LarryJen

Friday, 16 June 2023

Tunnel Creek

Wednesday 14 June – Mount Hart to Birdwood Downs

A bit of a drive today as we had to adjust the itinerary when Windjanna Gorge campground closed for the season due to flood damage. Hence we were packed up and on the road just after 7.30am (Jenny is always very relieved to get the van hitched up without it rolling down the hill and into the river) and we repeated the wet and muddy drive back to the Gibb River Road. Once we were up and over Inglis Gap the road remarkably improved and was so well graded it almost felt like bitumen in parts. We can see now why we saw a guy letting his tyres down near Imintji – that’s where the rough and corrugated roads of the true Gibb really begin.

Quite a bit of traffic on this end of the Gibb and even more as we turned onto the road down to Tunnel Creek. Lots of clean cars and caravans who have all obviously come from the west and have yet to see any real dust and this road being recently graded, yet to see any really rough roads. Due to Windjana being closed there were heaps more caravans in the Tunnel Creek car park and we had to part on the side of the car park as there were no free bays. 3 tour buses there also so we expected the cave to be heaving with people. Luckily a lot of people were coming out or else sitting in the picnic ground having lunch as there didn’t seem to be that many people in the cave and there were sections where it was dark and quiet and we couldn’t see any other headlights.

We had to laugh at Shaun who had been quite nervous about the deep creek crossing where you have to swim for about 20m. He strode towards his doom and swam doggedly across in grim silence (expecting any moment for a crocodile to drag him under) but made it safely to the other side where he could then relax and enjoy his underground journey. Lots of creek crossing which was lovely as it was nice to be cool on another hot day. We shone the torches around and could seek lots of little bats on the roof of the cave and lots of little fish and even small marron or terrapins in the water but no crocodiles of any description. They would be crazy to be near anywhere near that many people I would think.

By the time we got back to the vans it was about 1pm but the boys wanted to crack on and get to tonight’s campsite so it was a party size packet of Cheetos for lunch. Oh well, you can’t eat fabulously every day and especially after two weeks on the Gibb when just about all the fresh food has run out or gone limp. Once we got back to the Gibb River Road it was time to pump up the tyres and say goodbye to the dirt – we are back on the bitumen!

Another hour’s drive down the hard stuff and we were pulling into Birdwood Downs Station. We weren’t sure where we would end up but by now it was 3.30pm and we were close enough to Derby to get phone reception and an email reply from Birdwood to say they had room for us so we pulled in and parked up in their ‘big rig’ area so we didn’t have to unhitch. We stocked up on sausages and steak from their fridge (another station that has upped its game this year) and retired to the vans, not bothering to go over to the communal fire pit or even use their amenities having become used to just using our own over the last couple of weeks.

Wednesday 14 June – Mount Hart to Birdwood Downs

A Little Dip

Tuesday 13 June – Mount Hart

Shaun’s birthday today so it was present time over a cooked breakfast. As we are just moseying around Mount Hart today it was a lazy morning as Shaun had birthday calls etc to take. We then piled into the Cruiser and drove down to Annie’s Creek to see how high the water level is. We were able to cross here in 2019 but not in 2021 after a better wet season so of course the road over is closed again this year. We walked along the creek instead and L nearly had heart failure when two pigeons flew out from behind a rock right in front of him. We were the only people there and probably the first for the day so we were the first to disturb their peace and quiet.

L and S skipped across the creek to visit the large boab tree on the other side but J, having seen in before, was content to stay on the other side and explore the various cascades and rock pools along the creek. Not much to see in terms of wildlife (apart from the pigeons) however.

Back in the car and headed off just as a tour bus pulled in so that was good timing. We drove on to Matthews Gorge (which we are pretty sure has been called Dolomite Gorge on previous visits). It was getting on for late morning and pretty hot again so we very quickly decided that a casual stroll to the first pools along the creek instead of making it to the big pool at the back of the gorge would be the go. One couple coming out as we got there so we had the place to ourselves for quite a while. The little waterfalls were flowing strongly and the pool was deep enough for a good soak so we stayed blobbing there for ages until at last another couple came along. Having been there long enough to start to feel hungry we left them to it and headed back to the car just as, once again, the tour bus arrived.

Back to camp and toasted up the ham and cheese sandwiches I had prepared earlier and then we decided that a lazy birthday afternoon was in order which because of Shaun’s advancing years also required us all to have an “LLD” (little lie down). Feeling much better (but a little hot and sweaty from being in warm vans on a hot day) it was time to hit the showers and dress up a little (ie J actually wore a dress for the first time all holiday!) and then go up to the station for happy hour drinks and dinner to celebrate Shaun’s birthday. A very nice meal was had (fish and chips for L&J and a yummy tandoori pizza for Shaun) just goes to show that you should never believe everything you read on Facebook and really should go places and make up your own mind. Mount Hart has been just as good as we remember, if not better, and is definitely worth a visit.

As they hadn’t stuffed up our dinner and hence we didn’t get free drinks this year, L was able to safely navigate the car back through the campground at the end of the night and after a couple more nightcaps and rocky road for dessert, it was time for bed.

Mt Hart

Monday 12 June – Silent Grove to Mount Hart

We had read some reviews recently that Mount Hart was ‘boring’ and ‘overrated’ so we set off today with some small fear that we had filled Shaun with unrealistic expectations about how good it is. We didn’t have a huge drive today so there was time for bacon and eggs for breakfast but, as we all wake up fairly early, we were probably still on the road by 8am.

A short back track to Imintji for fuel as L decided it was probably best not to stress about running about before we get to the other end as we are not sure how much fuel lugging the van in and out of numerous creek crossings to and from Mount Hart might be chewed up.

The drive in to Mount Hart puts a lot of people off as it is about 50km but we find it interesting as there are lots of fun creek crossings (albeit some quite muddy) and the road wends through picturesque hills that have interesting geological features with very black rock flowing down from the top of the hills that looks very igneous.

We made it to the station after about an hour of muddying up the car and van (and losing one leg handle in the bottom of a creek somewhere) and noticed immediately upon entering reception that the place has picked up its game since we were here last – lots of new helicopters, cars and plenty of staff running around in bright, shiny new uniforms with big smiles and European accents. The backpackers are back!

We were checked in quickly and efficiently and made our way down to the campground where there were very few campers and hence we were able to set up in a “L” shape right on the riverbank. We set up so that we are in the shade and Shaun in the sun as he needs his solar panels on his roof to be charging whereas our lithium batteries store charge for much longer. J made Ryvitas with vegemite, cheese and tomato for all while the boys set up solar panels and made a fire pit and then we sat in the shade, ate lunch and admired the river views for a while.

Before we could start to get lazy and think about hammocks and naps, we roused ourselves and put on bathers etc and headed off to Barker’s Pool which is a deep section of river to the south of the station. Showing that this place is indeed improved since our previous visits, they have installed a bit metal staircase down into the river (whereas before you had to scramble down the muddy river bank) and further down river we discovered a pedal boat for paddling up and down a 200m stretch of river. Therefore much fun was had with swims and paddles and much guffawing at Shaun and Larry’s attempt to paddle their boat in a straight line. Once they had mastered it, they were able to come and pick me up from the riverbank and I was then chauffeured up and down the river and decided there weren’t many better ways to spend a Monday afternoon.

We eventually hauled ourselves back onto dry land and headed back to the vans. It is so warm that it was easier to just stay in wet bathers for the late afternoon/evening especially as tonight’s plan was to have a big campfire (probably our last of the holiday) and therefore there was no point in having showers and then getting all smoky.

Honey mustard chicken in the campfire was another hit and, once again, no leftovers. To make the most of the campfire coals we then had a mixed berry damper. Shaun, having had a fridge drama earlier in the day when his van fridge kept tripping, contributed half melted Magnum icecreams to dribble over the hot damper. Once again a winning combination was discovered and soon gobbled up.

Off for showers in the amenity block (also clean and tidy – what are these people on Facebook complaining about??) before the generator went off at 8pm and then time for bed.

Bell Gorge

Sunday 11 June – Manning Gorge to Bell Gorge

A poor night’s sleep last night with a mixture of indigestion, too hot, too cold and snoring keeping us awake. We were still awake at about 6.30am though and, after coffees, set to packing up the van for another move west along the Gibb. Bad timing meant we slowly followed a large Jayco out of the campground and all the way to the water point. That, combined with the incredibly low water pressure and time taken to fill the tanks, meant there was plenty of time for Jen to walk the rubbish over to the rubbish cart, go to the toilet and then go into the roadhouse to buy iced coffees/chocolates and chicken nuggets for breakfast (strange choice I know – I had though they were mini hashbrowns when I ordered them).

Shaun took the lead and we followed in his dust past the turnoffs we might have taken if not for the big wet such as to Mornington. We made it to the Silent Grove campground by 11ish and found a reasonably shaded spot in the generator area. Surprisingly there seemed to be more vans in this part than in the non generator part which had been the opposite last time we were here and hence why we had chosen the generator area this time. Not to worry, we found a spot with picnic table and campfire ring between us and reasonably level and shady so all good.

We ate up the pizza for an early lunch and admired a big Titanium van near us. As this is one of the brands L&J are interested in for our retirement van Jen wandered over for a closer look as there was no car there and it seemed all was quiet for a family van. J jumped when the Mum inside said hello but we were soon chatting away and Jen was invited in for a closer inspection of the van having explained why she was invading their space. Very nice and they are very happy with it and the after sales service they have received so it will stay on our list of desirable vans.

The poor night’s sleep and heat had given J a bit of a headache which had developed almost to a migraine by lunchtime and the prospect of the hike into Bell Gorge just didn’t appeal. Once again, although it is really a fabulous waterfall this year, having been there twice before and knowing the rocky climb involved in getting down to the water, it seemed a good idea not to exacerbate a headache and annoy the boys with my slow going on the hiking section.

So a sleep and a catch up on the blog for J instead.

When the boys got back it was cheese and crackers on the picnic bench while the lasagne heated up on the marine cooker.

It was very yummy and no leftovers followed up with port and Turkish delight chocolate which we all agreed was an incredibly delicious combination.

Manning Gorge

Saturday 10 June 2023 – Manning Gorge

Jenny had already decided even in the early planning stages of this holiday that she would sit out the hike into Manning Gorge. It’s a long and arduous hike there and back although you are rewarded with the fabulous waterfall and swimming hole at the end. Having done it twice before, though, I didn’t feel the need and the chance of a lazy morning reading my book was more enticing.

I therefore waved the boys off about about 7.45am and stayed in bed a little longer before getting up and making porridge for breakfast – just for something different. I then decided to bake the bread dough I had prepared and frozen at home but I couldn’t get the inside oven to work and the outside marine cooker did a poor job at burning the outside and not fully cooking the inside so not a success.

Larry had asked me to keep an eye on the solar panels and keep moving them to stay in the sun and I noticed that once most people had left the area for their walks etc the crows moved in and started checking out campsites for exposed food/bins etc. It therefore quickly became apparent that it would be necessary for me to sit outside the van in the shade with my book and intermittently get up to move panels or chase away crows from ours and other campsites. And so the morning passed.

The boys were back before 11am looking a little hot and bothered and Shaun had managed to stub his toe again which was turning interesting shades of purple. After a little rest it was decided to carry out chairs, drinks and snacks down to the river next to our campsite and sit in the middle of the stream to cool our feet (and Shaun’s toe). This was such a good idea we stayed there for ages and the water was only ankle deep and there was enough shade to make it a cool and relaxing way to spend time.

We eventually climbed back up the hot and sandy hill to the vans for another little sit down in the shade and a late lunch of tinned spaghetti for me while Larry gamely forced down a couple of slices of undercooked burned break liberally slathered in butter and jam.

About 3ish we piled back in the Landcruiser and headed down to the ‘beach’ next to the day use area – the point from where the little boats are launched to ferry your stuff across at the beginning of the walk to the falls. As it seemed very crowded at that point we walked 100m upstream to a quieter spot. Only after entering the water we realised it was right next to a tree with a swinging rope and, not long after, so did the big group of noisy families that had spoilt the tranquillity at Galvan’s Gorge. Nothing for it but to move back up the original spot which now seemed a lot quieter – Jenny swimming there while the boys climbed out and carried the stuff back up there.

We then sat and blobbed in the water until we got cold and the loud, opinionated people around us started to get on our nerves. Really, how can you state categorically what’s the best parts of the GRR when you’ve only made it halfway and have yet to see it all?? They were all denouncing Mt Hart as ‘boring’ and ‘overrated’ which we don’t agree with at all but are happy for them to surmise as hopefully it means they will deter others and it will be less busy when we get there. L and I have had it confirmed that we really don’t like ‘people’.

Back to the vans to get another cracking fire started and, miracle of miracles, Shaun’s “FREE WIFI” sign on his door finally did the trick and a gorgeous, young, single female walked over from her camper (she’s from Byron, say no more) and introduced herself and asked for Wifi access. We left her and Shaun chatting by the campfire while we prepared pizza dough and toppings and then once Nicola wandered off to cook up her own dinner, very yummy pizzas were consumed with enough left overs to do for lunch tomorrow.

It was then an icecream on a stick each and, as Shaun’s Starlink was still on for Nicola, we watched and listened to various Simpsons songs including the one that we keep thinking of at the moment given all the big 4WD’s on the track – Canyonero! We also had a quick look at the AFL website to see how the Eagles had fared against Adelaide and wished we hadn’t – a 122 point loss – this team seems to reach new lows every game.

Galvins Gorge

Friday 9 June – Drysdale to Manning Gorge

We all wanted an early start today as the Adamsons want to make it back to Home Valley and we want to get to Manning Gorge with enough time to get a decent camping spot. Lots of hugs and farewells and then the convoy split back into two touring parties.

This part of the FSR was just as FS as before and required a few crawling sections at 5km/hour when the corrugations got too big. Another stop at the Kalumburu Road intersection rest stop for morning tea and to inspect the vans which fortunately seem to be intact. Another XT15HR being towed by a Landcruiser was there so we each admired the other’s set up. They had solar panels etc out and it almost looked they had camped up there for a while. Larry (only slightly sneeringly) suggested they probably didn’t have the superior battery set up that we have – our lithium batteries mean we very rarely drop below 80% capacity even with both fridges running at low temperatures.

We bumped off down the road with only one brief stop outside Gibb River Station (closed their year for some reason but it still has good phone coverage down at the gates) and then on to Barnett River roadhouse for fuel and hot chips before wending our way down to Manning Gorge campground. We headed through the campsite hoping for the same area we had camped up with the Overmeires a couple of years ago but one little car with roof top tent put paid to that idea. In the end, it wasn’t a bad thing as it forced us to go that little bit further and find a nice U-shaped spot with big, rock lined campfire ring looking out towards the river. A bloke across the way kind of spoilt the serenity by running his generator the minute we started setting up but he came across and apologised and explained he has smashed an Anderson plug and had not been able to charge up his van as expected on the journey there. Having all been there, all was forgiven.

Having already had hot chips we weren’t very hungry so just had a small lunch of a small quiche and party sausage roll each – the last of Kate’s 21^st pastries are now consumed. Before we could let the thought of afternoon siestas enter our heads we changed into bathers and climbed into the Cruiser to head to Galvan’s Gorge for a swim.

On our many journeys across the Gibb we have always been towing a van past this gorge and the carpark has always been too full of cars and vans to fit ours and Larry has not wanted to stop there. This trip I had made L promise to fit in a trip to Galvan’s Gorge as being one of few places along the GRR we haven’t been to. It is marketed as a ‘short, easy walk’ into the swimming hole but it was longer, hotter and more rock hopping than we expected and Jenny was glad she had left her hiking boots on ‘just in case’. The boys doing it in thongs found it hard going, particularly as we missed the path and clambered up the rocky river bed for the last 50 metres or so.

Unfortunately there were lots of people there and lots of people splashing, shrieking and swinging off the tree rope so it was far from being a place of relaxation and serenity. It was, however, very picturesque and the water was cool and refreshing enough to make it worth going. The walk back to the car was much more enjoyable as we followed the easier path back and did it in cool, wet bathers which always makes it a bit more enjoyable.

Back to the vans and it was once again a case of leaving wet bathers on until evening. We still have lots of wood after S&D’s wood gathering exercise so we built up a really good campfire. As we didn’t need it for cooking purposes we could have it as a proper fire and instead cooked up curried sausages on Shaun’s Weber. The coals were so good though that we ended up moving some across and had jacket potatoes and L made sure they were covered enough to get the really yummy cooked skin on the outside as well. The coals were still so good that a whole wheel of camembert was also thrown in there and Shaun’s idea of placing a small pile of coals on the shovel and putting the chese on there worked a treat.

A truly yummy meal once again and we expressed our satisfaction in burps and farts around the campfire which was only acceptable because it meant there wouldn’t be burps and farts in the caravan later on!

Still Bumpy

Thursday 8 June 2023 – Munnurru to Drysdale

A bit longer to pack up this morning and 3 nights worth of stuff to put away again. Funny how quickly you get out of the routine of the morning pack up after a couple of days.

We asked Shaun to go first across the water crossing so he could film us coming across and then we parted ways at the intersection so that he could go deal with his toilet cassette. We bumped our way down the road which was slightly worse than when we came up it three days ago. A short stop at the driveway into Doongan station to let the suspension etc cool down and just as well we did as one of our Anderson plugs connecting power between the car and van had come out and was trailing in the dirt. We think only since the last fairly deep water crossing so not too damaged at least. Taped it up to be repaired later today.

We made it back to Drysdale without further incident and after refuelling the car and rewatering the van found a nice shady spot towards the back of the campground with a large enough area to fit the 3 vans.

Headed straight over to the washing machines which were unused at this time of the day and got a load on whilst we set up and the Anderson plug was fixed. We hung that load out and, as there were still no other demand for the machines, decided to put on a second load of towels and all our bedding which is pretty smoky after the last few nights of big, roaring fires.

We walked over to the pub to book for dinner and a brief moment of panic when the bartender said he would have to check with the chef whether they could manage a table for 7 as they have two tour buses coming in tonight. Chef was in an accommodating mood fortunately so we celebrated that good news with another of their yummy beef burgers for lunch – this time with bread rather than a bun as the bun order has yet to arrive for the day. Still good though and we at our half so quickly (L and J sharing one) that it didn’t have time to disintegrate!

While the second load was on and as the ablution block was also quiet, Jen took the opportunity for a shower and to wash her hair which always feels like such a luxury after a few days of ‘top and tail’ showers in the van.

Chores done and feeling clean and neat we wandered up to the pub again at about 5pm and sat drinking beers/cider and playing Uno with the kids. Right on 6pm our pre-ordered steaks with garlic butter arrived, served with chips and salad (the same little bucket of chips with every meal makes me wonder how many frozen bags of chips they get through every day?!) Very yummy but very filling and L&J were glad they had agreed to share dessert of apple and blueberry crumble as our empty corners were pretty small!

As it is our last night together Amanda arranged for a chocolate brownie with a birthday candle for Shaun as it is his birthday in a few days and we all sang Happy Birthday fairly raucously. The Adamson’s gift to Shaun was a pair of crocodile g-string budgie smugglers which Shaun refused to put on despite Amanda’s encouragement. Amanda also gave us a card thanking us for our help and company over the past 2 weeks and with addresses for us to stay at when we are in their part of the world on our big lap. We will definitely take them up on the offer and look forward to keeping in touch with them and seeing how they enjoy the rest of their holiday and then settle back into ‘normal’ life. We feel they have become our friends as well as Shaun’s after all we have shared.

Back to the vans for a night cap but however much we wanted to stay up and prolong our time together our eyelids defeated us and it was off to bed we went. The campground at Drysdale is the quietest we have ever seen it so nothing to disturb our slumber.