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Each Makin’ Tracks Tour is updated on
this diary regularly. This is a great way for your friends and family
to keep track of you while you are on tour. They will be able
to check our web site and see exactly where you are
and what you have been up to…
Outback Pubs. September 24 - 30 September 30 Our last night around the campfire was nice and the star filled sky added to the natural beauty of this beautiful part of our country. We woke to a crisp morning, perfect for a bush walk to the pound rim. This 2.5hr walk is packed with beautiful scenery and plenty of wildlife making for some great photos. We headed off stopping at Hawker to view the Panorama Painting which just reinforces the magnificent scenery in this area. Our journey into Adelaide was smooth along the bitumen and the scenery changed considerably as we passed through green pastures with coastal views.... a stark contrast to our Outback Adventure. A great crew on board, thanks very much to everyone. Areally nice and relaxed journey to finish our Outback season for 2008. September 29 Last night was great.... didnt go too late but some power drinking set the scene for a night of laughter. Pam as usual cooked a great meal and Phil was up to his usual caper behind the bar making sure everyone was doubled over in laughter. This morning we continued our journey south along the Birdsville Track to Marree where we explored this small town and visited the local watering hole. We stopped for lunch at Farina and explored the ruins of this old ghost town. Soon after lunch we hit the bitumen shocking us into reality that we were heading back into civilisation. We called into the famous Prarie Hotel at Parachilna and then continued south into the amazing Flinders Ranges where we drove through Brachina and Bunyeroo Gorges. These spectacular gorges had everyone gasping in amazement at their grandeur and beauty. We stopped at a few lookouts before arriving to our camp at Wilpena Pound.
September 28 Last night was a great night in Australias most famous pub which is located in probably one of Australias most remote locations. This morning after brekkie we headed out to the edge of the Simpson Desert where we climbed Big Red and stared in amazement into the seemingly never desert. We headed back into town and visited the Birdsville Working Museum where John performed in true style demonstrating how all the amazing products from days gone by worked. We had lunch at the Birdsville Bakery, horsed around at the Race Track and visited Burke and Wills Tree. Our journey down the Birdsville Track was interesting and we experienced another flat tyre.... I tell you these guys are jinxed... All enjoyed this amazing trip through the Sturt Stoney Desert with its barren and colourful landscape. We soon arrived at Mungerannie where we are camped on the banks of the Derwent River. Today is Peters birthday and everyone is ready for another night of celebrations in my favourite outback pub. September 27 With no moon last night the sky was amazing and stars could be seen from horizon to horizon. This mornings sunrise was spectacular and we set off at 8 for the Dig Tree. We didnt get too far when we had a puncture so the girls enjoyed a bottle of bubbly while the boys helped out with the tyre changing... 45 mins wasnt too bad for first timers... We enjoyed our visit to the tree and then continued north stopping a few times along the way before reaching the old Cordillo Downs shearing shed. Our journey continued north until we joined the Birdsville Development road and headed west for our run into Birdsville. The group was pretty jovial upon arrival.... having been celebrating Lynns birthday in style along the way. Tonight the celebrations will continue at the Birdsville Pub.
September 26 Last night in the Family Hotel lived up to expectations and I noticed a few panadol being consumed this morning. We left Tibooburra and headed west through the Sturt National Park soon reaching Cameron Corner where we had photos in 3 states (4 for some) before visiting the Corner Store for refreshments. We continued west over the clay topped sand dunes making the trip interesting for some... we stopped for lunch between the dunes about 50km east of the Strezleki Track. We saw the Moomba Gas Plant which is massive and stands out like a sore thumb in this desolate landscape. We continued on to our camp on the banks of the Cooper Creek and not far from the Innamincka Pub which we visited briefly before settling in around the campfire for a night under the stars. September 25 We woke to another beautiful day, nice and cool with clear blue skies. We headed out to the ghost town of Silverton and explored the remains of this old mining town and enjoyed refreshments in the pub. We headed back through Broken Hill and continued our journey north through Stephens Creek and Packsaddle before arriving at Milparinka where we explored the town and had a few laughs as the resident goats and donkey caused a bit of a stir. We discovered the history of the historic pub and were amazed at Tysons serious commitment to getting the ring on the hook... an old but good game found in the pub. We continued our journey with the short drive to Tibooburra where tonight we are staying at the Family Hotel. We drove out to Sunset Hill and enjoyed another spectacular sunset with drinks and nibblies and loads of laughter... this group is certainly here for a good time.... not sure if I can keep up with them... don't think i will even try. September 24 Adelaide was cool and windy and we were looking forward to heading north again. This tour is a group of 8 friends so there was no need for pleasantries and the friendly chatter in the coach confirmed we are in for another fun week in the outback. We headed north to Burra and after a look around town visited one of the local pubs. We continued north and the skies cleared producing a beautiful warm spring day. The countryside changes drasticallt as we go from farmlands to bushland and then to a dry and Barren landscape as we travel further into the heart of this beautiful country, stopping at a few watering holes along the way and catching up on all the gossip from the locals.... this group has a real thirst for information and love chatting with the publicans and anyone else who cares to talk. We arrived at Broken Hill, checked into the Royal Exchange Hotel and then headed out to the Living Sculptures for sunset drinks and nibblies. Tonight we will visit a few local establishments and have dinner at the Sturt Club. Outback Pubs. September 16 - 22 September 22 Our last night on tour was very enjoyable as we dined at the Wilpena Resort Restaurant. The banter between the guests who a week ago had never met was great and some interesting and funny topics were discussed. I think some new long term friendships have been forged. Today we woke to a thunder storm which passed over quickly but in contrast to yesterdays perfect weather the morning was cold, overcast and windy.... this didnt change anything and we had a great day making our way south to Hawker where we visited Flinders Panorama, a huge mural by local painter Jeff Morgan. We continued south through many small country towns and picturesque countryside stopping for lunch at the bakery in Peterborough. The final leg of our journey back into Broken Hill was exciting as we entered a dust storm followed by rain which produced mud rain.... an interesting and unique experience. A great trip into the Outback. Thanks to Ron and Val, Phil and Margaret, Trevor and Pam 1, Duey and Pam 2. Sam and I really enjoyed your company and had a great trip. September 21 Last night was another nice night as we dined in style at the Parachilna Hotel. The evening was perfect and after dinner we enjoyed a couple of quiet ones outside under the star filled sky... just perfect. This morning we started with a relaxed breakfast before heading into the Flinders Ranges where we drove through the Brachina and Bunyeroo Gorges. We saw many of the endangered Yellow Footed Rock Wallabies and enjoyed the spectacular views as we drove and stopped at several lookouts. Again the weather was perfect... a spectacular spring day. We arrived at Wilpena Pound at lunch time and have had a relaxed walk to the pound rim and are now enjoying a peaceful and relaxed afternoon. As I sit here in the afternoon sun there are countless birdcalls, almost feels like I am in a rainforest... who needs a relaxation CD when here we are in paradise. September 20 We dragged ourselves away from Mungerannie and continued our journey south along the Birdsville Track stopping at a few sights along the way. We visited the old railway town of Marree and the ghost town of Farina with its many buildings now just crumbling ruins. We saw the massive open cut coalfields of Leigh Creek as we continued our journey south to Parachilna where we are staying tonight at the famous Prarie Hotel. This pub has all the old world character of an outback pub but with all the mod cons in their outstanding hotel rooms. The weather is just great and we are all settling in on the verandah for a magnificent sunset over the vast plains on which the pub is situated. September 19 Another good night at Birdsville where we chatted with locals and other travellers before a reasonably early night... We started today with a visit to Big Red.. the Simpsons highest sand dune before visiting Birdsvilles working museum where John gave a great demonstration of the many items of days gone bye. We then had lunch at the Birdsville Bakery.... Curry Camel Pies and Roo Pies were tasted but most stuck to the more traditional varieties. We visited the iconic race track before heading down the Birdsville Track to Mungerannie where tonight we are staying in the Mungerannie Pub. Pam and Phil, owners of the "best pub in the outback" (jeffs vote) were there to greet us as always and I have the feeling tonight will be a bit dangerous.... its now just before 9pm and I have slipped away to update the diary and having and early night.. one of the benefits of being driver...and I'm afraid to say Trevor is looking rather playful and Duane.... well she has been wearing Phils old akubra hat for the past couple of hours... sipping on red wine and looking right at home... the other Pam.. well lets just say I am so glad she doesnt drink alcohol or I'd hate to .... no I just don't want to think about it. September 18 The birthday celebrations went on well into the night and we must thank the staff at the Innamincka Pub for their efforts in making sure the birthday celebrations went well.... I think Pam might be feeling 70 today but shes still smiling...a dream fulfilled but shes not too sure what her kids will think of the photos behind the bar with the resident cowboy.... Today is the longest drive on this journey and we left at around 8.30 and headed along the rough track to the Dig Tree. After smoko we continued our journey north stopping at Cordillo Downs and exploring the largest shearing shed in Australia.... basically ruins now as this property currently run cattle. We continued on enjoying the wonderful scenery unique to outback Australia... such beautiful colours and mile after mile of flat and desolate plains which are covered in grasses and some flowers after recent light rains. We stopped and explored Cadelga Ruins before our final run into Birdsville arriving at around 4.30 this afternoon. We checked into our rooms at the pub and are looking forward to a night in this legendary aussie hotel September 17 As always our visit to the "Family" was full of laughs and a great night was had by all. This morning everyone was up early ready to continue our journey into the outback and we left Tibooburra at 8.30 and headed east to Cameron Corner where we spent some time in all 3 states before refreshements at the Corner Store. We continued west along the track crossing numerous sand dunes before reaching the Strezleki Track where we turned and headed north bound for Innamincka. We stopped and viewed the Moomba Gas Plant which is huge and stands out in the desolate landscape of the Strezleki Desert. We soon arrived at Innamincka where after checking into our rooms we looked around the town and took the short drive to Will Grave and reflected on the difficulties the early explorers in this region must have encountered..... we then relaxed in the comfort of the Makin Tracks coach and made our way back into town.... how times change. Tonight Pam (Trevs Pam as there are 2 on board) is celebrating her 60th birthday... sure its a couple of months early but her dream was to celebrate her birthday at Innaminck Pub. September 16 Our group arrived in Broken Hill by train last night and were met at the station and transferred to the hotel. We visited the Sturt club for some get to know each other drinks as although they travelled on the same train they did not meet each other until arrival in Broken Hill. We left Broken Hill at 9am and travelled out to historic Silverton where we explored this old town made famous by its appearance in many great movies. We travelled north along the Silver City Highway stopping at Packsaddle Roadhouse for refreshments before continuing on the Milparinka. We explored this ghost town and visited the historic hotel.... purely for historical reasons... We continued on to Tibooburra where we are staying tonight at the Family Hotel
Simpson Desert. September 1 - 12 September 12 Another picture perfect day as we reluctantly left Wilpena and headed south through fields of green crops with patches of bright yellow Canola flowers... a beautiful and sectacular contrast to the dry and barren landscapes we enjoyed so much over the past 2 weeks. We soon reached wine country and stopped for lunch at the Clare Bakery... yummmm. After a look around this quaint country town we headed for Adelaide and all too soon reached the traffic and as always the first traffic light was RED.... just to make sure we know where we are I'm sure. We had a great trip, great weather and a great group on board. Thanks to Rex, John, Jean and Colin, Jill and Dan, Glenese, Margaret and Judith.. it was a pleasure to travel the Simpson with you all. Thanks to Sam and Tyson, our support crew, guide and entertainers.... a job well done. September 11 Last night at the Mungerannie Pub lived up to expectations... great food, great service and a fantastic atmosphere. Dan did a great job whip cracking and the laughter carried on well into the night. Today we continued down the track to Marree, Farina and Parachilna before driving through the picturesque Brachina and Bunyeroo Gorges in the Flinders Ranges... the weather was perfect, warm with clear skies and made for great viewing from the lookouts. We arrived to our camp at Wilpena Pound and looking forward to savouring our last night under the stars September 10 We had a slow and relaxed morning before visiting the Birdsville Working Museum where we were entertained by John and his wonderful demonstration. We explored the town and visited Burke and Wills Tree and the famous Race Track which still had several horses in the stables following the races only a few days before. We headed off down the Birdsville Track lunching on the Gibber Plains of the Sturts Stony Desert.... a flat and barren landscape with a natural beauty thats hard to describe. We arrived at Mungerannie where some went for a dip in the thermal pool while others explored the banks of the Derwent River viewing the birdlife that calls this place home. Tonight we will have dinner in the pub where owners Pam and Phil will be sure to be entertaining as always. September 9 Today we continued our journey east along the QAA line with a sense of excitement as we aproached Big Red but also some sadness as this meant we were about to leave the Simpson. We managed to climb Big Red after several attempts.... almost making it the first time but with so many people having crossed in the past week.... the Birdsville Races were on... the sand was very soft so we had to try again... and again... We spent some time enjoying the view from the top of Big Red and reflecting on our journey across this remote and special part of our beautiful country. We then headed into Birdsville and enjoyed some free time before dinner at the famous Birdsville Pub. September 8 The winners of the inaugural Simpson Desert Boche Cup are Margaret and Tyson.... a hard fought battle that went down to the line. Today we continued our journey along the French Line climbing numerous sand dunes and several claypans. We reached Poeppels Corner where we visited the 3 states in a matter of seconds.... We continued our journey heading north before joining the QAA line. The dunes continued to grow in size and half way up one dune we had a tyre blow...a bit of a surprise in the soft sand but luckily there was a flat section half way up and we were able to change the tyre before continuing on.... all part of our desert adventure... albeit an expensive one... We continued on a little further before setting up camp among beautiful Gidgee between the dunes. September 7 Last night was a lot of fun as the group enjoyed a game of boche.... everyone really got into it and i'm sure the laughter could be heard from miles away.... but in the Simpson we camp in places there is noone else and today we went all day without seeing another vehicle until after we set up camp when in the distance 2 vehicles drove past. Everyone is enjoying the serenity that the Simpson can provide like no other place in Australia. The beauty of the landscape, so rich in colours and when you explore its just amazing how much life there is in the desert with animal tracks going everywhere. Today we rejoined the French Line and the real challenging dunes quickly put us to the test. The dunes get higher and in many places the soft moving sands had covered the peaks of the dunes making the crossing even more challenging but our purpose built 4wd coach makes it look so easy. We are camped tonight beside the French Line some 30km west of Poeppels Corner and looking forward to seeing Margaret and Tyson challenge Colin and Glenese in the finals of the Simpson Boche Challenge.... all tickets to attend have been sold and there is standing room only. September 6 This morning started with a spectacular sunrise over the orange sands of the Simpson Dunes. Some scattered cloud added to the effect. The temperature last night was perfect for sleeping and today was another in the mid 20's with just the slightest cooling breeze...perfect. We continued along the French Line before turning on to the Colson Track and heading south between the dunes. This gives another perspective to the desert scenery. We soon reached the Rig Rd where we headed east along the clay topped track originally built to allow access for oil drilling rigs. The scenery continued to be spectacular with a new surprise over every dune with such quickly changing plant life, numerous lizards and a camel which ran beside us for some distance. We joined the Ebenezer track and headed north to the Lone Gum... a beautiful Coolabah Tree amazingly growing in the desert. We are camped tonight about 4km north of the Lone Gum. September 5 Today our real journey began as we headed into the Simpson Desert. We travelled along the rough and badly corrugated track to Purni Bore where we explored the wetland area created by the bore which still flows at a reduced rate. The water coming out of the bore is very hot at around 85 degrees celcius. We continued on along the French Line where we started to climb some of the smaller dunes of the Simpson. At this point they are relatively small and spaced close together. The roadside was covered with wildflowers... pinks, purples, yellows and white making for a picturesque journey. Tonight we are camped between the dunes beside the French Line approx 12km west of the Colson Track. September 4 Sleeping underground was a real experience, constant temperatures, very quiet and total darkness made for good sleeping..... for most of us.... We continued our journey north which was slow going as the road had just been reopened following some heavy rain last week. Unfortunately the road to the Painted Desert was still closed so we headed straight to Oodnadatta. After looking around the Pink Roadhouse and this small outback town we continued our journey along the often muddy track to Hamilton Station and then onto the rough track to Dalhousie Springs stopping at Perdika Siding and Dalhousie Ruins along the way. Like usual, camp was ready and waiting on arrival so everyone very quickly made their way to the springs where we swam in the warm waters of this amazing thermal pool. September 3 Today began with an 8am flight over the magnificent Painted Hills... this relatively unknown area is just being recognised as a natural wonder and we really enjoyed the flight which also took in views of Lake Eyre. We continued on to Coober Pedy and after checking in to our hotel had a tour of the town visiting the main sights as well as having an opal mining explanation by our local guide Vadge. We took the short drive out to the Breakaways for sunset nibblies and drinks and were treated to a spectacular sunset which really highlighted the orange, red and white colours of these incredible hills. Dinner tonight is at the underground hotel where we are staying. September 2 This mornings sunrise was just incredible.... very colourful and the still water provided great reflections. We spent the morning exploring the lakes edge and viewing the great variety of birdlife that call this wonderful place home. We finally dragged ourselves away and continued our journey north to Roxby Downs where we stopped briefly at this modern mining town before continuing north to the Oodnadatta Track. We stopped at Lake Eyre South and visited the Bubbler, Blanche Cup and a few of the railway siding ruins along the Old Ghan railway line. We arrived at William Creek and visited the old pub before settling in around the campfire..... September 1 We left a wet, windy and miserable Adelaide at 8am and headed north. The further we went the better the weather looked and by the time we reached Port Augusta the day was pleasant, warm and sunny. After lunch we continue north to Woomera where we visited the museum and learnt all about the exciting history of this small township famous for rocket testing. We continued north and soon reached our camp at Lake Mary. The lake still has plenty of water in it and the afternoon was spectacular and we enjoyed the great sunset which was extra special after the weather experienced this morning.
The Kimberley August 5 - 20 August 20 Our last day on tour is always a bit sad but this time for Sam and I as well as it is our last Kimberley Tour for the season. We left Katherine and headed north to Adelaide River before turning off to Litchfield national park where we stoped at Buley Rock Pools for a swim and lunch. We continued the journey into Darwin waching a slide show of photos taken by Sam during the tour. A great group for our final Kimberley Tour, Thanks to Alan and Allison, our Kiwi entertainment for the tour..., David and Kay, Sue (2nd tour with us), Julie, Nia and Gayle, we really enjoyed your company. Thanks also to our support crew, Alan and Ann.. a great job done making sure our camp was in the best location every time. And our guide, Sam, thanks again mate. August 19 With the 1.5hr time change yesterday we were all a bit slow out of bed this morning as it was still dark at 6.45 am (or was it a later than normal night as we played STP and Fuzzy Duck around the campfire. Lots of laughs once again. We got away from camp and continued our journey east stopping at Timber Creek and near Victoria River before arriving into Katherine around 2pm. We checked into our rooms at the Paraway and had some free time before heading out to Katherine Gorge where we had a gorge cruise followed by dinner aboard the boat on the gorge. Some amazing scenes as there was a bush fire on the banks of the gorge providing a natural firworks display for us... just incredible to see how fire moves through an area and the glow of the fire provided spectacular natural lighting of the gorge walls after sunset August 18 Last night was a rather funny night around the campfire as Sue and Allison decided Sam required initiation....... enough said and I guess its up to Sam to fill in all his friends with the detail.... some things that happen on tour just have to stay on tour hey... This morning we reluctantly hit the road around 9am and headed back along the slow and windy track to the main road before heading north to Kununurra. We then continued east and shortly after crossing the border back into NT we turned into the Keep River National Park. We spent the rest of the afternoon taking a 1.5hr walk through the hills and valleys near camp. The scenery here is truly spectacular, right up there with anything in the area yet it is relatively unknown. The rock escarpments looked fantastic as the sun slowly sank. August 17 Today was action packed and began with a walk into Cathederal Gorge. This walk through the domes known as the "Beehives" is spectacular with orange, red and black rock walls looking magnificent with the clear blue sky as a backdrop. The end of the Gorge has a huge cavern with rock overhangs making the cathederal. Perfect for Sam who played the didgeridoo for us which sounded great as it echoed through the gorge. We then headed off and had a 30 min helipcoter flight over the bungles which gives another perspective to the size of the area known as the Bungle Bungles and we were able to see many sights not accessable by vehicle or foot. After lunch we headed out to Echidna Chasm where we walked into this chasm which gets narrower and narrower as you progress, eventually becoming only a body width wide but with sheer rock walls over 100m high. We finished the day with drinks and nibblies at the lookout overlooking the Bungle Ranges. The brisk breeze made it a little cool but the views were spectacular. August 16 Our journey to the Bungle Bungles continued stopping at a couple of lookouts providing spectacular views over this vast country. We arrived at Halls Creek where we had lunch and a quick look around this small and remote town. We continued north, soon arriving at the turnoff to the Bungles and after letting some air out of our tyres we took the slow and rough track through the hills and creeks to this spectacular part of our wonderful country. The journey is only 53km but takes around 2hrs which goes so quickly as we take in the spectacular scenery all around us. We arrived at our set up camp providing great views of the ranges and relaxed with drinks and nibblies as the last of the suns rays put on a great show for us with the orange rock walls slowly changing to various shades of red. Tonight is Pizza night and we are all looking forward to another night of fun and laughter around the campfire. August 15 We left Broome around 8.30 this morning and started our journey back east along the bitumen stopping at a huge Boab Tree for lunch. When arriving at Fitzroy Crossing we headed straight out to Geiki Gorge for our afternoon cruise on this spectacular river gorge. We learnt all about the area and again saw heaps of crocs. We headed back into camp and enjoyed our dinner at a grassy campsite near the banks of the Fitzroy River. Its amazing to think that during the wet this camp is under water as we saw the river is just a trickle at the moment. August 14 We woke to a very windy morning so had a quick brekkie and piled into the coach leaving our support crew to pack everything into the support vehicle..... just another benefit of travelling with Makin Tracks.... when need be we can just make tracks knowing everything is done for us and we dont have to suffer if conditions arent perfect. We arrived back into Broome before 11am where we spent the afternoon exploring this quaint town. This afternoon our adventure continued as most ticked another one off their list.... we rode camels along Cable Beach at Sunset. Julie had been to Broome before but never ridden the camels and Gayle... our other overseas visitor from Tasmania really enjoyed the spectacular sunset from the back of the camel. We watched as the last light of the day disappeared on the horizon and the almost full moon appeared.... sipping on bubbly down on the beach. We then headed up to Zanders restaurant for another magnificent feast. August 13 This morning we departed Broome at 8.30 and headed north along the rough track to Beagle Bay where we visited the beautiful church decorated with mother of pearl. We continued on to our camp at Cape Leveque where after lunch we had the afternoon free to do whatever. The water was perfect for swimming and the gentle breeze kept the temperature just right for relaxing at our camp overlooking the ocean. Nia looked right at home and I am sure when she is back in the cold UK winter she will be warmed by the memories of this beautiful place. We watched a perfect sunset over the ocean with champagne, cold beers and nibblies as the whales frolicked in the ocean right before our eyes. August 12 This morning we decided to beat the heat and left at 7.30am for our walk in to Windjana Gorge where we saw heaps of crocodiles basking in the early morning sun. When we returned to cam the crew had everything packed away and we were ready to drive the last section of the Gibb River Rd before arriving into Derby. The first stage of this exciting tour was complete and for many their dream of travelling this track had been fulfilled. David and Kay had visited the Kimberley before but due to weather conditions had not been able to travel the Gibb. Alan and Allison, our Kiwi Contingent have visited many places in Oz but have always wanted to do the Gibb and then there is Sue who had visited the Gibb but on a whistlestop tour and was keen to see it properly this time. We visited the famous wharf in Derby before lunch at the Prison Boab Tree. We then continued along the bitumen to Broome, arriving around 3pm and have had a few hours R and R at the Resort before dinner on the lawns overlooking Roebuck Bay tonight, August 11 Our day started with a walk into Bell Gorge where we saw the Boab Tree carved with a bell before heading down the track to the top of the falls. Some continued down the steep and rocky path to the bottom of the falls while others relaxed or explored around the top. Another beautiful location which makes this Kimbereley Region such an amazing place to visit. We continued ur journey along the Gibb River Rd through the King Leopold Ranges and the Napier Ranges arriving to our camp at Windjana Gorge in time for lunch. Today has been quite hot so we stayed put for a while before heading out to Tunnell Creek where we explored this river cave which provided great protection from the hot afternoon sun. August 10 We woke to another perfect morning and as we started breakfast we heard the call of some Brolgas as they flew in and landed within 50m of our camp. For the next 20 mins we watched in amazement as these 3 birds put on a teriffic show for us, to see Brolgas dancing is a beautiful thing and we were treated with an up close display before they flew off... such big birds and great to watch these jumbos of the bird world take off. Once again we had to drag ourselves away from a beautiful camp and head south along the Kalumbaru Rd.... about half way down the track we had a flat tyre which Sam and I changed in 25 mins,.... a new record and almost half the time it took us when we had our first flat last year....such big tyres, more than 1m in diameter and about 200kg.... We continued south and stopped for a cuppa at Drysdale River before continuing on to the Gibb River Rd where we continued our adventure west. We had lunch at Barnett Station and then spent the afternoon exploring Galvans and Adcock Gorges. Both beautiful in their own way. We have been lucky as the region is quiet at the moment with visitor numbers down on previous years which is great for those like us lucky enough to be here and we had both of these beautiful gorges to ourselves. a rare and special thing to enjoy these wonderful places without crowds. We continued on to our camp at Silent Grove in the King Leopold Ranges. August 9 Our patch to the fuel tank has held so it was off to the Mitchell Falls as planned.... a few layers of knead it topped with a couple of layers of silicon applied well in to the night... but no signs of leakage at all. We left camp early at 7.30am to allow for slow going on the rough track and were surprised that this unmaintained track had actually been graded in the past 2 weeks... still rough but somewhat better than normal.... we arrived at the Plateau just before 9.30 and headed off to walk to the falls, stopping for a swim at Little Mertens falls and a good look at Big Mertens before continuing on to the magnificent Mitchell Falls.... truly spectacular. After a swim at the top of the falls we clambered around the to of the falls taking photographs everywhere... All too soon it was time for our chopper flight back to the car park. We made our way back along the track to our camp at King Edward River arriving in time for a spectacular sunset which we celebrated with drinks and nibblies around the campfire.... a perfect end to a perfect day. August 8 We dragged ourselves away from El Questro and headed for the Gibb River Rd to continue our Kimberley adventure. We soon crossed the Pentecost River where we stopped for pics of the river and the surrounding Cockburn Ranges. We continued on a short distance before stopping at a lookout giving another perspective of this huge river which is dwarfed by the magnificent fingers of the escarpment. We continued on to the Kalumburu Rd and soon reached the Gibb River crossing where we stopped for lunch. We continued on to Drysdale Station where we stoped in for a look around before continuing on to our camp by the King Edward River. Just before arriving we heard a strange cracking sound which turned out to be the weld in the aluminium fuel tank cracking...... ouch..... a few worrying moments for the crew while all our guests explored the river but some bush mechanic tricks and we managed to stop the leak from the 200mm long hairline crack.... loosing less than a couple of litres of deisel. August 7 Today was a pretty active one and started with a morning walk of El Questro gorge where we swam in the pristine rock pool. We then continued on to Zebedee Springs and relaxed in the warm waters of these thermal pools surrounded by huge Livistona Palms and towering rock walls..... a magnificent sight while laying back in the pools. After lunch back at camp we went out to Chamberlain Gorge where we cruised the waters of this magnificent gorge and saw several large Barramundi near the boat. The afternoon finished off with bubbly on board the boat before returning to camp where we settled in for a roast dinner followed by pudding around the campfire. August 6 Last night the temperature remained warm until a southerly change came through at around 12.30am. It was quite windy but refreshing. The wind continued this morning so we decided to have a light brekkie and then pack up and move on to somewhere more protected. We left camp early... around 8am and continued west passing into WA before turning off to Lake Argyle. The 1.5hr time change makes today a long one so we had a second breakfast of bacon and eggs at a great grassy picnic area at the base of the dam wall.... no wind! We made our way back to the top of the dam and stopped at a lookout providing spectacular views over Lake Argyle and the surrounding rocky hills and mountains. We continued on to the township of Kununurra where we stocked up on fruit and veg ready for our next 6 days crossing the Gibb River Rd. We had a late lunch at Celebrity Park before taking the short drive to the start of the Gibb River Rd and soon after arrived at our camp at El Questro, arriving around 3.30pm. The temperature was pleasant and the wind had dropped so we all enjoyed relaxing around camp and swimming in the great waterhole nearby. August 5 We left Darwin at 7.30 am this morning for our journey to the magnificent Kimberley. Today is all about getting as far away from the "big smoke" as possible so we headed down the Stuart highway stopping for smoko at Adelaide River and lunch at Katherine. We then continued our journey west passing through Victoria River and Timber Creek before arriving at our camp set up at Big Horse Campground on the banks of the Victoria River at around 3.30pm. The weather today is quite hot, in the mid thirties so we relaxed around camp for a while before heading down to explore the river and hear about the early explorers in this region.
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Preparing dinner as the sun sets and the moon rises 
