Thursday, February 24, 2011
Great Aussie Adventure - Day 25
I left Halls Creek this bright and sunny morning with the mission of finding Cathedral Gorge. Again, the drive was so green all around. It’s such a pretty contrast with the red earth. (I often wonder as I’m driving here, that if Martians visited Australia, would they think they were home?)
As I was checking out of the hotel, the girl behind the counter asked where I was heading and if I planned to see Bungle Bungle. Because I have some post cards of the area, and it looks cool, and she said 4wheel drive was needed, I thought why not!
I saw the turn off for Purnululu (Bungle Bungle) National Park, so I turned and there was a sign saying Cathedral Gorge is here!!! The sign also said that there is 53km (32 miles) drive through a working cattle station (Mable Downs). Cool!!
So I’m 4 wheeling along and as I’m about ½ way through the cattle station, an SUV heading in the opposite direction is waving and has pulled over and the man was getting out of the car. I’m thinking there is a bunch of cows in the road or something or the park is closed, but as I slowed down and rolled down the window, he said that my “tire is stuffed.” So I pulled over and got out and sure enough, the tire was in shreds!! I couldn’t tell, because the road was so rocky and bumpy! So the man looked at me and said “I guess I’d better change it for you.” So as I’m looking at the owners manual to figure how to get the spare off the roof of the car, and find the jack, etc, his wife is looking for a rock to secure the other tires. Trev had gotten the spare off the roof (apparently not his first time) while Jackie and I are trying to find the jack. According to the owners manual, it is under the 3rd seat next to the jack turner thing. We couldn’t find it, just some weird looking thing where the jack is supposed to be. I pulled it out and showed it to Trev and he said it was the new and improved hydraulic jack. (Awesome Pajero!) Anyway, the tire was so messed up and in the way of where the jack was to go under the car, Jackie and I had to find a flat rock so that Trev could use his jack to get the car up enough to move out the tire in order to get my jack under the car and change the tire. Now, since it’s a beast of an SUV, the spare is heavy. (Mind you, Trev and Jackie are in their early 60’s I’d say.) Trev didn’t want me lifting the tire or any of that, he changed it all by himself. Of course it did take the 3 of us to get the shredded tire to the roof again since they were just a bit taller than me. Unfortunately when the 3 other SUV’s passed us asking if we needed help, we didn’t realize we’d need a tall/strong guy to get the tire back up top! But we managed and all was well.
Jackie was telling me about the drive into the National Park and the 5 river crossings that were waiting for me (the fifth was the deepest). Well, I’m thinking, I don’t want to cross any rivers and I’m already about an hour behind and you’ve seen one gorge, you’ve seen them all, right? Jackie said, “Oh no, it’s absolutely worth the drive in.” And Trev said just to slow down, but don’t stop in the river crossings. So I said thank you to the both of them, I was so overwhelmed, I didn’t even offer them money or anything for their time and effort. And as soon as they pulled away, the tears were streaming down my face!! I didn’t know the tire was flat, what would have happened had I tried to cross the river with a shredded tire and no one had informed me it was flat? But I kept going because Jackie said it was worth it and Trev said I just had some bad luck and it would be ok it I went slowly and tried to continue to avoid the big rocks. (Luckily? miraculously? The wheel was not bent, and I’ll only have to replace the tire. I couldn’t lower the deductible to $0 because they don’t let you do that with 4 wheel drives. But that’ ok.)
The first river crossing was really just a big puddle, and I was able to get the left side of the Beast on land and the right side through the water. OK, not so bad. The second crossing was a bigger puddle with no land for me to get one side of the Beast on, but I slowed down and didn’t stop and got to the other side. I pulled over to catch my breath and take a few photos and let the ute behind me pass. Two down, three to go.
Well the third was actually a river, see photo, but I managed it. This was a tough one as it was deep and I’m guessing 4 time’s the length of the Beast. The fourth one I don’t really remember, but it wasn’t as bad as the third. And Jackie said the fifth was the deepest. I’m thinking worse than the river that was the third?!?! This one was deep and not as long as the third and the hydroplaning lights came on as I was almost to the other side, but again, I made it!!! The licence plate was bent up, I’m assuming it was from the water pressure as I was driving through one or all of the crossings. So I flattened it down at the ranger station.
Once there, the lady ranger said I should do the 1 ½ hour hike into Cathedral Gorge and have my lunch there. The drive in the park was just as beautiful as the cattle station. Once I got to where the hike begins, and where the Bungle Range was and it was so amazing to see, but I was still pretty shaken by the tire and the rivers, that I took a ton of photos of the range and headed out again. After all, I still had another 53km (32 miles or 1 ½ hour) drive out of the cattle station, once I had driven the 24km’s (14 miles) back through the National Park.
When I got to the fifth (hydroplaning) body of water, the lights came on again and I almost didn’t make it up the bank as it was a lot rockier coming from this direction. But there was a ute behind me that was making sure I made it. Again, I don’t remember the fourth one, but I made it. And I was panicking again about the third, but I didn’t need to panic, I made it through the river. And the second and first were ok after having survived the third and fifth water crossings, TWICEJ!!!! I am such a girl and the tears welled up and ran down my face after each crossing on the way out of the park, I think it was just nerves (and/or hormones!) Thank goodness I saw some cattle on the drive out on the working cattle station. And they were huge!! A few of the bulls were as tall as the Beast!
I even saw a wild dingo just outside the park at the start of the cattle station! But I wasn’t scared as I’d spoken to the other 4 a few days ago/last week? Once I made it to the Great Northern Highway, I think I finally started to breath again. Again, I had the fix the front license plate!
I even saw another wild dingo and some horses grazing on the side of the road (the horses were grazing, the dingo was just walking down the road.) I drove through a couple “communities”, I don’t think they are big enough to be a town or even a village. And the drive to Kununurra was just beautiful! Still all green and red, but as I was driving North, the sun was setting behind the mountain range on my left and shining on the range on my right. Oh my goodness, it was stunning! The mountain ranges are red to begin with, but with the sun setting and shining red/orange on them, it was awesome! I think it helped to calm me a bit. And I got to Kununurra just about 15 minutes after it was dark.
I had a nice dinner (chicken and sun-dried tomatoes with fettuccine) at the hotel restaurant and when I got back to my room, who do you think was in my shower? Yep another amphibian!! A little green tree frog this time. I guess the Kimberlys really is the Australian Outback!!! I walked out of the bathroom to put my camera down and when I went back in, he was gone. I’m not sure where he went, but I couldn’t find him anywhere, so I hope he is actually gone! I’m just going to sleep and all will be well in the morning!!!
As I was checking out of the hotel, the girl behind the counter asked where I was heading and if I planned to see Bungle Bungle. Because I have some post cards of the area, and it looks cool, and she said 4wheel drive was needed, I thought why not!
I saw the turn off for Purnululu (Bungle Bungle) National Park, so I turned and there was a sign saying Cathedral Gorge is here!!! The sign also said that there is 53km (32 miles) drive through a working cattle station (Mable Downs). Cool!!
So I’m 4 wheeling along and as I’m about ½ way through the cattle station, an SUV heading in the opposite direction is waving and has pulled over and the man was getting out of the car. I’m thinking there is a bunch of cows in the road or something or the park is closed, but as I slowed down and rolled down the window, he said that my “tire is stuffed.” So I pulled over and got out and sure enough, the tire was in shreds!! I couldn’t tell, because the road was so rocky and bumpy! So the man looked at me and said “I guess I’d better change it for you.” So as I’m looking at the owners manual to figure how to get the spare off the roof of the car, and find the jack, etc, his wife is looking for a rock to secure the other tires. Trev had gotten the spare off the roof (apparently not his first time) while Jackie and I are trying to find the jack. According to the owners manual, it is under the 3rd seat next to the jack turner thing. We couldn’t find it, just some weird looking thing where the jack is supposed to be. I pulled it out and showed it to Trev and he said it was the new and improved hydraulic jack. (Awesome Pajero!) Anyway, the tire was so messed up and in the way of where the jack was to go under the car, Jackie and I had to find a flat rock so that Trev could use his jack to get the car up enough to move out the tire in order to get my jack under the car and change the tire. Now, since it’s a beast of an SUV, the spare is heavy. (Mind you, Trev and Jackie are in their early 60’s I’d say.) Trev didn’t want me lifting the tire or any of that, he changed it all by himself. Of course it did take the 3 of us to get the shredded tire to the roof again since they were just a bit taller than me. Unfortunately when the 3 other SUV’s passed us asking if we needed help, we didn’t realize we’d need a tall/strong guy to get the tire back up top! But we managed and all was well.
Jackie was telling me about the drive into the National Park and the 5 river crossings that were waiting for me (the fifth was the deepest). Well, I’m thinking, I don’t want to cross any rivers and I’m already about an hour behind and you’ve seen one gorge, you’ve seen them all, right? Jackie said, “Oh no, it’s absolutely worth the drive in.” And Trev said just to slow down, but don’t stop in the river crossings. So I said thank you to the both of them, I was so overwhelmed, I didn’t even offer them money or anything for their time and effort. And as soon as they pulled away, the tears were streaming down my face!! I didn’t know the tire was flat, what would have happened had I tried to cross the river with a shredded tire and no one had informed me it was flat? But I kept going because Jackie said it was worth it and Trev said I just had some bad luck and it would be ok it I went slowly and tried to continue to avoid the big rocks. (Luckily? miraculously? The wheel was not bent, and I’ll only have to replace the tire. I couldn’t lower the deductible to $0 because they don’t let you do that with 4 wheel drives. But that’ ok.)
The first river crossing was really just a big puddle, and I was able to get the left side of the Beast on land and the right side through the water. OK, not so bad. The second crossing was a bigger puddle with no land for me to get one side of the Beast on, but I slowed down and didn’t stop and got to the other side. I pulled over to catch my breath and take a few photos and let the ute behind me pass. Two down, three to go.
Well the third was actually a river, see photo, but I managed it. This was a tough one as it was deep and I’m guessing 4 time’s the length of the Beast. The fourth one I don’t really remember, but it wasn’t as bad as the third. And Jackie said the fifth was the deepest. I’m thinking worse than the river that was the third?!?! This one was deep and not as long as the third and the hydroplaning lights came on as I was almost to the other side, but again, I made it!!! The licence plate was bent up, I’m assuming it was from the water pressure as I was driving through one or all of the crossings. So I flattened it down at the ranger station.
Once there, the lady ranger said I should do the 1 ½ hour hike into Cathedral Gorge and have my lunch there. The drive in the park was just as beautiful as the cattle station. Once I got to where the hike begins, and where the Bungle Range was and it was so amazing to see, but I was still pretty shaken by the tire and the rivers, that I took a ton of photos of the range and headed out again. After all, I still had another 53km (32 miles or 1 ½ hour) drive out of the cattle station, once I had driven the 24km’s (14 miles) back through the National Park.
When I got to the fifth (hydroplaning) body of water, the lights came on again and I almost didn’t make it up the bank as it was a lot rockier coming from this direction. But there was a ute behind me that was making sure I made it. Again, I don’t remember the fourth one, but I made it. And I was panicking again about the third, but I didn’t need to panic, I made it through the river. And the second and first were ok after having survived the third and fifth water crossings, TWICEJ!!!! I am such a girl and the tears welled up and ran down my face after each crossing on the way out of the park, I think it was just nerves (and/or hormones!) Thank goodness I saw some cattle on the drive out on the working cattle station. And they were huge!! A few of the bulls were as tall as the Beast!
I even saw a wild dingo just outside the park at the start of the cattle station! But I wasn’t scared as I’d spoken to the other 4 a few days ago/last week? Once I made it to the Great Northern Highway, I think I finally started to breath again. Again, I had the fix the front license plate!
I even saw another wild dingo and some horses grazing on the side of the road (the horses were grazing, the dingo was just walking down the road.) I drove through a couple “communities”, I don’t think they are big enough to be a town or even a village. And the drive to Kununurra was just beautiful! Still all green and red, but as I was driving North, the sun was setting behind the mountain range on my left and shining on the range on my right. Oh my goodness, it was stunning! The mountain ranges are red to begin with, but with the sun setting and shining red/orange on them, it was awesome! I think it helped to calm me a bit. And I got to Kununurra just about 15 minutes after it was dark.
I had a nice dinner (chicken and sun-dried tomatoes with fettuccine) at the hotel restaurant and when I got back to my room, who do you think was in my shower? Yep another amphibian!! A little green tree frog this time. I guess the Kimberlys really is the Australian Outback!!! I walked out of the bathroom to put my camera down and when I went back in, he was gone. I’m not sure where he went, but I couldn’t find him anywhere, so I hope he is actually gone! I’m just going to sleep and all will be well in the morning!!!
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About Me
- Laura
- Denver, Colorado, United States
- I'm originally from Colorado, but I've been living in Australia for three years. Before that, I lived all over the U.S.: Washington State, Maine, California, Oregon, Nebraska, North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and more... No, I'm not a military brat or a military wife; I was a traveling nurse for 5 years so I moved to a new city every 3 months. During my travels, I became intrigued with lighthouses and started making plans to photograph as many as I could in whichever state I was living (including the two in Nebraska!) My blog is about my trips to various lighthouses, as well as other interesting trips. I hope you enjoy reading, and leave a comment or two!
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