Lake Argyle WA

On Tuesday we crossed the border back into WA........ Been 4 months on the road. We decided to head down to Lake Argyle for two nights, the turn off is only 5 ks from the border and about 30ks down a good road into the Caravan Park/resort. We couldn't book a site, it's a matter of turning up, queuing up and hopefully get a site, we are finding this is happening with popular parks, they don't take bookings. Anyway we got there at around 10.30am and had no problem getting a powered site, they even help you reverse in, and it was $39 @ night which we found good value after Darwin  at $40.

Such a lovely place, big caravan park, a few cabins, infinity pool, beer garden, restaurant/cafe, it is situated high over the lake and access to the lake for swimming is down a steep rocky path, so most use the pool. No phone coverage but some free wi fi in the afternoons

The Ord River was dammed in 1971 creating this massive freshwater lake, the water is used for irrigation of properties around the north west. Argyle Downs was a million acre cattle station run by the Durack family and when the dam was built and before the lake was formed the original homestead of the Duracks was taken down stone by stone, numbered and put together again not far from the dam and is now a museum,  there were problems reassembling the homestead as some of the numbers had disappeared but it got sorted. We went on a breakfast cruise, very informative about how many mega litres and how big the dam is but all I can remember is it volume is equivalent to 54 Sydney Harbours....... We did a two hour cruise and only touched a small corner of the lake.

We had planned only a two night visit and as we had to hand over any fruit and veg at the border we had no fresh food!!! But we were enjoying our stay so much we coped, imagine 4 days no fresh fruit and frozen veg.

We left today, Saturday and we are at a caravan park in Kununurra, been to Coles, got fruit and veg, but not much as Coles was low on fresh stuff!!!

Anyway a lovely 4 days at Lake Argyle

 Our cruise on the lake

The Dam wall, not very big....

Rock Wallaby

And the a crocodile, freshwater one, not as dangerous as saltwater ones

And a swim at the end of the cruise and yes the lost Grandad is in there amongst the sparkles, later he joined the kids and jumped of the roof of the boat.......

View of the dam wall and lake

Looking down on the Ord River from the dam wall, there was a lovely grassed area, picnic spot down there but no access to the river, we took Bentkey down and had our lunch 

Sunset changing the colour of the rocks by the Infinity pool

Looking back at the caravan park from our bush walk

Durack homestead that was reassembled

Cabins at the resort

And the beer garden where we went each night to get free WiFi between 4.30 and 6.30pm 

Mango tree.....

Infinity pool 

Our campsite

Sunset

And this morning the sun peeks over the hill

Katherine

Well after we left Darwin our plan was to head to Katherine and we headed to a rest area outside of Adelaide River for an overnight stop, and played with our new Metal Dectector that we bought in Darwin, lots of fun, the next morning we thought we won't rush off and spent time with the Dectector. We realised a camper van ( whizz bang) was having trouble getting going, Brian and a couple of guys went over to help, I chatted to the girl from the camper and realised we had crossed paths before, she had been driving a Hyundai car and we had been crossing paths from Queensland to NT, she had headed to Broome and sold her Hyundai there and was heading back to Germany, hitched a lift in the camper at Kunnanurra to get Darwin  for her flight to Germany...... Once we  realised she needed to get to Darwin and the camper was not going to move, Brian drove her back to Adelaide River (33ks)  and she got a lift to Darwin, someone towed the camper to Adelaide  River with the hope it would get fixed.......  By that time it was  lunch, getting warm and we headed down the road to Hayes Creek, roadhouse there and a caravan park behind. We decided on a stop, needed power, air con etc, turned out to be a great little spot, stayed a week...............  Met Cherie and Chris from Mandurah WA, Cherie does hairdressing on the road so both Brian had I  hair cuts. We played with our detector, digging holes and filling them in around the park! Anyway there was a gold info afternoon on Sat18th July about 30ks away at Grove Hill so we stayed around and went there on Saturday, learnt a few tips, mostly, keep playing, using the Dectector, in between we visited a WW2 U.S army hospital site and fossicked around there. So far between the Caravan Park and the hospital base we have found $4, rusty nails, car parts dating back to the late 40s and a bullet casing....... No gold YET.

Anyway after a week relaxing, having a swim in the pool, walk at the creek and fossicking we finally made it to Katherine.

Our lovely site at Hayes Creek, plenty of room for Bentley to roam

Walk down to the creek

Fossicking at WW2 US  Hospital 

Spent time working out where everything was, we found the mechanics area I think

Grove Hill Hotel where we had Gold Info Day

Caravan Park at Katherine, entertainment by Ken O'Shea, country and a bit of rock and roll, was a good night

We will head off tomorrow towards the WA border with an overnight stop on the way 

Darwin

We spent a few days in Darwin, great city, very clean, easy to drive around, we were at a caravan park about 30 ks out, couldn't get any closer.

Our first trip in we drove into the CBD and walked the Mall had a coffee etc, later that day, Thursday we went back in to Mindil night markets, very busy, but good markets a fantastic sunset......

The next day we spent around the waterfront another lovely area with swimming pool and wave pool, also drove out to Fannie Bay and to East Point where Brian had a look at the war museum, we finished our day with fish and chips at Frying Nemo at the Marina 

We tried to get Bentley trimmed but couldn't get an appt SO we borrowed some clippers and did it our selves, Bentley was very good.....

Lots of hair coming off, he didn't look too bad when we had finished, a bit uneven but.....

He looked ok

Waiting for the sunset, I sat on the beach with my Mango smoothie and watched the sunset, was very magical.......

And now it's gone

All the people just waiting for the sunset, when it did go down people started clapping

Looking down on the waterfront from the bridge connecting the Mall to the waterfront

The wave pool, waiting for the wave, when they start the wave a siren goes so you are prepared....

And in comes the waves, more like turbulence than waves I thought, but everyone was having fun

Fannie Bay looking towards the city

Frying Nemo fish and chips, was ok but have had better. I had whiting in Tempura Batter and Brian had Barra in beer batter 

Litchfield National Park

After Kakadu we travelled further up the road to Litchfield National Park, nice campsite outside the park, lovely shady sites, powered $20 a night, it is going to cost us twice as much when we get to Darwin......

We had a late start Sunday, after our egg and bacon breakfast Brian got a trip around the camp with the owner on his quad bike and up a creek in a boat without a paddle, they used a shovel...... This was   to take photos of the area. 

Litchfield, was not as harsh as Kakadu, easier access to the waterfalls which were flowing. We stopped first at the town of Batchelor, had a refreshing drink at the tavern and on to the park, our first waterfall was Florence Falls and we walked down lots and lots of steps to the pool but it was so busy, people everywhere so Brian decided against a swim. Next we moved on to Wangi falls this wasn't so busy, big pool to swim in. We only saw the two areas, it was getting warm and late afternoon by then. We  have spent the last two days relaxing at the campsite, catching up with Glenys and Tom again, they have had 3 days in Darwin which we plan to do, very limited caravan parks that take dogs in Darwin......

A lot of abandoned World War 2 airstrips and army camps around this area, making you realise that this was the defence area for Australia in WW2 

Started our Sunday with Bacon and Eggs, Brian does the best bacon and eggs

Florence Falls

Lovely walk once down the steps

But so so crowded, the pool is ahead there somewhere

The adventurous climbing up and jumping in

Next stop Wangi Falls

Well it looks Brian found his blue bathers

Can you see the lost Grandad? Hint he is on his own to the right of the photo!!!

Yes there he is..........

Back at camp we had a visit from Pig, a pet pig belonging to the managers

He liked Bentleys water

Then he chased Bentley.....

Not a very good photo, but we had a lovely family from Perth camp next to us, it was Alice's 10th  Birthday and they shared cake with us before they left