Krackin' Kimberley

"'ave yer seen me friend? she's really, really tall, she's got bits o' ceilin' stuck in 'er 'air"; this bit of comedy genius was what I thought of when I heard the name 'Kimberley'. In the last few weeks however, we have witnessed 'The Kimberley' in all her glory.

Firstly, some factoids:

- 423,517 square kilometres or, to put it another way, 3 times the size of England or slightly smaller than California

- first peopled about 40,000 years ago but the neighbourhood went downhill about 250 years ago when some Europeans arrived

- there are 4 LGAs (Local Government Area - a name most people from NSW are becoming too aware of). Broome, Derby (West Kimberley), Halls Creek and Wyndham (East Kimberley)

- population (in the 2016 Census) 34,794 but we are guessing this number almost doubled in the height of this years travelling season

- 40% of the population are indigenous with 50-60 different aboriginal languages spoken

- economy is based upon mining including diamonds, pearling and agriculture. Tourism is pretty big too.

In case you are geographically challenged, it's here...

If the last blog focussed on flora and fauna then this blog is most definitely about geology. Rocks of all colours, all shapes and all types are what go to make this part of the world stunning.

The Purnululu NP from the air

The Purnululu National Park is where you will find the Bungle Bungle Ranges. Around 350,000 years old they were only "discovered" in 1983 by film makers doing a documentary . (Oh the joys of ignorance, remembering there have been humans in the Kimberley well into (back?) BC). The area was designated a National Park in 1987. The Park starts about 53kms from the main highway but the road in is not sealed and is not regularly graded and, as a consequence, is a bone shaker of a ride and the killer of many vehicles. There is a free stay at the creek (negat water) on the highway and a caravan park just a kilometre off the road. We were happy to stay at the freestay for a night and to take Cilla down the track to the caravan park but we knew taking her any further would not end well so debated how best to see the Bungle Bungles up close. The day time temperatures were hovering in the mid 30s and gusting to early 40s so there was no way we could just leave Dennis in the van. All things considered we decided I (Von) would do a 30 minute helicopter ride over the Ranges whilst Sharon would do the 10 hour, 4WD trip into the ranges.

How did we come to the decision? I had suggested we each write down which trip we wanted to do but Shazza, lovely lady that she is, said I could pick. I am very fortunate that in my working life I have had the opportunity to take many helo trips so the thought of going in a whirly bird wasn't necessarily the draw; the draw was not sitting in a bone shaking vehicle for most of the day. I asked if I could do the helo trip which, thankfully, made Sharon's eyes light up as she really wanted to get on the ground and see Cathedral Gorge and the Domes up close and personal. Phew! I think her wish to see the Gorge and the Chasm outweighed the bone shaking trip although, as she will tell you, this was not necessarily her thought AFTER the bone shaking!

This?

Or, this?

Choosing different experiences also meant we have photos from above and within the Bungle Bungles. It is an extraordinary (strange word, if something is 'extra' ordinary then doesn't that just means it's really, really ordinary?), anyway, an extraordinary geological phenomenon. The orange and black striped beehive dome structures are the most exceptional example of cone karst formations in the world and one of the reasons why the Park was World Heritage listed in 2003.

The dark bands, formed by cyanobacteria, wind horizontally around the domes, contrast with the lighter orange sandstone. Cyanobacteria are single‐celled organisms that represent some of the oldest life‐forms on earth. The sandstone karst of Purnululu is of great scientific importance in demonstrating so clearly the process of cone karst formation on sandstone – a phenomenon only recognised by geomorphologists over the past 25 years and still not completely understood - especially not by us. But bloomin' photogenic...

Cathedral Gorge from above (where the darker bit is)

Cathedral Gorge from the ground

Echidna Chasm

To get to Purnululu we drove from Broome, via the town of Derby, and through Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek. The latter two towns are on the main highway and, as such, ought to be thriving with the recent resurrgence of Aussies taking their holidays in Aussie. We had heard plenty about Fitzroy Crossing (FC) and Halls Creek (HC) from fellow travellers. Much of the discussion was of the 'I was talking to this guy, who had talked to a bloke whose auntie was in a caravan there when some locals kicked their doors in...' variety. Casual racism abounded and all stories were listened to with the requisite bucket of salt. There is no denying however, that both these towns are experiencing a rise in crime coupled with a decrease in local investment and the shutting down of health, education and support services. A WA trucking company has recently gifted FC with some mini-buses and sports equipment after discussions with local elders. The company felt they needed to do something for the town as their drivers were regularly experiencing their trucks being stoned as they drove through. News reports show that vehicles have been stolen from the caravan park and the vehicles used for joy riding before being burnt out. A vehicle theft in August resulted in the vehicle rolling and the death of an eleven year old girl. It can only be hoped the tragedy sparks the change the towns sorely need. I have no idea what could turn these towns around but whatever it is, the change must come from within the community itself.

China Wall in Halls Creek

A hidden gem in Halls Creek was again to do with rocks... named China Wall due to a natural vein of sub-vertical white quartz rising some 6 metres out of the ground. This apparently transects the country for many kilometres rising and falling below ground! Scientists believe it was formed due to the erosion of other rock around it. Fascinating, and we have spotted its re-appearance along our route to Kununurra. HC have also perfected a nifty art project in the form of car bonnets; hopefully not at the expense of the previously mentioned stolen vehicles.

After the Bungle Bungles we stayed in Wyndham. A very similar demographic to Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek, it does not appear to have the same social issues. The town looks cared for, the bakery is doing a snappy trade in crocodile pies and the caravan park has had its busiest season in years.

Eeek!

Oh, and they have a BIG Crocodile on the arrival in to town. And a big, reconciliation statue too. Maybe, just maybe, it's the cultural and spiritual investment in the town that has made the difference?

The 'jewel' in the Kimberley crown has got to be Lake Argyle. It is the 2nd largest freshwater reservoir in Australia (the largest being in Tasmania). The Ord River Irrigation Area project was started in 1963 with the damning of the Ord River at Kununurra. In 1968 the scheme was further expanded at Lake Argyle which was first flooded in 1971. It is 271 square miles and at capacity, can hold 10763 gigalitres of water. It was created in order to irrigate farmland in the Kununurra region. Whether the project has been successful depends upon who you ask. From one website '$1.45 billion has been spent on the Scheme for a return of 17 cents on the dollar, and only 260 jobs created.' But 1.7% return is better than our current investment (😂) and 260 jobs is still an improvement on no jobs.

For us though, it was the sheer beauty of the Lake. Oh, and the infinity pool in the caravan park may have lifted our mood too. We walked along it, down to it, across the dam (only earth filled dam in the country), we swam in it and we paddled on it too. It is magnificent.