Heroes of Circumstance

Well, here it is. A Saturday morning in Karratha. I have officially completed all my university work for my degree. Our original plan was that we were going to be planning our 5500km journey back to Kingaroy, across northern Australia on the onset of Summer. But as you may well be accustomed to by now, these plans have changed.

And this is the reason I am writing a blog post on a Saturday morning rather than being hard at study. Not only have the plans been changed they have evaporated into something greater. Karratha has transformed into our final destination…at least for the next few years.

Caleb has received a permanent job with Rio Tinto here in Karratha, so we have decided to tough out the hot, cyclone prone summers, and enjoy the marvellous weather Karratha has to offer the rest of the year for a little while. I too have just achieved employment in town upon finishing my degree.  We have found ourselves among some terrific people, and despite the fact that most of them will move on eventually, as will we, as is the nature of the town, the sense of community here is quite strong. We have seen some remarkable answers to prayer while being here in Karratha and feel this is where God wants us to settle for a while.

So here we are, living in a caravan park in Karratha, with our 12ft Jayco Sprite chained down in preparation for cyclone season that officially starts in November. The temperature during the day is regularly hitting 37 or 38 degrees and is only climbing.

This of course does not spell the end of our adventures, but it is the end of our nomadic travels around this great country for now. I guess that’s why it has taken me so long to announce the end officially on our blog – it’s kind of hard to believe it’s over. Of course, we are still planning a Tasmania trip sometime in the future, and there have been whispers of rumours of an Asian backpacking adventure in the mid to far off future, and there is the ever present threat of holidays at Ningaloo reef, further adventures in Karijini and even Broome. And as many of you may be excited about, we are still heading home for Christmas. But our Australian adventure of towing a 12ft caravan around the country, working in different places for a few months has come to an end. What a terrific ride it has been, and even though it has somewhat been cut short, I have no doubt great things will come from us staying here in Karratha. Thank you for sharing this adventure with us through our blog. I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

Karijini repeat - Dingoes, Red back spiders and Ninjas

Well, I bet you have all been wondering what on earth has happened to those two crazy Mayne kids?? In actual fact we have been keeping ourselves busy in Karratha, almost as far away from Kingaroy that you can get on mainland Australia, at work and at study. But let it not be said that we fail to continue the Mayne Adventure! Remember me telling you we got rained out of an abseiling tour while at Karijini National Park, way back in May? Well, we managed to set aside some times to correct that disappointment. Given that it was mid-semester break and Caleb had a couple of RDOs to use up, we made the most of it and took a long weekend off.

While packing for this adventure, I discovered a red back spider in our food box, or at least it would have been our food box had I not fumigated the female with insect spray. Didn’t think carrying food in that box would be too hygienic after that. Just thought I would let you all know that I nearly died, as the box was under the van, and I was trying to get it out by sticking my hand inside when I couldn’t see…or perhaps I’m dramatising the whole event a little. I tend to do that in this blog.

We left on Wednesday afternoon, took the Rio Tinto Rd short cut. Drove part of the way next to a massive train carrying iron ore. Yep, that would probably make its way to China and build up our economy. Scenery was spectacular though. It was along this road that we managed to spot three dingo puppies – they were so cute!

Thursday was our abseiling tour. I am hoping to upload a video of it. They gave us all the photos and videos they took throughout the day, but the video they did at the end was really long, so I will cut it down a little and post it up here another time (when I have time to do it). It was spectacular. In my opinion, Karijini National Park is one of Australia’s best kept secrets. It is amazingly beautiful. Breathtakingly stunning. My use of adjectives may be superfluous but I believe they are warranted.

We did the tour with four other people and a guide who looked a lot like Russel Coigt (lucky for us it was only by looks that he reminded us of him!) The water was cold, so we were dressed in wetsuit tops and pants – transformed into Karijini Ninjas! We climbed down one gorge (Knox Gorge) which got really narrow. We had inner tubes that we were pushing along in front of us, and we came to a water fall 8m high that was a natural slide. We slid down. Then abseiled down another 5m waterfall, before scrambling out of Knox gorge into Red Gorge – the biggest, with green water and red cliffs lining it. We then paddled on the tubes (totally the next Olympic sport) 1.2km to a place called Junction Pool. It is here that four gorges meet. We had seen it from a lookout on our previous trip and it was great knowing that we were at the bottom. We then climbed up another narrow waterfall, through a place called the Centre of the Earth, to come to another pool we had to rock climb around and up. After that it was a mere spider walk and a couple of climbs out of a different gorge (Hancock). I have put a few photos here to give you an idea.

 

It is difficult to describe these gorges though, they are unique and incredible. Nothing we have seen (or I have seen) in Australia rivals them. The rocks are in layers, perfectly straight, broken off at right angles. The water is crystal clear and has a gorgeous emerald colour. There are intricate patters and designs on the rocks and it is just so much fun to do the walks!

We were lucky enough to be able to share the rest of the trip with a couple we have met through the Baptist Church. It was great to be able to spend some time with people, get to know them and have a great time swimming and trekking through these gorges. We also met a nice German couple on the abseiling tour, and Caleb took the opportunity to invite them around and educate them on Australia. After a glass of wine or two, I was game enough to recite a German poem I learnt in grade 5, and they actually understood what I was saying! We had a great night that night, sitting around a fluoro light, watching the bugs fly so fast that they look like lines, gazing at the stars and the biggest Milky Way you have ever seen!

For more photos, check out the side bar of the blog (as well as Facebook) where I will be putting some photos shortly. It really is magnificent.

We have come back to our van now, after a great four days with friends and nature. Back to work and study. Only 5 weeks left of this semester for me, and after our little interlude, its time to get cracking and knock this degree on its head!!

A Hike, A Misadventure and Dust…Oh the Dust!

Since repairing our car in Broome we have managed to cram an awful lot of adventures into a short space of time. It is hard to believe only two weeks have passed since Broome when I reflect back on hikes, canoe trips and an incredible amount of dust. So for this particular blog post, my advice is this: grab a coffee and maybe a snack so you can settle in (and buckle up) because she’s gonna be a big one!

The Hike



Trekking the Bungles

 The Bungle Bungle Range is one of Australia’s more recently discovered landmarks. Only made a national park in the 1980s, it’s only about 100km off the main highway. Bit of a 4WD to get there – something like 14 river crossings comes to mind. Nevertheless, a truly unique part of the country. Upon arrival we discovered an overnight hike that can be undertaken into Piccaninny Gorge.  Normally we shy away from overnight hikes as we did not carry our hiking gear with us on this trip. But as this one was relatively short (30 odd km return) we decided to brave it with one hiking pack, half a tent, no mattresses and nearly 10 litres of water all up. Yes, I had my share (although, not entirely sure it was a ‘fair’ share) in my day pack as well. Caleb is an absolute trooper and my hero. That’s all I can say. The track itself was actually a creek bed consisting of sand, gravel and rock. Mainly sand and gravel. While this terrain is not conducive to hiking with a ridiculously heavy pack, winding through the domes of the Bungle Bungles is an extraordinary experience. They are pretty spectacular – like giant bee hives. The gorge itself was stunning – red cliff faces that made for terrific puppet shows that night, palm trees and boulders of conglomerate rock. So while there and back again was more than just a fair hike, it was well worth it. The only downside? The tourist helicopters flying over every 15 min or so…
Other highlights of the Bungle Bungle Range include Echidna chasm – over 100m long and incredibly narrow, as well as another (much shorter) gorge walk. Our second night camping in the north side of the park was complete with howling dingoes during the night. We also had a debate on whether or not it was acceptable to call the place ‘The Bungle Bungles.’ All the signs name it ‘The Bungle Bungle Range’ and in Caleb’s mind it therefore should be called ‘The Bungle Bungle’. But as I pointed out to my wonderful husband, there are no signs in the South Burnett (to my knowledge) pointing to ‘The Bunyas’ yet that’s what everyone calls them…Anyway, a mere trivial point of discussion. There are much more exciting adventures to relate before this post is done! So, moving on to the East Kimberley and the Kununurra region…

The Misadventure

All of you who know my husband know that when it comes to camping he is about the most prepared camper who was never a boy scout. Very rarely are we in want when we camp and if we are it is generally because I have forgotten something (like pillows, or oil, or insect repellent, or sleeping bags, or a toothbrush) and not the other way around.


Our Canoe in the early morning Ord River

 We arrived at Kununurra after hoofing it from the Bungle Bungle Range around lunchtime on a Sunday afternoon. There is heaps to see and do around Kununurra so we made a few calls and a few bookings. The first, and most important, was a 3 day self guided canoe trip down the Ord River. Over the phone we were told ‘all you need is food, clothes and sleeping bags – we provide the rest!’. Righto then. We went on with our day, which was a cruise on Lake Argyle (see below) at the end of which we had a glass of wine while watching the sunset and simply did not feel like doing anything particular afterwards. Of course though, we had to prepare for this canoe trip which was beginning in the morning. So we did the shopping and our packing and fell into bed ready to wake up early the next morning. We drove over to the canoe hire company at 6am the next morning where we met our mate Macca. Our mate Macca was your typical Aussie bloke who kindly took us through the barrels we were to load on the canoe and what they included – tent, mattresses, kitchen utensils, ‘fire sticks’ (I can only assume these were meant to be matches), pillows, sheet. He also went though what to expect at the camps – gas cookers, fire pits, platforms etc. We were the only ones going out that day so we would have the campsites to ourselves. Righto then. So off we go to the dam at Lake Argyle where our 55km canoe trip was to begin. We loaded the canoe, proved that we could control the thing without capsizing or arguing and set off on the first 20km of the trip. The first 20km were actually the most fun because the river narrowed at places which meant we barely had to paddle due to the water going so fast. Didn’t see any crocs on the first trip but we did hear quite a few splashes. The only precarious moments were when we leant over the side of the canoe for a drink of water (as we realised we had forgotten water bottles and none were supplied) and when the two tour boats operating would come screaming around the corner making bow waves to negotiate – but even then we didn’t even come close to capsizing (sorry folks, it’s not that kind of misadventure!). We came to a gorge to paddle down and the best part of the day, for myself personally, were the pair of jabirus we saw soaring, gaining height on thermals. They were magical. After a wonderful and fun day of paddling we arrived at the first campsite. A bit shabby to be sure – obviously the canoe hire business does not pay enough to finance simple repairs, but nevertheless, we had the entire place to ourselves, and a loo with a view to boot. We unpacked the barrels and went through our kitchen utensils, checked the gas bbqs, noted that while there was a fire pit, the fire wood was under water. Never fear, gas will be ok. But wait…Caleb, were there matches in that barrel? No. No matches. Ey? They supplied a frying pan, dishwashing detergent and cloth, can opener, peeler etc…but no matches??? It was one of those ‘surely not’ moments. When your stomach is telling you this simply cannot be true. At first it doesn’t seem to be a big deal, but then you realise with two days left on the trip you don’t actually have enough food that doesn’t need to be cooked. Oh no!


Early morning paddle anyone?

 We heard a tour boat approaching, and our mate Macca had told us that he had a good relationship with the tour operators (involving the beer currency of Western Australia I am sure) so Caleb paddled out and flagged it down. No matches on board and apparently no smokers either, but there was a second boat coming in a few minutes, maybe more luck would be had there? So Caleb paddled out to the middle of the river where he was sure to be seen, and in the path of the next boat so it had to stop. Meanwhile, I set about setting up the tent. Going through our barrel with clothes and pillows and sleeping bags…Caleb, more bad news! We forgot the sleeping bags! This was nothing but our own stupidity but still, overcome-able as we had jumpers, towels, a sheet and a tent fly that was used as a substitute. Still unbelievably inconvenient though! Caleb flagged down the next tour boat and out of 30 people, one good Samaritan offered us a lighter. One answered prayer for the day – praise the Lord! Meat was back on the menu! So despite the few things we had forgotten on our own account (sleeping bags, oil) and the things our mate Macca forgot to mention we would need (matches, loo paper, candles for the candle holders, water bottles) we managed to have a fantastic trip. I think we may have cost our mate Macca two cartons!


Herbie's Hideaway

 Day two was by far the highlight as we explored up the off shoot creeks to discover water falls and cascades in seemingly untouched waterways. Magic. Again, no crocodiles but lots of splashes. One such place we ‘discovered’ was a waterfall at ‘Herbie’s Hideaway’. We nearly missed the entrance as it was overgrown with pandanus palms but thankfully there were some land marks to follow. Now, have you ever had one of those moments where things are just a touch to precarious for photos – a little too tense to record? This entrance was one such moment. Not only was it overgrown with palms, but also, golden orb spider webs with some of the hugest orb spiders I’ve ever seen. Literally, 10 or so in a row. Me, being in the front was supposed to ‘use my paddle as an axe to cut down the spider webs’ according to our guide book…but it said nothing about the spiders and I was not going to risk having one run down my paddle and onto me! So began the ultimate game of limbo…ducking under these spider webs, watching them only a few centimetres above your head. I am so glad I was not with my arachniphobic mother! Once we battled the spiders (or rather, avoided them as much as we could!) we paddled till we could paddle no more, then bush bashed until we came to the incredible little hideaway – water falling over red rocks and crystal clear water and better yet – absolutely nobody else in sight! Priceless! Of course, we had to battle the spiders once again coming out, but we found the right line through the maze and all was sweet (we were pros by that stage you see).
Thankfully, the rest of the trip passed without a hitch, and we actually managed to spot some crocodiles slithering into the water, goannas, turtles and all kinds of bird life. So it was a terrific misadventure.

The Dust…Oh the Dust!

The place isn’t that dusty!
All I can see is ‘the cleaner’ from Black Books, waving his clean finger in the air and returning it dusty… “Dirty!”
Up here the dust is inescapable – especially when 4WD-ing with your husband who wants to get to the Bungles quicker than the people in front so he tail gates them…with his window down to ‘enjoy the nice day’. Hmmm. But even so, The other places we visited on this trip where stunning, in true Kimberley style and I will briefly (I promise…briefly!) share them with you now…


Lake Argyle - Like Glass

  Firstly is the largest manmade lake in Australia – Lake Argyle. It’s huge! And beautiful. Dammed in the 1970s, the East Kimberley has more water than home sees in a year probably. They haven’t quite struck gold with their agricultural endeavours, but they are currently giving sandalwood a good go. We did a cruise on the lake and saw the sunset and it was just really lovely. The water is still like glass, and out in the middle, you can’t see the edges. Plus, having had a record wet season last season, there was even MORE water than expected!
Also in the Kununurra region is a station called El Questro. The turn off from the Gibb River Road is on the eastern side. Now this is a station that figured since they had some spectacular gorges on their cattle property, they would profit out of Kimberley tourism. The Wilderness Park is ridiculously expensive ($36 a nite PLUS entrance fee, for a campsite in a dust bowl…a very nice dust bowl by the river though) but boasts some beautiful red-cliff gorges with stunning waterfalls at the end, thermal springs, great escarpments and terrific lookouts. It does encompass all the wonder of Kimberley in a small area and as we were rather strapped for time on this particular Kimberley venture it suited us fine. 

 
Our final stop on our 4 week venture was at Barn Hill. Otherwise known as ‘Grey Nomad Perch of the Year.’  A little south of Broome (we went there on our way back) it is a nice little station stay more than less than half the price of El Questro, on the beach. It was great to have a few nights here to relax before heading back to the hectic second term in Karratha. Didn’t do a lot here, was just nice to be by the ocean, have the ocean breeze, walk along the beach etc.
The Kimberley region is a stunning part of this country – a great illustration of its vast barrenness, but also its intricate and often times hidden beauty. Who would have thought the Bungle Bungle Range had not been discovered until a little over 30 years ago? And all those tranquil places on El Questro, we kept asking ourselves, how many more places are out there hidden from people’s eyes, flowing and magical, just waiting to be glimpsed by us? But for now, it’s back in Karratha, to work and study, work a little more and hopefully, build up enough finances to make is back home at the end of the year before heading south for the Summer. Tassie and Vic - the last destinations on the great Mayne Adventure.
We have been travelling now for over 12 months. It is incredible how much the time has flown and we feel ready to re-enter the work force and contribute to the economy next year. So with our great adventure more than half over, and looking down the barrel of 3-4 months in Karratha, I must apply myself to my final semester of University. This post is adieu for a time, but rest assured, come November (and most probably at certain intervals before that) the Mayne Adventure will be back in full for a final swing!

Typical Kimberley Sceanery