We’ve found that we don’t realise quite how hard the camping life is, until we stop. Despite having become more adroit at putting up the tent (Nick) and putting together the tables and making tea (me) it’s still all a bit of a slog, particularly preparing and washing up supper. Especially in the heat. So after our motel night in Kununurra we decided to continue with the air-con theme and spent the next couple of nights in a cabin that was part of the Kimberleyland campground. Everything we wanted in one small space, including a kitchen, and right on the shores of Lake Kununurra. Nick did a stirling job of cleaning the car inside and out, while I did my best to remove the dust from all the cooking pots, fridge etc, as from here for a while we’ll be mainly on the bitumen once again – big relief. And there was still time to lie on a mat on the grass just inches away from beautiful Crimson Finches taking a bath in a puddle – so close I could feel the water splashing my face.
It was also good to prepare normal food like steak and salad for a change, without crouching over the primus in the dark fending off the flying insects. Despite having invested in a large and rattling Camp Oven (a big cast-iron casserole thingummy) I haven’t actually used it yet. It will, I’m told in the instruction book, cook up scones and casseroles a treat, but quite frankly by the time we’ve raised the tent the sun has set and we’re in the dark, and it’s hard enough groping around with head torch for what we need to make supper. The last thing I feel like doing is faffing around like a camping Domestic Goddess tempting Nick with tea-time treats. Our camping diet tends to revolve round veggies in some form with pasta or rice; rather than fill the small fridge with cryo packs of meat we use it for essentials such as cold beer and drinks, real milk and of course chocolate. But we usually manage to find somewhere to eat out once or twice a week, so life ain’t too hard.
From Kununurra we took an excellent boat tour up the Ord River to the Lake Argyle Dam, and down again, 110km in all. In the 39C heat being on the river, and zooming along for spurts at 40 knots, was as good a way as any to keep cool, and they do these trips really well – good commentary on the bird and animal life on the shores, lots of cold drinks, fresh melon and even Afternoon Tea with scones at a riverside camp. Kununurra is very much the fruit bowl of Western Australia and further afield, with abundant water from the Ord River irrigation scheme. Their main crop in about 3 years’ time will be sandalwood for the Asian market, which takes 15 years to grow before it can be harvested. Sandalwood is parasitic and needs a host tree, so three different trees are planted alongside it to see it through its 15 year growth. At the moment they harvest melon (rock and water) and mangoes – we bought a Tupperware box of frozen mango (last year’s crop) and for a whole day were in mango heaven.
From Kununurra we drove up the road to Lake Argyle, and it was back to camping. Travelling counter-Nomad has its advantages as the camp sites are emptying, but we now understand why everyone’s going the other way – to escape the heat. We’re really feeling it now, upper 30s by day and not very much cooler until about 3 am, so camping is more of a challenge. To say it’s a doddle getting out of bed at 5.30 am isn’t quite true, but the heat certainly makes it easier. We try to do energetic things like walks first thing, and before sunset (still 5.30ish in WA) and find a shady place to be during the day.So once again it seemed like a good idea to take to the water, this time on an afternoon and sunset cruise the other side of the dam on Lake Argyle itself. Lake Argyle was formed behind the dam created in 1974, flooding an area of approx. 1000 square kilometers (about the size of Hong Kong including the New Territories) and has the same volume of water as 21 Sydney Harbours. And no water traffic when we were there except for our big boat with its 12 passengers, on a vast body of water like glass. We explored just a small part of it, with wonderful bird-watching up one of the creeks, the late afternoon sun reflecting the greens and ochres and deep reds into the water. We stopped for a swim, our guide floated glasses of champagne and nibbles out to us on a polystyrene tray and we toasted the sun disappearing into the water. These Aussies really do know how to do things!
It was also good to prepare normal food like steak and salad for a change, without crouching over the primus in the dark fending off the flying insects. Despite having invested in a large and rattling Camp Oven (a big cast-iron casserole thingummy) I haven’t actually used it yet. It will, I’m told in the instruction book, cook up scones and casseroles a treat, but quite frankly by the time we’ve raised the tent the sun has set and we’re in the dark, and it’s hard enough groping around with head torch for what we need to make supper. The last thing I feel like doing is faffing around like a camping Domestic Goddess tempting Nick with tea-time treats. Our camping diet tends to revolve round veggies in some form with pasta or rice; rather than fill the small fridge with cryo packs of meat we use it for essentials such as cold beer and drinks, real milk and of course chocolate. But we usually manage to find somewhere to eat out once or twice a week, so life ain’t too hard.
From Kununurra we took an excellent boat tour up the Ord River to the Lake Argyle Dam, and down again, 110km in all. In the 39C heat being on the river, and zooming along for spurts at 40 knots, was as good a way as any to keep cool, and they do these trips really well – good commentary on the bird and animal life on the shores, lots of cold drinks, fresh melon and even Afternoon Tea with scones at a riverside camp. Kununurra is very much the fruit bowl of Western Australia and further afield, with abundant water from the Ord River irrigation scheme. Their main crop in about 3 years’ time will be sandalwood for the Asian market, which takes 15 years to grow before it can be harvested. Sandalwood is parasitic and needs a host tree, so three different trees are planted alongside it to see it through its 15 year growth. At the moment they harvest melon (rock and water) and mangoes – we bought a Tupperware box of frozen mango (last year’s crop) and for a whole day were in mango heaven.
From Kununurra we drove up the road to Lake Argyle, and it was back to camping. Travelling counter-Nomad has its advantages as the camp sites are emptying, but we now understand why everyone’s going the other way – to escape the heat. We’re really feeling it now, upper 30s by day and not very much cooler until about 3 am, so camping is more of a challenge. To say it’s a doddle getting out of bed at 5.30 am isn’t quite true, but the heat certainly makes it easier. We try to do energetic things like walks first thing, and before sunset (still 5.30ish in WA) and find a shady place to be during the day.So once again it seemed like a good idea to take to the water, this time on an afternoon and sunset cruise the other side of the dam on Lake Argyle itself. Lake Argyle was formed behind the dam created in 1974, flooding an area of approx. 1000 square kilometers (about the size of Hong Kong including the New Territories) and has the same volume of water as 21 Sydney Harbours. And no water traffic when we were there except for our big boat with its 12 passengers, on a vast body of water like glass. We explored just a small part of it, with wonderful bird-watching up one of the creeks, the late afternoon sun reflecting the greens and ochres and deep reds into the water. We stopped for a swim, our guide floated glasses of champagne and nibbles out to us on a polystyrene tray and we toasted the sun disappearing into the water. These Aussies really do know how to do things!
Pics: Domestic Goddess? I don't think so
Forest Kingfisher
Taking it easy, Lake Kununurra
Sunset in style, Lake Argyle
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