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