After one last swim at Broome’s beautiful Cable Beach it was time to get back behind the wheel and slowly make our way further North to Kununurra and Lake Argyle. Since we had no 4WD we had to drive around the famous Kimberley stretch rather than driving straight through. But even when driving on the Great Northern Highway, on the edge of the Great Sandy Dessert, you get a good feel of the region. It’s especially nice in the late afternoon when the sun is getting lower and gives the red rocky landscape that incredibly orange/red tint.
Our first stop on the way to Kununurra was Derby – not a particular bustling town but the unusual, almost round Boab trees that can be found all around the area are a nice sight. Derby is also known for its tides of up to 11m. At our next stop Fitzroy Crossing we stretched our legs with a stroll through Geikie Gorge. When you’ve spent several days behind a wheel there is nothing better than a good walk and of course a couple of cold beers to kill the thirst when you get back to the van.
Via Halls Creek we headed to the mud flats of Wyndham at the Cambridge Gulf. The mud flats in this region make quite a contrast to the red sand and rocks of the Kimberleys. The closer you get to the Northern Territory you can see the landscape slowly getting muddier, then greener and more and more tropical as your drive along. The signs warning you of saltwater crocodiles at almost every creek may also be giveaway…
From Wyndham we headed to Kununurra where we did some more walking around Mirima National Park and enjoyed the luxuries the town had to offer. Kununurra is quite an “urban relief” after days on the road with big supermarkets, internet access that is slow but works and there was also a beautiful pool to cool down at the campground. One highlight was takeaway Barra and Chips. The first time we had fish since we left Sydney and also the first time we didn’t cook and eat in. In fact we’ve been so good during our entire trip in Australia, until Darwin we never ate out and we did not have a single takeaway flat-white traveling in Australia!
Our last stop in WA was stunning Lake Argyle. The lake’s blue water against the red brown ridges reminded us a lot of the area around Queenstown in New Zealand. Only the climate is more tropical and there are apparently some freshwater crocs around. Although mostly harmless they would still give you quite a fright.
Click below for the photos….
