Week 9 and 10.....maybe 11.....is anyone counting still???

What a few weeks we've had!  The Gibb River Road lived up to it's legend and although the Caravan itself appears bullet proof with nary a drama...the kitchen items we put in it are certainly not!  The fridge cracked a weld and dropped it's amonia and really cleaned the sinus'!  Then the micro wave decided to pack it in working and telling time and appearing to be working but 'magnatron' say nooo!  Hot water system cracked a weld where the water goes in and flooded the van so there were some fun times to be had but over and all the rattle of the road is still in our heads but we are safe and sound in Broome and all is being fixed and re-fitted (thanks warranty!)   We'll tell the tale with the following photo's and comments to keep you up to date!

First stop on the GRR was Emma Gorge, a great walk up into the coldest water Kerriann has ever in my knowledge consciously swam.  The water was freezing!  

Emma Gorge - The girls swimming back from the water droplets in the background that come off the cliffs that are bathed in sunlight and as such warmer than the arctic waters below!  They were swimming under the drips with mouths wide open trying to get a reprieve from the bitterly cold water...Jessica's laughter when she's in cold water is so great to hear...that kind of nervous hysterical ha ha ha ha ha ha I can't stop laughing or I'll die kind of laugh....!  

Zebedee Springs - El Questro Station.  The water although classed as a Hot Spring was only about 32 degrees and it was a cold day so keeping warm was an issue!  Nice spot except for the moron tour guide resplendent in his crocodile dundee teeth and all acubra hat who's every second sentence was "I'm the tour guide so this and that"... etc....while his back packer brain dead hanger on's insisted on swearing vulgarity totally unnecessarily in the presence of many children and elderly.....!  Needless to say I had a quite word and the morons moved on to the cooler water and were quietly spoken it seems!  Deep breaths.....deeeeep breaths we're on holiday.

Pentecost River Crossing, we had to drive across, drop Kerriann and Kacie with the camera's and return and do it again! The back drop was magnificent and photo's do nothing of the colour in the cliff faces as the sun was setting in the west!  We were so tempted to free camp by the river but kept on to Home Valley Station where we set up for a few days as a base camp before driving/camping up at Mitchell Falls NP.  The road to Kalumburru was closed.

We met some fantastic friends this last week or so with Paul, Sil and their 3 kids and Mike and Robin fresh out of PNG with there van named "Haus belong Raun" and Toyota "Mipela Raun"!  What a great time we had!
We left the van at Drysdale Station on the Kalumbaru Road and borrowed some kit from Paul and Sil and camped at Mitchell Falls National Park.  The 180km drive took about 5 hours (not including stops) to get into the camp and we felt very sorry for the people that day tripped it from a camp 60km south of Drysdale and from Drysdale also!
The walk from the camp to the falls including the swim across the river to get to the viewing cliffs is about 1 hour in and a fantastic set of falls in a beautiful part of the Kimberley!

That's us on the right at Mertens Falls that lead a magnificent gorge!  Only a few hundred metres from Mitchell Falls below:

Mitchell Falls!  Nice spot!  Had to actually swim across the river above these falls/photo to walk to this vantage spot.  The crossing was not actually open when we were here and it was a get wet or go home affair all round!

Never missing the opportunity to be a tosser, we came across a very recent burnt out m/c from a group of 20+ riders from Perth that were doing a run to Kalumbarru.  They had to carry spare fuel in coke bottles etc... and this chaps milk bottle of fuel in his back pack leaked and caught fire on the exhaust.  He was lucky to escape un-scathed.  So enter Mick I'manidiot Jones trying to kick start the dead beast for Paul and his crew coming from behind and after the 'yeah good one you knuckle head' I lift my left leg off and slice open my left calf about 4 stitches worth into the subcutaneous fat/tissue on a razor sharp pin melted on the frame (see hair still left on the tip second photo!)  Anyway, scrub out with betadine, a razor to shave the hair and a week or so of steri strips and wound is healing o.k.  Leg modelling career is in tatters!

A Mertens Monitor and a White-quilled Rock-Pigeon!  How cool.....that bloody bird had me ducking and weaving through the rocks for about 20 minutes to try and get a photo.......another tick in the Simpson and Day...!  Bird 326 to those in the game.

When we came back from Mithchell Falls NP - Mike and Robin in front left of photo had stayed back and looked after our van and kit.  Mike also had the satellite set up for the first state of origin game!  I was so upset I didn't have phone coverage to call Brucey Wildcard and Dibsy Withers and stir up the muck.....it was enough though that Qld destroyed the blues again......sigh!!! 

The swim across Manning Falls National Park / Creek.  There were poly styrene boxes to float your boots and gear across to the other side to then walk in the 45 minutes to Manning Falls which were well worth the effort even though the water was frigidly cold!

Cheryl bringing up the rear for the last swim crossing at Manning Falls!  Get busy living hey!?

View over the creek from one of the free camps on the GRR.   There were barra scales of a small fish on the bank and I set the Cherubin Pots and caught/released 2!  Very cold water however. This was about the time Broome had a 7 degree's night the coldest May Day in such and such years.  Nice for rugging up and sleeping!

We had a camp over damper cook off with Mike and Robin.  Kerriann nailed it with this fantastic 'Date Damper' that was devoured by all with slathers of butter, jam and syrup!  The third camp over in left photo has a beautiful Beef stew al-la-cheryl again a sensation with a second damper for dinner  (the Date damper was afternoon tea of course!).

WE had to go to Windjana Gorge of course...just have to try and convince Andrew from Winjana RV that he needs to correct his spelling????

We ran into Patricia whose travel partner had broken his elbow and flown to Broome and then Perth for surgery.  Is the only child of her mum and dad whom each have no family left.....there are only 3 of them on this planet!  No cousins, uncles etc....We thought how much her mum and dad must be stressing about Patty backpacking the world (as she's done) and she had her 23rd birthday with us.  Kerriann put up lovely Happy Birthday banner in her car and we sang Happy Birthday at a quarry in a bush camp. This photo is taken in tunnel creek which was an amazing walk through a cave that was a creek about 400 metres long and torch required.  Very cool and yes again the water was cold!

Prison tree at Derby.  The Boab's are incredible! All individually different and ancient not only in there scars from human blazing but also appearance next to 100 year old tree's that are blazed and less than a quarter the size of this one?

Bran Nue Dae!!! Broome YEH!!!  And as suspected although ringing through the exact model, serial number, part number and full description of the fridge that needs fixing a full week prior they sent the wrong part from Perth and we are stuck in Broome for at least 2 weeks I reckon!  Honestly....how hard is it to provide a service??????  I wonder what the service would be like if the accountability for actions was anything like the police?

Broome this afternoon at Cable Beach.

Cable Beach sunset

Thats a very short glimpse of the last few weeks.  The boat is set up and ready and tomorrow we'll be trying to get our money worth for the WA fishing license.  We even spent $40 on some dilly's as you get caught with munyanah crab pots here and you're gone!  So with some luck and a bit of cunning we hope to have fresh crab for tea tomorrow?  WE just had the second last fillet of barra for tea!

More to come, it's late..........good night! X

Week 8  Kununurra and preparations for beyond!

From Timber creek we have moved across to Kununurra and between a bit of tourist stuff have prepared for the 'off the tar' section of the Kimberley's.  We are hoping to get up to spot opposite the Kimberley Coastal Camp but will first drive Gibb River Road up to the closer areas of El Questro (base out of Home Valley) and on toward Drysdale.  The roads are still closed to Kulumburu so it's touch and go as to where we will end up.  We have submitted the aboriginal land applications for the areas we are heading in case the roads open and we decide to give it a go!  Who knows, we may be sick of corrugation by Drysdale and just base it from there.  Hope everyone is well and will update when we get some signal again down the track!  Fishing license in WA cost $63 to allow me to fish from a boat and to use a cast net.  Each endorsement such as 'line fish from boat' $40, 'throw net'  $30, Lobsters '$40' and you tick the boxes you want and get a 10% discount for 2 or more!  Hope I don't snorkel onto any lobsters.....!

Kerriann a happy camper to finally land a decent barra this trip!  Broken the duck now so should be happy sailing from now on?  A very respectable 75cm.

Kacie's Victoria River barra!  Good fun and for a little fish put up a great fight!

Found this tree snake crossing the Vic, very determined to get there.  Was amazed that the hawks and eagles didn't take him?

We camped beside the carport at the rear. Very nice place and the best of the Queens men and families at Timber Creek!

Sunset at Timber Creek.  Vic river to the right and the bridge is very near the snag that Jessica caught her big fish on!  

New State, new adventure!  Bloody crossing guards took my favourite old potato sack!  Stupid me saw one lying on the ground brand new and thought you beauty a new sack!  The lady saw me and said it was hers and did I have any like it....I replied yeah I love me potato sack!  DOH!!! Hand it over knuckle head!  On the trawl now for new potato sack!

Lake Argyle and Infinity Pool at the top. Very nice. Kacie wanted to stay here very badly!

Flicking at Ivanhoe Crossing. Heaps of rat barra's in the back eddy's as you walk down stream.  I bloody left a tub of Gulps down the creek about 300 metres....not happy!  Lost two decent fish and landed 5 between 30cm and 50cm.

Lilly pond at our caravan park in Kununurra.  Very nice afternoon beer and relax by the water and watch the tourists watching the crocs.

WEEK  7

DAY  1 -    SUNDAY  06/05/12

Koolpinyah Station

Fishing with Kristy & John in there boat going to catch a big one.  Got to the Adelaide River too early to get live bait not a good day no fish and lost 2 crab pots.

Canadian Film crew doing show called 'Nile McCann's Biggest and Baddest' in Australia arrived at Koolpinyah.  Filmed Lawrence, John, Chris and I with Nile setting croc traps etc... Great team and Nile the presenter a top bloke and very intelligent learned man.  Can't wait to see the show, ours was the last of 7 episodes they shot in Australia that will be aired on Animal Planet and National Geographic Channel!  Can't wait!!!!

John, Mick and Nile in the buffalo catcher on our way to find a buffalo for filming.

The film crew baiting the croc trap at main lake.  Had all the gear, numerous camera's soundy etc...

We were standing near the spot I shot the Micky Bull earlier in the week and this huge Bull came from the tree line to see who the hell was on his turf.  We were down wind so the big bull kept walking towards us smelling the air.  Had very big horns and was a sitting duck if we wanted to shoot a trophy bull but both John and I agreed what a waste of such a huge Buffalo Bull and just filmed the big brute!  The sound guy filming the buffalo got worried when I followed them to the fence line with Johns rifle thinking I was going to shoot the Buff. I explained it was just in case the bull charged them for safety.  His concern was he had earphones on and sound up full to get the birds and sound of the buffalo sloshing through the mud. A gun shot would have blown his eardrums out the back of his skull.

DAY 2 -   MONDAY  07/05/12 May weekend Public Holiday

Koolpinyah Station 

Jess driving the Yellow Quad back from checking the croc trap.

Kacie, flying down the airstrip on the Quad.

Spent all morning packing up. Had a lovely coffee & biscuits with Kristy & John and on our way to Telstra at Palmerston Centre in Darwin to get 4g to be fixes 3 hours later got box to work but not our computers. Michael fixing the caravan & car brakes in the car park. Had enough and set off to The Bark Hut Inn $45.00 overnight just outside Kakadu National Park.

TOTAL KM -  130KM 

DAY 3 -  TUESDAY  08/05/12  

The Bark Hut Inn

Set off to Kakadu National Park.  Stopped of at the Bowali Visitor Centre and got some good info and maps.  Not much open as still to wet headed to Jabiru to have a look & fuelled up $1.689 and headed to Cahill Crossing. Walked the Bardedjilidii walk 2.5km about 2 hours but because of the wet, parts were closed and it only took 25mins to do. Set up camp at Merl $30 mozzie heaven. Set off to Ubirr 1km circular track passing aboriginal rock art sites & views over the Nadab floodplains  Tried catching a barra on the East Alligator River the boundary between Kakadu and Arnhem Land just a bit too late but good try. 

TOTAL  KM - 202km

DAY 4 - WEDNESDAY 09/05/12

Merl (mossie heaven)

Light drizzle overnight but didn't scare the mozzie away.  Nourlangie walk is a 1.5km circular walk that takes you pass ancient aboriginal shelter & several art sites. Up to the lookout to views of Kakadu's escarpment and Nourlangie. Now on our way to Pine creek for lunch and then on to Katherine.

TOTAL KM -

DAY 5 -  THURSDAY  10/05/12

Overnight Riverview Lodge at Katherine. Worked on car and van trying to isolate brakes issues.  Finally figured out rear left brakes not working at all and probably broken inside. Removed and located/replaced broken rear left brake magnet on caravan and fixed at last!  Packed up and ready to head to Timber Creek on Friday!

After both Val and Del agreed we should not miss doing the Katherine Gorge cruise we relented and all went. It was nyeah?

Katherine Gorge River cruise.  

Road out from Ubirr. Just love the water crossings...most of the whizz bangs don't go across water so not as many tourists!

Kacie at Ubirr Lookout.

TOTAL KM  - 280km

DAY 6 -  FRIDAY   11/05/12

Timber Creek!  Stayed at the police station with the NT boys.  Great blokes Dean and Rob and there lovely wife's and kids!  Big camp set up and hope to stay a few days at least.

3 Guesses what this is!

TOTAL  KM  - 

DAY 7 -  SATURDAY  12/05/12

Fished Kerriann and Mick!  Explore the Victoria River. Caught two rat barra's and checked out the country for tomorrow.  Set cherubin pots in Timber Creek behind the police station for live bait. BBQ with the NT boys and family. Barra, steak, snags and our last 15 crumbed bugs! 

Barge wreck in Victoria River.  Timber Creek and Victoria River a magnificent place.  The cliffs and scenery is amazing.  Timber Creek is a Limestone crystal clear spring creek very much the same as Gregory River / Lawn Hill in Qld.  

 Jessica caught this 85cm beauty all by herself after loosing one same size 2 minutes prior. She was back on within a heartbeat and played this under and around the boat. It even jumped on the other side of the boat while she held her rod down in the water like a true champion and lead the fish to the net. She was so happy to finally get a decent big barra without any help.!

This is about a 14 15- monster and is the same croc on u-tube that takes a barra at the side of the boat that was claimed by some news channel to be in Qld.  It's name is Lord something or rather and known to all the locals at Timber creek.

So who actually caught this little fella Kerriann??

Fishing at Koolpinyah Station

Rather than put the boat in, we drove into a spot on the Adelaide River (Koolpinyah) for a fish off the banks with live baits for barra.  Surprisingly we didn't see a barra but I caught the following huge queenie on light thread-line gear that put up an incredible jumping show!

Queenie caught off the rocks on light gear.

Dropped in to check the croc trap (empty) and had to have a flick. Here's John landing another rat from the flat.  A beautiful Gold colour as opposed to the black colour some get from the dirt fresh!

Beautiful Gold barra....John dropped an 80cm before this fish that kept smacking his lure all in sight....very frustrating!!!

Beautful fish in crystal clear plains run-off.

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In centre picture is a caterpillar that Greg somehow noticed when he was riding in the back of the ute back to the station. He saw movement and then realised that the little grub was completely camouflaged with adaptations or stuck on bits of stick, leaf and to the naked eye completely invisible!  Even it movement was jolted and sporadic to indicate a piece of stick/leaf blowing in the wind......any Entomologist's out there reckon we've found an new species?  

Nice King caught by Greg on Thursday barra fishing up number 4 creek in the Adelaide River.  Greg was the King fisherman this day and got 2 barra (to the boat and a number blown or jumped off) a a few Kingy's.   We all caught huge Golden Cobblers also that fought as good as any fish!

Greg's best barra for the day....nice fish mate...!

                                                   My best for the day, spot on 90cm

Girls are back from Bali safe and sound and no doubt some photo's and stories to post soon!  Love to all and see you soon.   xx

WEEK 5 OR 6?


Starting to loose track of time now……We have been based at Koolpinyah Station near Howard Springs staying with John and Kristy Geddes overlooking a magnificent lilly padded lake the bird life of which is any twitchers envy!  I have yet to glass it all but if the many Jacana's are any indication I'd hope to see some new ones I can mark off in my book endemic to the NT?

The girls left for Bali on…….Saturday? and today it's……Monday? and life is starting to slow down and a holiday relaxing sense finally realising!  A willy willy has just come through the camp and a woolworths bag is at 200 feet and my tinny just got rolled on it's side!  Cool!  The green woolies bag is still floating like the feather in forrest gump……!  Touch down right about where it looks like John and Kristy's new puppy Axel got taken by a croc a few days ago. Jay their youngest tracked him to the lake and found his paw prints into a section of the dam where there is an obvious sign of a large disturbance in the weed and water and the hundreds of crocodiles in the lake leave no guesses as to Axel's whereabouts!  John's comment shortly after was "it's not really a place you can have pet dogs" as they also lost their faithful dog Daisy of about 11 years and posted a $10K reward for it's return only two months ago and it is suspected that the croc's may have a hand in this also?  Very sad indeed for the family.

                 Vale 'Axel'  Poor little bugger........very sad for the Gedde's with the blasted croc's!

First day we arrived young Jay went pig shooting  around 2pm and at 7pm we had the search party all on quads about to go find him and Todd ran down and fence line he thought might be right and found Jay who was naked except for pants and covered from head to foot in mud to stop the mozzies after he got bogged on the yellow quad in this shot.  John and I went the next day and pulled it out.  Funny days!

                                            Little croc fishing in the Adelaide River

        My first Jewel on lure! Fight better than a barra and nice to eat for dinner that night!

                                 John saved the day with a nice King....very hard fishing today!

A swamp hollow we visited and the dark marks are from the buffalo scrathing, I just wonder what they did when found out about the big paper wasp nest nest to it in shot!

Koolpinyah Plains, straight out of Tom Coles 'Hell West and Crooked' except we're on quads

John's favourite Jewie bait....Tarpon were in the millions in the little dam behind me....hook ups were hard but we didn't care, good fun but very scary/eerie water hole and did not like standing close to water at any time.

But…where there's crocs there's barra and there is no shortage of them here!  We are setting a croc trap today at one of the crossings near the Koolpinyah Flood plains where one of the station hands was rushed by a 14 foot crocodile while fishing a drain a couple of weeks ago.  He was lucky that he saw the croc laying in wait before he walked to cross a tiny causeway amongst the lilly pads and weeds and said that when he saw it and back away slowly, the croc also back into deeper water.  He didn't know what to do as he had to cross this causeway to get home.  He fished the other side for a while hoping the croc would move around to him and then ran full speed across the causeway and thrust his rod tip into the water where he saw the croc before.  At this time the croc rushed from the water and fortunate for him, it's mouth caught on the bottom wire of the fence and didn't get his meal this day.  So it's down to the crossing shortly with a croc trap and a feral pig for bait.  

Have been fishing with John and Greg in the Adelaide River the past week with a day on day off sort of regime.  Caught some nice silver / salty barra's and yesterday got 6 of the biggest bucks in the crab pots which was a great surprise and feast last night.  Being just the boys (John, Greg, Todd, Jay and myself) it was mudcrab and floured King Salmon and Jewel for tea.  Early to bed and today spent tidying up between Buffalo shoot and croc trapping.

An email from the girls states they arrived safe and well and enjoying massages a plenty.  I'm very envious…..I paid $25 for a neck and shoulders massage at  the Mindil Beach Markets last Friday evening and kept telling the bloke to go harder….we ended breaking his chair as he was leaning fully on my shoulders with all his weight and the plastic deck chair finally gave up the ghost and the masseur shaking his head! HA...

The motor bikes have just started so I will hold for now and report later!  We are also required to get a buffalo for the owner today so I have been given the honour of the hunt!  Although I lost my blood lust years ago I hope to be able to drop whatever unfortunate beast we find with one shot and perhaps a photo of my first ever Buffalo!   Time will tell!

Well it's 11.30pm and a bottle of home brew rum with John after the dozen pre-emptive beers earlier and lights out!   

The croc trap has been re-set and we are all buzzing about tomorrow as the barramundi at the causeway (croc trap) were completely insane!  Boofing everywhere and with John's sunglasses we could see about 8 or 10 - 70+ cm barra's laying in a drain lane under our feet and the noise of boofing barra surrounding us was insane!…. John reported before we left as he stood gazing at the drain with his polarised sunnies that a metre long barra had just swum into the throng….!   I walked out onto a section where as we arrived a small 6 foot croc disappeared and as I walked I saw a large school of mullet swim away from me toward the lagoon.  I then video'd the result…..the barra obviously cottoned on and the water was thrashed to foam like a tuna school as the barra devoured the fleeting mullet!  You could actually see the barra leaping out of the water like tuna attacking the fish they were that full on!   So……we must check the croc trap in the morning….while also taking a reef pick to remove some of the lilly pads and weed to clear a decent fishing lane which will 100% go off!!!!!

The croc trap set where the 14 footer had a go at one of the ringers.  The running water right of shot is where it charged from and caught on the bottom wire of the fence.  That is the causeway he had to sprint across towards the vehicle.

Back to the buff hunt…..We finally found a young Micky Bull on the verge of the flood plain at about 4pm after searching, getting bogged and high and low loosing faith until finally a lone Micky was found.   Ironically while driving around the last week we have seen buffalo every single day driving past them and swerving to miss them but when the call came that one was to be taken we could not find one no matter where we drove and how hard we searched!   Long story cut short, today was D-Day and James an old hand of Koolpinyah (27yrs of age) who has spent about 8 years on and about the station croc catching for the local farms and 'ringing' let me use his .308.  Our last effort after going back to the station and washing down from all the mud after being bogged and recovering several times searching, we went to a spot we saw a heard of Buffs days earlier….needless to say we finally found one!  I jumped out of the ute and used a tree branch for support as having never fired the rifle before its very un-nerving to not know a gun.  Having gone over in my head how I would take the shot, stressing about stuffing up and missing and listening to young Jay explain how different to scrub bulls you must drop your shot and aim between the eyes I was lining up and James on my shoulder whispered…."go for the neck front on mate" as the young bull was looking straight at me.  What I didn't know was that John driving the ute was getting out of the car and preparing to shoot after my possible stuff up with his .243 but as James suggested I took the shot and the bull dropped instantly dead.  I apologise to those that find this gruesome or offensive but John and James boned out the carcass to offal and I can't wait to cook our first round of Buffalo burgers in a week or so!  I was relieved that the buff was instantly killed and presently there is a cold room full of beef hanging 3 metres from my bed.

While searching for a buff James and I got bogged a couple times because of the trailer so it was get in and get dirty a few times.  John heard us bogged and having to unhitch the trailer etc.. and started to walk to us to help but we got out.  Greg has taken this shot and they way you can tell is there's a rifle in shot.  Our guardian angel was our Greg!

Young bull buff instant kill and bled out immediately by James who sprinted in after the shot.

The boys get to work!  Took both John and James about 30 minutes and all that was left was head, offal and a two hocks!

                                       Ready for hanging in the cold room.

Tomorrow we were going to put the boat in again but after setting the croc trap at the causeway and seeing the hundreds of barra going off it's a no brainer!  Sleep in and see you soon!  xx

The Barra Lane....wish I had a polarised camera lense, there are in this photo about 7 barra lined up and at the back a large fish 80 to 90 cm......Unreal!!!

Small barra boof right of shot. I will try and post video on blog of dozens of barra boofing this area in a 30 second film take.....literally hundreds of barra in a 10 metre square!

Forgot to mention, week 4 is in the same blog with the heading week 3.  Weeks 5 and 6 to come.....

After 100km's, ten hours on hold on phone (yesterday 5 hours alone on phone on hold and call in Telstra Shop at Darwin) trying to get internet sorted...1 hour and 50minutes this morning and still not resolved.  Have just had to pay outright for a new modem thing as they now figured out our new one is buggered.....long story cut short very angry about Telstra and using Del's internet to post missing last few weeks and update.

Hope all are well, please enjoy the pics and blog I hope and more to come as we now play catch up!  Girls have just left for Bali and it's Greg and Mick with John, Todd and Jay at Koolpinya...Greg has just handed me a rum and coke......HUZZAAAAH!!!!