Back to WA

21st May 2013

Well an early start for us this morning as Kim & I decided to get on the road early and head home to Kununurra, so after a refuel and some breakfast we hit the road and made the 230km drive back across the border into WA.

We arrived back at around 10am and found everyone else to be out and about,,which worked out quite well as we had a fair bit of cleaning and unpacking to do from the trip.

The girls were out at Ivanhoe Farm for a milk shake and also made a trip to the Zebra Rock Gallery, where they looked at some beautiful carvings made out of Zebra Rock which is found locally in this area.

They arrived home around midday and after we all had a swim and some lunch Kim & I decided to take the kids fishing for black bream. So we set off around 2pm, grabbed some bait along the way and headed off for one of Kim's "Secret spots" on the Lower Ord River.

Fishing for Black Bream in the "Kim's Secret Spot"

Maggie with a good catch

Well we had a great afternoon, with all the kids having a great time and all of them catching some black bream. We left just on dusk and decided to give the kids some excitement on the way home by completing a river crossing, unfortunately, when we got to the crossing it was closed so we had to turn around and make our way back out to the highway and take the more conventional way home.

We all enjoyed a feed of fresh Barramundi for dinner tonight which was very tasty indeed.

A successful trip

20th May 2013

Again another early start with a beautiful sunrise and a decision was made to pack up camp and get ready to head back up river after the morning session of fishing.

The time down river was less than we had originally planned in part due to our great first day on the river, near enough catching our quota of fish for the trip and also due to the fact that the ice was thawing quite quickly and the last we wanted to do was to lose any of the fish we had caught.

So we hit the river again, caught some bait and set ourselves up for another morning of fishing. We tried a couple of different spots which produced a couple more nice sized Barramundi (around the 75cm mark), but the fishing was certainly a little slower than the previous day.

Kim hooking into a Barra

Kim and I also have the inevitable stories of the ones that got away, with both of us losing some big barra where they took us onto rocks and snapped us off. Oh well that's fishing and it will always keep me coming back to this very special river.

We headed back to camp as the tide was rising, packed the boat and made the 70km trip back up to the boat ramp at Big Horse Creek. We got back late in the day and after a big couple of days on the river we decided to head into Timber Creek, book a donga for the night and enjoy some air conditioned comfort before making the drive back home to Kununurra in the morning.

As Ive said, a great trip once again and one that I hope to make for many years to come.

Barramundi Time !!!

19th May 2013

The next morning we woke to a magical sunrise and quickly got ready to again try our luck at catching the elusive Barramundi.

Sunrise - Victoria River NT

After getting our bait for the morning, we had a great day on the river with the first fish caught being a reasonable size Threadfin Salmon - our entree for tonights meal. 

Over the course of the day, we had plenty of fishing action with some very  good sized Barrramundi being caught (9 keepers for the day) along with some smaller ones that lived to fight another day, we also caught catfish & shark.

Just a great day on the river!

We went back to camp very satisfied with our days efforts, where we set up the fire and cooked up a beautiful  pork roast in the camp oven, yes we sure do it tough in the bush!

Carving up the Roast

The Mighty Victoria River

18th May 2013

This morning I was up early and started to get a  few things ready for the upcoming fishing trip with Kim on the Victoria River. I have been lucky enough to have fished there a couple of times in the past and it is just an amazing place (not for everyone I might add).

Kim & I went down to the shops, picked up our supplies for the trip before returning to do the final prep & packing for the boat. We left Kununurra around 11.30am (a little later than planned) and drove the 230km to Big Horse Creek (near Timber Creek) where we launch from.

We headed down river about 70km to a favoured camping and fishing spot and set up camp. It was late in the day and the sun was on its way down, but the anticipation of us catching our first Barramundi meant that we went out in the boat, found some bait and fished into the early part of the night, without luck for now!

Bush Camp - Victoria River

We returned to camp and had a cook up around the camp fire before turning in and getting ready  for a big day on the  river tomorrow.

El Questro

16th May 2013

Today was a very leisurely start to the morning, as we had the girls booked in for a horse ride on the station at 9.15am. We made the short stroll up to the stables where we met Kate & Danni, the riding instructors.

Chloe & Mags were the only ones on the horses this morning so they got very personalised service and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. at one stage, Chloe was allowed to trot without anyone leading her horse, she was pretty excited about that. At the end of the ride the girls even got to brush down the horses and help pack away the gear.

The girls riding Moonshine & Rusty at El Questro

From there we went to the store where Maggie bumped into her friend Imogen from her school, she was up there for a wedding, talk about a small world.

El Questro

After a catch up, we teamed up with Dan & Dee & headed off 4wding on our way to look at Explosion Gorge. The drive was excellent with some very  rocky river crossings, muddy tracks & steep climbs, but the views were once  again nothing short spectacular.

Branco's Lookout

Explosion Gorge

On the way back we collected firewood for a camp fire we had planned to have as it was officially our last night on the Gibb. John, Ruth & kids along with Dan & Dee joined us and we spent a good few hours talking about the great things we had seen and experienced along the way and toasting marshmallows over the fire, a great  way to finish this section of the trip.

Our Last Day on Gibb River Rd

17th May 2013

Well our last day on the Gibb started relatively early with breakfast out of the way, we packed down and said our goodbyes to John, Ruth & kids as well as Dan & Dee and then hit the road.

Our first stop of the day was the beautiful Zebedee Springs a few kilometres away from the El Questro Homestead. Zebedee  is a permanent thermal spring which has water temperatures between 28-32 degrees all year round and is literally an oasis in the desert, just a magical spot.

The Girls enjoying Zebedee Springs

After a good hour or more soaking  in the crystal clear  water, we hit the road again for the short drive to the beautiful Emma Gorge.

The hike into Emma Gorge is 3.6km long and like many others has walk trails, rock climbing and water crossing that need to be negotiated before being rewarded with a swim in the cool waters at the base of the cliff wall.

Emma Gorge Pool

Along the way we came across a Whip Snake (well at least I'm pretty sure that's what type it was) sunning itself on the rocks, which was good for the kids to see, although we did give it a wide berth.

                   '=

                    Hiking into Emma Gorge                                                 Emma Gorge

Again we spent an hour or so at the gorge before making the hike back out, grabbing some lunch and hitting the Gibb River Rd for the final time on our way into Kununurra.

"We Made It" - The End of Gibb River Rd

We arrived around 4pm and went straight out to Debesa Farm, where  we met up with Kim, who I was meeting up with for another fishing trip on the Victoria River in the Northern Territory.

We are very lucky for Frank & Jackie (Kim's mum & dad) to be letting us set up the van on their property for the week were are staying here. They live right on the Lower Ord River and where we have been able to set up our van has got a sensational view, we are very privileged.

Pentecost - fishing, violin and crossing....

15th May 2013

Another cruisey start to the day and another morning spent packing down getting ready to move camp and also preparing for another crack at fishing before we headed off.

Today Chloe was keen to have a fish on the Pentecost and we also had Dan and Dee join us as well. Rach and Mags didn't want to come down, so they spent another relaxing day at the pool.

We got down to the river around 9.15am and I started looking for bait coming up on the incoming tide. Although my cast net skills are very ordinary, I thought I would give it another go to see if I could catch some live bait. Well again the skills were terrible, however I did manage to catch a few Popeye Mullet before the tide rushed in.

Unfortunately there was no Barra in site, but between Chloe and I we did manage to catch 2 sharks and 2 cat fish (Chloe catching one of them - her first fish on the Pentecost, she was pretty chuffed). It was still a very enjoyable time spent on the river and at least there was some action to keep everybody enthusiastic.

We returned to camp about 2pm, did the final pack and set off for one of the most iconic river crossings on the Gibb River Rd, the Penetecost River. What makes it so special is the Cockburn Ranges towering in the background, it's absolutely beautiful!

We stopped at the crossing, where Chloe again performed a violin piece which we recorded for her before making the crossing and driving the short 40kms to El Questro Station.

I can't believe the Gibb is nearly complete, so far it has been a trip of a lifetime and one that none of us will ever forget.

Swimming and fishing on the Gibb

14th May 2013

Well today started with great anticipation for me as I prepared to go down to the Pentecost River and fish for Barramundi. I have fished the river a couple of times previously with my local guide, Kim with varying results, but its just a magic setting and the opportunity could not be missed!

Firstly I had to tinker with the car again as it looks like an issue with the air conditioner had caused the passenger side floor to get very wet. So after taking of the trimming and pulling a fair section of carpet, I spent a fair bit of time soaking up the water and trying to get to the bottom of things, which hopefully I have.

Anyway, with that job done it was on to more important things, getting ready for for fishing. After breakfast and biding my time for the tides, I set off around 8.30am, the girls were spending the day lazing around the pool and enjoying the extensive playground which is set up in the camping area.

Anyway, back to more important things, fishing!

I spent about 4 - 5hrs down at the river, firstly trying my hand at throwing a cast net to catch some live bait, which were pretty scarce. It also didn't help that I really couldn't throw a cast net to save my life, despite some practicing before we left for the trip, basically I was terrible!

So I flicked lures and tried my best but with no luck, so I returned to the campsite very happy to be back on the Pentecost fishing, but empty handed never the less. The only saving grace in my mind, is that a couple of other guys (Dan & John) we had been meeting up with at various campsites, had paid for a barra fishing tour and they didn't catch anything either.

The rest of the afternoon, was spent relaxing, before treating ourselves to dinner at the restaurant. We ended up sharing a table with John, Ruth & kids. For starters we ordered the tasting plate for the girls to try, which they were a bit dubious of, as it had kangaroo, wallaby, buffalo, emu and crocodile on it. They didn't like everything but at least they had a go.

Another good day had on the Gibb!

Home Valley Station (HV8)

13th May 2013

Well after a good night and a hearty station type meal for Mother's Day, we woke this morning got ourselves ready and set off about 7.45am, bound for Home Valley Station. We had to make a brief stop in at the homestead where the girls had a great start to the day, getting to hand feed and cuddle a 45 day old Wallaby "Eagle" that the station owner was hand rearing. They were very excited as you can imagine!

So after that half hour stop off, we finally hit the road about 8.15am, with our first stop planned at Ellenbrae Station some 100kms away. Ellenbrae is well known in the area for the scones they serve, so we thought it would make a welcome stop off and it was great.

The homestead was beautiful, with lots of local artwork on the wall, station memorabilia and Double Barred Finches flying around everywhere, all of this was set in a very peaceful tropical setting. The station manager, Karen was great to have a yarn to telling us a lot about the station and station life. Before we knew it, we had been chatting for about an hour & a half and eaten half a dozen scones between us, so it was time to say our goodbyes and hit the road again.

We still had another 160kms or so to go before getting to Home Valley Station. When we were about 50kms away from Home Valley, we drove over the final ridge before the landscape fell away below us down to the plains surrounding the Pentecost River and the spectacular Cockburn Range towering in the back ground, it is a truly a sight to behold and we all felt very lucky to be sharing it together.

Only a short distance after this, we experienced our first issue of the trip, getting our first flat tyre, which when you consider we had travelled about 4500kms all up is very good and at the end of the day, if your going to break down anywhere why wouldn't you want to do it here.

After a quick changeover, we set off again, reaching Home Valley at around 4.30pm, we checked in, set up camp and settled in for the evening, looking for a well earned rest, after another great day travelling the Gibb!

Mothers Day on the Gibb

12th May 2013

Happy Mothers Day

Again the day started at day break, with Rach joining me for coffee in our shady camp area. When the girls woke shortly afterward, they each gave mum the cards they had made, unfortunately the present I had bought for Rach has been misplaced ( I know it's somewhere in the van, but do you think I can find it ).

We headed up to the homestead at about 7.45am, to meet up with the Phil the station manager and join the tag along tour.

The tour was great, we stayed in contact via hand held radio we had borrowed from Kim, very handy and learnt a lot about the station.

Mt Elizabeth Station covers 650,000 acres and holds around 6500 head of cattle. During the drive we saw cattle, 2 dingoes, a lot of red kangaroos & wallabies. We also had several river crossings and were taken to see some amazing aboriginal rock art in its natural state, it was a truly great experience, well worth it.



Tonight we are treating Rach to a meal at the homestead for Mother's Day and we have been told that the station is renowned for the meals it serves, so it should be a great night.

Mt Elizabeth station

11th May 2013

After a good sleep and breakfast we set of about 8.15am for the hike into Manning Gorge, about an hour & a half away. We started off having to cross the waterhole again, with the girls once again ferrying us across in the small boat.

Once on the other side the hike started and it was certainly one of the hottest hikes we have done, but once we had reached the end we were once again rewarded with a spectacular waterfall and swimming hole.

Manning Gorge was similar to Bell Gorge with the advantage of being able to climb the rocks next to the waterfall, which was fantastic. There was also a couple of rock ledges that you could walk out to and jump into the deep pool below.

We had met up with another couple we had met at the last campsite, John & Ruth with their kids Callan & Nikki, which Chloe & Maggie enjoyed playing with.

All the kids had a go at jumping of the first ledge, which was about 4m above the water, very brave!

The kids then looked at the higher ledge, which was about 6m above the water and asked if they cold jump off of it as well. Of course before they did, they wanted to see an adult jump off first, so off I went. With that done, the kids all took turns in jumping off the higher ledge, we had a great time in another amazing setting.

At about 12.30pm, we had to start the hot hike back to the campground and hot it was. The waterhole that had to be negotiated just near the campsite, was a welcome treat as we put the backpack in the boat and pulled that over and then swam across to the other side - beautiful

After lunch, we packed down and headed off for our next stop at Mt Elizabeth Station, about 80kms away. The drive took us about 2hrs, due to some of the road conditions we encountered along the way. A highlight of the drive into the station, was seeing our first dingo of the trip, awesome.

At the homestead we were greeted by about 10 wallabies grazing in the paddock and the place instantly had a good feel to it. We checked in and set up camp for the evening under the shade of gum trees and pandanis palms, very nice. Not long after set up, we had a bull and a hefer walk through the campsite, if we had any doubts we know we're definitely in station country now!

We've decided to join a tag along tour on the station tomorrow, which will take in about 90kms of the property which should be great!

Manning Gorge

10th May 2013

Another early start today, thanks to the white cockatoos flying over head at 5.30am and squawking loudly enough to wake up the whole campsite, meant that we were up, packed, said our goodbyes to Matt, Maggie, Brynn & Meya and ready for the road by about 7.30am.

We were heading for Manning Gorge today, which was only about a 120km drive, with the plan being to stop off at 2 gorges along way.

After about 70kms we came across the turn off to our first gorge, Adcock Gorge, which was only 5kms off the Gibb, apparently. Well we followed the rough track down for about 4kms until it basically went into a dried up creek, with no more tyre tracks left to follow and no gorge in sight, we made the decision to turn around and head for the 2nd gorge, hoping to have more luck.

Shortly after, we found the car park to Galvans Gorge, which is only a short 1.5km walk from the roadside and it was a very beautiful spot. Galvans was a small gorge with a picturesque waterfall coming in at the rear and falling into a small waterhole, as I said very beautiful.

We then made our way to the Mt Barnett Roadhouse, which was also the entrance point for the overnight campsite for Manning Gorge. We had to refuel at the road house, paying our highest price yet for fuel at $2.40 per litre, but when you are literally in the middle of nowhere what would you expect?

Our plan was to hike to the main waterfalls in the afternoon, but the previous day had caught up with Maggie, so we decided to slow the afternoon down and just go to the closest swimming hole and take a refreshing dip and yet again, it was another beautiful spot.

We spent the best part of 2hrs here, with the novelty of a small boat you could pull yourself from bank to bank across the waterhole, which the girls took great delight in playing in and ferrying many hikers across from one side to the other while we were there.

We spent our time just relaxing, which was just what the doctor ordered and have decided to tackle the main gorge walk tomorrow morning before hitting the road again.

We have been told that Manning Gorge is stunning. So can't wait to get into again tomorrow, until then....

Bell Gorge

9th May 2013

Well I had an early start today, with about a 3km walk just on sunrise, it was a great way to start the day. When I returned, Rach greeted me with a coffee, could it get any better.

The answer is yes, because after breakfast we went to Bell Gorge and it was nothing short of spectacular!

We arrived around 8.30am and made the 3km hike into the gorge. After about 2.5km the creek we had been following opened up into the main river just above the waterfall at the top of the gorge. We rock hopped across the river and began the steep descent into the gorge and the crystal water in the pools below the falls.

When we got to the bottom, it was just awesome. The water hole was beautiful to swim in and I could just keep going on and on about how spectacular the view in the gorge was.

We also met up with Matt, Maggie (yes another one!) and their kids Brynn & Meya and spent the best part of the day there exploring the different pools, coming across water monitors in the bottom pools which were sunning themselves on the rocks.  We had met Matt & Maggie on the Lennard Gorge walk briefly and then again at the campsite. By the way, did I mention how spectacular the views were?

Anyway, we hiked out of the gorge at about 1.30pm, as a large tour group came in, and headed for a drive to the Imintji Store on the Gibb about 35kms away. The reason for this is that we have had a couple of dramas with our battery pack charging in the car and we were trying to get some charge into it so it didn't go flat and we could run the Engel. Well we had to stop a few times along the way, replace some fuses and change a set up or two in the way things were stored in the back, but thankfully we have got everything up and running ok!

After an ice cream at the store, we made our way back to camp where we cleaned up, ate dinner and then had a few drinks with Matt & Maggie, along with the a few other people and their kids who had come into camp that afternoon. A great night was had and a well earned rest after a magnificent day.

By the way did I mention the spectacular view we saw today?

Tunnel Creek

7th May 2013

What a way to start the day, we woke to the sun rising over Windjana Gorge, just sensational!

After breakfast, we headed off to Tunnel Creek National Park, about 37kms further down the road from our campsite at Windjana. We arrived around 9.30am and after getting our bearings headed for the tunnel opening.

Tunnel Creek is a 1.7km tunnel which runs through/under the Napier Range and once again is truly amazing.

After a short climb down over rocks and a fallen tree, we came to the mouth of the tunnel. The walk through the tunnel was relatively easy as we crossed sand banks, rock formations and the odd creek crossing, most of which were only ankle deep, although one was up to about waist height. This is where we saw our first freshwater croc of the walk.

The walk through Tunnel Creek was absolutely spectacular and when we had reached the end of the tunnel we decided to walk on. As the trail ended, we looked up and we had come out the other side of the Napier Range. We  found ourselves climbing up the rocks toward the top of the range to get a look out over the range.

We climbed back down and went back through the tunnel and once we had reached the mouth again we decided it was a beautiful spot to stop and have lunch. So we spent the next hour or so just enjoying this beautiful place, the girls made boats out of bark & driftwood which they floated in a small pool and we just took it all in.

We drove back to Windjana and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the shade and planning the next few days ahead.

It's been a great start to the Gibb and we can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store!

Broome to Windjana Gorge

6th May 2013

Well it was time to leave Broome and after breakfast and final pack up we said our goodbyes to Tanya and we were on our way by 8.30am to tackle the mighty Gibb River Road.

We made our way to Derby, where we checked conditions of the road  ahead at the Tourist Info, refuelled, did a supply shop and checked out the jetty, where we saw a family catching mud crabs. One of Derby's claim to fame (some may say only) is that it has the second highest tides in the world (Broome is 3rd!!!).

After a brief stop for lunch and the obligatory photo of us parked under a Gibb River Rd sign we were off on yet another adventure and we were once again all very excited. The first 100kms of the Gibb is bitumen and then it's onto the gravel from there.

 Our first stop on the Gibb was Windjana Gorge (124kms from Derby). The 3.5km gorge is part of the Napier Range has been formed over the past 360 million years where the Lennard River has carved this magnificent gorge.

We arrived around 2pm, set up camp and headed off for a hike through the gorge. Windjana, which has to be seen to be believed was once part of a Great Barrier Reef, which was very hard to fathom, as we looked up at the towering gorge walls above us, another amazing experience.

During our hike, the girls spotted about 40 freshwater crocodiles floating in the river, it was awesome to see. It's because of the high concentration of freshwater crocs here, that they recommend that people don't swim in the river, which was a shame, because it was still about 38 degrees at 4pm, so a swim would have been fantastic.

After about an hour & a half through the Devonian reef, we headed back to camp where we had dinner, did some star gazing in our "million star hotel" and turned in for an early night.

A great way to start the Gibb!

Chloe's 10th Birthday in Broome

Happy Birthday Chloe!!

The day started with Maggie waking us all up and telling us it was 9am, so we quickly scrambled out of bed to make sure we could get  into  the big day which Chloe had planned. As we were making the coffees, I glanced at the clock to see that it was in fact only 7am, another cheeky moment!!

We gave Chloe her presents and then started on the days itinerary, first up was pancakes for breakfast, which went down a treat.

We then all wandered down to the local skate park again and spent some time there, as the girls played on the rock climbing walls and ran laps around an obstacle course they had conjured up.

We then headed back home, got a few things ready and went back down to Town Beach where we had lunch at the cafe overlooking Roebuck Bay, then afterwards played at the water park, which was a lot of fun.

After that we made a stop at Matso's Brewery (believe it or not this was not on Chloe's original itinerary), which no visit to Broome would be complete without doing and had a refreshing Ginger Beer, one of the many brews they  are well known for.

The Family at Matso's

Enjoying a refreshing Ginger Beer

Another iconic area of Broome was next, Cable Beach, where we spent the next couple of hours enjoying a swim. The water temperature was so warm (close to 30 degrees apparently) so for once the girls weren't shivering and turning blue within minutes of getting in.

We stayed at the beach until 4pm and then quickly dashed home (luckily most things in Broome are only about 10 minutes away) grabbed some supplies, the BBQ, outdoor chairs and table and headed down to Gantheume Point to swim again, have dinner on the beach and watch a beautiful Broome sunset.

Another exciting thing to happen while at the beach, was that Maggie finally lost one her front teeth, she was very pleased as she really wanted it to come out in Broome - she got her wish.

A very happy Maggie - minus one tooth!

All in all just a great day and one we hope Chloe never forgets.

The Resuggan Family - Sunset at Gantheume Point

We are leaving Broome to tackle the Gibb River Rd tomorrow, which we are very excited about, so this meant when we got home we had to start packing the van and preparing to hit the road in the morning.

We plan to be on the Gibb for the best part of 2 weeks and will have limited internet access meaning the blog may fall behind a little, but rest assured that we will be updating it at every opportunity, until then.....

Broome Time

Friday 3rd May

Well we have had a fantastic few days in Broome, it has been great to see our friend Tanya and her brand new home! Here's a bit of a summary of the first 2 days.

On Friday we had a family day out whilst Tanya had to work. We headed in to the town and basically we shopped up a storm for most of the day. We had to by some stocks for the van and the girls wanted to grab some new shorts, shirts and souvenirs for themselves.

That night Tan had an engagement party to go to, so Rach tagged along to that, which left me to settle in with the kids and watch Friday Night Football - bugger!

Saturday 4th

On Saturday morning the girls headed to a local skate park before going into town where they had the local markets on. While I was tempted to go along, I resisted the urge and spent the morning cleaning out the car and van and fixing a few minor things on the van.

In the afternoon we all went down to Town Beach, where there is a relatively new water park which the girls loved.

The Girls at  the Water Park

Later that night we all went out to the outdoor cinemas in Broome called Sun Pictures which is 100 years old, a really interesting venue.  We watched The Croods, it was a great setting and a very funny movie. We all had a great night.

Tanya & girls outside the cinemas

When we got back home, Chloe planned the next days itinerary as it was her birthday, our little girls is turning 10, unbelievable! Looking at the list, it will be a big day out, but lots of fun. Until then......

Eighty Mile Beach to Broome

2nd May 2013

Well we again had another early start today and watched the sunrise over the long stretch of Eighty Mile Beach, a very nice way to start the day. After breakfast the girls wanted to have one last fossick on the beach for shells while we packed up and prepared for the 370km drive to Broome.

Sunrise at Eighty Mile

Well the girls were down there for quite a while and Rach went to get them, only to come back without being able to find them, to say she was concerned was an understatement. So she asked me to take a drive up the beach to see if I could find them. I drove for about 10 minutes without any site and then I saw a little head bob up from the sand dunes, they were hiding from us as they didn't want to leave, cheeky little buggers!!!

Anyway after getting back to camp, finishing packing up and saying our goodbyes to Richard & Chris, where the girls were given 1 more present from Chris, a fish cushion each, we set off for Broome.

We made a quick fuel stop at the Sandfire Roadhouse before making the final trek into Broome. 

As we made our way into town, I could feel pain rising in my liver and kidneys as they remembered a boys fishing trip from a few years ago where we spent a week in Broome, I thought I had recovered but maybe not? At least I know this time will be a little different, at least I hope so!

We arrived at 12.30pm and met up with our friend Tanya at Town Beach for lunch. We grabbed some keys for her new house as we are staying with her for a few days to catch up, which we are really looking forward  to.

The rest of the day was spent cleaning, doing clothes washing and just relaxing, it is nice to be in Broome!

Eighty Mile Beach

31st April 2013

The morning started with me making up some fishing rigs as we prepared for the day ahead. The tide was due to be at its highest around 1.30pm and according to all information I had read the fishing starts about 3 hours before high tide and then at most an hour afterwards.

So we made our way down to the beach at 9.30, because the other thing Eighty Mile Beach is famous for is the amazing shells that wash up on the tides, so the girls spent a good hour or so fossicking for shells while we waited for the tide to turn.

When the tide started coming in, it came in fast and we were constantly moving back up the beach as the water quickly pushed up past our feet. The fishing was a little slow, but we still managed several good bites throughout the day.

Maggie Fishing at Eighty Mile

I unfortunately lost 2 good sized salmon right on the shoreline - not happy Jan that's for sure and just to rub a little bit of salt into the wound, Chloe hooked and landed her 1st Threadfin Salmon which was just a magic moment. We were both very excited.

Chloe,s Threadfin Salmon

At about 2.30pm, the tide started rushing out and that was the end of the days fishing!

We went back to camp, cleaned up and cooked the fish fresh on the BBQ as an entree to dinner. We also caught up with an older couple, Richard & Christine who we had befriended the evening before and chatted about the day and the travels we had all experienced. They were on there 4th year of travelling Oz, so it was great to hear some of the stories they had to tell.

We also had a lady from across the way come over and give the girls a beautiful Owl & Turtles she had crafted from the shells that she had collected during her stay. A little later another guy came over and offered some more fish fillets as he had his fill and did or want to waste the days catch and I can assure you they did not go to waste.

Another great day, we started to prepare for our trip to Broome tomorrow. It was a shame to be leaving Eighty Mile so soon, but we will return and spend more time on our next trip, that is for sure!

Another beautiful sunset at Eighty Mile

Karijini to Eighty Mile Beach

30th April 2013

This morning we were up very early, as we all wanted to see the sunrise in Karijini before we left. It was a fantastic way to start the morning and we were lucky enough to be treated to a violin solo by Chloe (she is making a short DVD for her violin teacher and is playing songs in idyllic spots from our  travels).

                Sunrise at Dales Gorge                    Maggie at Sunrise - Circular Pool Lookout

Sunrise at Karijini

We then headed back, had breakfast and packed down ready for the long day ahead as we made our way to Eighty Mile Beach, about 620kms away.

Again the day was a driving day, not much to report apart from passing through Auski Roadhouse where we bumped into a mate of ours, Fraser, who was up doing some tiling work for the owner, of all the places!

We also passed through Port Hedland, where we stopped for supplies and a refuel before making our way into Eighty Mile Beach.

Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park

When we arrived at Eighty Mile, we felt instantly relaxed and the caravan park was one of the friendliest we have stayed in, we were looking forward to fishing for the Threadfin & Bluenose Salmon that the beach is famous for!

Karijini National Park - Day 3

29th April 2013

Just when we thought the park or hiking could not get any better, along came Day 3 with 2 Class 5 hikes in the Weano and Hancock Gorges.

We had an early start today as the gorges we wanted to tackle were n the other side of the park which was about an hours drive on the corrugated gravel roads. We first went to Oxer and Junction lookouts which again were stunning and the gorge walls falling some 100m away below us. A one of the lookouts was a memorial to one of the rangers who had lost his life whilst rescuing someone out of Hancocks Gorge. This made us a little nervous about taking the kids into the gorge but they were very keen and so we set off.

We hiked into Weano Gorge first on route to the end of the trail to Handrail Pool. During the course of the next couple of hours we had to traverse rocks, swim through water holes and navigate tight narrow stretches of the gorge with flowing water at our feet. Again the girls were amazing and the feeling of adventure was with us all, it was truly a magical experience.

One of the many sections that had to be negotiated by swimming

The last section was to be done 'holding onto a handrail (hence the name) whilst climbing down a steep slippery rock face with flowing water into the pool and although the girls had been fantastic, it was a risk we were not prepared to take. We turned back and hiked back out of the gorge where we stopped, refuelled with lunch and prepared ourselves to tackle the next Class 5 hike down to Kermits Pool in Hancock Gorge.

This hike again was more of the same, the first major water obstacle saw us leave our bags behind, stripping off to our bathers and only carrying an IPhone across (held well above my head I might add) to take the must see photos. 

Another swim required

We made our way through the natural Amphitheatre before taking on the Spider Walk, another narrow section with water flowing under foot where the best way to get through is to walk with your hands & feet on the walls on either side (hence the name). This led to our finish point at Kermits Pool and we were all very excited to reach the finish line enjoying another well earned swim.

              

                          Just completed Spider Walk                                 Kermits Pool

The gorge continued on, but this was a Class 6, which is where a hard hat and climbing ropes are required, we were able to swim to the back of Kermits Pool and walk a little of the rock ledge to view this section, which looked awesome.

We hiked back out of the gorge and made our way back to camp, very satisfied with our days efforts. Again the photos will not do today justice and it really needs to be experienced to be believed, Rach & I commented several times that in all our travels it was definitely the best hiking we have ever done and we are extremely lucky to have the opportunity to experience such an amazing piece of Australia.