August Trip To Broome-Part 2

We leave Hall's Creek and make our way West to Fitzroy Crossing.When we travel Grant always spies his beloved reptiles.We stop to take a photo of this gorgeous Centralian Blue Tongue..he was a feisty little fella and flattened himself out,blue tongue dashing in and out in his attempt to scare us off.
Once settled in at Fitzroy crossing we take a short drive and go to Geikie Gorge.I have never been here.We catch one of the Geikie Gorge Cruises to be met by lime stone walls stained and ereoded away from the water as it raises in The Wet Season and lowers in The Dry Season.It's a beautiful place. Water ripples reflect along the walls and there are several Fresh Water Crocs lazying around.

Looking back along onew side of the Gorge.

and the other side looking back.

Unfortunately Audrey slipped on her way off the boat and fell between the boat and the landing area causing a large jagged skin tear to her leg.Poor thing...she was sssoo embarrassed and Grant's face went white as a ghost...you forget your parents are so frail as they age.I work as a Registered nurse with the elderly and had taken a large first aid kit with us so I cleaned the wound,dressed it and bandaged it up.

Next area to visit was Windjana Gorge.Mum and Audrey sat this one out.This is the entrance to the gorge thru a slit in the rocks.Tim and Grant are dwarfed by its size.I can just imagine the water running thru here in The Wet Season.

The rock faces of the gorge have been worn smooth by past rushing water.In one spot there is a large fossil preserved in it's grasp.

All thru the gorge there are Fresh water Crocs...they are used to humans passing by and you can get quite close to them.

Back at the Fitzroy Crossing Hotel we stayed at we spy a vintage car.It's a charity drive for the Starlight foundation to raise money for kids with cancer.I was fascinated by the rusty corrugated iron roof and that the cars(there were 3 we saw) looked so old and yet were still drivable.....hhhmm much like me LOL.

Next day we visit Tunnel Creek again.I'll only put a few photos of here in this time as we visited it in 2008 here.Boabs dot the landscape everywhere out here.They are very slow growing so larger ones are ancient.

Audrey getting close to some Boab's.

Looking back at the entrance of Tunnel Creek from just inside.

From the exit looking back.

The exit from inside.

No Freshies this time but as usual Grant finds a reptile in there.This time it's a Stimpson's python.

We leave Fitzroy Crossing and make our way to Broome. We do a quick trip up to Derby and stock up on supplies and fill scripts etc.There is another Prison Tree here.This one is ancient judging by it's size.

Back on the highway heading ever so closer to Broome we stop at Willare Roadhouse and are thankful this was someone eles's bill to pay and not ours!!!

1709 Kms (1061 miles) from home

and 166 Kms (103 miles) to go.

On our last trip over here we only went as far as Fitzroy Crossing so I was excited to be able to go to Broome.The landscape was slowly changing and becoming more sandy with lots of low shrubs.The beauty of Broome awaits us.

hugs

Annette In Oz

August Trip To Broome-Part one.

At last I have had time to sort the photos from our road trip over to Broome in Western Australia and back, we did in August.We took Grant's Mum Audrey,my Mum Nancye and Tim.There is something magical with the light in the Kimberley area and all the colours seem richer.On the first day we left home early and made it to Kununurra just in time for sunset.We climbed up the old look out which is higher then the current one.It gives you a beautiful view over "Hidden Valley".This is a smaller version of the Bungle Bungle's (also known as Purnululu National Park).

Sunset form the look out looking West.

On the way back to our cabin we noticed the darkening sky was awash with flying bats off to feed for the night.

The next day we woke to find a fresh water crocodile basking in the sun near our cabin.

The view across the water to "sleeping Buddha elephant" rock.At certain angles it looks like a Buddha figure and an elephant at others.

We visited The Grotto again on our way to Wyndham.I stayed at the top with Mum and Audrey and Grant and Tim scampered down the worn stone steps to look about the bottom.

Mum(at right) and Audrey at the top standing in front of a Kapoke tree that is in flower.The flowers smell like bubble gum!!.

In The Grotto Grant spied a Mertens water monitor soaking up the sun on the rocks.

We continued on to Wyndham to show Mum and Audrey The Prison Tree.On the way out to The Prison Tree we stopped at some Aboriginal rock art that Grant knew about.

I had forgot how big The Prison Tree was.It's an ancient Boab that had a window cut into it.It was hollow inside and was used as a crude prison.There are several littered thru the Kimberley and some had bars in the windows as well.That's Mum and Audrey standing at the front.

I climbed in and Mum and Audrey peered in framed by the black inner walls.

Where branches have died and fallen off they create natures sky lights.Here is one taken with the flash on from inside the tree.

and flash off with the sunlight streaming thru.

After Kununurra we drove to Hall's Creek and used that as a base to drive to other areas in the Kimberley.Near Hall's Creek there is this amazing natural quarts seam called "The China Wall", that has been exposed and looks like some ancient white wall amongst it's bush surrounds.

On the rocks we were standing on Grant found this cute ring tailed dragon.

The next day we went of to the Bungle Bungle's.Once again I was in awe of this ancient cone shaped mountain range that we visited a few years back.Here is Mum and Audrey at the entrance. I took some lovely photos the last time we were there and a little video.So iIwont put as many up this time.Besdies we couoldn't take the older ladies on some of the walks we did last time as they are not as agile as us.

The striated beehive cone mountain formations are everywhere and I take a zillion shots of them again...they have a magnetic pull...I love this place!!

Mum and Audrey have never been here before and they are as fascinated as I was at seeing this amazing place.Here is Mum flanked by the ancient mountain range.

I'll let the photos speak for themselves:-

Cathedral Gorge.

The entrance to Echidna Chasm.

Audrey dwarfed by the Echidna Chasm walls.

Tim, Audrey and I taking a cool breezy break in the Echidna Chasm.

Mum and THOSE beehive's again.

Aerial view from the helicopter ride Mum and Audrey took.

On the way out of the Bungle Bungle's we spied an iconic Dingo.

Part 2 to follow...a trip of treasured sights and memories.The Australian bush holds so much light,colour and ancient treasures.It's my dreaming and my muse.

hugs

Annette In Oz