Before we arrived in Kununurra (KN) we were confused. Of course we had heard of the Ord River, Lake Argyle and Lake Kununurra, but we had no idea how they all interacted and where they were relative to each other. Let me take this opportunity for a quick explanation before we tootle off for a real hoot of a day on the water.
The Ord River rises in the East Kimberley near the Purnululu National Park (the home of the Bungle Bungles). Draining a catchment of just over 46,000 square kilometres and with 35 tributaries, the river flows for 320 kilometres north-west, past KN and empties in the Cambridge Gulf near Wyndham.
Now for the dams. The Ord is dammed in two places. South of KN, the massive wall across the river creates the huge expanse of water which is Lake Argyle (I'll have much more to say about this when we stay there later). The water then flows through a hydro electric power station on the downstream side of the dam wall to create the continuation of the Ord River below the Lake Argyle dam.
These waters are again dammed near KN. We drove over what is know as the Diversion dam as we entered the town along the Victoria Highway. This dam creates Lake Kununurra which stretches for about 25 kms upstream from the Diversion dam. It is from this storage that water is then gravity fed through open channels to the Ord River Irrigation Scheme participants. Lake Kununurra maintains a constant level and provides a wonderful recreation area as well as the irrigation water.
All clear? Good......let's go for a trip up the Ord. There are three tours of offer. One takes folk by road to the Lake Argyle dam and then back to KN on the river.. The second option reverses this procedure. And the third, the one we chose, travels up to the Lake Argyle dam (know locally as 'the top dam') and back entirely on the water. This trip of 55 kms is the longest continuous river cruise in the country.
At $180 per person (old farts like your scribe do it for the discounted [?] price of $170), these Triple J Tours are not cheap, but at the end of our day on the water Liz and I both agreed that this was an experience worth every penny of the cost. This company has been conducting these tours since 1988 and their experience showed.
Our shuttle bus arrived promptly at 1130 hours at the Hidden Valley Park and took us to the Triple J base on Lake KN,
not too far from the Diversion dam wall.
Here we boarded our boat for the day, the 'Osprey'. This and its sister craft are very slick boats indeed.....very, very quick, comfortable, and well appointed.
After the obligatory safety chat and quick brief on what to expect for the day
the twin outboard motors roared into life and we were off.
Hang on to your hat, Lizzie! This craft really does belt along.....at this point at over 25 knots (that's almost 40 kph for those not into nautical numbers)
We flew past the old pumping station which now houses an up-market restaurant (this was our only visit!)
and, to our joint surprise, we soon overtook a very smart looking houseboat as it made its way serenely up the lake. This was the first of a few scenes which reminded us both so much of sights along the River Murray.
By now the wide expanses of the lake were opening out in front of us.
Some are lucky enough to live on its edge, either very grandly,
or very simply.
Today was to be a day of constantly changing scenery. Distant red hills,
craggy lakeside walls
and abundant wildlife. High in the branches of this tree
we were treated to the sight of the white head of a nesting osprey.
This is rugged country
and by now we were nearing the upstream end of the lake.
What an a aquatic playground this is. This ski boat was one of a group
who had set themselves up very nicely on a sandy bank on the lake's edge for the day's fun on the water.
And why not? These were perfect skiing conditions.
By now we were leaving the upper end of Lake Kununurra. The river was beginning to narrow.
At this point of the tour our we were taken up one of the tributary creeks for some communion with nature and a lesson on the power of the wet season.
It was not long before we disturbed the late morning sun baking sojourn of this Ord River fresh water crocodile.
It was just as well I had been quick......a second later all that remained of this fellow's presence were a few bubbles on the surface.
By now we were leaving the upper end of Lake Kununurra. The river was beginning to narrow.
At this point of the tour our we were taken up one of the tributary creeks for some communion with nature and a lesson on the power of the wet season.
It was not long before we disturbed the late morning sun baking sojourn of this Ord River fresh water crocodile.
It was just as well I had been quick......a second later all that remained of this fellow's presence were a few bubbles on the surface.
This could be pretty scary stuff if it weren't for the fact that these crocs are harmless. Unlike their salt water cousins, these 'freshies' are shy and retiring types, and despite the rather fearsome appearance of their teeth, the shape of their snouts makes it very difficult for them to inflict too much damage on us mere mortals. The same cannot be said for fish, turtles and other natural inhabitants of these waterways.....they are always on the menu.
After giving this local a rude surprise, we edged further up the creek
and it was here that our tour guides demonstrated their local knowledge and observation skills.
Here, hunched (as they do) on a fallen log was the stunning sight of a Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron. Why was I so taken? These birds are nocturnal and very shy......I had never seen one before and had been told that a sighting was most unlikely unless camped out in a hide. Bingo! Score a very large tick for Triple J Tours (nor for the fact that this chap was out during the day, but that they spotted him).
As we probed further up the creek our senior guide, Jeff, pointed somewhat nostalgically to a spot on the far bank. This was apparently the site to which he and his family would often come for a weekend of camping and fishing. And why would you not, if you could?
He also pointed out that on the opposite bank, where the natural vegetation was quite different, it is not at all uncommon to find cattle grazing, but these are to be avoided at all costs. They are wild, fractious and highly dangerous.
And then we were shown another sight which demonstrated that this place can be far less than user friendly on occasions. If you look closely you can see a bare patch on the bark of this tree near the third branch above the ground to the left. So? This is the result of the collision between this tree and a log hurtling down the creek during the last wet season.....this was the height of the water which poured down this narrow creek into the Ord. What a difference a season makes!
From here we began the slow journey back to the main stream
where the throttles were opened and we were off again at full steam.
We were now approaching a shallow and narrow section of the river.
We were told to hang on.....to keep our craft on the plane and clear of the bottom, we were about to go to full throttle.
It was clear to see that the speed of the downstream flow had increased. The water was hissing and gurgling past every obstruction. We were off.....for the next five minutes or so we were hurled left and right through the narrow bends at what seemed like breakneck speed. I remain unsure as to whether or not the rate at which we negotiated this section was entirely necessary. It did occur to me that this was the 'thrill' part of the trip. Whatever.....it as huge fun!
And over all too soon as we emerged into the next broad upstream reach. We had almost completed our 55 kms to the 'top dam'.
One more bend and there it was, the massive rock and clay wall holding back the waters of the largest man-made lake in Australia, Lake Argyle.
This was our first sighting of what was to become a quite familiar view next week when we moved on to the Lake Argyle Resort, but I have to say it never failed to impress. This is the result of a huge engineering undertaking about which I'll have more to say later.
Nestled almost insignificantly at the base of the wall is the Ord River hydro-electric power station which provides power for both the not too distant Argyle diamond mine and for the township of Kununurra.
On the opposite bank is a small boat launching area which was well used by the locals and visiting tinnie owners alike.
As we hove to just short of the power station exclusion zone buoy rope our sister tour craft had just taken a load of passengers on board.
This was a group who had done the overland leg to the dam in this rugged little tor bus and were about to return by river.
Before we did the same there was time to gaze at a couple of the biggest freshies we had seen to date. This one blended in well with the warm river rocks on which it was basking.
His much larger mate was far more obvious. This chap was a whopper. Even knowing what we do about the habits of these creatures, I am sure any aquatic encounter (other than from the safety of a boat) would set the pulses racing to dangerously high levels.
What goes up (stream) must come down, and it was time we were off, this time in company. We were the second cab off the rank. Our sister craft was streaking ahead in a lather of white water.
Some little way downstream, we hove to in a sheltered nook. Here Jeff pulled down a chart of the area and provided us with an entertaining, highly informative and 'no holds barred' explanation of the history the area and recent developments along the Ord River, including his pet peeve....hot fire burning off by local 'vandals' (his euphemism for misguided aborigines of the area) which is having a devastating effect on the river bank vegetation. (We saw more evidence of this problem in town)
As we headed off yet again, it was clear that the sun was getting lower. The shadows were deepening.
As with most rock formations, oddities can be found if one looks hard enough, such as this hole in the rock eroded away in the shape of the 'map of New Zealand'.
We had one more stop to make....it was time for afternoon tea. It was all ashore
along a well worn track through a delightful glade of riverbank trees
to the company camp site in the wilderness where, from a variety of containers brought ashore from the boat, emerged scones, muffins, cakes and other goodies. And there was no skimping on the provisions....tea, coffee and fruit juice and instructions that there was to be nothing left over. Many left the tour with doggie bags!
"Did you find the chocolate muffins and get enough to eat, Liz?" Silly question!
As we made our way further downstream we were soon in for another real treat of nature, one which I am so annoyed did not reproduce well in this photo, which is why I've gone to an 'extra large' print.
I would ask you to peer closely at the ends of the branches of the small, dark, twiggy looking plant growing out of the rock in centre shot. Hopefully you will be able to make out small pink flowers. This is the rare and very pretty 'Kimberley Rose' and is one of only a couple to be found along this entire stretch of the river. We felt quite privileged.
By this stage of the afternoon the reflections on the water provided a picture of complete
tranquillity. In all our house boating experiences, Liz and I retain the absolute view that the best time to be on the water is either at dawn or dusk.
The Ord was proving to be no exception, and as if on cue, we were soon passing the floating palace we had seen at the beginning of our day's adventures, now all tucked up for the evening. We could not help a slight twinge of envy.....we had loved our many houseboat trips on the River Murray before taking to a mobile home of another sort altogether.
As we made our way back across the wide expanses of Lake Kununurra, our sister boat was streaking along in company. Again, I am sure this is contrived as something of a publicity stunt, but I as quite prepared to go along with it and present a photo!
What a magnificent day out this had been. With a final treat of nature, the rugged hills glowing red in the distance,
and the golden orb of the setting sun sinking swiftly over the distant edge of Lake Kununurra, we both agreed that this was a fitting finale to one of the best days we had experienced since leaving Adelaide.
And what a job of editing it presented. The fifty-five or so photos in this missive were less than a third of all taken on the day!
Next, we take a quick look around the township of Kununurra, warts and all, and pay a visit to a distillery with a difference.
After giving this local a rude surprise, we edged further up the creek
and it was here that our tour guides demonstrated their local knowledge and observation skills.
Here, hunched (as they do) on a fallen log was the stunning sight of a Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron. Why was I so taken? These birds are nocturnal and very shy......I had never seen one before and had been told that a sighting was most unlikely unless camped out in a hide. Bingo! Score a very large tick for Triple J Tours (nor for the fact that this chap was out during the day, but that they spotted him).
As we probed further up the creek our senior guide, Jeff, pointed somewhat nostalgically to a spot on the far bank. This was apparently the site to which he and his family would often come for a weekend of camping and fishing. And why would you not, if you could?
He also pointed out that on the opposite bank, where the natural vegetation was quite different, it is not at all uncommon to find cattle grazing, but these are to be avoided at all costs. They are wild, fractious and highly dangerous.
And then we were shown another sight which demonstrated that this place can be far less than user friendly on occasions. If you look closely you can see a bare patch on the bark of this tree near the third branch above the ground to the left. So? This is the result of the collision between this tree and a log hurtling down the creek during the last wet season.....this was the height of the water which poured down this narrow creek into the Ord. What a difference a season makes!
From here we began the slow journey back to the main stream
where the throttles were opened and we were off again at full steam.
We were now approaching a shallow and narrow section of the river.
We were told to hang on.....to keep our craft on the plane and clear of the bottom, we were about to go to full throttle.
It was clear to see that the speed of the downstream flow had increased. The water was hissing and gurgling past every obstruction. We were off.....for the next five minutes or so we were hurled left and right through the narrow bends at what seemed like breakneck speed. I remain unsure as to whether or not the rate at which we negotiated this section was entirely necessary. It did occur to me that this was the 'thrill' part of the trip. Whatever.....it as huge fun!
And over all too soon as we emerged into the next broad upstream reach. We had almost completed our 55 kms to the 'top dam'.
One more bend and there it was, the massive rock and clay wall holding back the waters of the largest man-made lake in Australia, Lake Argyle.
This was our first sighting of what was to become a quite familiar view next week when we moved on to the Lake Argyle Resort, but I have to say it never failed to impress. This is the result of a huge engineering undertaking about which I'll have more to say later.
Nestled almost insignificantly at the base of the wall is the Ord River hydro-electric power station which provides power for both the not too distant Argyle diamond mine and for the township of Kununurra.
On the opposite bank is a small boat launching area which was well used by the locals and visiting tinnie owners alike.
As we hove to just short of the power station exclusion zone buoy rope our sister tour craft had just taken a load of passengers on board.
This was a group who had done the overland leg to the dam in this rugged little tor bus and were about to return by river.
Before we did the same there was time to gaze at a couple of the biggest freshies we had seen to date. This one blended in well with the warm river rocks on which it was basking.
His much larger mate was far more obvious. This chap was a whopper. Even knowing what we do about the habits of these creatures, I am sure any aquatic encounter (other than from the safety of a boat) would set the pulses racing to dangerously high levels.
What goes up (stream) must come down, and it was time we were off, this time in company. We were the second cab off the rank. Our sister craft was streaking ahead in a lather of white water.
Some little way downstream, we hove to in a sheltered nook. Here Jeff pulled down a chart of the area and provided us with an entertaining, highly informative and 'no holds barred' explanation of the history the area and recent developments along the Ord River, including his pet peeve....hot fire burning off by local 'vandals' (his euphemism for misguided aborigines of the area) which is having a devastating effect on the river bank vegetation. (We saw more evidence of this problem in town)
As we headed off yet again, it was clear that the sun was getting lower. The shadows were deepening.
As with most rock formations, oddities can be found if one looks hard enough, such as this hole in the rock eroded away in the shape of the 'map of New Zealand'.
We had one more stop to make....it was time for afternoon tea. It was all ashore
along a well worn track through a delightful glade of riverbank trees
to the company camp site in the wilderness where, from a variety of containers brought ashore from the boat, emerged scones, muffins, cakes and other goodies. And there was no skimping on the provisions....tea, coffee and fruit juice and instructions that there was to be nothing left over. Many left the tour with doggie bags!
"Did you find the chocolate muffins and get enough to eat, Liz?" Silly question!
As we made our way further downstream we were soon in for another real treat of nature, one which I am so annoyed did not reproduce well in this photo, which is why I've gone to an 'extra large' print.
I would ask you to peer closely at the ends of the branches of the small, dark, twiggy looking plant growing out of the rock in centre shot. Hopefully you will be able to make out small pink flowers. This is the rare and very pretty 'Kimberley Rose' and is one of only a couple to be found along this entire stretch of the river. We felt quite privileged.
By this stage of the afternoon the reflections on the water provided a picture of complete
tranquillity. In all our house boating experiences, Liz and I retain the absolute view that the best time to be on the water is either at dawn or dusk.
The Ord was proving to be no exception, and as if on cue, we were soon passing the floating palace we had seen at the beginning of our day's adventures, now all tucked up for the evening. We could not help a slight twinge of envy.....we had loved our many houseboat trips on the River Murray before taking to a mobile home of another sort altogether.
As we made our way back across the wide expanses of Lake Kununurra, our sister boat was streaking along in company. Again, I am sure this is contrived as something of a publicity stunt, but I as quite prepared to go along with it and present a photo!
What a magnificent day out this had been. With a final treat of nature, the rugged hills glowing red in the distance,
and the golden orb of the setting sun sinking swiftly over the distant edge of Lake Kununurra, we both agreed that this was a fitting finale to one of the best days we had experienced since leaving Adelaide.
And what a job of editing it presented. The fifty-five or so photos in this missive were less than a third of all taken on the day!
Next, we take a quick look around the township of Kununurra, warts and all, and pay a visit to a distillery with a difference.
