This town also goes on our list. It is truly beautiful. I was delighted, coming into the town, to see a mini Bucyrus and water wheel!! I’ve found Coleambally’s sister town! I instantly felt a connection to Kununurra.
In saying that, we were also worried. We had seen the news and read the various traveller FaceBook pages. Crime was rife. We had carefully chosen our caravan park, making sure it had high fences and a reputation for security. At reception, we were told to make sure the car keys were kept away from the front door and to put our thongs inside.
Our thongs??
Apparently, cars and thongs are the most likely items to be pinched. Something about people wandering in from the communities without shoes or transport and wanting to go to the pub. I’m ok with losing my thongs, but not with finding my car burnt out just outside of town.
I am happy to say, these reports seem to be exaggerated or at least, haven’t affected us at all. We hear sirens a lot and buying alcohol requires ID and quotas, but that’s about it for us. We have thoroughly enjoyed exploring Kununurra and have checked out Lake Argyle, a zebra stone gallery (with a gorgeous pet corella/galah, like the one below, rescued as her kin would have attacked her for being different), nearby waterholes and gorges, had two tasting sessions at Hoochery Distillery, and Shan had a day out on the lower Ord, fishing for barramundi.
Despite the little barras, he had a brilliant day with a highly knowledgeable guide, who taught Shan all about the wildlife of the area, the sandalwood that is grown all around the region, that crocs could lose a foot without bleeding to death or getting an infection, and that the cattle were divided by the river, with males on one side and females on the other. Station owners then choose the males they want to breed and transport them over to the other side- happy days for them! The guide then showed Shan all the big crocs along the river, with many of the largest ones missing a limb. Shan came home elated with some large Barramundi fillets for dinner.
Today, we travelled a short way up the Gibb River Road to El Questro Station. A bucket list item. Oh. There are no words, but I’ll try anyway.
We arrived at Zebedee Springs and wandered up a very Felicity Friendly trail. (furthermore referred to as FF trails). Crossing over a creek on a boardwalk, I saw tiny fish. Then, I saw a small, twisting creature swimming towards us. Yellow and green- was it in eel? Not an eel. I will admit, I forgot where we were and that children and the elderly were around (those that I judge would be most affected). I swore quite loudly- “What the f*** is that?!”
It was a snake- about a metre long, possible an olive python? It swam towards us, underwater, popped its head up to look at us, and then travelled on below our feet, barely 10 centimetres away. I was reminded where we were when an older lady, sitting by the creek having her morning tea, enquired as to which direction the snake was going. We assured her it was going the other way and then continued up the trail.
I had no idea- well, I had some idea, but really no, I had no idea. Gorgeous, clear water pools, terracing down the gorge, spilling over in waterfalls and surrounded by rainforest and red cliffs. And the water was warm. Thermally heated. Oh, my.
There were a few people around, but we found a small but deep pool to have to ourselves. I laid back on a convenient, mossy slope, put my feet up on the other side of the pool and looked straight up into the canopy of palms. The chatter and laughter of those nearby were drowned out by the rush off the nearby waterfall. It was magical. I breathed deeply and couldn’t believe where I was and what I was doing. I could have stayed hours, but it was getting busy and I was aware there was limited space.
We travelled on into the station, where we were greeted by a grumpy donkey, a fabulously set up camp area and a couple of joy-ride helicopters in a paddock (as you do). We had coffee by the Pentecost River then checked out the nearby jetty and gorge. I was going to write ‘just gorgeous’. Gorge. Gorgeous. Should I be researching the etymology?? That’s a rabbit hole for the future.
Wary of being too close to the water (there being an ambiguous sign warning about ‘crocodile safety’), we were nonetheless excited to see Archer fish (Shan having learned about them on his fishing trip). Unfortunately, we did not see them spit water at the dragonflies hovering above.
On the way out, we were surprised to see a string of emergency vehicles coming into the station. Apparently, someone had fallen into a gorge and had to be “delicately extracted”. It’s wild out there! Felicity Friendly trails are sounding better and better.
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