Discovering Kununurra.........

Arriving at the caravan park Bill set us up for the next few days while I attended to the pile of washing.  Once all our chores were done we could get out and start exploring.  The biggest shock to my system was the time change, we had gained an hour and a half but the worst part about it was that the sun set before 5.30 each night and then we were in the dark.

We had a quick look around town, checked out the local tourist information centre and then set off to see what we could before the sun went down.  Our first stop was Kelly's Nob lookout.  From here you get a good overview of the town and the surrounding area.  With lots of small fires on the horizon it was very hazy and we were to see it like this each day.

Back at ground level we made our way around to Celebrity Tree Park to have a look at Lily Creek Lagoon.  Hoping to find lots of birds here we were a little disappointed but enjoyed the views and the cute wood swallows kept Bill busy for a while.  And yes, we drove home in the dark at 5.30pm.  

The next morning we drove out to Zebra Rock Gallery to see the unique Zebra Rock that is found in this area.  Some beautiful stonework here and from the gardens you can see Elephant Rock.  From here, the rock that looks like a sleeping Budha when viewed from Lily Creek Lagoon, now looks like the head of an Elephant.  It's all about perspective.

We drove a little further afield to see Molly Springs and after a long rough track in and a short walk we found a beautiful plunge pool and a trickle of a waterfall.  Looked tempting but with no bathers we just looked and left.

Back in Kununurra we stopped to eat our lunch at the Diversion Dam beside the Ord River.  The dam was the first stage in the construction of the Ord Irrigation Scheme.  It was finished in 1963 and has 20 radial gates that are raised or lowered to moderate the water level of Lake Kununurra.  This maintains water flow to the irrigation area and also manages wet season flood levels.  Lake Kununurra is now a huge water playground for the locals and visitors.  

Our last stop for the day was to have a look at Ivanhoe Crossing.  This concrete causeway was constructed as part of the original road from Wyndham to Katherine in the NT.  The crossing is now closed due to the high water levels and crocodiles making it unsafe to cross.  It must have been a very difficult route into Kununurra with horse and carts and old trucks and cars in the early days.

We had decided that the only way to see Lake Argyle while we where here was to do a cruise.  We were picked up in the morning and driven out to the dam to catch our vessel, The Kimberley Cat.

On the way we stopped at The Durack Homestead.  Now a museum, this original homestead was dismantled and rebuilt here as a memorial to the Durack Family and all the early settlers that took up land in this harsh area.  When the dam was flooded the homestead would have been somewhere around the middle of it.  

From here it was back on the bus and we were driven across the dam wall.  What a spectacular sight!

The tourist information tells us that Lake Argyle was created by damming The Ord River and forms a storage reservoir for The Ord Irrigation area.  It is the largest man made lake in the Southern Hemisphere, by volume, and now houses a hydro-electric plant that provides power to Kununurra, Wyndham and the Argyle Diamond Mine.  Said to be 21 times bigger than Sydney Harbour, Lake Argyle features many bays, inlets and islands.  

Returning over the wall we were driven down to the water to board our Catamaran and we enjoyed a fabulous six hours sailing on Lake Argyle.

Our Captain, Rod, stopped every so often and pointed out points of interest but otherwise it was a very laid back cruise.  Lunch on board was delicious, ham and salad wraps had never tasted so good, perhaps because I didn't have to prepare it all.

After lunch it was time to change into the bathers and we were able to swim off the back of the Cat.  Most of us swam and enjoyed another amazing experience here in the top end.  The few that didn't seemed to enjoy watching us.

We spent a lazy afternoon cruising around the Lake just enjoying the majestic views as we passed many of the islands and inlets and the surrounding ranges.

As the afternoon drew to a close we opened the bubbles and with a glass in hand enjoyed watching the beautiful sunset over Lake Argyle.  All too soon it was time to head back to shore and we were driven back to our various parks after a day we will remember for a very long time.

And so to bed, tomorrow we are off to check out Wyndham

until then.........