Turtle Thursday

Am I up before the sun? Not quite, it's the first early morning walk for me where there has not been a visible sunrise, the storm clouds have moved on but the remnants remain in the east.......
Tea, shower, depart camp for breakfast, it's our first cafe breakfast since arriving and o boy do they send their workman off on a full stomach.......
Let's walk it off by following the joonjoo botanical trail, it recommends 1-2 hours to complete it and it's supposed to have everything.  We get there and the sign says, Watch out for snakes and other biting creatures.  We begin our walk and after ten minutes, start thinking the Australian publicity machine has been working overtime again, we do not hear a bird chirp, any leaves rustle, do not even see any ants or have to swat away any flies, this botanical woodland walk is like Monty Pythons parrot, Dead!
Half hour in, give up and turn back, let's drive the 536kms to 80 mile beach.......
This journey is now embedded in our minds forever as being the most boring journey undertaken so far this trip, it starts off going through Cattle Farming territory and stops and starts repeatedly because of cows on the road....... But after that, Yawn! It was dull, although we did get overtaken twice......
In at 80 mile beach and wow what a lovely camp site, right on the beach, hardly anyone here and when we ask about the turtles still laying/hatching, the receptionist says, "YES"
We skip out of office, park up and go to look at beach, OMG........
Not only is the sea a stunning turquoise colour, the beach is white sand with thousands upon thousands of sea shells and better still, there are so many, what look like tyre tracks, but are in fact turtle tracks coming up the beach, we get so excited we go look for the toilets......... We also spot small turtle tracks going in the opposite direction, high tide is about 9pm tonight, I feel a very late night coming on but unfortunately no photos as the flash disturbs and frightens the adult turtles and disorientates the baby turtles.........

    Moo ve over.......

    80 mile beach losing its colour

    40 miles of sunset..........

Derby, pronounced Derbee

That was some storm, loads of rain, thunder and lightening, being in a small metal box is not the ideal place to see the storm out....... a few puddles outside this morning, cloud still about so not so hot, oh and look lots of wildlife out getting an early morning breakfast of 'washed off the trees' cicadas, lots of them on the ground and the birds are having a field day. One of whom is a Blue winged Kookaburra, so before breakfast we are out trying to photograph him in flight between cicada and tree branch, when suddenly there is a scuffle going on by another tree, two goannas fighting, forget Kookaburra, let's get photo of 'Goanna get ya' before we can do so one runs off leaving the other to reign over his territory and never mind the humans, this is his domain, so he stays and does all things Goanna, ignoring us totally.  Then there is a little girlie shriek as Goanna 2, comes out of hiding and brushes against the legs of the lady photographer, both are surprised as each other and Goanna 2, leaves by a rear exit.......
En route to Derby and a lot more water about which whilst it adds another dynamic to the surrounding countryside which we are glad to see,  we also feel our timing for leaving the north is just about right...... As a woman we were speaking to later in the day said, "you could get stuck here for up to 6 weeks, if it really rains".......
In Derby first stop is to see the Boab prison tree and the Old Derby Gaol, no doubt in my mind, the first Europeans here did abuse the locals, if the Historical facts displayed alongside these National Heritage Sites is to be believed.
Second and third stop, coffee, try two places both closed, the summer up here being not only the Wet season but also the quiet period when tourists stay away........ Doh, where did we go wrong?
Nowhere! we don't feel we got it wrong, we love the fact that it's not heaving with tourists, otherwise it will be like Javea, in August......... Also the fact is, that yesterday's ramblings about the roads was not putting them down, here we have the roads almost to ourselves and we worked it out that in over 7000kms we have possibly overtaken at most 25 other vehicles and been overtaken by certainly no more than 50 vehicles......
Anyway find nice coffee shop where staff treat us really well, even showing us a photograph of one of the waiters with Robson Green with their arms around each other, having been extreme fishing together, he was so proud.........Back there tomorrow for our first non porridge breakfast....
Check into campsite and rest during the hot part of the day, 40degrees again today and nothing/nobody is moving.........
Off to the Jetty where the highest tidal range in Australia is, and the second in the Southern Hemisphere, (the Amazon being no 1, James) for the sunset picture, when we get there it appears Mother Nature may have other plans, there are storm clouds a brewing....... We see a family of 4 turn up, pull out 6 folding chairs and a short while later Mum and daughter appear with a fish and chip takeaway for all to eat whilst the sun sets behind the storm clouds over the Dampier Peninsular..... Does not help the photos though, I wanted the family to be silhouette by the sun but that would have possibly involved in me becoming either a Sharks or Crocodiles dinner............

    Breakfast on Kookaburra Airways.....

    And the winner is.......

    Savouring Success!

    Mother Nature teasing me.....

Wipeout, well almost, Tuesday

The day starts with me saying 'Hasta Luego' to my Lake Kununurra early morning walking group....... They have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about........ and we set off on a 634kms road trip to Fitzroy Crossing during which we almost get wiped out by a four car road train, he was definitely speeding around a bend when we saw the last car creeping over the double white line, new underpants please....... It missed or rather we missed it but I did learn a few new words from my passenger and they were not Spanish.........
Now it did get me wondering that some of you may believe that because we are in the modern progressive country called Australia and because we are travelling on one of their main highways being the Northern Highway, which goes from Perth to Kununurra being 2000 miles, you have a picture of us driving along something similar to the M25, uah hah........ nearly all of it is a two lane single carriageway with dust as the hard shoulder, the speed limit is 110kms (66mph) and it is as smooth as a crocodiles back.....
That said Boredom is the main hazard, well other than road trains, so it is no wonder dear reader, when we arrive at the destination, the stress, angst and tension is somehow relieved by means of a medicinal glass of red wine.......... Percentage wise that's not bad, we have driven over 7700kms and have got through less than 35 bottles of wine.......
Whilst en-route today we are happily driving in sunshine whilst in the distance to the left of us is a storm and to the right of us in the distance is another storm, what lucky little POR's (Poms on the road) are we, when just as we are approaching Halls Creek, the two storms meet........ The winds are making any forward movement in the Motorhome hard work and dangerous as we are continually being blown sideways and the rain has reduced the visibility to possibly 20 feet.  We take shelter in a housing estate from the wind, park up and put the kettle on...... Next I am rushing for the handbrake as I think we are rolling backwards, plonker...... it's the water/river on the road surface being blown by the wind that's moving, we are perfectly still and safe, except it's bin collection day today and they have collected them, that leaves a lot of empty green wheelie bins outside people's houses, only not the owners houses, we are suddenly being overtaken by empty green wheelie bins as they race off down the road in front of us.  This is an obvious danger for others, so with no thought for my own safety, disregarding the torrential rain and high winds, I take a photograph...........
Let's chance it and within five minutes we are back in glorious sunshine with two storms fighting it out behind us.  We arrive in Fitzroy Crossing an hour before one of the storms, it's not looking good for a rejuvenating relaxing nights slumber.........

    Road Train coming through....... 

    The Northern Highway

    The one in the middle got a speeding ticket........

Mirima Monday

Today starts at 04.30hrs and once again I am not alone at being up at this ridiculous hour, there is almost just the same amount of movement as yesterday but not one boat has been launched from the boat ramp so far today........

We are joined once again by the various lizards for breakfast, one even bringing his own breakfast, before setting off for Mirima National Park.  We enter at 09.20hrs, it's already 40 degrees and guess what it's a walking and climbing up morning...... Brilliant rock formations that are 340 million years old and lo and behold I take my hat off to the little lady that climbed up to the lookout with me, even though at times there was no safe edging or hand rail.  She did call it a day when the edge disappeared down to 6inches of rock to walk along with a 75ft drop, she wouldn't even watch me do it but good on her for getting to the top.
It's too hot for any wildlife and us so off to the town centre for an iced coffee.  Now bear in mind the temperature we walk into a cafe and ask for a coffee over iceman, sorry we cannot do that, we do not do ice......... This establishment is not alone in this, it's as if the cut backs have done away with buying ice in, I suppose their take on it is, every thing comes out of the chiller so why bother, everything that is, except proper coffee.........
After a peppered pie and hot coffee we head for Ivanhoe Crossing, where according to the tourist literature, Barramundi fish are queuing up to get up stream, which makes it an Anglers delight if true, we have noticed the Australian tendency to exaggerate where tourism is concerned, one place said, come and see the RARE Red Goshawk, it's so rare it's not been seen by the locals for three years due to drought......... I digress, back to the fishing....... We arrive and find a husband and wife team walking back across the crossing and he is carrying a two foot long Fish, I ask if it's Barramundi and he confirms it is, saying its the third one he has caught this morning but the other two were smaller. The wife puts the fish in an Esky whilst hubby goes out and throws a circular weighted net out, it sinks, he pulls it in and he has three fish in it, he throws two back and gives the other one to his wife, if you are Squeamish turn away now, she then cuts the smaller fish in half and puts the back half on a 3in fish hook and ties that to a fishing line on a spool, something like a giant strimmer spool, by now hubby has put his net away and is laying down rolling about in the water, totally disregarding the 'Do not swim -Crocodiles inhabit this area' sign. The wife explains they throw it out so the current makes it look like a fish swimming against the current so the Barramundi will grab it from behind. She then wanders out to join hubby, throws the line out and plonk, down she goes into the water as well, see picture of how some do their fishing in the heat out here.......
We then go to a different part of the lake, than we are camped on as someone desperately wants a picture of a particular bird, we get there and it's impossible, not only is it too hot, there are loads of bikini clad women, sitting, talking, swimming, eating, drinking oh did I mention they were in bikini's, not that I looked of course........
So back to camp, past a Police road check, for once we did not get stopped, thankfully due to the car in front getting a tug instead....... Shall we go in the pool or sit in air con, that is the 64,000 dollar question..........

    Up with the Kookaburras

    I've Brought my own this morning.....

    Mirima National Park

    Fishing for Barramundi, Australian Style........

Lethargic Sunday

I'm awake an hour before sunrise which is at 4.45am and although I was in stealth mode trying to get up to see it, I failed miserably in not waking someone else up........
But I am not alone outside to see it, half the camp is up, our neighbours are packing to go, people are walking about, having breakfast, using the bathrooms etc it's the busiest I've seen it.
I'm off to use Kununurra's walking route alongside the lake, I also must be the first to use it this morning as i am breaking the cobwebs strung across it and lose count of the number of wallabies I startle, who then run off, stop turn and stare back at me from a safer distance. 
Now bearing in mind it's a Sunday, I am amazed at the amount of traffic on the road before 7am, it's almost the busiest I have seen the roads outside of Perth but then I realise what most of it is, it's people going out to exercise, it's people with boats, with kayaks, dogs needing a walk, going to the golf club, travelling to the next campsite (my now ex neighbour) and to go to work (lots of white ute vehicles) and when I get back at 6.50am the boat ramp car park must have twenty 4x4's with boat trailers attached. I realise if you are going to do it, then do it before it gets hot..... Also I don't think the weather forecast did helped by forecasting thunderstorms from 10am, it's now 6pm and it's been sunny all day........
A late breakfast, either shared with or watched by dozens of different types of lizards, they are all over the place, some bring a smile to our faces when they stand on their back legs and run like the road runner...... Impossible to photograph...... We then set off to walk around the lake, don't get very far before the heat, the early morning start and feeling tired kicks in, what I fancy I say is to go out for a Sunday Lunch, eat, drink and talk over a nice lunch in nice comfortable surroundings.
So with the help of Google, Guide Books and a town map, I decide on Kununurra Country Club, great lets go for 2pm.  We therefore kill time by going food shopping and up Kelly's Knob, a lookout just behind the town. Waste of time except for seeing a tree clinging to life by growing out of a rock, where its roots are actually splitting the rock.
2pm we walk into the Country Club, speak with receptionist about lunch and she replies, "Sorry, Kitchen closes at 2pm"  We walk through to the bar and I spot the chef, a little bit of bull and she says we have two minutes to order........ Result! 
So we sit down in the most comfortable place since Perth, we get table service, good food, NO flagpole with a number on it and NO electronic 'come and get it' buzzer........ Only problem being it's not long before we are on our own as everyone else has eaten between 12 and 2, so have finished, there are no, all afternooners, no just have a drink people, it's lunch, lunch has finished, let's go........
We enjoy our meal, it makes a change from the roadhouse/cafe/bar/Motorhome meals we have had of late........Another beer and then once back its straight into the pool to cool off and chill, this is what Sunday's are for.........
No need for dinner tonight but we have the feeling it's going to be a sing along with our other neighbour who has had music going all day, keeps mentioning it to us and has now got the guitar out and inviting anyone who passes to join him, fortunately I have brought my big gold medallion, white suit, hairy chest wig and know the words to 'Love me tender' huh huh huh........

    What's for Breakfast

   Suppose I'll have to settle for flies.......

    Cracking set of roots....

An uneventful journey.....

Lie in this morning as in no hurry due to knowing we will be travelling back in time, we get an extra hour and half today when we cross the state line back into Western Australia.  So the 535kms journey sets off in its now normal pattern, get out of town, build up speed, put it in cruise and point it forward........ We are going over a road we have all ready travelled on but oh what a difference the rain/storm has made, firstly there are puddles alongside the road, then there are larger puddles that start to encroach on the road, there are creeks with running water in, there are rivers where before they were just a series of large puddles and then there is flooded land...... It all becomes obvious just how quickly this place could become problematical for those that do their own thing and don't take note of warnings etc.  
Note to self: Don't be stupid........
Talking of which, we pull into a roadhouse for a coffee break, it's empty I can park anywhere, I see a nice shady spot, drive over, straighten up, drive forward, not so much crash but more bump, so busy looking at the shade on the ground never noticed the overhanging branch........
When we passed by two weeks ago huge areas were either burnt or looked dry, dusty and basically dead. Today you can see the start of new green shoots and leaves on all the trees, including those with the black charcoal trunks........  In places there are more signs of wildlife returning, which was unfortunate for some of the thousands of baby frogs/toads that were crossing the road at the same time as we were doing a 100k in cruise on the same piece....... 
Another place must have had in excess of 50 Eagles/Kites flying together, circling around something below but they were feeding on something whilst a lot of the smaller  birds were drinking/bathing in the excess water lying around.  There was an increase in the number of insects that head butted the windscreen, as did one magpie type bird chasing the insects........
And then there was the 11 Black Cockatoo's, these elusive shy birds were all together in one tree, until our emergency stop.......... They then regrouped again in the same tree, whilst I tried to park up on the main road, which is a singular two way road with sloping sides that are too steep for a Motorhome to encounter.......  Now bearing in mind we have just travelled over 100k to get to this point with 1 car overtaking us and 6 cars passing on the other side we feel confident enough to park up, jump out and snap a few frames so as to record the moment........ Yep you have guessed it already, along comes a road train on our side of the road with a car on the other side at the same time........... Fortunately the car driver thought better of trying to prove the point of right of way with the road train and whilst an accident was avoided, the noise from said confrontation frightened the Cockatoo's away........... It's not that I felt guilty but when we caught up with the road train, we decided rather than overtake him we would stop and have lunch........ Think it was chicken......... 
We continue once I know we will never see the road train driver again and are driving through some amazing scenic countryside, when I hear, "Look, it's an upside down rainbow" and yes there in the sky was a rainbow, shaped like a U.......  
Later as we approach WA, we get stopped and searched by the food quarantine police......... He is in the bathroom, the fridge and rubbish bag and confiscates our garlic, honey, broccoli stumps, cucumber and the remains of the pepper that I could not eat whilst watching him search the van......... Have a good day he says...... 
Check in at Kununurra on a beautiful camp site on the banks of Lake Kununurra for two days but I can feel an extra day coming on, depending on weather, the next drive is another long one and whilst I like this place I don't want to get locked in due to flooding....
Besides being back in the WA time zone and this far east, it means sunrise is at 4.45am, I feel some early morning exercise coming on followed by some serious earache being received......

    Daddy

    Mummy

Katherine the Sequel

So I awake to find my brand new granddaughter smiling at me on my phone, thankfully which was set on: Do not disturb mode, as they were received at 3am........
The other members of the U.K. Campers Club, which we set up last night are off and so now feeling alone, we also depart so as to walk around the Matalanka Forest.  As we do so, we think a month ago this place would have been so different, its fire damage is obvious and now the flood damage is equally obvious changing its nature completely.  Apparently last week they had 18 inches of rain, per sq metre. We stop in the cafe and notice a sign 6ft above me when standing depicting the flood water level in 1997......... Onwards and a kilometre trek and we find Stevie's Hole, a swimming hole in the river running from the mineral springs, it's alive with Archer fish but closed for swimming, you guessed it, possible crocodiles........... We are watching some wild pigs scratching around Stevie's Hole when we are stealthily approached from behind by a young Kangaroo, which stays for a photo shoot until little miss J, screams out as something has just bitten her leg, being the sympathetic soul I am and having gone through a similar experience where I wanted the flying doctor service, I tell her to rub it better........
As we are walking back to the van, another squeal from miss J as well as a cicada, I trod on it..... but she has found a bright green tree frog, which appears to be slightly unwell, it's sitting out in the bright burning sunshine.  It's picked up and kissed but turns into another me, so she kisses it again, it reverts back to a frog and is put under some shelter in the hope it recovers.......
Long drive tomorrow so book into campsite early, Horror of Horrors, we have no Red Wine, try to buy some but everywhere that can sell alcohol is shut until 2pm, local law..... I manage to wait until some time after 2pm before entering the local bottle shop, I enter and see a female sat playing with her phone, she has newly inked tattoos on her upper arm, half hidden from view by her dark short sleeved shirt, she looks across at me and our eyes lock on each other, neither one of us gives in, until I say, hi! She replies and looks back at her phone, I walk past her and notice whilst she appears slim, she is a bit bulky around her waist........  I walk around the shop and then come back to where the lone female is sat, I notice the red wine behind her and approach it, once again she locks eyes with me and says, "Do you have any identification on you" at the same time the word Police and the black and white checks on her hat, silently inform me not to be flippant with her.  She explains, it's a spot check on anyone purchasing alcohol and to prevent alcohol abuse, in accordance with the local laws, whereby some people buy beer for other persons to consume, I advise her Its not for me, it's for Julie, which she says it's okay providing it's consumed on the campsite.  I decide not to mention the fact that her, firearm, cuffs, utility pouch and radio, spoil her catwalk figure....

So we retire to the van, pull the curtains and open the vino tinto and as its pay day we check the bank, Gulp, What, You are Kidding Me are some of the expressions I use before instructing her beside me to cut down on her vino intake....... I know I'll check with HMRC and see how my tax rebate is going...... Now you know when your speaking with someone on the phone who obviously can see they have messed up but does not want to admit to it, that is how my conversation goes with a nice, getting nicer by the minute, in between ums, errs and aha's and he will now get in touch with the team dealing with me and get them to phone Australia on a Saturday morning. Best we have a drink.........

    Poorly Froggie 

    Archer Fish

    Kangaroo 007