Day 119 - Thursday 2nd May 2024

Awake at the usual time, which unfortunately meant I was wide awake at 04:30 due to yesterday's entry into a new time zone. I made a plan for the day meaning that I needed to leave my luxury cabin at around midday to give me time to refuel and get to the meeting point for this afternoons Sunset Cruise in good time for a 14:00 departure.

I did contemplate a visit to the nearby Mirima National Park this morning, but in the end decided on a lazy morning ..... I'll go and have a look at that early on Saturday when I leave here for Halls Creek. Out to the cafe here for coffee and a caramel slice at 09:00ish, and then back to enjoy the stunning view out front; a view that I wish I could roll up and take home with me. A view that I could never take for granted!

A little bit of irony struck me yesterday as I crossed the border into Western Australia. I've now visited all of the major mainland states barring Queensland (I even snuck into ACT on the way through from Sydney to Thredbo), but the car that I'm driving has Queensland plates.

Away from the cabin at 12:00, and a stop off to refuel once again before heading for Lake Argyle, I arrived in good time, so went and explored the Ord River Dam Lookout before returning to check-in for the afternoons cruise.

A bus picked the group up (well, most of the group as it was too small for everyone so had to make two trips) and delivered us to the boat, and once everyone was onboard we were away. We cruised out into the lake, and through the narrow gap where the dam was originally going to be built. This didn't happen due to the amount of fault lines running through that section, so the dam was built a short way further downstream; the faults were easily visible amongst the folded rock strata.

We stopped when a Freshwater Crocodile was spotted basking on the shoreline (apparently there to cool down rather than heat up as I'd assumed), and then proceeded to a bay where we fed bread to the fishes. We then explored the Bay of Islands, and learned how it had been estimated that to would take 8 or 9 years to fill the lake after the dam was completed, but thanks to Cyclone Tracey it was full after just 3 years.

We also learned that currently the level of the lake is several metres above the spillway, and that the volume of water currently heading downstream is equivalent to 2 Olympic swimming pools a second. With that and evaporation, the level of the lake is currently falling by 7cm per day. 

We then learned that when the valleys started to flood, a lot of work was done to rescue animals, and we then visited one of the islands where these rescued animals were then rehomed. As we approached a family of Wallaroos (apparently a cross between a Wallaby and a Kangaroo) came down to the foreshore, scaring off a Crocodile in the process; unlike their Saltwater cousins, the Freshwater Crocodiles are fairly timid. The crew of the boat habitually feeds the animals on this island, and this time was no different. In the next bay a Kangaroo waited and received similar treatment.

We then made out way into the centre of the lake, and were tethered to a buoy so that folks could swim. I'd taken my swimming stuff with me, but couldn't summon the enthusiasm to get changed and jump in, so I stayed onboard and watched the rocks change colour as the sun descended inevitably towards the horizon.

I think I've been a bit spoiled by sunsets over the last few weeks as I didn't find this one that impressive, although we did have a fair display of yellows and oranges immediately after the sun had descended behind the hills.

In the gathering twilight, we made our way back to the harbour area, and once again the bus needed to make two runs to get everyone back; I was in the second cohort, and by the time I returned to the car it was pitch dark, and it was only 18:00!

I've heard stories from various places about not driving after dark, and today was no exception as I was warned of Kangaroos standing in the middle of the road. For the entire journey back I was covering the brake pedal, but saw no sign of any marsupials of any kind. At 18:50 I was back in Kununurra, and pulled into the restaurant where I had dinner last night. They were busy and food was going to be at least an hour, so I left to return to my cabin where I had a breakfast bar for my dinner.

I need to have a nights sleep to get a proper perspective on todays excursion; I think the nervousness as I was driving back is clouding my thoughts at the moment ..... the journey back was certainly on my mind for the last hour of the cruise. 

Once again, I have a really slow internet; I guess everyone here is using it currently. This means that I'm struggling to load the photos from today, so I'll add those when I can ..... if I'm awake at 04:30 again tomorrow that'll probably be the perfect time!