Wednesday, 30 July 2014

We didn't get into our camp until dusk yesterday, which is my excuse for missing a day!
We left Lake Argyle, regretfully as it is a lovely spot and we could have stayed longer (but home and our grandchildren beckon), but the specified time of 10am. Always intrigues me this checkout time irrespective of ones arrival time. First stop was reconstructed, the original site is under the lake but the house was rescued stone by stone, Durack homestead from Argyle Downs, their station. It was very interesting, giving an in site into the life and times of the Durack family. From there we went into Kununnurra fuelled up, shopped and made a few phone calls. Kununnurra is a reasonable sized town now, somewhat bigger and busier than it was the last time that I visited about 20 years ago. Then it was time to head north, we had chosen a campsite for the night, but as dusk closed in we chose another next to the junction of Victoria Hwy & Gt Northern Hwy. Luckily as this turned out to be quite a nice roadside rest area and the other when we found it today no good at all. 
This morning it was pack up camp ( this takes very little time depending on the mess we have made inside the van) and continue our progress northward to Wyndham. Wyndham is still a sleepy little hollow although the port area had a little bit of activity, otherwise nothing much has changed, the town has not found an attraction to get much of the tourist dollar. We drove up to the 5 Rivers Lookout, the road is steep, very windy with some real hairpin bends, but the view from the top is huge or even huger! The local Lions club has put quite a bit of effort into the lookout, I presume with some help from the shire. It has a picnic area with tables, roof and lights, a very attractive and pragmatic stone fence, parking area etc. From the lookout one can indeed see 5 rivers, indentified by a bronze map on a pedestal, the port, the town and large amounts of the surrounding countryside. Well worth the drive up but after a good look and lots of photographs we headed down and drove out to the port. Not much there but it is low ground and judging by the buildings not really cyclone prone. There is also an old cemetery where the 12 workers who died during the meat works construction are buried along with a number of relatively young people. I guess the young people bit is endemic of areas like this where the conditions are still fairly tough. Then back on the road to last nights campsite. 
Tomorrow we start heading south, paradoxically on the Great Northern Highway. 

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