Steve and Dee's Australian tour: July 2012

Sunday 22 July 2012

Honrizontal falls

Of course we got front seats on the boat!! We were quick with life jackets on and younger that most of the others, they didn't stand a chance!!!!

Look at the water, the height and the speed it is running. (Wider Fall).

The second fall only 7 meters wide!! Look at that!!!!

Our accommodation for the night.

Sunset.

Well - surprise surprise another fantastic trip to an incredible destination. We took a seaplane from Derby airport across the mud flats and King sound, out to Horizontal falls for an overnight stay on there 1 month old house boat. Bathers on and a quick swim in the shark cage to watch nurse sharks & a Queensland grouper being fed. Steve stroked the sharks, I wasn't as keen, you had to be very careful. Next we jumped onto the Jet Stream Boat (600hp) to take a thrill ride through the horizontal waterfalls, absolutely awesome!!! We watch the stunning Kimberley sunset while the staff cooked our Barramundi dinner. All evening the sharks were swimming around the boat it was fantastic to watch. Drinks and bed in our own luxury air conditioned cabin. Up 0530am to watch the sunrise and breakfast before another trip on jet stream through the falls. Next back on our seaplane we flew out over the Buccaneer Archipelago back to Derby.

Our Seaplane.

Me on the house boat.

Lemon Sharks - A wonderful creature!!! At least 8 of these prowled the boat all night!!

Lots of empty seats on our flight and surprise guess where Steve jumped in!!!

The Jet Stream Boat.

Friday 20 July 2012

Derby.

Ok so after an excellent time in Mt Elizabeth station, we have to make a dash for Derby as we have an oil leak. We have done a little damage from a 4WD track. Its
not urgent, however we think it is better to be safe than get stuck out bush. Once we have the repair done (parts are on the plane from Perth), we will head back down the Gibb River road to finish what we have started. I have to say Steve has wanted to do the Gibb for ages and I was a little scared, now I have fell in love with the Kimberley's!!!
As we are in Derby waiting parts, we are heading off to Horizontal falls tomorrow, for an overnight trip!!! So watch this space.

Mt Elizabeth Station.

Steve doing his laps!!

Plenty of water here and it never stops running, fancy having a swimming pool like this in your back yard!!!

Mt Elizabeth Station.

Me about to go down 1 of 2 ladders to the waterfall.

Steve at the waterfall.

Mt Elizabeth Station

Mt Elizabeth station, the Gibb is fine and no roads seem bad to us after Kulumburu. We saw Budgies, a stripy (black & white) snake. After setting up camp we did a 10klm 4WD tack to “Wunnumurra Gorge & Barnett River” absolutely stunning and a massive swim hole under the waterfall!!! Here was also an art site. We spend a couple of hours relaxing before a rocky return. The following day we went on a station 4WD tour, and this was very interesting, we got smoko and lunch provided and had proper billy tea. Whilst we also got to swim in another waterhole & waterfall, with rock art, turtles & fish. This land in the Kimberley’s is amazing!!! Saw the Kimberley rose which is now flowering and saw a lot of cattle, ferrel Bulls, Kangaroos, Dingo’s, Wallabies & Horses. This tour is amazing to learn a little of the land, station owners and muster’s etc. A station well worth a visit.

Aboriginal Art on one of many sites throughout this station.

Steve doing his laps!!!

A nice place for lunch & Billy tea.

Thursday 19 July 2012

Mt Elizabeth Station.

Look at this pair, as cute as!! Mt Elizabeth station.

The Kimberley Rose.

Mt Elizabeth station tour- Excellent.

A swimhole for lunch with Turtles.

Mitchell Falls

Steve at Mitchell Falls.

Mitchell Falls.

Us at our Grandson's falls. Can you tell I didn't like being near the edge?

Still plenty of water here.

Mitchell Falls.

Steve at little Merten falls on the way to Mitchell falls.

Little Merten Falls.

Steve at Mitchell Falls.

Kalumburu-McGowens Island.

Left El Questro and headed back along the Gibb, stopping at Home Valley for a lovely coffee, and Edenbrae for scones (Apparently the best in the world) they were very good!!!! We saw cloud’s to day which is most unusual!! We arrived at Drysdale station after a lot of corrugation!! A lot of horror stories and repairs here, but not for us. Stayed for 1 night.

Left Drysdale and headed 220klms north to Kalumburu, well what a trip it took us 6 hours and the road is 4wd and absolutely crap!!! We went to McGowan’s Island for 2 nights and this was stunning, and Steve did fish, however it was very hot, you can’t swim in the sea as croc’s and sharks. This is an extremely remote part of Australia, the roads are not maintained as the local’s get all their supplies by barge.

Kalumburu to Mitchell Falls another 6 hour drive, today we saw a lumpy lizard, about 20 horses, cattle, black cockies, dingo’s, snakes & eagle's 2 nts at Mitchell Falls, walked up to the falls and back, stopping at little Merton falls for a swim and spend most of the day at Mitchell falls swimming and for me getting sunburnt!! Had a fantastic day and a good close up look of the falls.

Left Mitchell falls and stopped at King River campground for a swim after a 2 hour drive and now just another 2 hour drive of corrugation to get back to Drysdale. Many people left there camper trailers at Drysdale or King River campground as they thought the track to rough to take campers in. We decided we brought the trailer for this and hence took it and returned with no problems!!!!