26-29 June - Kununurra

After leaving Emma Gorge we travelled onto Kununurra, our first town in almost a month. Caught up again with the Serisers and the Webbs (who have now decided to travel with us to Alice Springs). Kids loved seeing their friends again and were quickly busy at the campsite making tepees from hay and dirt towns from rubbish they had found. Not the most hygienic way to spend their time as Fred wasn’t averse to picking up anything, including old nappies.
We had heard a great deal about the Kununurra markets (although now that I think about it I don’t know who from) and had arrived in Kununurra especially to be there on a Saturday. It turned out to be a very small affair with none of the bull testicle beer holders that Tim had set his heart on (last seen at the Drysdale River Station) We all enjoyed the fresh mango smoothies. Very fruit and veg deprived after a month in the Kimberleys. We spent the afternoon cruising around town and restocking supplies, which seemed to be the pastime for Saturday in Kununurra as the shops were packed. In the evening we went to see the movie “Dean Spandley” at the local drive-in movie, which although rated G was more an adult movie. It starred Sam Neil as a minister who, after a few sips of Tokay, would entertain the dinner guests with stories of his prior life as a dog. Although the grown ups enjoyed it, I don’t think the kids would rate it in their top 10.
On Sunday we went on a day trip to Wyndham with the Serisiers and Webbs. First up on our journey was an exciting river crossing across the fast flowing Ivanhoe river. We spent a while there taking photos and watching others cross the deep water. Further along the track we drove into Parry’s lagoon, where we all stopped for a drink and the kids swam in the pool. Then on to Wyndham with a stop at the 20 metre statue of a crocodile and the up to a spot overlooking the joining of the “5 rivers” – Pentecost, Forrest, Ord, King and Ivanhoe. We had lunch here and it was a spectacular view over the rivers. Stopped at the “largest” Boab tree in the local caravan, and spent all of two minutes here. We’d seen hundreds of Boabs by this time, so yet another one…
The Serisiers and Webbs had some work to do on their cars, so we spent the next day touring the industrial areas of Kununurra picking up tyres and looking for “stuff”. The kids spent the day perfecting their backflips into the pool. Looking forward to hitting the road again tomorrow