Kununurra, Western Australia

Kununurra is a hot, ancient place with scenery that takes your breath away. Now I know why they made the first part of the movie 'Australia' up here, you have to see it to believe it.

It's home to the Ord River Irrigation Scheme (ORIS). The Ord River was once one of the fastest flowing rivers in Australia in the wet season but in the dry, it was reduced to a series of small water holes.

It was decided that there was an urgent need to harness this huge amount of water rushing straight out to sea every year and that's when ORIS was born.

Opening in 1972, ORIS was a massive undertaking and took nine years to complete. That most precious commodity - water - provides irrigation to farmland, every day, all year round and the flow down the river is regulated by the opening and closing of gates.

Lake Argyle

This successful agricultural endeavour produces sugar cane, chickpeas, melons, pumpkins, mangoes, sandlewood and citrus and also generates power for the town of Kununurra, Wyndham and the Argyle Diamond Mine. Not surprising then that State and Federal governments have given the go ahead for expansion of the farms.

Lunch break

The dam created Lake Argyle which holds 18 times the volume of water in Sydney Harbour. It was named after the property it partly submerged - Argyle Downs, home to Dame Mary Durack, famous Australian author who wrote "Kings in Grass Castles".

She traces her grandfather's epic journey across the continent to WA, where he established pastoral stations in the 1890s. She also wrote about her father, politician Michael Durack in "Sons in the Saddle".

Water pours down here in the wet

The lake is regularly refilled by the monsoonal rains in the 'wet' each year and is home to abundant wild-life including 25,000 fresh water crocodiles.

Ivanhoe Crossing

Thanks to the foresight of the architects of this mighty project, the successful and productive agricultural farms in Kununurra will never experience drought ever again.

Argyle Diamond Mine, Western Australia

The signature stone of Rio Tinto's Diamond Mine in the East Kimberley is the beautiful, rare pink diamond. They cost 20 times the price of an equivalent white diamond.

They are the world's largest supplier of diamonds and produce 20 million carats every year and account for one-fifth of the world's natural diamond production. The majority of diamonds are sold as rough or uncut stones by Rio Tinto Diamonds' central sales and marketing office in Antwerp, Belgium and also at their office in Mumbai, India. The rare pink diamonds are sold to jewellery manufacturers, designers and up market retailers.

Edit 28 December 2012:  Rio Tinto intends to sell its Argyle diamond mine or float it on the stock exchange.  Rio put a collection of 'hero' diamonds up for private tender - 56 pink diamonds, including two extremely rare red diamonds and 19 separate lots of blue diamonds, only found in the East Kimberley mine.  The world's rarest diamonds were snapped up by anonymous Japanese, Chinese and Indian buyers.

Halls Creek, Western Australia

Caroline's Pool was used by the early pioneers as it has water, even in the dry season

The China Wall is an unusual vertical quartz vein rising up to 6 metres from the earth and winds its way up over the hill and through the rugged landscape for fifteen kilometres.

Aboriginal people living in remote communities like Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek don't speak English.

Wendy Baarda, resident of Yuendumu, NT for 35 years and teacher for 30 years, says that forcing children to learn classroom English will be the death of Aboriginal languages. She says that trying to teach Aboriginal children lessons in a language they don't understand (English) is so frustrating for them, they don't want to come to school at all, and often don't. What's the point when they don't understand what the teacher is talking about. Likewise, the teacher hasn't a clue what her students are saying or thinking - she doesn't know why that fight broke out, or what they are laughing about. The children tell their parents they get headaches when they have to learn English.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin and Arts Minister Peter Garrett have announced they will pledge $9.3 million over the coming year to help take 113 indigenous languages off the critically endangered list. Communities will be encouraged to use their own languages as much as possible and all efforts will be made to pass them on.

Although I see that self-respect and dignity comes from having your language recognised and valued, I wonder if it won't set Aboriginal people even further apart from mainstream Australian life. How can an Aboriginal child succeed in life with no English and limited education? It's yet another complex dilemma to be worked out.

Mary's Pool, Western Australia

We had to go up on a hill to get the satellite dish to bring in the TV signal

With such long distances between towns, these socalled 'free camps' are a welcome sight. They allow the weary traveller to rest free of charge overnight. Male and female toilets are provided but there is no water or electricity.

At sunset, we counted 52 rigs

This doesn't pose a problem to most tourists - like us, they either have a generator or solar panels and water tanks are built into the caravans.

Expecting a picturesque pool with cool, clear water on a 35C day, Mary's Pool turned out to be a dry river bed with a crocodile warning. I won't tell you what I thought, but it rhymes with bucket.

Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia

Pink cliffs

The Kimberley covers 421,451 square kilometres (approx 261,000 miles), and is three times the size of England. But only 40,000 people live here, which means there are fewer people per kilometre here in the Kimberley than almost any other place in the world. It's one of the last great wilderness areas left to explore.

Fitzroy River in flood 2002

The small Kimberley town of Fitzroy Crossing is made up of mostly Aboriginal communities on the banks of the Fitzroy River. In the wet season, the flow rate down the 15 kilometre wide flood plain is estimated to be 30,000 cubic metres per second. What a sight that must be.

Eighteen kilometres from Fitzroy Crossing is the Geikie Gorge National Park. Cruising the placid waters of the Fitzroy River, we saw lots of harmess little fresh water crocodiles, rock wallabies, unusual birds and the magestic grey, pink, black and red coloured cliffs.

Built in 1897, many a stranded traveller spent some happy hours here at the Crossing Inn.

I was surprised to learn that fresh water crocodiles are very different from their cousins, the salt water crocs. Freshies, as they are called, have a narrow snout, a single row of scales on their head, grow to 3 metres and are not considered dangerous if left alone. However, salties grow to 7 metres, have a broad snout and two rows of scales on their heads and will sometimes come into fresh water to breed. They feed on crustaceans, fish, reptiles, birds and mammals, and the occasional careless human being.

We are staying at a very nice caravan park called Fitzroy Crossing Lodge and noticed four vehicles coming into the park on the back of tilt-tray trucks, with their caravans in tow. It seems all four got dirty fuel at Halls Creek, 280 kms up the road, and the 4WD's seized up completely.

Old post office, now Backpacker accommodation

They think a new tanker driver put some unleaded fuel into the diesel tank by mistake, so they got a very nasty mix. Having to be towed out here is an expensive exercise, the driver told Dennis he charges $3.30 per kilometer on bitumen and $5 on the dirt. We've just upgraded our NRMA insurance to the top cover.

This part of the country sure is remote, it's like being on the moon.

The old single lane concrete bridge built in 1935
In the wet, the little town was completely cut off for long periods.

The Wangkatjungka Community, Western Australia

April, 2008

The Wangkatjungka people, who live in a remote area not far from Fitzroy Crossing, were the first to ask the West Australian government to make their community an alcohol free zone. So from April 2008, the only way to get a drink in Fitzroy Crossing is to go to the pub, the transportation and possession of all take-away alcohol is completely banned. Some tourists get caught unawares, the Fitzroy Crossing Lodge where we are staying wont sell take-away alcohol but you can have a drink at the bar and in the restaurant. The ban has been so successful, Racing and Gaming Minister Terry Waldron said "These restrictions, which are fully supported by the Police and health authorities, have had a positive impact on the lives of the people living in the community, and as a result I have decided to extend them for a further 12 months." The restrictions apply to an area of more than 270 hectares and will be in place until April 2010.

Jandamarra of the Kimberley, Western Australia

Old Derby Gaol

In the 1890's, Jandamarra, aka Pigeon, was an intelligent, talented young Aboriginal man, who was an excellent stockman, outstanding bushman and was devoted to his young boss, Police Trooper Richardson. Settlers were complaining that the Aboriginals were killing their stock so a patrol was organised and a number were captured and brought to Derby gaol.

Ellemara was a charismatic, notorious Aboriginal who had escaped from gaol three times and was reported to have murdered many of his own people and killed many cattle, sheep and horses. Word came through that he was camped nearby so Trooper Richardson sent his best tracker Pigeon and another excellent tracker Captain to bring him in. They quickly found and caught Ellemara while he was sleeping. But during the return trip back to the police post, Ellemara somehow convinced Pigeon and Captain to free the prisoners and kill trooper Richardson.

Pigeon handed Ellemara over to Trooper Richardson who was exhausted after being awake for two nights guarding the prisoners. He slipped into a deep sleep, secure in the knowledge that his two best trackers would guard the prisoners. But instead, they shot him, released the prisoners and disappeared.

Pigeon then became the leader of a gang that terrorised the police and white settlers for nearly three years and if he had been allowed more time, could have possibly run the settlers off.

When Richardson's body was found, an angry, avenging party set out to find him. Pigeon raided supply wagons and supplied his men with guns and ammunition. There was a desperate shoot out in a gorge and several Aboriginals were killed and Ellemara and Pigeon were both seriously wounded. The police presumed Pigeon was dead but he was hiding in a deep cave being cared for by his favourite wife and mother. Ellemara also recovered slowly.

Pigeon went on to kill two more white men, raid lonely outstations and killed numerous cattle, sheep and horses. But one by one his faithful followers were either captured or killed and he was constantly on the run. Captain surrended to police and died in prison and Ellemara was hanged in Derby gaol.

After many months Pigeon was captured, he was half starved and physically exhausted. He only had 3 cartridges left and he yelled out "Give me more cartridges and I will fight you". And so ended the story of the brave and courageous Jandamarra of the Kimberley.

Derby, Western Australia

Boab Prison Tree

Derby is the home of the boab tree, sometimes called the bottle tree. Fifteen hundred years old, and even older, they are only found in the Kimberley. No one knows how they got here, it's possible the seeds floated across from Madagasca somehow, where they originated from. I'm totally fascinated and in love with the boab and can't stop photographing these beautiful, unique works of art.

Derby was the first town to be settled in the Kimberley and it also has the highest tides in Australia - 11 and 12 metres. It's also the first time I've seen the notice 'no swimming - crocodiles'.








In the late 1800's, young Aboriginal men and women were kidnapped from the West Kimberly and sold as divers and crew to the pearling lugger owners. The kidnappers, known as Blackbirders, were settlers who were connected to the pearling industry. They rounded them up, put chains around their necks and marched them long distances to the coast. Some were held captive at the Boab Prison Tree en route to the Derby lockup where a boat took them to the pearling sites. They had to dive to a depth of 12 metres without any equipment which resulted in many deaths. Such cruel injustice beggars belief.

Cooking the crabs

Derby is also the departure point for keen fisherman who fly in from all over the country to go on fishing safaris in the pristine wilderness of the Buccaneer Archipelago. Prices start at $3500 for five nights, $4800 for a week and the 10 day trip leaving on the 7th August is already booked out. Dennis went out on a crabbing trip with two other men today and came back with 3 good sized mudcrabs for dinner. Delicious.

Broome, Western Australia

Sipping a Chardy on a beautiful balmy night, watching the sun go down over Cable Beach in Broome, is something I've waited a long time to see. It's a tradition when you come to Broome, you take food and wine and join all the other tourists to see the sun sink slowly behind the Indian Ocean. We missed the spectacular 'stairway to the moon' by only a few days.

The Yawuru Aboriginal people are the traditional owners and custodians of Broome, a tropical paradise with a colourful history. In the early 1900's the little town thrived on the hugely profitable and extremely dangerous pearl shell industry. The pearling fleet owners were Europeans and Asian labour was cheap. The shopkeepers were mainly Chinese, the divers mostly Japanese and Aboriginal and the deckhands and labourers were mostly from Koepang in Indonesia. At one time there were up to 400 pearling luggers moored in Roebuck Bay and the town was more Asian than Australian. The cemetery gives us an insight into just how many Japanese died while diving for pearl shell in Broome.

The White Australia Policy was put into place at the time of Federation in 1901 and continued until 1973. It was drawn up initially to keep the Chinese and Japanese out of Australia. At that time, Prime Minister Alfred Deakin said he felt threatened by their inexhausable energy, endurance and ability to apply themselves to new tasks. But when they discovered how vital non white labour was to the success of the pearling industry, they quickly lifted the ban, but only for Broome.

On the 3rd March 1942 Broome was bombed by the Japanese. Taken completely by surprise 15 marine aircraft, mostly Dutch Dorniers and Catalinas but also some British and US Catalinas and a pair of Australian Empire class flying boats were burnt or sunk at their moorings. At the nearby airstrip, several US B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator heavy bombers were destroyed as well as a number of twin engined Douglas DC-3 transports of the Netherlands East Indies Airline (KNILM)

Most of the flying boats were crammed with Dutch refugees fleeing the Japanese in Java and on that terrible day, the burning fuel on the water as well as the strong tidal currents in Roebuck Bay made escape almost impossible. At least 40 people are known to have died, although the exact figure is thought to be much higher. Only 30 bodies were ever recovered from the water.

When America entered the war after the attack on Pearl Harbour, all pearling stopped in Broome almost overnight because most of the pearl divers were Japanese and they had to be put into a prisoner-of-war camp.

Today, modern diving equipment is much safer and Broome is once again the world's major producer of South Sea pearls and mother of pearl shell.

But by far, tourism is the major industry in Broome today and grows bigger every year.

Willie Creek Pearl Farm, Western Australia

Willie Creek is the only pearl farm open to the public in Broome. If you drive yourself out to the farm, 22 kms from town, it's half price but if you prefer, they will pick you up at your accommodation and bring you home.




After learning all about the seeding of the pearls, we enjoyed a delicious morning tea, they make fresh damper for every tour which lasts for 2 hours. Then we went out in the boat to see the farm operations and we also saw their resident crocodile sleeping on the bank. Lastly, we were taken into the showroom to see all the different pearls we had just learnt about and I would guess that most people bought something. Very clever business strategy indeed.

Highly trained technicians can earn up to $100,000 for three months work performing the delicate seeding operation and a good technician can seed 500 oysters a day. To qualify, applicants must first hold a marine biology degree and are then apprenticed for five years. These highly skilled people will then move around the world to other pearl farms in Tahiti, Indonesia and Hawaii.

Our guide told us that 14 vehicles have been sucked into the sand here this year, one was a brand new four wheel drive with only 500 kms on the clock. The tides come in so quickly, people leave their cars and go fishing only to find when they return they are partly submerged in water. They are impossible to pull out and in time, the sand slowly swallows them up completely.

Port Smith Lagoon, Western Australia

Fish and Chip Night

Feeding the orphans



High Tide




Low tide

Very low tide

Shady sites

Port Smith, 22 kilometres down a dirt road, is 150 kms south of Broome. The caravan park has large sites with plenty of shady trees and first class amenities. You don't need a boat, the management will personally take you to the island to fish the tide in and bring you back after lunch. All you have to do is turn up at 8.30am with your fishing gear, travel by 4WD to the beach, then by boat to the island.

Mud crab is our favourite seafood and we brought a crab pot all the way from Sydney only to find they are banned at this park. Visitors would often lose their pots with the high tides they have up here and management were finding lost pots all over the lagoon. They become death traps for fish and other sea creatures, pollute the area and are a pain in the neck to pick up, hence the ban.

The sign that reads 'Ask advice or pay the price' sounds a bit aggressive but when you hear about the idiots who come here expecting to be pulled out for free, it's understandable. People camp not far from the caravan park even though 'no camping' signs are put up by the local Aboriginal people who own all the land surrounding the park. Not knowing about the nine metre tides that rush in at an alarming rate, some vehicles get stuck and they expect to be pulled out.

Every Thursday night is fish and chip night, it costs $5 each. An excellent Aboriginal band provided the music, there was a bush poet, competitions, raffles and dancing. The park have been organising the Thursday night get-together for eight years and it's a very pleasant night out and all monies raised go to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.