Touring Through The Kimberley Part I

I just came back from the most epic journey through The Kimberley in Western Australia. It was truly an adventure and I can’t wait to tell you about it! When I first started to plan my trip to Australia this was one thing I really wanted to do, so I signed up for it right away. When I was finally in Darwin I couldn’t wait till Saturday. The tour was just around the corner.

Day 1

After calling to confirm my reservation I was told to be outside my hostel at 6:50 am. However, during dinner I thought that 6:50 was a very odd time and decided to wait outside my hostel at 6:15. Unfortunately I had heard correctly and the bus came at 6:50 sharp. This wasn’t the best way to start my trip, but mistakes always make things more exciting.

Picture the cutest little badass on Earth and you have Annelies, our tour guide. She was patient, energetic, and knew her stuff. She jumped out of the bus and roll called everyone on her tour. Although the tour typically maxed out at 20 people there were only 10 of us.

Before we took off Annelies quickly introduced herself and went over some safety blah blah blah. There was only one man among the 9 women (poor guy). Our group consisted of 4 people from Switzerland, 1 from Germany, 2 from the UK, 1 from the US (me), and 2 from Australia. Funny enough it was the first time I’d formally met Australians. Annelies jumped in the front seat and our tour finally began!

Our first stop was Edith Falls, a waterfall and swimming hole in Nitmiluk National Park. The 10 of us enthusiastically jumped out of the air conditioned bus but quickly lost motivation. It was HOT! Not “I’m fairly uncomfortable” hot, but “are you trying to kill us?” hot. After questioning my decision to come on this tour I put on my shoes and followed Annelies. I couldn’t look around at my surroundings because of the sweat running through my eyes. Ok, that’s not completely accurate, but close enough. After a short (but HOT) hike we made it to the swimming hole. The group quickly donned bathing suits and jumped in the water. It was everything you could hope for; cool, refreshing, and incredibly beautiful.

This would be the trend for the next 9 days. Drive to a destination, hike in unbearable heat, and cool off in a beautiful swimming hole. We stayed at this waterfall for about an hour and mildly chatted to get familiar with each other.

Back at the bus we sat down for our first lunch, which was always a combination of sandwiches, wraps, and leftovers. We went around in a circle and introduced ourselves.

“Hello, my name is Tiffany.”

Annelies responded with “Can I shorten it to Tiff? Australians like shortening everything.”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

With a gleam in her eye Annelies said “Australians also like adding “O” to the end of everything. I guess that would make you Tiff-O.”

It stuck. Not just for me, but for everyone. There was Clairo, AO, BO (snicker), Saro, and so on.

After lunch we strolled to the lower falls of Edith for another swim. It was just as nice as the upper falls except for the resident fish which kept nibbling my feet. We didn’t stay very long, which was good because the fish kinda freaked me out.

We drove a few more hours to Katherine Gorge. When I was researching the tour I was excited to see Katherine Gorge in person. It was beautiful. It was a sweaty workout to the viewpoint, which was 20 minutes worth of steep steps. It was cloudy but this part of Australia was very humid and muggy. Annelies brought snacks and although it was (still) hot, we munched and enjoyed the view for a long time.

Our camp was only 10 minutes from Katherine Gorge. This was the only time we would sleep in permanent tents and I was excited to have a space to myself for the night. The sun went down, casting a beautiful orange across the sky. We went to the kitchen to help prep dinner which was delicious barramundi with cous cous and veggies. It heightened my expectations for the dinners to come. Afterwards we sat by the campfire and roasted marshmallows, but I didn’t stay awake for long. I brushed my teeth, admired the tree frogs in the shower, and climbed into my tent.

Day 2

I woke up to the squawking of crows and screeching of cockatoos. We had a simple breakfast of yogurt and toast, then packed our bags and headed towards Lake Argyle. There was a lot of driving to do and we watched the landscape pass by while listening to some tunes. Suddenly Annelies got very excited and turned up the music. She came over the intercom and said “You get extra points if you dance to this song.” Luckily I had learned the dance to “Give Me a Home Among the Gum Trees” on my recent livaboard, and sang along enthusiastically.

Give me a home among the gum trees

With lots of plum trees

A sheep or two, a kangaroo

A clothesline out the back

Veranda out the front

And and old rocking chair

Apparently this was a popular song for all Australians, not just Queenslanders. Everyone who knew it on the bus sang along and danced the silly dance. It was an energetic coupe minutes but after the song ended it got quiet again. Realizing we were bored, Annelies came on the intercom and announced she was going to give us a quiz. She asked us questions like “What year was Australia discovered?” and “Who was the first European to land in Australia?” I don’t remember any of the answers except one. The animal that causes the most deaths in Australia is….(drum roll please), the horse! Very exciting. Most people had guessed a spider or snake, but apparently there are anti-venoms for nearly everything. Few people die from bites or stings anymore. How anti-climatic.

After a long day of driving we finally got to our destination. Lake Argyle is the biggest man-made freshwater reservoir in Western Australia, or the size of 14 Sydney Harbors. We had an hour to kill before our sunset boat cruise and Annelies recommended the campground pool. After some convincing we changed into our bathing suits and walked over. We were totally impressed! It was a beautiful infinity pool that looked directly over Lake Argyle. Most importantly it was perfectly cool (did I mention it was still HOT?) When Annelies came to get us an hour later we all groaned and said we didn’t want to get out. The pool was too perfect, and I certainly didn’t want to leave. Thankfully we were in for something even better.

The captain of our little boat was friendly and informative. He started up the engine and we took off over the glass waters of Lake Agyle. He slowed the boat down a few minutes later and some rock wallabies came climbing down the cliffs. They were friendly and incredibly cute. I may or may not have suggested we take one home. Afterwards we jetted to another area with more wallabies and one single baby crocodile. He was the only one left out of his many baby siblings. But he was a good survivor and hopefully he will live to be a big and fearsome croc.

We finally stopped for a swim and everyone grabbed their water noodles and jumped in. The water was absolutely perfect and I was very content floating around on my noodle. Too quickly we had to climb back in the boat because there was still much to see before sunset. We saw many grown crocodiles, but they were freshwater and much smaller than saltwater crocodiles.

The Captain circled a little island and drifted up close to shore. When we looked out of the water and into the trees I shivered. There were Golden Orb Weave Spiders everywhere! He reassured us these spiders are quite harmless but the sheer amount of them was still scary. We did learn that they have the strongest web of any spider in the world. Stronger than steel in fact. Researchers are trying to experiment with different uses for the silk, an example being rebuilding damages nerves. Interesting, but still creepy.

We boated a little further for our most entertaining stop. CO peered over the edge of the boat and got blasted by a spray of water directly in her face. After much laughing it was explained to us that Archer Fish catch their prey by blasting them with water. We were all given hunks of bread and the show began. I would wiggle a piece of bread at the surface and a fish would spray a jet of water at my hands. It was hilarious and several pieces of bread later I was still cracking up like an idiot. Too funny!

Sunset was finally here! We grabbed our noodles and drinks, and jumped in. It was even better with a glass of wine! Sunset on Lake Argyle is in my top 5 most unique experiences. Between the water, wine, and sunset it was the perfect evening. Just this experience was worth the price of the trip, and it is difficult to put into words how content I felt floating on the lake. Sadly it was time to go back and we zipped to the dock where our bus was waiting. After dinner I wearily plopped into my tent and looked out at the full moon. What an evening it had been.

Day 3

Today started with a border crossing into Western Australia. We had to dump all of our fruits and veggies, so after a quick stop at Kununurra to resupply we started our long drive. The only stop we made today was at a little spring for a quick swim. We put on our hiking shoes, filled our water bottles, and got ready to hike. The sign said the pond was 1km away, so it was very anticlimactic when we were there 200 meters later. It was still hot (yup), so I didn’t mind. The spring was small and there wasn’t much room to move with the 10 of us, but I can’t complain because it  felt great. Would you have said no to a swim in 100 degree weather?

Our final destination today was Bungle Bungles National Park (Or Purnululu). When I first saw pictures in my research I knew I had to go. Unfortunately, a 4WD vehicle is required to enter the park but I have no experience driving bumpy roads. This tour did all the driving for me, which was the main reason I signed up for it. When Annelies announced we were turning onto the infamous road, I braced myself. It was a long ride, but thankfully I only got a little queasy. Annalies was a great driver and I didn’t lose my lunch. Success!

After 2 hours of mild whiplash we quickly set up camp and went to watch the sunset. The colors were amazing and the Bungle Bungles lit up with a brilliant orange glow. We also met up with the same Kimberley tour going the opposite direction. We introduced ourselves and chatted with our drinks as the sun went down.

We decided to join the other tour group for dinner, and although we didn’t mingle much while we ate we certainly did afterwards. AO brought out the Goon (what Australians call a crappy box of wine) and introduced us to a super fun game called “Ming Mang Mong.” Soon enough we were all giggling and yelling at each other, so it was a success. I stayed up for a good hour before calling it a night. It didn’t take long before I fell asleep looking up at the amazing stars.

Be careful of the deep hole!!

Day 4

I couldn’t believe it was already day 4. Time had gone by at a steady pace, but the more the tour group got to know each other, the faster time went by. We were a well oiled machine now, quickly setting up camp, prepping meals, and breaking down. Getting up at sunrise wasn’t such a chore anymore and we chatted excitedly about the day ahead. It was finally Bungle Bungles time! We drove about an hour to the foot of the domes, put on our hiking shoes and began our walk. The sun was strong enough that I put on my long-sleeve because I was afraid of getting a nasty sunburn.

First we walked to Cathedral Gorge and went through a beautiful red canyon to get there. There was indigenous art on the wall with handprints and a boomerang. Annelies explained that this used to be a men’s only area. When a boy would became of age he would start the next chapter of his life here. He would learn things in stages and as he became a man he would have further levels of knowledge revealed to him. They also learned many different languages, which was beneficial for their nomadic lifestyle. Women also had such areas of women-only knowledge. I looked up at the handprints on the wall again. They suddenly meant much more to me with what I had just learned.

We stayed on the trail and soon came to Cathedral Gorge. This was a huge cavern with a little pond in the middle, and great natural acoustics. Annelies and I whispered to LO and CO from across the cavern

“Hey! How you doing?”

“Fine thanks! You?

“Yeah good.”

We were speaking in hushed voices but could hear each other perfectly from across the cavern. Amazing! It was not the place to gossip, that’s for sure.

Our final stop this morning was Piccaninny Creek Lookout. Again it was hot (sorry but it was!), and we hunkered past the domes and to the viewpoint. Looking out over the Bungle Bungles made me feel really small. The geology was incredible and I could tell that the formations were very old. Estimated to be 350 million years, in fact. They are made out of sandstone, and the color difference in the orange and black layers is made by cynobacteria. I munched on an orange while I admired the colorful mounds. This just kept getting better and better.

We walked back to the parking lot and several of us asked Annelies if we could stop at the visitor’s center. She agreed but told us it was usually closed, and it was. The 10 of us groaned at the sudden lack of ice cream and cold drinks, but held our optimism for later that afternoon. I wanted to get a lapel pin for my collection, so I really hoped the visitor’s center would be open on our way back.

We drove 40 minutes and got to Echidna Chasm trailhead The first thing we did was walk up to Osmand lookout. It was a very short walk, but BO’s GPS watch clocked it at 102 degrees! We looked out over the gum trees for a few minutes before getting antsi to head into cooler temperatues. We walked to Echidna Chasm, and it was indeed cooler. There was a nice breeze coming from the gorge and the temperature steadily dropped by 20 degrees. It was a lovely place to relax and cool down.

This is where our first injury of the trip occurred. I heard a cry and I looked up. CO was leaning over, unsure of what had happened. During a casual walk through the cavern her foot slipped and she sprained her ankle. Of all the hiking we had done, poor CO sprained her ankle in a completely uneventful way.

Thankfully the hike wasn’t very long, and CO got back to the bus with no problems. We headed to the visitors center again and it was open! The air conditioned room was heavenly and we all looked down at the ice cream like a bunch of little kids. Beautiful cold ice cream. I also bought my pin and carefully stuffed it in the bottom of my pack for safe keeping.

It was late afternoon with a few hours to relax before sunset. We were driving back to camp when BO hopped out of the bus to go for a run. Woah what?! A run in this heat?! She was extremely fit and ran intense races regularly, but even so it left me bewildered at what the human body is capable of (although I don’t think all the training in the world could get me to that point).

What does Catastrophic mean?

Back at camp I tried to nap but it was too hot. I took an aspirin to alleviate my headache and mingled with everyone instead. Each person was completely different, which made group conversations a little more interesting. Our relaxation time went by fast and soon enough we jumped in the bus and made our way to a good sunset spot. There was just one problem – BO wasn’t back yet. She was running 7 km and it had been an hour and a half. She should have been back by now. We kept calm and hoped to find her up the road.

The further we drove the more worried everyone got. Annelies raced back down the road and suddenly there was an uproar of yells. “There she is!!!” BO was running towards us from a side road at full speed. What were the chances she was coming up the road as we drove by? She climbed into the bus and explained that she had taken the wrong left turn and gone a total of 16 km. She was mostly concerned that she left us worrying about her. Among her “I’m sorry’s” we all asked how she was. “Oh I’m a little parched but otherwise ok.” All that went through my head was “She’s just a little parched?! I would have need a helicopter airlift after running 16 KM in this heat.”

We drove a few minutes more and pulled over for sunset. It was spectacular. There were just the right amount of clouds to scatter color all across the sky. We all snapped pictures and took in the view while Annelies strummed on her guitar. It made for a perfect atmosphere.

Once it got dark we drove back to camp and began to prep for burrito night. I was excited to have Mexican food, but nothing compares to street tacos with extra avocado and salsa verde. When dinner was ready we turned on some music and exchanged stories while we ate.

After a few drinks we really started to groove to the music. MO was walking to our make-shift gatorade bottle shower when Frozen’s “Let It Go” came on. She ran over and joined Annelies in an interpretive dance. This was tonight’s entertainment and everyone was laughing at their total dedication to the song. Arms flew, bodies jumped, and facial expressions remained dead serious as they silently danced. The group exploded into laughter and applause when they finished. It was a great way to end the long day and I went to bed with a smile on my face. What was in store for us tomorrow in The Kimberley? Whatever it was, I couldn’t wait.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you want to continue the adventure, here’s Part 2.