DAY 30 - 8TH MAY 2013 - TIMBER CREEK TO KUNUNARRA

Day 29 -  8^th May 2013 Timber Creek to Kununurra (225 kms)

Cycling Stats:   225 kms

Cycling Average:  33 km per hour

This was one of those huge cycling days for Walter and he admitted this was the day that he was indeed a little nervous about – he said this was because this was one of the first days he had planned in the itinerary and it was a big milestone to cross from The Northern Territory into Western Australia – not just a drive by with a sign but a real border crossing with a check point. Western Australia IS very strict about what comes over the border – no fresh fruit or vegetables and no honey. We have heard stories of whole vans having to be totally emptied so that the border authorities can conduct a thorough inspection. Lucky for us this was not the case.

Walter started early and enjoyed the early morning red hues – which were spectacular and he told me that the first section of the ride was actually a little chilly as it followed the Victoria River but it soon warmed up as the morning wore one. The scenery on this road was dramatic – rugged rocky escarpments dominated the landscape and we could sense that the Kimberleys were not too far away.

Interestingly Walter's Garmin bike computer registered the time change and changed to local Western Australian time as soon as he arrived at the border so we gained an extra one and a half hours in our day today.

We stopped frequently to replenish his water bottles - it was 37 degrees for the last portion of his ride and he was glad to have the cold bottles of Gatorade that the van park operator from Katherine had kindly given him. For the last section I handed him a few squares of chocolate which he told me was a fantastic boost for the last 15 km stretch into Kununurra.

Staying at the Hidden Valley Mirima Caravan Park nicely located at the edge of the Mirimar National Park and from our site we can see the dramatic rocky mountains  with jagged rock formations and balancing rocks – quite stunning.

There is also a wonderful large swimming pool and the friendly operators have offered us free camping for our two nights here.

We are also within walking distance of the garage where the trusty campervan is being serviced tomorrow morning.

Beautiful Boab trees featured today

Dramatic landscapes

They let him into WA

Into W A and into The Kimberley region - very excited

DAY 29 - 7TH MAY 2013 - VICTORIA RIVER ROADHOUSE TO TIMBER CREEK

Day 29 -  7^th May 2013 Victoria River Roadhouse to Timber Creek

Cycling Stats:  97 kms

Cycling Average:  31 km per hour

Walter was relaxed about today as it was for his way of thinking, a small ride. At dawn the rocky escarpments which surrounded the landscape were a rich rich red even more so because of the red red soil – an amazing early morning phenomenon which quickly dissipates not too long after sunrise.

Dianna & I headed off on a safe morning walk destination – up the Victoria Highway for a quick power walk. As we left the Roadhouse we decided on a quick deviation to head down to the Gregory National Park River access point, a narrow sealed road flanked on both sides by long white grasslands. Frequently wallabies jumped across in front of us so I drove at a very relaxed speed. We walked down the final stretch to the boat ramp and we straight away noticed how very wide this river must be in the wet season as there were vast dry areas where the river must rush through during the wet.

The journey today was breathtaking with huge rocky mountainous escarpments as well as wide sweeping views as far as the eye can see. We were indeed getting closer to the famous Kimberly landscape.

Thank you to Timber Creek Caravan Park for allowing us to stay at no cost !! This is a well appointed park with lots of shade and a lovely well maintained swimming pool which we were all grateful for in this hot part of the territory.

Around 3.30pm we headed to The Croc Shop to meet for the Victoria River Sunset Cruise which we had heard a lot about – a wild river cruise on which you travel 70km down river. The Victoria River is the largest river in N T stretching some 800 kms and at its widest point at its mouth it is an astounding 40 kms wide.

Neville, the tour operator has been running these cruises for some time and delighted in telling us that his Bedford Bus was from 1971 and as some remarked was reminiscent of our old school buses It certainly had some grunt. We had a tour of Timber Creek which included 3 police stations  all from different eras – the first a 1905 completely white slated very elegant looking building, the second a 1935 building which had recently been re-stumped with huge concrete stumps  and the current building which were all located in the same street on our way to Big Horse Creek 10kms from Timber Creek where the cruise boat was moored.

We were awestruck by the size of this river – On our trip we saw so much wild life – water birds of all description including jabiru and brolga, huge flocks of little egrets, sea eagles, black hawks amongst many others. We also enjoyed the hunt to sight crocodiles and saw many, as well as some small wallabies, a dingo, black wild pigs and even a Brahman bull. The abundance of bird life was amazing to see – with huge flocks soaring above us and on the shores and then all of a sudden taking flight.

The cruise boat stopped at a pontoon and there we alighted from the boat to enjoy some finger food and cool drinks and watch the beauty of the pinks and mauves of the sunset hues begin to appear and deepen.  The boat then returned to the Big Horse Creek mooring at high speed and it was on dark when we returned – another wonderful N T experience we will long remember.

The early morning colours of Victoria River Roadhouse locality

Another early morning view of Victoria River Roadhouse area

All good - another 5 km !!!

Exciting - a crocodile sighting 

Road to boat access to Victoria River

sunset view of the pontoon

At Timber Creek - Victoria River Sunset Cruise

Birds birds and heaps more birds !!

Sea Eagle

DAY 28 - 6TH MAY 2013 - KATHERINE TO VICTORIA RIVER (193 KM)

Day 28 - 6^th May 2013 – Katherine to Victoria River

Cycling Stats:  193 km

Cycling Speed:  32 km per hour

As this was a relatively long ride for Walter he set off as soon as it was light. Dianna & I packed up the van, made coffee & had a brisk walk along the Victoria Highway which was, at that hour, very quiet. A quick fuel stop to top up the tank and then we were on our way.

The topography quickly changed to become a lot more hilly and the highway cut through the red rocky innards of the hills so we drove through short red tunnels. We passed through a lot of grassy terrain featuring broad expansive flat-topped green hills.

Walter tells me that at the beginning of the ride he experienced a little head wind and then as the morning wore on this changed to a slight tail wind.

All in all a good day’s riding. Arrived at Victoria River Roadhouse at around 2pm. Around 4pm Di & I were keen to see a bit more of the famous Victoria River and Walter told us there was a track at the rear of the van park so we set off to explore. We now know how some of the early explorers may have felt for when the track disappeared and we decided to take some very narrow almost non-existent paths we actually became a bit disoriented and ended up in some near impenetrable scrub – very dense bushy terrain.  Not altogether sure of how to get back to the caravan park we decided to do what all intrepid explorers do - head back towards the river and follow it to the dominant landmark - the Victoria Bridges (old & new). It was a bit tricky as the banks were steep and we weren’t going to go too close to the water for fear of crocodiles. A bit scratched and dirty we found our way back and we were very pleased when Walter suggested a late afternoon drink at the Victoria River Roadhouse.

Later Willemsee another Dutch cyclist (wow – 3 now including Walter) popped by our campsite to say hello. His journey was from Cairns to Adelaide and he is 62, a year younger than Walter and he also is travelling with his wife as support crew in their small camper trailer. Walter had a great chat with him that evening and they shared stories about the day’s ride as Walter had actually met him that morning early on the road heading out of Katherine. Why do all Dutchmen have this yearning to cycle around Australia – cycling must definitely be in their blood !

he certainly did !! found this sign by the roadside - it literally fell off the back (or front) of a road train

on the road

the grasses 

another view of the road we travelled

Brandy Bottle Creek - reflections

DAYS 26 & 27 - 4TH & 5TH MAY 2013 - KATHERINE & SURROUNDS - REST / TOUR DAYS

Days 26 & 27 -  4 & 5^th May 2013 – Katherine & surrounds – rest days

Last night I craved barramundi so very fortuitous that a café called ‘The Barra Café’ opened its doors that night for the very first night of trading. It was adjacent to the caravan park that we were staying at for the night. Yum the barra we had was super fresh and moist and very very tasty.

Also nice was another sleep in & then time to pack up & into Katherine for groceries, fuel & a coffee. Walter came up with a very practical idea to contact Dianna (my niece who was joining us for the Katherine to Broome stage) & ask if she could arrange to get off the bus at The Edith Falls turnoff. (about 43 km north of Katherine) Yesterday afternoon whilst enjoying a dip in the thermal springs close to the caravan park we had got talking to a lovely couple for quite a while who told us that they had just come from Edith Falls & that it was most definitely worth a visit  - so often, this is how it goes when you are travelling & luckily our plans weren’t- fixed so we thought - why not !

We met Di at the Edith Falls turn-off and proceeded along the road where lo & behold we saw a serious cyclist, alone yet fully equipped with panniers (large bike bags). Of course we slowed down and asked if he wanted some cold water as, by this time it was around midday & the temperature was well into the mid to high thirties. He said he was fine and said he would meet us at the falls. Surprisingly Ludo was also from The Netherlands and we learnt that he had cycled up from Perth (a 3 month trip – with lots of side trips & sightseeing on the way). His bike was interesting as he didn’t have a bike chain but a band / belt instead so no greasing or maintenance associated with a chain.. Walter & Ludo who was a very friendly guy from Rotterdam had a great old chat and even shared a joke as they compared their bike tans on their legs.

Poor Di – after leaving cold temperatures in Canberra with no time to adjust to the very hot conditions in N T we invited her to join us in a steep very hot walk – The North Leilyn Track to the top pool. She did however agree, on arriving at the top that the hot steep walk was well worth it for what awaited us at the top was breathtaking – waterfalls with the most incredible sheer rock faces / cliffs with oranges, reds, browns in dramatic formation and the cool cool deep crystal clear water was so refreshing. We stayed enjoying swimming there for quite some time then it was time to head back down & have some lunch and another quick swim at the large pool where all the layers of waterfalls fed down into another huge pool at the bottom.

Then to Katherine Gorge (63 km to Katherine & another 30km to The Gorge) where we were camping for the night. This was of course a beautiful bush setting complete with a huge resort style swimming pool. There was a huge colony of bats who were very noisy but took flight at dark and then started to return and begin their crying and calling out just after four am.

Next morning we walked via the information centre in the park down to the jetty of the Katherine River as we were doing a four hour / 3 gorge boat trip which was the only way we could view the gorges because the canoe trip we had wanted to do wasn’t being offered due to it being dry season & crocs had been sighted in the river. So as this was the only way, we decided to do this tour. Glad we did because it was indeed a very informative trip. The Aboriginal tour guide shared a wealth of knowledge about the history and significance of the area to the aborigines interspersed with some great entertaining and comical comments.

We travelled up the first gorge and then walked around 700 mtrs to board the next boat to travel up the very famous Katherine Gorge – just as awe inspiring as all the photos / film footage I had seen over the years. Very tall vertical rock cliifs stretching high above us in all hues – dense vegetation and sandy little banks – rocky outcrops / huge boulders all in the most magnificent red / orange / black / grey / white colourings.

After Katherine George we walked another short distance to board the third boat to take us to our final gorge where we disembarked and walked the rocky trail to Lily Pad pool and falls (a very tall cliff face with a very tall waterfall. We enjoyed the walk behind and through the gushing water as it tumbled down to hit the rocky platform below before splashing noisily into the huge cold pool below. Another magic part of N T and a memory we will keep precious forever.

After our return through the various gorges on the 3 boats we visited the information centre for a coffee and a quick look at the displays which were in the process of being updated.

Lunch, a swim in the amazing resort pool at the Gorge camping ground and it was time to set off back to Katherine for the night as Walter was to start the next days ride from Katherine at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning.

We decided to stay at the Boab Caravan Park as we weren’t keen on staying at Riverview the one up the road – it was big  and crowded and everyone was packed in so close – all concrete and paving.

We were very pleasantly surprised at the welcome from the owner who on hearing about our fundraising trip said we could stay for free. AND later turned up with a four pack of cold Gatorade drinks and a container with some delicious fresh frozen mango which we enjoyed as desert. This caravan park is small, only 40 sites but has the most beautiful shady lush green lawns and the amenities were amongst the cleanest and most well appointed that we had stayed at - so highly recommended.

Thank you for your kindness and hospitality.

I should mention that a number of wonderful caravan park managers have indeed been very generous in giving us free stays when we mentioned to them on our arrival about Walter’s cycling and our charity fundraising trip for Alzheimer’s Australia Dementia Research Foundation.

These being The Bottle Tree Motel and Caravan Park at Blackwater, Pentland Caravan Park, Clermont Caravan Park, Belyando Crossing Roadhouse (there had been some negative comments on the internet about this place – all totally unjustified as we found the owners very friendly and the amenities very clean and included all the things to make a stay comfortable – soap dispensers, paper towels, bath mats etc),  Richmond Caravan Park where we were only asked to pay a $10 donation to help re-stock the fish in the lagoon and The 3 Ways Roadhouse – we would like to warmly thank all these caravan park operators for their generosity and support.

Edith Falls - Top Pool

The cycling Dutchmen

Who has the best bike tan ?

A colourful local species

These are not locals but did wish they could be for a little longer.....

Enjoying the view at Top Pool - Edith Falls

Katherine Gorge - an incredible sight

The views up the gorges were breathtaking

The magnificence of Katherine Gorge

Lily Pad Pool Waterfall

DAY 25 - 3RD MAY 2013 - MATARANKA TO KATHERINE

Day 25 - 3rd May 2013 Mataranka to Katherine

Cycling Stats: 110 km
Cycling Average Speed: 32.5 km per hour

We were up slightly earlier today and needed to wait for a bit of light before Walter could leave today.

Walter had a slow start on the bike after these rest days we have just had but found his legs again in the last 50 km and was assisted by a nice tailwind for the last part of the journey which helped to push up the average km per hour speed. It is very hot now so having a smaller ride was actually quite welcome. The temperatures mid morning are now hitting mid thirties and in the early afternoon up to 37 - 38 degrees. Its a very dry heat often accompanied with hot dry winds.

Not many photos today as the landscape is fairly consistent with previous days and that is bushland with tall dense spear grass and quite green.

We arrived in Katherine after only one short break at around 10am and went to the Information Centre to find out a bit more about what to do while we are here. Then to the 'Katherine Times' newspaper office where we did an interview and they took a photo of Walter for the local paper.

To Riverview Tourist Village Caravan Park where we are staying for the night - great because there are more wonderful thermal springs here to visit and within walking distance. The water is cool and very refreshing in this hot northern climate.

Tragedy this morning - Whilst washing our beloved Bodum coffee plunger it came out of its frame and the glass insert dropped out - unluckily onto a rock which was under the tap and damm it smashed !! Luckily though we were able to find a replacement in Katherine. Otherwise I would have had a very grumpy cyclist to deal with until a new one was able to be found...

Looking forward to the arrival of my niece Dianna tomorrow from Canberra who will be travelling with us all the way to Broome.

Yes -  arrived in Katherine

DAYS 23 & 24 - 1 & 2 MAY 2013 BITTER SPRINGS (MATARANKA) REST DAYS

Days 23 & 24 (1 & 2 May 2013) Bitter Springs - Rest Days

So - no cycling for a few days and a well deserved rest for Walter so we did what we haven't done for a few weeks slept in until 7am - very nice thank you very much.

We caught up on our washing, shopping for supplies and emails, blog updating on the first day of our rest day. Most importantly though was we enjoyed the beautiful 500 metre walk to the Elsey National Park and then the 230 metre stroll to Bitter Springs, where the magic tropical spring-fed and mineral rich thermal pool set amongst palm sand tropical woodlands is located. We spent many an hour there enjoying the soothing springs and chatting to other travellers there. We visited the springs a number of times during our rest days.

On the second day we ventured out in our van to Mataranka township and visited the Stockyard Gallery where we sat on the shady deck overlooking the shady tea garden. We had coffee and some delicious home made chunky fruit scones with jam & cream and had a look around the gallery which featured local paintings, Aboriginal art and some wonderful Territory books, one of which I had to buy !!!  and Walter fed the tame yellow throated honey eaters the crumbs of our feast. Outside is a four metre statue of Henry Peckham one of the characters from the Jeannie Gunn novel, 'We of The Never Never' for which Mataranka is famous as it is known as the 'Capital of The Never Never'.

Walter was very keen to try his hand at fishing for barramundi so we set off to go to The Roper River but decided  to have a quick visit to The Homestead to check out the other thermal pool in the area which while also beautiful is not located in the amazing natural setting that Bitter Springs is.

We then went off in search of the elusive barramundi - it was unfortunately not the best conditions for fishing at the moment so no success but we enjoyed the view of the magnificent Roper River but I must admit I felt a little on edge as this is crocodile country and where we were was a little isolated.

Then back to the tranquility of our peaceful haven at Bitter Springs for another swim at the springs, our last as Walter is back on the bike tomorrow for another day of cycling.

Some history.....

Enjoying the soothing waters

In the lush setting of Stockyard Gallery coffee shop

Walter enjoying having a chat with this tame resident

A bit more history - we love the red tail black cockatoos & we have sighted many

I swam to the tree trunk - fun

And Walter swam further of course !!!