Today started when the alarm went off at 4am. That may well have only been 6am for you Eastern states folk, but let me tell you that it definitely felt like 4am over here.
We were booked on an Alligator Airways flight over the Bungle Bungles with brekky included too. The flight wasn’t until 6 and they pick you up at 5:15 … but 4am seemed like it might just give us enough time to wake the kids and get organised.
Blakey got the co-pilots job
The flight takes you past the Diversion Dam, which is right near the airport, and also doubles as the main road into town from the West. This dam wall makes it possible to keep the huge irrigation system around the area full of water all year round. This place is a bit of a growers dream for many crops. Even from the air the crops seem to go on forever.
Next waypoint was Lake Argyle itself. This is the 2nd largest man made lake in Australia. It holds a staggering amount of water depending on season. Up to 22 Sydney Harbours was one quoted figure. Given the size of it it has been classified as an inland sea. Some 72 kms in distance from top to bottom.
We flew over two of the largest cattle stations in the area too. Texas Downs and Lissadell stations take up a huge amount of land bordered by Bow River. It’s mighty rugged out there. Countless ranges, creeks, waterfalls and pools. The surface has only been scratched by what El Questro has opened up to the public.
Not long after that we get to the Bungle Bungles themselves. They go on forever too. They’d be interesting to see from the ground, but you need to see them from the air as well to get a sense of scale.
It was about this time that the pilot had his hands full pointing out the various gorges and features as we zoomed past. So he handed the controls over to Blake, with orders not to scare Mum too much.
Captain Blakey of Star Command at the wheel
We flew past Picaninny Gorge and Echidna Chasm. All the while with Blake making it difficult to take photos with his steep turns. Actually it wasn’t the steep turns that were the issue, it was more Mums blood curdling screams that were the distraction.
Next stop on the way back to Kununurra was the Argyle Diamond mine. Currently owned by Rio Tinto it produces the most diamonds in the world by volume, but since many aren’t of gem quality it isn’t the biggest producer by value. It does produce 90% of the worlds pink diamonds though as well as other natural colors. This fact has allowed them to virtually dictate the value of pink diamonds for many years.
The trip was pretty bumpy, not just due to Blakes flying. There’s plenty of turbulence up here due to the heat from the surrounding land. This fact made it pretty clear why they don’t give you breakfast until after the flight.
Breakfast was at the nearby Ivanhoe cafe, which served us a good serving of bacon and eggs, baked beans, mangos, toast, etc. All fresh from their own farm on site. Very nice. High five.
Back to the park for a bit of a swim and cool off, it’s about 35 degrees here today. After lunch we headed out for a look at an Aboriginal Art Gallery, the Kimberley Diamond Jewellers (but that wasn’t going to happen, Kel) and also the local hoochery. Ord River Rum is made here from all local ingredients and it’s got my seal of approval (that was always going to happen).
We also tracked down the Ivanhoe Crossing, but the amount of water flowing over it meant that there would be no crossing today without flippers. We also had a look at a Sandalwood shop selling all sorts of products … mainly beauty products. Kel didn’t need to buy anything though, as she’s obviously beautiful enough as she is.
No idea what we’re doing tomorrow, but we’ll sleep on it and let you know!
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