Welcome to Cindy and David's 2013 Adventures
Note 16 - Edith Falls, Victoria River, Timber Creek, Kununurra
Leliyn (Edith) Falls Campground is located just 62km away from Katherine into the Nitmiluk National Park. We had a lovely bush setting with a campground to match,where you can just chill out, go for a walk along one of the trails or enjoy a swim. We arrived early and sat back and watched the hordes arrive and drive around frantically looking for a spot. One has to be early!
Last day view of Darwin Skyscape; it has changed considerably since our first visit.
Went to the Casino for lunch before taking J,T,M,M to Airport. Sad to see them go.
The next day we left for Edith Falls and scored a really good spot in the campground with our own "lawn" attached!
The next day we left for Edith Falls and scored a really good spot in the campground with our own "lawn" attached!
The first day we swam in the lower pool and then hiked up the hill to the Upper 'falls for more swimming and in David's case another swim under a waterfall. The following day things started to go very wrong. We did the uphill hike again and decided to walk on to Sweetwater Pools a 6.8 km return walk which nearly finished Cindy. It certainly finished any further walks in such heat and through amazingly boring bush with loads of flies for company! Even Cindy admitted though that the pools and the swimming in all these waterways was exceptional.
Edith Falls Camp (note David sitting over to the right on the "lawn")
Victoria River Campsite. Pleasant stopover and just rested.
We went on 4x4 drive to view a Calcite Flow creek with Tufa dams, Calcilte flow, and Stromatolites
Victoria River Roadhouse, a couple of walks & spectacular scenery of the surrounding escarpment and valleys
Just over the WA border is the wonderful Lake Argyle (ord River dam). We managed to score another really lovely campsite in the local c/park and spent two days marvelling over this beautiful area. The dam was finished and opened in 1972 and covers 2,100 sq kms of what was the Durack farm.
We drove on into Kununurra and Cindy talked us into a caravan park by phoning on arrival and managing to secure a place. It was especially crowded because of the town's show which is due to start on Friday, 12th.
The showground normally copes with the caravan overflow but everyone had to leave this week as the show's participants arrived and needed the site of course for the preparations. We are not staying for the show. Not in our plans! On the left is the queue to get into the park (and they all had bookings!) we are in the middle one on the left. Lovely park, lots of trees and a big pool but this is the hottest we have been so far! The air conditioner is now used during the midday hours.... We plan to head up to Wyndham tomorrow where we will leave the van and head into the Kimberleys for a couple of nights camping.
We will be doing a great deal of veggie shopping before leaving K'nurra as of course we were not allowed across the WA border with any vegetables or fruit. Very strict they are too!
The showground normally copes with the caravan overflow but everyone had to leave this week as the show's participants arrived and needed the site of course for the preparations. We are not staying for the show. Not in our plans! On the left is the queue to get into the park (and they all had bookings!) we are in the middle one on the left. Lovely park, lots of trees and a big pool but this is the hottest we have been so far! The air conditioner is now used during the midday hours.... We plan to head up to Wyndham tomorrow where we will leave the van and head into the Kimberleys for a couple of nights camping.
We will be doing a great deal of veggie shopping before leaving K'nurra as of course we were not allowed across the WA border with any vegetables or fruit. Very strict they are too!
We then set off westwards with one nights stops until the WA border.
Stromatolites are considered to be amongst the oldest evidence of life on earth.
They occur today and were only recently discovered in WA (where we are going later).
They are formed in shallow sea lagoons when millions of cyanobacteria colonise together in a cabbage shape growth. Filaments, protruding from the colony, trap sediments that eventually become fossilized, creating Stromatolites.
They occur today and were only recently discovered in WA (where we are going later).
They are formed in shallow sea lagoons when millions of cyanobacteria colonise together in a cabbage shape growth. Filaments, protruding from the colony, trap sediments that eventually become fossilized, creating Stromatolites.
The Ord river still flows strongly we were pleased to note but the water is used to supply the enormous area of the Kimberleys and the wonderful fruit and vegetable growers in the area of Kununurra. This caravan park in particular has been spectacularly upgraded and is an example of how the brigades of "Grey Nomads" are now of vital importance to the local economies of a great many outlying districts.
Timber Creek campsite.
Scenery in the Kimberlies is just breath-takinly beautiful