Into The Kimberley 🐊

🐃  PASSWORD     👫  Respect ?      🐃  ✔  🚗🚎

Hi family & friends xx

We approached a big corner on this trip,  at Derby.  The turn right seemed really significant, 📌 marking the furthest distance we would be travelling from home.     🚗🚎

Just before Derby, we visited the Boab Prison Tree which is around 1500 years old. This Boab was reportedly used to withhold young indigenous men, for various ‘unofficial’ reasons. It holds significant value within the indigenous community and is to be respected.

There are Boabs all over the Kimberley but this is the only one we’ve seen so far with such a massive girth. In fact, no Boab resembles another, they seem to grow to their own unique conditions. My favourites were the two independant but intertwined young boabs we drove past the other day, they appeared to just adore each other.

Dusty old Derby had the best fish & chips but before ordering, we checked out the big curved jetty at the end of town. Derby is at the bottom of King George Sound which means it’s water is hugely tidal and sadly, murky …. permanently. On a clear day, if you use binnoculars and stand on someone’s head, you might see a glimpse of blue on the horizon, kilometres away. So no swimming and as we walked towards the jetty there was another reason not to swim. The huge muddy tide was absolutely flooding in when John just happened to be looking in the right spot at just the right moment  when .. ⤵

🔝 .. a  1.5 metre Bull shark launched out of the water twisting its massive body around, chomping something. 🐟

I missed it …  but the fisherman catching mud crabs did back John up.  🎣

We’ve been in two minds about driving towards Darwin via the infamous 660km Gibb River Road and finally decided on a compromise. Turn left to experience the first 150ks …. turn right to drive 160ks to see Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek, before meeting up with the main highway.

The Derby Information Centre was so busy, people were 3 deep in front of the Gibb River Road wall map, deciding on how many scenic gorges they planned to visit, calculating the total kilometres involved and the distances between fuel stops which ultimately dictates the options, dependant on how much fuel you can carry.

The deciding factor for us was hearing that one of the fuel stops, Imintji, had closed. ⛽  So … we bought our fish & chips and started driving.

🚗🚎 Left

Wet season is over, the Graders have almost finished, Gibb River Road is open.  🚜

We camped high on the banks of the Leopald River, sharing the spot with 1000’s of fabulous screeching Corellas. They flew in to sleep in the trees by the river each night then flew out each morning … to go get brekky 🌿

.. 📢📯📣🎺🎧

We haven’t seen an actual crocodile ourselves yet. Sitting by the fire one night we heard a couple of big splashes, omg, so we shone our torch down in to the water. Peering down the bank, hoping we were high enough, we spotted a pair of eyes reflected in the light … is that a CROC ?  The eyes were really scary, never blinking and moving slowly slowly along … so exciting … holding our breath ..

👎  false alarm … 🐱ferral cat.

We were now wondering where and when we’d actually see our first crocs, hoping we would be ready and in total control.

⛺ One camp spot had a  random slab of concrete to walk around on, our first slab.

📣 Action stations tomorrow
📣 No more lazying around

🚎🚗 Right

💙 Windjana Gorge 

Carved out of the 350 million year old Devonian reef system, rising dramatically admist flat plains, the Napier Range – reputed to be one of the best exposed fossil reef complex in the world 🌏 is home to the indiginous peoples of Bunuba.

We didn’t realise we were metres away from you know what

We heard kids yelling ahead … this was the moment, fresh water crocs 🐊left, 🐊right and 🐊centre.

Look mum … 🐊

Mum .. my toes could be in danger here

.. they are

Windjana Gorge has fish fossils from the Devonian times when this whole place used to be coral reefs .. suddenly I crave cold Devon.

A very unattractive fossil

Thanks Windjana .. in a while crocodile 🐊

🌑 TUNNEL CREEK

WA oldest cave system,  750 metres of water worn tunnel beneath the Napier limestone Range.  How could a black hole beat your first crocodile experience …  we were pumped and hot, so .. feeling cooler was a major reason to enter … the blaaaaack hole 🌑

It was hard to believe nobody would be monitoring our safety. Tunnel Creek is a 1.5km return walk beneath monolithic rocks, in total darkness, wading through water sometimes thigh deep, while remembering to stay on guard as crocs may be in the water too.

The pamphlet advised wear shoes that could get wet, take a torch and ..  good luck.

The 🌑 entrance

This is b e a utiful xx

Follow that torch Shirl x

💭 A family of 6 with mum carrying the only torch plus a 2 month old baby, they managed the whole trip in and back 🚼

Little prawny things and tiny fish were the only things moving in the waterwater, thank goodness

We followed these roots at the end of the tunnel to find fairy land ⤵

How prettypretty is that ⤴

Which way to the car park, John? Back in. Through the tunnel ?…  yes 👊

ok, no injuries and check out the amazing marble we have to climb out over.

wow, it felt cold and textured

Has Shirl already left ?

💭 ssshhhh 👆
I went back to find a ghost bat, no luck.

I’m leaving 👣
Tunnel Creek is over Shirl x

Driving on, we just have to turn left onto the main highway, find somewhere to camp and 💤.  Thanks for coming with us,

Love us xxxx

ps. love to Casey, Ally & Jason xxx