In 2010, Kathie and I did a three week cruise of the Mediterranean starting near Rome. You can still find my log/account of that trip on this blog by going back to postings beginning in April, 2010. On many of these kinds of cruises, evening dinners are somewhat formal and include assigned seating. Our “table mates” for the dinners on that cruise were two Australians, Margaret and Murray (M&M). After three weeks dining together, we became good friends. In 2012, M&M were traveling in North America. We offered to meet them in Montana (Amtrak got them there from Seattle) to show them some of our favorite western national parks and then visit our homes in Iowa and Wisconsin. After that, we traveled to Chicago and further east to conclude our trip together at Niagara Falls. Since those days we have traveled together eight times, including in Canada, Japan, and Portugal, and had Covid not interfered, we would have also been in New England together. In 2015, Kathie and I traveled to New Zealand and then Australia. M&M hosted us for the last three weeks of that trip. This Australia 2.0 posting is about our second trip to this country, including a visit to M&M’s home and northwestern Australia. (Remember that you can click on photos in this posting to see larger, better images.) Also, see Kathie’s Facebook postings for more photos and information about our vacation.
This is a long posting because our trip lasted the entire month of August. We saw so much and there is much to show and to describe. I marked a map to show where we were. We flew to Brisbane via Sydney. M&M live near Bundaberg which is near Childers and Redridge; see the short black line showing that travel. Next we flew to Darwin (all red lines are flights). From there we eventually drove to Katherine, and then on to Kununarra. While there, we drove toward Halls Creek and made a side trip into Purnululu National Park, returning later to Kununarra. Subsequently, we drove to Broome with a side trip to a northern pearl farm and a seaplane flight to the "Horizontal Water Falls." Finally, we flew back to Brisbane via Perth, where we spent our final four days before returning home via Sydney.
After hours of flying time from Cedar Rapids to Minneapolis to Los Angeles to Sydney to Brisbane, we were met by M&M for the drive further north to their home in Redridge. During the four days we were there, we again enjoyed their pretty home out in the “bush.” Margaret arranged for us to meet a number of their friends one evening around a fire, with plenty of beer and wine to go around. Kathie attended a women’s tea one morning with Margaret and many of her friends, while Murray and I drove to a macadamia nut farm and also to Bundaberg, where great rum is made. We also enjoyed a fun lunch at one of M&M’s favorite cafes, called Mollydookers, which is operated by an Australian/Canadian couple.
The shop at the Bundaberg Rum distillary is a great place to visit. I may have purchased a bottle and may have consumed it, usually with Coke, over the next couple of weeks.
Perhaps the most fun we had while in Redridge, though, was the whale watching trip Margaret arranged for us at Hervey Bay, which is a World Heritage Site for whale watching. Humpback whales migrate to this bay from the Antarctic to breed and give birth. They are very curious and will approach boats—our tour boat held perhaps 40 guests. After spotting several whales in the distance (spouting, splashing fins, and some breaching), the captain allowed the boat to drift. After a short time, three whales approached us, coming right to the edge of the boat, swimming around and under it. They were estimated to be 4 to 5 years old and 12-14 meters long. Fully grown humpbacks can be 18 or more meters long. I estimate we spent two hours enjoying the show. When it came time to leave, the whales seemed not to want us to go, and the captain had to be careful to depart their area. Though I had previously enjoyed a couple of whale watching experiences off the California coast, this was far superior to anything I saw before.
After the visit in Redridge, we took a train and bus to Brisbane and then flew to Darwin to begin a few weeks of touring through northwestern Australia, including the Northern Territory and Western Australia (each of these an Australian state) and a region called the Kimberley. (By the way, for those of you who have access to PBS, they are currently offering a series on the Kimberley. Kathie and I viewed a couple episodes before traveling to Australia and found it quite good.) While in Darwin, we enjoyed exploring a morning market, drinks at the rooftop Zen Bar, attended the Darwin Aboriginal Arts Fair, visited the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, learned a bit about the Japanese attack on Darwin during World War II, enjoyed the George Brown Darwin Botanic Garden, ate quite a lot of seafood, especially oysters, saw an amazing sunset over the sea, and concluded our time there with an evening harbor cruise that included dinner.
Margaret is an expert on Australia’s flora, so throughout our trip we had numerous conversations about various types of trees, flowers, and other plants.
I find aboriginal art fascinating. A dominant style involves painting with lots of dots. Below you can see a complete painting and then a closeup of one area; there is also a photo of a description of the piece. Many aboriginal works relate to spiritual matters or to the relationships between the people and the land (which they refer to as Country).
I love oysters. We had numerous opportunities to eat them fixed in various styles. I prefer mine with a minimum of additional ingredients.
Mindil Beach near Darwin is a very popular location to watch the sun set each evening. Hundreds of people were there, and just off the beach was a market with arts and crafts available and lots of food and drink vendors. As I walked the beach, I saw traces of nature’s artwork as prepared by tiny crabs or some other creature. It made me think of the parallels between aboriginal dot painting and the "artwork" these creatures created. When the sun finally dipped below the horizon of the Indian Ocean, everyone applauded as if to say, “Yay, Mother Nature!”
One of our dining experiences was at an all-you-can-eat restaurant called Seafood on Cullen. I managed to get a picture of the prawns before they were all taken (but more were brought out). They were excellent, as were the fish, oysters, calamari, and many other things on offer.
Our last evening in Darwin was spent aboard a local cruise vessel which followed a slow, leisurely route along the coast and the Darwin harbor. The food was good, the setting sun was once again spectacular, and my best girl was with me.
Our first day beyond Darwin was a drive to the city of Katherine, including passing through Litchfield National Park along the way. We soon began to see termite mounds on all sides—literally thousands and thousands of them in the open bush. Some, including the one shown here, were quite large, but many were only a foot or so tall (still “growing” I imagine).
Litchfield National Park featured several very pretty rocky areas that rose higher in the landscape. Those with streams running through them, sometimes resulting in clear, cool pools, drew swimmers. Kathie and Margaret may have taken a dip, while Murray tended to the vehicle, but I hiked several kilometers to see more of these streams.
We stayed a few nights in Katherine. On one of the days there, we enjoyed a swim in the locally popular Katherine Hot Springs. The water was a very pleasant warm temperature. The sun was ever present during our time in Australia, though not as intense as at home where the rays are more direct at this time of year, but we took care to drink plenty of water and to cover ourselves appropriately.
Rising very early one morning, we drove to Nitmiluk National Park, about 25km from Katherine, for a three gorge tour along the Katherine River. Our boat traveled between high cliffs on both sides. Much of the rock and land throughout the areas we visited featured beautiful red hues mixed with other earth tones.
At one point along the cruise, we spotted a rock-wallaby, which most of us who are not Australians would want to call a kangaroo. There are kangaroos in Australia, of course, but there are several related species that are not officially kangaroos—wallabies are an example. This particular animal would have been about as tall as a human.
Throughout the Northern Territory and Western Australia, we were constantly reminded of the presence of crocodiles. Many of them are referred to as “freshies” and are relatively harmless, although they can be quite large and are not to be approached. Freshies have the characteristic long narrow snout and feed on small reptiles, birds, fish, and mammals. “Salties”, on the other hand, can and do live in the sea, though they will travel up rivers and can be found inland. They are much bigger and more dangerous and one would not choose to be anywhere near them. We were several places, both near the sea and elsewhere, where we saw reminders to stay away from them, particularly at later times of the year. Australia respects these native creatures and protects their habitat. Along the gorge tour we saw a few sandy areas where freshies have crawled ashore to lay clutches of eggs. By the way, eggs hatched in cooler temperatures will be females, while those hatched in very warm conditions will usually be males.
After a few days in Katherine, we drove to the town of Kununarra. This was our base for two major adventures, along with some fun dining and a side trip or two. The first major adventure was to drive 290km to Purnululu National Park. The first 240km or so was along a major road, but from the turnoff into the park, the road became a serious challenge and highlighted the idea of off-roading. Before we even ventured further, Murray adjusted (lowered) the tire pressure to provide for better handling and a better ride. (Later, having that air compressor in the vehicle was important.)
Below is an example of one of the more challenging spots along the route. There were several water crossings, and the road itself was often very rough and washboarded (the Aussies say corrugated, which makes sense!). We rarely achieved much speed and the ride was definitely a rough one.
However, once we arrived at the park's visitor center and saw the amazing range of natural features called the Bungle Bungle mountain range, we knew it had all been worthwhile. The colors of the rock, their frequently layered sedimentary nature, and their groupings were often astonishing. Areas like these usually have special cultural and spiritual significance for the local aboriginal peoples.
One of the first areas we hiked is referred to as “the domes.” A large number of beehive-shaped formations are clustered near each other. Their layering and colors are quite red and black (algae).
Murray and I hiked up into a part of this area called Cathedral Gorge. Ficus was growing on the side of the cliffs in a couple spots.
The effects of erosion and water were constantly evident.
Purnululu and the Bungle Bungles were definitely one of our trip highlights and an extraordinary location to visit.
When we returned to Kununarra, we found we had enough time to visit the Hoochery Distillery, where I may have sampled their several varieties of rum while Kathie and Margaret tried their several gins. With a name like Hoochery, how can one not want to visit? One bottle of rum may have left the distillery with us. We did notice as we drove outside Kununarra to this site that there was a very significant agricultural region outside the city. This was quite unlike the bush we saw as we drove from city to city. There were fields of cotton, potatoes, and many other crops. On our next adventure, we learned how this agricultural area is served by the Ord river.
I cannot avoid inserting one amusing photo here. While in Kununarra, we stayed in a studio cabin that was part of a larger campground. Near the laundry facility were public toilets, partly open to the outside. Both Kathie and I took photos of the toilet seats we found there. Those of us not from Australia do tend to be aware that the country is home to numerous species of venomous snakes, though we have only ever seen them in zoos. Still, these toilet seats gave us pause.
Our second major adventure while in Kununarra was a Triple J Ord River Day Trip. (Why “Triple J” you ask? Margaret said that was a good question and one I had asked very well. So, I looked it up, and of course, Triple J is the tour company.) If you go to their website here, there are some good photos and other information worth a peek. In particular, check out their “About” link and read about the Ord River, Lake Argyle, power generation, the irrigation system and the agricultural region served—it is quite an interesting story, at least to an old Iowa farm boy like me. Our cruise on the Ord River started in Kununarra and proceeded up the river until we reached the dam at Lake Argyle, which is to the south. North of Kununarra, the mighty river continues until it empties into the Timor Sea on the north coast.
Shown below is the diversion dam that creates a pool of water (Lake Kununarra) in the Ord that feeds the irrigation channels. This is really just a wide spot in the river at Kununarra. The entire system (Ord, the dams, Lake Argyle, which is an enormous reservoir) is so well controlled that this pool varies in depth by only a couple of centimeters at all times.
An old pump house is nearby and adjacent to one of the two main irrigation channels. No longer used, it is now home to a good restaurant that we visited on our first night in the city.
Much of our cruise up the river involved seeing wildlife of several kinds, including birds like the cormorants that dry their wings periodically.
This is a trap designed to capture a saltie for relocation.
In a nest very much like those our beloved Bald Eagles build at our lake, this is a White Breasted Sea Eagle. They too mate for life and reuse nests from year to year.
At one point, our boat captain and guide actually stopped and presented a thorough lecture describing the entire system, including the Ord River, Lake Argyle, and the irrigation system. We also learned of one famous cattle station (in Australia, they are not ranches but stations), the Argyle Down Station, that was flooded out when the large dam that created Lake Argyle was built. There are numerous stations situated all around this region, many of them exceeding the size of the largest Texas ranches.
We saw several freshies, including this one. You can easily make out its long slender snout at the left in the picture.
At one point, we came across trees filled with fruit bats or flying foxes. They became very agitated at the intrusion of the boat but did not depart. You can hear them screeching clearly in this video. They are about one kilogram in size and have a wingspan of about 1 meter. (Why don’t we use the sensible metric system?)
I was struck by the power of the discharge of water below the dam at Lake Argyle.
After the boat tour from Kununarra to the dam at Lake Argyle, we boarded a bus to return to our lodging in the city. Along the way we stopped to visit a re-creation of the homestead of the Argyle Down Station, part of which had been built from stones recovered from the original site as it was flooded.
After Kununarra and Purnululu National Park, we had a very long day’s drive to Broome where we checked into a very nice suite of rooms overlooking Roebuck Bay, a beautiful aqua-colored part of the sea. The following morning, we drove about two and one-half hours north to the Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm. Our primary purpose was to take a tour called the Reef Waterfall Tour. Moreover, we began to learn a great deal about oyster farming and the pearl industry in this area (and also in Broome). The tour was conducted aboard an unusual type of boat. This is not the one we were on, but ours was very much like this:
This boat was driven up to a staging area so that we could easily step aboard from a platform. Then we were driven down to the beach and directly into the sea until the water became deep enough to lower the motor and start it. For a bit, both the outboard motor and the wheels propelled us deeper into the sea until finally the motor took over, the wheels were raised, and off we went. We transferred eventually to a larger vessel for our tour where we sat in pairs facing forward, straddling a bench/seat, and hanging onto the back of the seat in front of each of us.
Before we traveled very far out, we passed near one of the pearl farm's work boats. Much of the coastal area from Broome to the north, where this farm is located, has a long history of pearl harvesting. The shells themselves are beautiful and lined with nacre. Occasionally, an oyster will produce a spherical pearl as well, though this is rare. To compensate, oysters can be seeded with an irritant that will cause them to form individual pearls. Both the shells, which are used for art work and to make buttons, and the individual pearls are valuable of course.
Oysters are placed between wire grids to constrain them, but these grids must be cleaned periodically, as seaweed and other things accumulate on them. This boat was working a line of such grids, cleaning them and then lowering them back to the sea floor.
One of the most impressive things about this tour and the subsequent one to the "Horizontal Water Falls" was seeing and learning about tides. I have experienced tides before, but these were most impressive. The continental shelf on the north of the Australian continent extends very far out to sea, unlike the more abbreviated shelves on the east, west and south. This shelf causes water to "bunch up" and tides to vary by up to 10 meters on the north but only a couple of meters in the south around Sydney, Melbourne, etc. The result is that an enormous amount of water rushes into or away from the coast, depending on whether the tide is coming in or going out. What we saw and experienced was rushing water, including water that due to underwater features or island placements might "collide" with itself and create deep whirlpools and other phenomena. You can see some of this in the video below.
Our guide took us near many reefs and small islands and discussed the geology of the region and the cultural significance to the local aboriginals. One of the more fascinating things were the reef waterfalls created by the tides. Water would build up or recede, leaving reefs with an abundance of water which cascaded from them. These reefs were composed of coral and algae and became solid plateaus in some areas.
The sea leaves markings on the islands and rocks that provide indication of the tidal levels. There were stories of early explorers who were unfamiliar with these tides and who struggled to navigate and to avoid having vessels hung up in unexpected shallow.
These waters, gorgeous though they are in color and clarity, are not great for swimming, as they contain both sharks and salt water crocodiles that become quite aggressive and dangerous, especially during mating seasons. On the drive back to Broome after the tour, we stopped in Beagle Bay to see a small church that utilized pearl shells to create a rather dramatic alter. Click on the photo below to see the detail.
While in Broome, we enjoyed several great meals, sometimes with a sunset as an added attraction. We shopped in small local stores and visited the Broome Museum, which documented even more about the pearl industry in the region and the World War II conflicts that occurred in and near the city. We saw this strangler fig during one of our walks. Throughout the trip, we were introduced to many fascinating trees, flowers, and birds.
The colors of the tropical seas was always so pleasant to see and varied from place to place. This scene was near our lodging. Broome is a popular tourist destination, and its population varies from about 4,500 in the off season to over 40,000 during the height of the tourist season.
During World War II, the Japanese attacked at least two places in northern Australia--Darwin and Broome. In both cases, the intention seems to have been to damage or disable Allied bases and equipment and to harm personnel there. In Darwin, the major attack occurred about three months after Pearl Harbor when a bombing campaign that exceeded the tonnage dropped on Pearl Harbor severely damaged fleets and bases. Read more about that here. In Broome, refugees from the Dutch East Indies were living in or passing through the city, and in addition to military damage, many Dutch lives were lost. Read more here if you wish. At a seaside park in Broome, we saw a collection of silhouettes upon which was written a story from the perspective of someone who experienced the attack.
There are several popular and significant beaches in Broome. One we visited is named Gantheaume Beach. Rock formations there and the effects of the sea on those rocks were quite beautiful. Although we missed the moment, there is a time when tides are sufficiently out that one can find dinosaur footprints in the rocks. We later saw casts of some of these at the Broome Museum.
One of our days while in Broome was spent doing a seaplane-based tour of the "horizontal water falls." You might want to read this Wikipedia article about the falls. Having been there and only now reading the article, I'm surprised at some of what is reported! However, the article explains the phenomena at the falls quite clearly. Seeing it in person was definitely impressive. Very early one morning, we flew from Broome to the coastal area in the Kimberley region of Western Australia in this seaplane.
Along the way, views of this region of Australia from our low altitude (about 3500 feet) were often really dramatic.
We landed in a bay very close to the falls where an anchored platform and guest area was floating to receive us. Our plane tied up here, and we had a nice breakfast while being briefed on the rest of the tour.
Before taking us to experience the falls in tour boats, our guides discussed the creatures that populate the waters there. This includes nurse sharks. These mostly blind creatures respond to tapping sounds that our guides made on the platform and came for bits of fish that are tossed to them.
Upon returning to the guest platform, we reboarded our seaplane for the flight back to Broome. Our pilot was kind enough to take this picture for me. Each seaplane had eight passengers plus the pilot, and I recall there were maybe four or five seaplanes that left Broome altogether that morning.
After getting back into the air, the pilot circled the area a few times and tipped the wings so that we could look down at the two gaps that make up these so-called falls in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The larger gap is the one at the top of this picture.
After a few days in Broome, we flew back to Brisbane via Perth. Brisbane is a very pretty, modern city. We had flown in and out of its airport on previous occasions, but this time we visited the city itself and its clean and lively central business district. Murray found a Pancake Manor that was in a beautiful former Anglican Church. This provided two of our breakfast outings.
We also spotted an Irish pub called Gilhooley's that made for a fun evening location. In addition to good beer and food, they had a talented Irish band and dancers.
Open air markets seem to be popular in Australia. We visited several in Darwin, Broome, and Brisbane. One can find interesting things to eat and lots of crafts to peruse. This one was near a botanical garden.
Margaret had mentioned City Cats to us, but until we got to the river area, we didn't fully understand what they were. The large, long Brisbane River winds through the city, including through residential neighborhoods and city center. A government operated fleet of catamaran boats (hence, the City Cats) operates much like a municipal bus system that transports passengers from stop to stop. In this case, each stop is a dock where one can board to travel to any other. The four of us simply rode to the end "turn arounds" and back, using this as a low cost way to view and tour the city.
Kathie and I did some shopping and exploring on our own one day, including making a visit to the Museum of Brisbane. This is located within Brisbane City Hall, a beautiful old structure.
One thing, among many, that really caught my eye in the museum was this "Red Dress" exhibit. This embroidery art project was a collaboration by artists worldwide. The dress has traveled to many places over something like 14 years. It's entire story can be found at this link. I encourage you to read more about it at that companion website.
Brisbane featured clean streets, interesting building architecture, public art, museums and a major performing arts center.
Because Margaret would celebrate a birthday a few days after our departure from Australia, Kathie and I found a really nice French restaurant along the river and treated everyone to dinner. The chef/owner greeted us with some entertaining banter and a champagne toast, after which we had a very good meal. Margaret took this picture of the two of us, which we think is especially flattering.
x And our waiter took this picture of all of us showing the view of the river and a bridge that graced our table.
Another great adventure in Australia completed with good friends with whom we have enjoyed several incredible times together in our respective home countries and at other places around the world!
