Booked our trip to the Horizontal Falls on 21 July but couldn’t get on til 29 July, mainly cos they’re not operating during a neap tide. A WHAT? I hear you ask. Well let me enlighten you doubtful Thomases. A ‘neap’ tide is effectively a period of no tidal movement occasioned by the sun and moon being at right angles to the Earth (or 90′ to each other). Not much point looking at the falls when there aren’t any. SOOOO, bottom line we have some time to spare to get to Derby for our flight.
Now it is hot up here. Some days are approaching 40′. So now the aircon finally gives up the ghost. Not much to be done out here around Halls Creek so we park up for the day and head out of Halls Creek in the Suzi down the Tanami Road to Wolfe Creek Meteor Crater. Set out about 1.00pm expecting to travel a return distance of 240 km in 3 or so hours (maybe 4) Ha! Tanami has a bit of a reputation as a car breaker but the first 100 or so km were OK – corrugated, dusty but passable at 80 – 90 k. BUT, get to the crater turnoff and the next 20 km took 1.25 hours…..
and then you see it. It is simply amazing….
The Tanami after dark is bloody scary – you are travelling in clouds of dust hovering in the still night air, the headlights are virtually useless and the kangaroos don’t care. Whilst we left the crater in reasonable daylight, nightfall here is 5.30 so we spent most of the return journey sightless. Needless to say we were buggered when we got back to Halls Creek, the truck was locked up stinking hot and no aircon. Wow what a thrill!
Costs are rising so we determined to free camp for a few days on the way to Derby for our falls trip. Couple of nights at Ngumban Cliff lookout sweltering in 35′ heat (twas at least cooler overnight) thence into Fitzroy Crossing. Caravan Parked here cos Jude needed power and water to do some washing and , surprise, surprise the washing machine broke down (aircon, washing machine, fridge, toilet are all Dometic – absolute crap equipment).
Anyway, we took a town tour which culminated in a river cruise through Geike Gorge on the Fitzroy River. Our tour guide was most knowledgeable about the history of Fitzroy Crossing and the Kimberleys generally.
One of the early crossings…
and one of the later ones….
still a single lane and this is Highway 1. Waited half an hour to cross.
Whilst in Fitzroy Crossing we met Xavier and Brenda Micallef who, with Martin and Mary were also waiting for the 29th to do The Falls trip so a friendship of common interests was formed. They headed off a day or so before us and we caught up again in Derby before flying out on the 29th.
We secured a site in Derby with some difficulty and headed there on the 28th. Managed to get an aircon man to check us out on the morning of 29th before our flight, only to learn that the aircon was effectively not repairable. Great start to our Falls trip which has already set us back $1690.00. Now we’ve got to add about $2200.00 to the day and wait two weeks to get a unit from Melbourne to Broome.
But, we took off for the Falls anyway. This is one of those items on the bucket list and we ain’t gunna miss it for dollars. As I think this bit of the journey is so special I’ll devote another entire entry to it tomorrow but here’s an opener
We’re fairly sure the pilot hadn’t reached puberty.