Litchfield National Park to Katherine to Lake Argyle to Kununurra

The oldest sibling always has a distinct
advantage .....

After not encountering any more wildlife at the toilets at Litchfield we went to Katherine which, after the heat we had been living with, was a very pleasant 29 degrees.  It made life much more enjoyable.  We stayed at a very good Big 4 caravan park there and, in passing, whinged about some crappy aspects of the Big 4 park in Bathelor - which looks like its about to die even if it did have ensuites and our own washing machine.  The people at Katherine then gave us ice creams, mango and a bunch of other bits and pieces and we got an email from the Big 4 MD giving us an extra 2 years on our membership.  We have decided to complain about every caravan park we go to from now on.

Katherine is a surprisingly nice place - surprising because there are a lot of little towns in NT that are not nice - although you do not really want to go into the middle of town on a Saturday night.  It has thermal springs and a bit of a gorge which we visited.  All very enjoyable especially for Yvette who actually did go in the water at Katherine without whinging.  However, as spoilt at this sounds, you can get sick of thermal springs and natural water holes and even massive gorges that have taken 1860 million years to create. 

From Katherine we hit the Stuart Highway and the GPS told us to turn left in 472 kms (and we still have about another 50 kms to go after that).  The only town between Katherine and Lake Argyle (which is just over the WA border) was Timber Creek - which was about as dire a place as we had seen (but not nearly as dire at Wyndam - read on).  We had contemplated staying there but were very glad we did not.

A speed limit that grey nomads do not
travel at.

Anyway, this is a good time to mention a few things about driving around here.  First, the grey nomads are not in any hurry.  Second, by travelling about 80 kmh they can save petrol.  Third, we are in a hurry because we have three time bombs in the back seat who are pretty good travellers but more than 500km in a day will test just about anyone.  Hence, when we get stuck behind the grey nomads, the kids learn new words.  We ask that Anouk, Isaac's and Yvette's teachers all take this into account if, next year, they let fly with some pearlers if the kid in front of them is walking too slowly.

Anyway, after having all our fruit,vegetables and honey confiscated at the WA border we moved on to Lake Argyle where we developed only mild cases of scurvy.  Lake Argyle is a massive (75km x 45kms) freshwater lake that is man made.  They are very proud of it around here and talk about the massive success that it is.  If the aim was to store a massive amount of water then, undoubtedly, it was a success.  However, it seems that the real aim was to do something with the water - like grow stuff - then the success is not quite so obvious.  The main crop is a parisitic smelly wood.  Anyway, each to their own.

Amazing pool at Lake Argyle
caravan park - and you get it
to yourself since its about
8 degrees. 

We did a tour of the Lake Argyle area but had finished that by 9.37am.  This time zone change is a bit of a bugger.  The kids were already waking up at 6am but 4.30am is getting a bit ridiculous. However, when the sun rises at 5am there is a limit at how much one can yell at them.  Actually, there is not.  Our capacity to yell at our kids is pretty well limitless.

Since we finished our own tour so early we decided to do a boat cruise around Lake Argyle with Lake Argyle Cruises.  I mention the name not because it is so obvious but because the guy who took the cruise asked us to pass on the name and what we thought of the cruise to everyone we met.  So here I go.  If you want to go on a boat cruise with a bloke who refuses to speak unless everyone is listening, glares at anyone who dares speak when he speaks, hates kids, ignores people with kids, is a narcissist, a male chauvinist and probably picks his nose, then Lake Argyle Cruises is for you.  Otherwise, go wtih Triple J cruises.  Apparently, no connection to the radio station.

The tour guide from Lake
Argyle cruises was boring
too...

Kunanara is then less than 80kms from Lake Argyle and is a very green place - they have all this water in Lake Argyle but very little to do with it.  Kununara marked our return to civilisation - only three days out of Katherine and without internet or telephone coverage but we were getting twitchy. Kunanara has lots of parks but very few playgrounds or competent caravan park staff it seems.   When we checked in the lady said the computers were down so she could not check us in.  When dad had the temerity to ask how long it may take, the response was "Well, I just told you that the computers are down didn't I?"  Umm, yes, but if that means that they may be down all day and we are going to have to wait at reception until then, then we may go and check in elsewhere - you stupid old cow, dad wanted to say but did not have the courage.

Talking about courage, this was also where, we met a old bloke at the swimming pool who used the word "abo" about 10 times in 2 minutes ("I met one good one - a ranger - and he invited me to his house - you don't expect that from abos do you?"- not when you're a racist, in particular) and then finally got to the nadir of his diatribe with, "I have nothing against the abos but I hate all trash - white trash and black trash". Pa could not cope with this crap and walked away from him mid-sentence and dad, to his great shame, was so busy thinking up all the put downs he could use that they best he could come up with was, "Mr Samartino, the use of term 'abo" is really not appropriate".

These are the Bungle Bungles - as seen
by a person without any kids with
her on a hazy day

Mum and dad took a scenic flight over Lake Argyle and the Bungle Bungle - its an expensive way to get three hours away from parenting responsibilities but sometimes you have to do these things. Nana and Pa also did the scenic flight - not at the same time - we had contemplated doing it together but then decided we did not to have to pay Anouk to look after Isaac and Yvette. 

Wyndham marina - during high season.

Today we did a few walks around Miramar National Park - which is practically in Kunanara - before hearing up to Wyndham.  We had a sense that there was not much at Wyndham given that the best thing that the brochures could say about it was that it is WA's most northerly town but we had no preparation for just how dire the place actually is.  It looked like it was set up about 50 years ago and then left to rot.  Half the places in the main street are falling down and many are boarded up.  The local townsfolk are scary (and that is the women) and the whole place made Hugenden look like a thriving metropolis. It does have a good view of the various rivers that make their way into the ocean at this point but the best thing that can be said about it is that we will never go back there again. 

Dad wins the prize for best
artistic photo to be taken
without getting out of the car.
("Artistic" means there are no
people in the shot).

On the way back we stopped in at another few water holes but did not even get out of the car.  This may sound like we are lacking in apprecation but we are now offically over the following things:
- water holes
- thermal springs
- water falls - especially those that dry up in the dry season
- boat cruises
- crocodiles - especially fresh water crocodiles.  I mean, how can you respect a crocodile that is not going to to eat you?
- racists
- grey nomads that travel at 80kmh who only speed up if you try to pass them
- 5am starts.

But, we are having a great time.  I swear. Constantly.  (I mean, we are in the outback).