Across to Kununurra

Leaving Broome was very difficult as we had stopped for over a week and our gear was spread out all over the place and packing-up motivation was low. However, it was also getting very hot and would only get hotter as we had to move north towards Darwin. On the 2nd of September we left with the intention of stopping at Derby for the night because we had read that there was a long jetty and good fishing and crabbing, but after about an hour we decided to continue on. The jetty was lined with iron ore barges from mines on some of the islands up north and it didn't look like a lovely fishing spot after all. So, 500km later we arrived in Fitzroy Crossing and camped overnight at the Fitzroy River Lodge. Along the way the vegetation was fairly green and there were heaps of bizarre looking Boab Trees to keep us slightly interested in the drive. The next morning, after a swim in the very cold pool, we continued about 300km to Halls Creek where we checked into the very daggy and dusty caravan park and were shocked to find that our friends that we met in Warnambool Victoria were also here. Tanya, Luis and 2 kids had been stuck in Halls Creek for 2 weeks while their 4WD was being repaired in Broome. Poor people. But Luis had caught the Greyhound bus last night, picked up their repaired car, stocked up on groceries and alcohol, and was currently on his way back. Not only is Halls Creek a bit low on grocery stores and incredibly hot (38 degrees today) but it is also a dry town and not the place you want to break down in. The next day we stopped at the Doon Doon Roadhouse for lunch and met a bus-load of Greek people doing a 6 week tour of Australia, than continued on to Kununurra for one night. In the evening we went over to the nearby lagoon and spotted lots of Freshwater Crocodiles with our torches. The following morning, after stocking up with groceries, we drove to Lake Argyle and camped for 2 nights at a fabulous campground overlooking this amazing lake and the surrounding red mountains. Lake Arglye used to be Argyle station and was flooded in 1972 when they dammed the Ord River. We visited the original homestead that was moved, stone by stone, to much higher ground. The Lake contains over 18 times the volume of water that is in Sydney Harbour, irrigates over 13,000 hectares and generates hydro electricity for Kununurra and the Argyle diamond mine. The days were incredibly hot but we happily cooled down in the pool. This part of our trip is beginning to become a tour of swimming pools. At Lake Argyle we camped beside a lovely family from the Yarra Valley in Victoria with 2 daughters who quickly became playmates with Ashleigh and Hannah.