The Ord River, WA.

While based in Kununurra we took in a Launch Tour of The Ord River system. The river banks are varied and interesting to pass through. The tour takes in the Ord River, upstream of The Diversion Dam to the base of the Lake Argyle Dam Wall, a distance of about 55 km. This stretch of water is also known as Lake Kununurra.

These riverside farms are too small in area to be viable enterprises but are keenly sought out as 'Lifestyle Blocks'.

On one of these riverside blocks a Brolga was sighted.

The main Ord Irrigation Area water is gravity fed but for The Ord #2 Irrigation Area the water needs to be lifted from the lake by these four screw pumps.

 

The Tour passes through several Gorge sections as you travel upstream.

We have a riverside lunch stop.

The river narrows as we travel further upstream and in some sections is very narrow. The final 15 km the water flow is quite rapid as the river drops 10 m over the distance.

We approach the Lake Argyle Dam Wall and the end of our river journey.

The Hydro Power Station supplies electricity to The East Kimberley towns of Kununurra and Wyndham.

This is the vessel that we travelled the river in. We vacated the vessel at this point and a Coach Load of new passengers boards for the downstream journey.

We board the Coach here for the return trip to Kununurra.

Part of Lake Argyle from the top of the dam wall.

Looking down from the dam wall to the river. The tour boat has cast off and will soon head downstream.

On our return journey we pull into The Historic Durack Homestead.

Beautiful lawns surround the homestead.

The homestead has verandas right around and all rooms have their own exits to the veranda.

The Headstones of all The Durack Family have been bought here although the actual graves remain as they were.

Wyndham, WA.

Most other travellers would have left Spring Creek RA and driven through to Wyndham in the one day, but not us. There were several other RA's between the two places and we couldn't pass all of them without calling in and talking to some of our fellow travellers. After all, that is how to find out about the great "not to be missed" places of interest along the way. Therefore Dunham River RA, only about 90 km short of Wyndham, was to be our camp site for a night. This RA was a very good, level, gravelled area with toilets and a dump point. We arrived early, before lunch, so we could, literally, choose our camp location at will. Within 2 to 3 hours most of the area was taken up with campers in all manner of vehicles.

The following morning saw us make the remaining 90 odd km to Wyndham for an early entry into Wyndham CP. Sharon in Reception saw us signed in and we selected our van site from the several available for our three night stay. The sites are large, grassed and shaded by large eucalypts. The climate here in Wyndham, at this time of the year,  is mild with a gentle breeze and as with most of The Kimberley Area, very few annoying or biting bugs.

Wyndham is a fairly quiet town and the pace of life here is definitely slow! Suits me fine.

Adjacent to the Wyndham Port Area are the ruins of The Magistrates Residence, only the foundations remain. Strangely the Magistrate never took up residence in the home.

There are huge stacks of Mahogany and Sandalwood Logs at the Wyndham Port awaiting export. This is Mahogany. The Sandalwood is farmed and shipped from nearby Kununurra.

Alongside the port area there is a museum, of sorts, of the machinery and locomotives of the ports early days.

Two more of the early locomotives.

In town is the Wyndham Historical Museum. This museum, manned by volunteers, is well worth a visit. Inside, are photographs of the town and port from the early days. In several of these photographs the locos pictured above can be seen during their working days.

Only erected in 2012 is the new Public Jetty. The boarding pontoon is floating, of course, to accommodate the hugely variable tides of the area. Note the colour of the water, it is more like liquid mud. Saltwater Crocodiles are known to inhabit the mangroves along the shore line here, although we didn't see any.

A high level view of the Port area from the Five Rivers Lookout.

From the Five Rivers Lookout looking East over The Ord River Estuary.

Looking West from the Five Rivers Lookout you can see Wyndham township in the centre with the Estuaries of the King, Forrest, Durack and Pentecost Rivers. The view from here during the Wet Season would be phenomenal.

The Big Croc welcomes visitors to Wyndham. It is about 23 metres long and contains 5.5 km of steel rod, 10 rolls of bird mesh and 6 cubic metres of concrete. It was constructed by an artist and volunteers from the local TAAFE College in 1987.

Constructed at about the same time as The Big Croc is this Aboriginal Family in what looks like copper. The male stands about 3 metres tall.

The female sitting with the child between the two.

Also in the display, the animals that they once hunted are also depicted.

Behind the male statue, there lurks a massive python.