a worry.

And then we came to the Pentecost River crossing, a place I had wanted to visit for many years now. The crossing is tidal, being not that far from where the river meets the west arm of Cambridge Gulf and becomes one of the rivers to be seen doing so from the Five Rivers lookout on The Bastion at Wyndham.

The five rivers to be seen from The Bastion are the Pentecost, The King, The Durack, The Forest and the Ord.

The Pentecost was fairly shallow when we crossed.

Pentecost River Crossing, Cockburn Range in the background

Just past the turnoff to Home Valley Station is a spot we had been told looks back on the Cockburn Range and was a great photo opportunity. It is said to be an Aboriginal meeting place and a place where the boundary of two Aboriginal groups exists. There is a sign welcoming visitors to their country.

Aboriginal meeting place, more Cockburn Range

When we arrived there we met a German couple who were also admiring the view. We noticed (before them) that they had an almost flat tyre in their little hired camper.

The bloke seemed a little unsure of where to start - I should have kept driving - It was more than 30 degrees and very dusty - but in the interests of international relations I, with the help of his wife and some advice and assistance from him, got the job done.

Doing my bit for international relations backside up in the dirt !!

Home Valley Station is quite a fancy operation these days, certainly far better than I had read about and expected. Their caravan / camping area is nicely grassed and there is a first class swimming pool and a fancy restaurant and bar.

Of course fancy also equals relatively expensive, especially the restaurant. We also ate there a couple of times and the service and the quality of food is very good.

We spurned the luxury of the caravan park area and decided to camp on the banks of the Pentecost River about 7 or so Km from the main area.

Our campsite on the banks of the Pentecost River

The camping area has spectacular view of the Cockburn range. I just love the Cockburn range and can’t get enough of the general area. You will probably note that point from the number of photographs of the range.

There were quite a few crocodiles in the general area, but we understand that none had been known in the camping ground. During the day we could see the odd crocodile across the river, so caution is recommended when strolling along the river.

Afternoon light on part of the Cockburn Range, looking from the campsite

Camping is not permitted right on the river (wise) but was allowed in an area on the other side of a track along the river. We felt quite safe as did those in the ten or fifteen other sites.

The amenities were excellent, with plenty of septic toilets and plentiful really good showers with plenty of solar hot water.

Is that a log on the other side of the river?

A very bitey log !!

Home Valley Station is a large beef producer and also has quite a few longhorn cattle as well, for a reason I was not able to discover. They do look good though, maybe a little menacing!

An impressive amount of beef !

There is a boat launching ramp near the camp and while we were there, two other campers Lana and Pete, launched their boat and went after a barramundi.

They had not been fishing long when Lana hooked one. It was an impressive display as the large barra jumped out of the water a number of times before she was able to bring it to the side of the boat and Pete expertly slid it into the landing net.

The barra was over the legal size (I believe that 90 cm is the limit) and therefore had to be put back, but not until after Lana posed for a couple of photos with the fish.

Hooked Up !

I just missed the fish jumping !

Safely in the net

This picture is going straight to the pool room !!!

To his absolute credit, Pete “swam” the fish for quite some time to help it recover before releasing it. To do this he leaned over the side and moved the fish through the water by hand. 

Bearing in mind the presence of crocs and remembering that crocs love barra, this was an impressive action.  

One more pic of the Cockburn range

NEXT BLOG

More Home Valley Station

Regards