Sun, 12th June, 2022 Bush camp at Buttons Crossing by the Ord River, north of Kununurra, WA (exploring waterfalls etc)

6am 15.5 degrees - just a bit nippy for us!

Packed up and said farewell to Gary and Cheryl. They are heading up to Wyndham then down to the Bungles Bungles but we might meet up again on the Gibb. We are going to head up to Keep River to try and get a barra.

Timothy’s birthday - hope he has a great day.

We drove out then down a track to see if this was the ‘crossing’ - definitely not. Looks like it is sort of boat ramp.

Back to Parry Creek Road then turned off into the Ngamoowalem Conservation Park and down a short track to Black Rock Falls. Only a short walk to the falls. Big curved cliff face.

Just a couple of thin ribbons of water falling down the face now. Would have been great to see it a month ago or just after the wet. The water is freezing so we won’t be having a swim. Steve’s wondering if we will enjoy the gorges now for swims now the temperature has dropped. During the day though it will still get to high 20s and 30 degrees so we should be ok.

Back out. Crossed over the creek which is dry of course but would normally flow down into the Ord River.

Down the road a bit. Nice big boab as we worked our way along a longer sandy track into Middle Spring. Still a couple of boggy spots that we drove around then we stopped before the picnic area as the water was across the track. Found a way across the water where the roots have formed a hard crossing then the water water continues.

Checked out the information. More water coming down in the picture.

Lovely pool and another thin waterfall now it is drier.

A few more cars arrived so we told them about the track across rather than wading through the water. A family from Clermont having been travelling since January and loving it.

Back to Ivanhoe Crossing. Bit hard to see if anyone is on the other side coming across - you just get glimpses of white through the trees and I can see cars coming down and going up the hill. Headed across and took more photos - of course! Put the window down this time for some wheel wash photos.

Steve thought Gary & Cheryl were a few cars behind us so we pulled off and waited so I could take a photo of them. Looking across to a homestead that I presume is Ivanhoe Station. What a magical view they have.

Unfortunately a chap got to the middle bit and his tyre went flat so they had to change it there so everyone else just had to wait to cross. How embarrassing for them.

Spotted Gary & Cheryl and got a photo for them which I sent via text.

Into town. Found a park near Celebrity Park which was having a fun day for kids with fire engines etc. Rang Erica while we had a cuppa. Everything is organised for their trip to Brisbane soon to have the cancers in her brain zapped. Hope it all goes well. Tried Dan but no answer so left him a message. Erica had said she had spoken to him so I know he is alive - just a slack phone person - like his father.

Uploaded my blog etc. Steve went for a walk up to the servo to get a switch for the new fans on the fridge so he can run them off the solar but turn them off when not needed as they make a bit of noise even though they were ‘silent’ fans. He stopped to chat with a couple from Wyndham who are prospecting full time. Eventually he came back just when I had lunch prepared!

Headed off north towards ‘The Keep’ as it is called. Travelling through farming area. Passed the Sandalwood trees etc and the Sandalwood Shop then the Hoochery which has fields of the best looking green corn stalks we have seen. Further along we run alongside an irrigation channel with flat paddocks of green shoots. On the other side is Cave Springs Range (according to the Hema). Lovely escarpments with boabs growing up high and a couple are up on the cliff face too.

I had a note about an ‘unofficial’ butterfly cave. There are two tracks but then go straight off the road which has steep sides then down into the gutter area of grey soil. If there was room to pull off we could have walked in but there wasn’t so we skipped it.

The channel swaps to the other side and there a lots of birds hanging around. A pelican was soaring above us.

The range ends and so does the fields and irrigation channels. Into bush which is pastoral leases now as we continue north then turn east towards the NT border. It is a very good bitumen road which is surprising as it doesn’t go anywhere except to some stations further north-east in NT.

Across the border near Spring Hill Station.

There is a bitumen turn off for ‘The Keep’ but we continued on to cross the bridge over the Keep River. Only a pool downstream. Steve said the other side looked like it is good lagoon and he spotted a boat so must be ok for fishing.

As we went off the road to turn around we spotted a kangaroo/wallaby. The first we have seen in ages - except for the occasional one dead on the side of the road.

Back across the river - got a photo upstream this time with the guys in the boat.

Turned down the road to The Keep then onto dirt as we turned to follow the river downstream. We came to a gate and unfortunately the station is mustering. It says they will be using the road weekdays so no access so if we go in today being Sunday we will have to wait till next Saturday to get out, if I understand the note correctly. Should have checked at the Info Centre but as I had the directions to get there I didn’t think we needed to. Oh well it was a nice drive out. We can try again next year on the return and we will remember to check about mustering first.

We drove back to the old crossing beside the bridge. Downstream then upstream. Chatted with the guys in the boat as they loaded it back into their ute. He said the barra were on the bite in the lagoon and there was a couple of spots on the bank to cast from but you have a job getting in there on foot.

Headed back. Crossed back into WA - no quarantine check here. As we ran alongside the channel again I spotted a brolga, jabiru, hawks, egrets and lots of other little birds enjoying the water and obviously things that might be swimming in the channel.

The Hoochery was closed but the Sandalwood Shop was open. Quintis - that the same name as the sandalwood farm we saw near Oolloo Crossing. The lady was very helpful and explained about the two different species grown in Australia. The Indian species up here and the Australian species down around Albany. I mentioned we had seen the other place. Sandalwood needs a host tree to grow - its roots go across to the host tree and tap into them and suck out all that tree’s goodness. Hence they grow a row of host trees then a row of sandalwood. When they are ready to harvest they chop the whole lot down and the other timber is used in the process to get out the oils. The timber is wood-chipped then put in a vat with water and boiled so the steam takes the oil up and then they separate it. The Indian species only takes 15 years to mature whereas the Australian, 50 to 100 years. Very interesting. We watched a DVD about it. Tried a few of the many products they have for sale.

Continued on and spotted the old sugarcane mill. Jeff and Lyn lived here when the sugar cane was in full swing. Will have to find out why it stopped. Probably because more money can be made from sandalwood. 

Took a short cut across to Ivanhoe Road and stopped at the crossing for a cuppa and to watch the other vehicles cross. Some go through fast - maybe wanting to wash their cars! Some men were discussing their crossing tomorrow on motorbikes so Steve joined into their conversation. Some people drive across and back to get photos and drone footage of themselves. Chatted with some other couples as we watched the ‘entertainment’.

A few people are flicking lures. One chap said some local ladies were fishing just beside the causeway with hand-lines and meat for bait and caught 3 good-sized barra!! A chap walked back and his big one got away and he lost his lure - well that’s his story any case. There are lots of rocks to take your lure too.

As we headed across Steve said that in that corner of the pandanus a dog had been taken by a 3.5m croc.

Didn’t need any more photos of us crossing so we headed back to Buttons Crossing for the night. Went a bit upstream from last night’s camp towards the rapids. Looks like someone has made a little pool here. Don’t think it is worth the chance in case a croc came by.

You can see the height of the water during the wet season from the debris in the tree here.

Nice water rushing sound greeting us as we had our drinks around the fire. Nice to be wanting to be close to the fire for warmth now for a change.

The sun has disappeared by 5.30pm which feels weird as it feels like I need to be cooking dinner and that is an hour or so away yet.

Have phone reception with the aerial so rang Jon to see how his first week of 4 has gone on dayshift. All good and he is learning heaps and doing all kinds of different things.

Didn’t feel as cold tonight or maybe it was because I didn’t open up the camper much and we have more clothes on!!