It's only 100km to Wyndham from Kununurra and over the years Philip and I have heard mention of this place many times. So, it was a drive to Wyndham today.
We cooked up a hearty breakfast because we weren't too sure what would be available in Wyndham and I also packed a supply of fruit into the Engel, and off we set. Our first stop was at Diversion Dam just outside Kununurra. The highway actually runs across the top of the dam wall. We are still unsure how this dam backs up the Ord Dam but we presume it was built to divert and regulate the flow of water from the Ord River. All will be revealed on our flight tomorrow. In any case the dam is quite impressive.
We head west on the Victoria Highway for 46 km before turning north onto the Great Northern Highway. We will get to know this highway very well while we are in Western Australia. We pass the turnoff to Gibb River Road. I'm sure it would be an interesting road to travel by we don't want to cope with any more gravel roads if we can help it. We approach a sign pointing to "The Grotto" and we turn down the dirt road that, after 2km, brings us to a huge ravine carved out of the countryside. At the bottom of the ravine is a swimming hole but you have to descend 144 steps down the edge of the ravine - without any sort of hand-rail. Uh uh. Not for the faint-hearted and definitely not for me! There is a track that takes you to the top of the waterfall that flows into the ravine during the wet season. It is a tiered drop and would be spectacular to see in full flood.
Back in the car and a short distance later we pull over to "Maggies Valley" lookout. The lookout honours Maggie Nicholson who was the first woman to drive a vehicle in the area in the late 20's. Her and her adopted brother would catch birds in this area and sell them as far away as London. She drove a Chevrolet 4 Tabletop.
The turnoff to Prison Tree along the King River Road comes up on our left but we decide to head to Wyndham first. It is only another 6km before we reach Wyndham and the first place we decide to go to is the Five River Lookout at the Bastion Range. It is a very steep climb to the top of the mountains that is 330 metres above sea level. The road is paved but very narrow. But once we reach the top and leave our car we are speechless. It is an amazing view in every direction. We try to identify the rivers that flow into the Cambridge Gulf (King, Ord, Durack, Forrest and Pentecost) but it is again a very hazy day. All the fires burning in the top end do not give us great views unfortunately. Fortunately every view at the lookout is well sign-posted so we can imagine the views on a clear day. It would be perfect to visit the Five Rivers Lookout at either sunrise or sunset.
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| (The lookout is at the top of this mountain) |
We make our way back down the steep road to the little township of Wyndham and head out to the port area that is no longer bustling but still, certainly, a working area. Founded in 1885 we pass historic buildings that stand as testament to the early days of Wyndham Port. We stop at the old Meatworks Trains that were brought to Australia to be used in the construction of the meat works and then used to carry cattle to the ships.
It is almost midday by the time we finish at the Port and we have seen a bakery on our way through town so we head back into town and stop at the Croc's Cafe & Bakery. Philip orders the crocodile pie and coffee but I decide to just have a good old plain meat pie. They were both delicious and the little shop seems to be doing a roaring trade. The shop is full of fun memorabilia and we spend a little time browsing through it all.
We have one final stop in Wyndham and that is at the 20 metre long Crocodile Statue. Its construction includes 5.5kms of steel rods, 50kg welding rods, 10 rolls of bird wire and 5 cubic metres of concrete. That is one helluva big croc!
Making our way back along the Great Northern Highway we quickly find the turnoff to "Prison Tree" along King River Road. It is 22km into the Kimberley Boab that was used by the early police patrols as an overnight lockup. We are no more than a kilometres down the track when we are suddenly on a huge salt plain that stretches for kilometres either side of us.
We can see water in the distance that we presume is King River but we need to get higher to see for sure. The road is gravel but well maintained as it is also the road that takes you to Moochalabra Dam on King River. This dam was constructed so that Wyndham would have a permanent supply of water. This is very tropical country indeed and very picturesque. We cross creeks full of waterlilies all in flower that seem almost out of place.
Once we arrive at the Prison Tree we can see right away how it was used. Boab Trees hollow out as they age and was a simple matter for a policeman to cut an entrance to the inside of the tree to house his prisoner. This tree has a girth of 14.7 metres and is estimated to be between 2000 and 4000 years old! It is very impressive indeed.
We turned around at the Prison Tree and diverted into Moochalabra Dam for a quick look but there was not a lot to see unfortunately. So back in the car and and we are homeward bound. We talked about Wyndham on our way home. It was such a pleasant place to visit and the Five Rivers Lookout was truly astounding. I'm so pleased we decided to go there for a day trip. Would we take the van there and stay a night or two. Probably not, although the road from Kununurra to Wyndham is without a doubt one of the best we have travelled on.
Having said that, I would like to get that sunset shot from the lookout.........
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