August 3 ... Wyndham

We drove over 700 kms today and we enjoyed every minute, the scenery was so exceptional. We were on the road by 7.30am, not sure how far we would go, but immediately we left Fitzroy Crossing the scenery changed and we had plenty to look at. Now it became obvious why this is considered prime pastoral land as the grass plains stretched away to the horizon and eventually met the ranges. This whole area is criss- crossed by different ranges so we stopped at a number of lookouts and even drove into some free camps to check them out.

Kimberly Grasslands

The one at Mary Pool was typical. It was a pretty spot with lots of trees and a creek running beside it but at 10am, it had around 20 vehicles there already! We found the same numbers at all the ones we saw, they were crowded by lunchtime and the facilities are pretty basic. Both Garry and I agree that it is worth spending the $30 or so to have good amenities, security, and power.

Our first proper stop was at Halls Creek which we heard had an excellent bakery. We gave it a good testing and have to say it is definitely true, the pies were delicious and the coffee was the best we have had in ages. We carried our cups across the road and sat on a bench in the shade to observe the passing action. This town has such a remarkable history but we neglected to take the time to explore it properly, much to our regret later. It does have a huge indigenous population but they were happy to sit quietly in the shade, and the town itself is green and reasonably well cared for. We liked it and will need to explore it in the future.

The grasses were full of flowers

As soon as we left Halls Creek the road became more undulating and the boabs became a dominant tree in the landscape.It was a really captivating drive and we think that the Kununurra area is easily the most beautiful in the Kimberly. As we passed the turn off to the Argyle Diamond Mine it was interesting to see that the sign had been removed. The mine shares the road to Lissadell Station, one of the oldest in this area and which was established by the Duracks in the 1800's.

The Argyle Diamond Mine

The entrance road to Argyle Diamond Mine

As we were driving along I spotted a healthy looking dingo on the side of the road. He was not at all disturbed by the traffic and I was able to get some good photos.
We also saw lots of brumbies all through the day. These horses just run free and they all looked to be in good condition. 

Dingo

Even though we drove very close to Pernululu National Park, the distinctive forms of the Bungles were not visible from the road. However, the main road surface certainly showed signs of the enormous flood that had gone through the area a few months ago. Warmun was looking reasonably normal again but many of the bridges were still under repair.

Brumbies

The wattle is in full bloom in the Kimberly and it is the real green and gold that are Australia's national colours. It is beautiful to see contrasted against the blue sky.

We also noticed that a new mine has opened up just north of Argyle called Ridges. It is an iron ore mine and a team of blue and yellow road trains carry four trailer fulls each to the port at Wyndham where a new loading facility has been built. Their first load was only two weeks ago but the trucks are making regular trips now, averaging about 80 a day! That's a lot of trucks using the road outside the caravan park!

Bottlebrush in flower

Garry's new friend

We were in Wyndham by 4.30. It was hot and we were pretty tired but the park was shady so we were happy to sit and have a coffee, just after which Garry made a new friend who came visiting in the hope of a carrot!