Today was so relaxing. We headed off around 830 for the 8km drive and then 2km hike to the gorge. Shoes came off and we walked through the water at the top of the falls to get down the really steep and rocky access to the base of the falls. So worth it! Once we got down to the bottom it was like a little piece of paradise. We spent the morning swimming, droning and Karen and I continued feeding…
Just a one night stopover at Mt Hart and we were on our way again this morning. Bob and I were naturally apprehensive about the almost last water crossing after our misadventure yesterday. Thankfully all went well on our way out. Karen kindly videoed the evidence. I watch this and can’t believe Bob and I are attempting this ‘real 4wding’. Not our comfort zone at all, but handling it ok. Once we’d made it back to the relative comfort of…
Well, we are finally on THE road! We were out of Birdwood Downs by 7 this morning which made for a leisurely trip to Mt Hart. There is a 50km driveway into the campground with about 20 water crossings. Crossing number 2 brought us some grief as we dropped into a large hole with one wheel of the van and ripped the motorised step from it’s bracket. Bob isn’t questioning my purchase of a $6 step at Kmart in Broome…
This morning was a beautiful sunrise. I felt guilty as I lay in bed watching out the window (but not guilty enough to get up and take photos…). Karen and Kieran were off early for their Horizontal Falls tour. Bob and I got ourselves organised to get into Derby by 830 so we could get all the road and access information from the visitor centre. Unfortunately, the website was incorrect and the centre isn’t open on weekends, so I guess…
This morning was a particularly low tide so we set off before sunrise to have a final attempt at finding the elusive dinosaur footprints at Gantheaume Point. After scrambling down to the water over rocks and boulders, this time we had success! Very large and very obvious footprints close to each other 🙂 . Feeling energised and confident after our positive sighting, we decided to drive over to Cable Beach and see if we could repeat the outcome on the…
Our research is suggesting that the Gibb River Road should be fully open by early next week. We have decided that we are going to stick with the original itinerary and see how we go. So tomorrow we head off for Birdwood Downs for a couple of nights and then we are in the thick of it. Today was spent mostly prepping for the trip. We are looking at 3+ weeks off grid and who knows what is available in…
A few admin things this morning including hair cuts for both of us. I am trying to embrace the ‘grey’ nomad lifestyle, but after my cut today I’m not so sure I will last until I go back to work in a couple of months…. We booked a Dinosaur Adventure Cruise for the afternoon. It was run by the husband and wife owners of the company and was extremely informative about all things Broome and nature. We headed out and…
Swag night number 3 for this trip and for a non-camper I am doing ok! Another mild night and we could leave the canvas rolled back and watch the moon-lit night sky. A lovely colourful sunrise this morning and we watched it through the gauze of the swag. Karen put us to shame though, and was out exploring as the sun came up. This shot she took shows both our setups on the ledge. After brekky we started our pack…
We were up and going very early this morning with a list of things to achieve before heading back north to catch up with Karen and Kieran. We were very successful, with a new generator purchased as well as a solar blanket to boost the van solar when the weather isn’t fully sunny. We packed quickly and left the van in Broome ready for another swag night. Once we hit the turn off we were glad we only had the car with…
We were pretty organised this morning and were out of Middle Lagoon by 830. Even with the rain we got on Thursday night we were very impressed with how much the 4wd access road had drained since the drive in – gives us hope for the Gibb. We re-inflated tyres and continued a short way down the road to Beagle Bay, an Aboriginal community where the Mother of Pearl Catholic Church was set up as part of a mission over…