Crocodile rock (Prince Frederick Harbour and Porosus Creek)

Welcome back dear reader to the easiest blog title ever. We left Vansittart Island and Gwion Gwion art in our wake to be informed at Recap that we would have an afternoon start for today. Winner. Jayne was most excited. A leisurely breakfast, some work on the belated blog posts and polishing of photos would be the order of the day. Then to Josh's lecture on crocodiles at 11am, followed by lunch and a zodiac trip up the Porosus Creek looking for the critters Josh had warned us about.

The lecture went overtime. To gauge its effectiveness, the majority of people were still there at the end and people remained behind to ask questions. It was a great mixture of information, statistics, and humour, measured by Josh's work in science, conservation and the crocodile industry. Josh is an interesting man with an amazing, eclectic knowledge, not just on crocodiles, his specialty, but of conservation, science and the environment in general. We had a most enjoyable dinner with him after the visit to Vansittart Island where we discussed indigenous art and archeology in Australia.

No, this rock doesn't look like a crocodile.

The whole area is stunning and I doubt that we would have seen it had we not come on this cruise. No, dear reader it is not a cheap and cheerful option, but it has been worth it. The experience of the Kimberley is not something I can easily describe and is certainly not something easily accessed. The ship is beautiful, the food is great, there are even activities for cruise type people, like French lessons, dancing lessons, concerts ad nauseam.



Post lecture and the long lunch we headed for the zodiacs and by pure chance we boarded the zodiac that was skippered by Josh. Winner (again). We hadn't moved too far from the ship before we spotted a sea snake. Absolutely beautiful animal just swimming around minding its own business until we turned up.

Pretty cute, eh?

The snake left us and we continued our journey to see more crocodiles. And see more crocodiles we did. The photos are testament. The statistics suggest around 6 crocodiles per 1 km stretch of river. One of the  most famous crocs of the region is Stumpy, a three legged croc. While there were tracks up and down the beach where he and his women live, they were not to be seen.

We continued on and motored up a side creek where we came across a  mud skipper. They are seriously huge up here.

Mud or mud skipper? Hard to tell where one begins and the other ends.

We followed up the mud skipper sighting with that of the Lesser Sand Plover, a migratory bird that would have only arrived this week from somewhere in Siberia or the Himalayas - according to Wikipedia. The Kimberley is a nice place to avoid the cold Siberian winter.

What is it with animals and mud?

Yeah, I'm looking at you.

So much for the warm up acts. Where is the main feature? Oh, yeah, just over there. At the mouth of a rapidly emptying creek as the tide ran out, two crocs were having a dispute over valuable territory. This was easy fishing. As the tide runs out the fish have to go with it and the crocs just sit at the end of the creek with mouth open and the fish literally swim in. Our exploration interrupted the battle and one of the crocs slipped silently away down the river. The other stayed and while he didn't challenge us, we got the feeling he would have, if we moved too close.

You might be a boat but I'll still bite you.

We did spot some other crocs but they were smaller and not in dispute, so not quite as exciting as our original sighting. It was time to head for home. Everyone on board was scanning the water looking for sightings. The tide, which runs up to around 6 metres, was almost out, the mud flats were exposed. I looked ahead and saw a croc. Or was it birds? Or a log? No it's a croc. I alert Josh. We both look, no it's a log I think. Agreed says Josh. Then the log moved. We had a found a reasonable sized croc on the mud flats eating a fish (a cat fish as it turned out). Rather unusual behaviour.

Catfish are not so easy to swallow.

Just when you thought there was nothing else to sight we came across some humpback dolphins. Sorry no photos, they are quite shy and don't wait for the cameras to be set before they disappear. That is now twice we have seen them. The Kimberley is just awesome.

Back to the ship. Drinks on the observation deck level 6 where one might play Titanic if one was immature enough. No, dear reader, we did not. Drinks with Ken and Moya and dinner on level 4 that was enhanced by a lovely little 8 year old red for Chateauneuf du Pape. This is living.

Until next time.

If a picture paints a thousand words (Vansittart Bay, WA)

It's time to leave the Australian rock legends behind and wander back to the gentler times of the 1970s with Bread. This post dear reader will be relatively brief and devoid of relevant photos. However, to continue the visual feast that is the Kimberley region, I will include some previously unpublished photos to sweeten my dirge of words.

The reason for no photos you ask? Today's expedition was to Jar Island to observe Gwion Gwion rock art. While we were given permission to take photos, they requested that we do not publish them on social media. Since I'm one of those bleeding heart lefties that you hear that right wing bufoon Alan Jones spew about, it is my right to observe the wishes of the original inhabitants of this land. Therefore ... what you'll get today is a thousand words and no pictures of the art. See what I did there?

So at the expedition briefing the night before, we were unsurprised to find that group Yellow B would be the second of eight groups to depart by zodiac for the short trip to the beach of Jar Island for the first excursion of two planned for the day.  This meant another early start since departure time for us was 7:10am. We are hanging out for the rotation among the groups since we (read Jayne) really feel we have done our fair share of early risings already!

Once on the beach, we elected to keep our reef shoes on while others changed into joggers for the 500 metre stroll up to Gallery 1 to have the first set of Gwion Gwion interpreted for us.  The figures are quite distinctive in their style with defined bodies and detailed representations of hands, fingers and body adornments, especially the large and intricate headdresses worn for particular ceremonies.  The art has been dated at around 17,000 years old.

Interestingly, they are sometimes hard to discern as you look at them with the naked eye but they come out of the rock more distinctly if photographed.

We retraced our path towards the beach and crossed over with the other Yellow group to view Gallery 2, a slightly more rocky walk which took us in behind rocks to another, more extensive and diverse set of Gwion Gwion.  Here there were snakes, people, an echidna and fish. The scene was described whereby the paintings would have been used as a backdrop to tell stories around the campfire at night both to entertain and instruct - the world's first open air cinema. For some more detailed background read this: http://theconversation.com/aboriginal-history-rewritten-again-by-ignorant-political-class-43996

The colour that remains is a dark red ochre stained into the rock but originally it is thought that there would have been black, yellow and white as well as the red to bring this dimension of the Dreaming vividly into the midst of the gathering.

After Gallery 2, we returned to the beach and then the ship via the zodiacs for a lunch interlude until the second part of the day - another zodiac trip to walk over a salt pan to view the wreck of a WWII C53 plane that crashed on to the island.

We had already decided that the expedition leader's representation the previous evening of what we would see was less than inspiring - vandalised, parts missing, unable to go inside the wreck.  We weighed this up against the huge responsibility to you, dear reader, since the blog was well and truly behind in its usual daily production.  We opted to forego the C53 experience and stay on board to catch up on the blog and emails.  We duly discovered that many of our co-passengers were similarly uninspired by the briefing and had also stayed put that afternoon.  Therefore the C53 will have to remain a WWII mystery to you all.

For the dedicated reader, you will be pleased to know that Jayne has rediscovered her love affair with the Pina Colada. It has become the go to drink when we have time prior to lunch. Although that is not often - this is, after all, an expedition, not a cruising holiday.

Tomorrow we are back on the zodiacs heading up Porosus Creek off Prince Frederick Harbour.

Until then.

Bow River (Kununarra - the Ord River)

From one iconic Australian rock band to another dear reader. This time it is Cold Chisel and their 1982 classic Bow River. The title came easily after reading a map of the area at the Durack Homestead where Bow river was listed in large font.

At some stage we were informed that this is not a cruise but an expedition. As such, early mornings and long days were to be expected. A cruise is a holiday where you sit around all day. So joining the  a 7:20 am queue for the bus should not be considered out of the ordinary. 

Our driver was Kevin, a blow-in from Cairns who lives in Kununarra and works for Triple J Tours during the dry season. In the wet he returns to Cairns where the summer temperatures and humidity make the Kimberley wet season look like some form of punishment inflicted on those who cannot escape. The drive took us through Wyndham - at least three versions of it. Total population less than 1000. Everything that operated here at some point has closed. We noted there was land for sale at New Wyndham, no price listed. There were some large bronze statues that were positioned off the main road and a replica crocodile (on the main road) and that was pretty much it. No road side cafés or any infrastructure to support tourism or the local population for that matter. In fact the main building worthy of commentary, apart from the now closed pub that was to have been renovated but they ran out of money, was the  police station!

A random snap of the river to break up the text

The drive to Kununarra absorbed about an hour of the day. The road was excellent and virtually brand new. Kevin provided background chatter, sorry, information, about the area. We covered the incessant burning of the area by different groups and the negative impact it was having on the environment. He talked of the Ord River scheme and the benefits it has brought to WA, if not the residents of Wyndham. The Duracks, the 'original' pioneering family were mentioned all the way down to Kimberley Durack, the man credited with the concept and the political agitation for the Ord River dam. 

The only mention of the indigenous population was the high % of inhabitants at Wyndham and the first Patrick Durack's faithful servant, Pumpkin, who had accompanied him from Queensland. Apparently the Duracks treated the indigenous population better than most because Patrick left Pumpkin his gold watch when he died.

Warning: political statement. He left him his gold watch! The only concern I had about the day and all we heard was the lack or original, authentic indigenous voice. Once again Australia seems to create some apologist perspective or a cleansing of history by referencing the first inhabitants through kind treatment when the inverse was true in the vast majority of situations. Ethnic cleansing might have been a better term and WA continued some seriously dubious policies under the guise of protecting the original inhabitants well into last century. Australians seem to be embarrassed by the continued existence of Aborigines and will probably continue so to do until we actually own the real history of this country which may involve a story of pioneering bravery but also needs to acknowledge the almost complete dispossession and destruction of the indigenous culture.

The diversion dam wall at Kununarra

Kununarra is unremarkable. It has everything you would expect of a country town that is trying to develop itself into something bigger and better. The Ord River scheme, in striking contradiction,  is remarkable. It is a significant story of achievement and given government was involved, it makes the story even more remarkable. By way of contrast, look at the Murray-Darling Basin and the incompetent management and exploitation of that area. 

The Ord scheme created two dams which have sustained the life of the river through the dry season, ensured constant water flow and supported agricultural development resulting in the continued growth of industry in the area. The hydro electric plant at the base of the dam wall at Lake Argyle delivers 85% of the areas' power and delivered the closure of the diesel power generator - an environmental and economic win. Beyond this is a haven it has created for wildlife from fresh water crocodiles (the harmless ones) to an abundance of bird life and around 26 species of fish- all native to Australia! What no carp???

The boat trip up the river to the dam wall at Lake Argyle was magical. But I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Little Corellas

A darter drying its wings

A freshie basking in the sun

A rock wallaby watching us float past

Little fruit bats

The dam wall at Lake Argyle

Lake Argyle

The bus ride back to Wyndham was much the same as the trip down. Dylan our driver (he was also our captain on the river with an amazing encyclopedic knowledge of the system, its flora and fauna) provided further information. We stopped at the Durack Homestead, a building removed from the floor of the dam, before flooding, and eventually rebuilt well above the water line. It was unremarkable in all aspects - what it was, what it represented and as a museum it didn't do the job either. The only mention of the indigenous population came with a couple of photos of a wedding and the headstone of Pumpkin. Let's keep pretending black history is unimportant. I was not the only traveller to make that point.

Back home, we dined on Deck 4 with Ken and Moya. Dinner is a tad more formal on Deck 4. It is 5 courses with wine and all the usual trappings. It was another early night. I had to be up at 5:30 in the morning to climb King George Twin Falls.

Until next time.

Like wow (Port Douglas, Queensland)

Thanks to one of my favourite Australian bands the Hoodoo Gurus for today's post title. Why you ask dear reader? Patience, in time all will be revealed and my apology for late. Yesterday was a big day at the end I needed a drink to recover. Wow.

The weather continues to be perfect. Sometimes there is a little cloud in the morning but it always clears to blue skies and the humidity hovers somewhere around the 60% mark. It was an early start today because we had to be on a bus at 8:20am with 8 other intrepid souls for a day of exploring FNQ (Far North Queensland) with Tony's Tropical Tours.

There was another couple from our Hotel, also from Sydney and a couple from Melbourne who were staying at the Sheraton Mirage and the final members of our party were a mother and her two adult sons from Adelaide. Now, if we followed stereotypes, which group would be the focal point for jokes? No prize if your answer was Adelaide. Wow.

We've done the reef several times from several different places, twice from Port Douglas, so we thought a tour of the land might be the place to begin our sight seeing. This tour is popular because it is a full day itinerary and caters only to small groups. In hindsight, Jayne wasn't particularly impressed because there wasn't anything on tour we could not have done or organised ourselves, however, the point was we didn't have to do anything. Also, we do not have a car up here, so that would have been the first hurdle.

Our guide, Steve, is a very affable and knowledgeable person, although his stories of 'Captain Cook' and his exploits have devolved more from the Cook legend and a whitewash of history rather than reality. I guess he is catering to his audience because Lieutenant Cook wasn't nearly as successful as he was painted. For a more interesting perspective of the history of Australia, might I suggest you invest in Girt, An Unauthorised History of Australia, by David Hunt.

Cute caterpillar

The first stop was Mossman Gorge. We had a guided walk around the track and saw some interesting plants, bugs, lizards and a sizeable red bellied black snake. The river looked beautiful but apparently a swim in it could be fatal. Crocodiles. It didn't seem to deter some people and there were plenty of fish in the water as well. Standing on land we were assailed by swarms of March flies (I know, it's December right). The game became, kill a March fly and throw them to the fish. Great game, if you are fish and not being bitten by the flies.

Fish

Boyd's lizard

Random vista

The next stop was morning tea, although I wasn't entirely convinced I'd walked far enough to enjoy the homemade muffins and choc chip biscuits, but I reasoned with myself that the day was still young. The muffins and biscuits were beautiful and the Daintree tea was a nice accompaniment. 

A cruise on the Daintree River searching for crocodiles was next. Our captain Ray was every inch the stereotype of a laconic north Queenslander. He told stories in a typically understated Australian way, like the time a crocodile jumped into the boat and the French tourists on board wouldn't even hold his dog so he could throw the croc back into the river. The stories were interesting and were interspersed with commentary about the local flora and fauna. Alas, the search for the big crocs was to prove fruitless and the best we could find was a 10 month old hatchling. It wasn't even big enough to make a decent belt, let alone a hand bag.

Somewhat disappointed and a little wet (we copped the spray in the front of the boat), we were dropped at the 'cable ferry' crossing. Back in the day we would have referred to it as a 'punt'. In the air conditioned comfort of the bus we made our way to Alexandra Lookout. The views speak for themselves.

It was time for another walk through a section of the rainforest. The difference this time is that it was private property. Apparently that corrupt, gerrymandering genius Joh Bjelke Peterson made a valiant attempt to sell the entire rainforest. This decision was overturned by UNESCO and the government was ordered to buy back all the land - but not everyone sold. Hence we ended up on private property on another wander through the scrub with Steve providing interesting details about various plants and animals. It was at this point that we began to realise news must be slow to reach Adelaide as every tidbit of information was greeted with a "wow" and the really interesting stuff brought the group to a standstill as details were recorded on her phone for later review. Wow.

Rain forest

We survived another walk through the forest where upon Adelaide remarked, "wow" and were driven to lunch. It was a BBQ with steak, fish, salad, fruit and damper. Very nice. One guess as to which of our tribe had dietary requirements? And people wonder why other Australians laugh at people from Adelaide. Wow.

After lunch it was time for a swim in the river that runs through the Noah Valley Rainforest. To get to the pool you needed to negotiate about 40 metres of bush track. There is a metal ladder to encourage safe access to the water. It was a shock to the system at first, but didn't take long to adjust. The water was crystal clear and there were plenty of fish. A refreshing detour amidst the humidity. Jayne decided that changing and getting dry in time for the next leg of the journey was too much effort. She got to mind the thongs.

Back in the bus, Adelaide was lamenting not being able to get changed. Steve assured her that she could change at Cape Tribulation. We arrived at the Cape, Adelaide was directed to the change rooms, the rest of us were shown the beach and the track to the lookout. Here we met the peppermint stick insect made famous by David Attenborough. It is an iridescent green colour and has the ability to spit a peppermint scented poison about a metre at predators. Apparently the poison can blind you. Steve, being the brave tour guide he was, gave a couple of copulating insects a rub. Nothing. Maybe the rub became a part of the motion. He tried again and was duly squirted on the finger with a sticky white substance. Nope. I have nothing to say. Nothing to see here people. Read on. It was just another friendly Australian animal trying to kill or maim. Safely bypassing the orgy of stick insects we walked to the look out and snapped a few photos and then headed for the beach.

On the beach, Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne ended up together at one point with the sons of Adelaide, but no Adelaide. The groups broke up and drifted down the beach. We stopped to watch a sea eagle and a sea turtle, inhabiting different parts of the world of course and then began a slow walk to other end of Cape Tribulation beach. We didn't make it far before relay calls from Steve via Melbourne called us to a halt, we then called the other Sydney-siders back, and the brothers Adelaide were also reigned in. It then dawned on our intrepid guide that we were missing one of our number. And so the search began. Back to bus for the travellers, Steve ran to the look out and back to bus. No Adelaide. At this point, one of the Melburnians reminded Steve that, at the commencement of the day, he had said it was "OK to lose one person". Onto the bus, onto the main road, no Adelaide. Back to the car park. Steve was getting increasingly concerned that she may have taken a track up the mountain by mistake. You would have to be pretty stupid to do that, I thought. Um, wow.

Perhaps, I suggested, she may have walked down to the far end of the beach. The sons set out for the beach and Steve made for the track up the mountain. Thankfully he had not progressed very far when the sons found mother returning from a walk on the beach. Wow. We were fortunate.

Calm restored and back in the air conditioning, Steve drove us to the Daintree ice-cream place and regaled us with mythological stories of "Captain Cook". Wow, came the comment from the back of the bus. Following the details of how Cook died on a Hawaiian beach, Adelaide immediately asked, "So, how did he die?" The story was retold. Wow. Just wow. The ice cream was interesting. You can only buy a serve of all flavours on offer on the day. No choice. Today we had a scoop of passionfruit, coconut, wattle seed and soursop. I still don't know what soursop is but it didn't kill me. I wasn't there to hear what Adelaide thought of the ice cream, but I'll bet it was, "wow". That was her reaction when she discovered that was the only place on the world you could buy that ice cream. 

The return drive was reasonably quiet and uneventful. We hadn't see a croc of any note and a cassowary sighting proved equally elusive as we wound down the mountain side. The Melburnians were returned safely to the Sheraton and, despite the odds, we deposited all three Adelaidians at their hotel. Wow. It could have been a wipeout. Given the lady's name was Grace all I can say is: amazing (come on, think about it). Wow.

It was after 5:30pm when we arrived at the hotel, a long day in more ways than one. Time for a beer by the pool and an opportunity to relax without inane questions. Wow.