GROUNDHOG DAY

Hi everyone, jump aboard the Wood Express as we sail through Lake Argyle, have a groundhog moment, surprise our Brissy family and friends, and fly over the Bungle Bungles!

I'm having a nice local WA red as I write this so strap yourself in it's going to be a long one.
I know it's been a while and what a few big weeks, I left you at Darwin and we were heading to WA. I have to say it is really exciting to think we are on the other side of the country, a state which I never thought I would reach. So we reach the border, and no mishaps with any flat tyres, yay! As soon as you hit WA it changes in landscape straight away as if they have drawn a line in the sand.

I have a fascination with these beautiful boab trees, they are everywhere, in all shapes and sizes and are thousands of years old. We were told if you take a seed home it might actually grow in our QLD climate, I'm going to give it a go, although rattling around in the caravan they might get a bit of a shock after a few months.

So I'm babbling, had a few free campsites on the way which they are plentiful here. When I talk Free I mean on the side of the road, after a long day driving pull up sites, which we find in the Camps 5 book. Lake Argyle was one of those places which caught our eye being a manmade lake, interesting!!! What a top place, it was found by the Durack family a cattle family from Qld, that went through drought and heard there was water, so after 18mths of droving and a lot less cattle than when they started, they arrived in WA. So after each generation they finally made Lake Argyle with the help of some investers and government, made one of the biggest manmade lakes in the world. We thought it was a must to go on the sunset tour, and we certainly weren't dissappointed, seeing lots of local bird life, rock wallabies and a croc or two. Lake Argyle is 900sq km's or to put into persective 19 Sydney harbours, it has an overflow each day of the amount of water Adelaide go through in a day. The campsite was amazing with the infinity pool overlooking the mountains and the lake we couldn't get enough of it. The days were a beautiful 28c and the kids painted aboriginal rock art onto the sanstone rocks there and painted boab seeds, that was our art lesson for the day, pretty cool huh!

Now I don't want to get all hippy on you but the kids are so happy and peaceful and have really become their own little people, it is lovely to be able to be part of this whole wonderful experience. Spencer is even writing stories and reading as many books as we are about our aboriginal culture. He has even started his own aboriginal art book, this, from a kid that hates drawing and writing!!!

So sadly leaving Lake Argyle we thought we would hit diamonds at Kunanurra, yes girls it was exciting! Unfortunatley you can't go through the Argyle mine, only on a very expensive private tour. This is the place of the pink diamond, they only get a half a glass of pink diamonds a year so they are extremely rare and very expensive, so my plans were dashed, at $100 000 a diamond, thought that was too many free campsites to make up. But my beautiful husband turned to me and said"Well it is our 10 year anniversary". I was in heaven
so I was very lucky and got an amazing anniversary present! No girls not a pink diamond, but the next best thing white diamonds!

I know you're all waiting for the groundhog moment, we get a call from the caravan people saying that the awning that was ripped is waiting for us at Darwin. Nooooooo! So back to Darwin to get the awning replaced and other repairs and I really didn't want to stay in hot hot Darwin. So the kids and I decided we would surprise my sister having twins and go back home to see the babies and catch up with everyone. And of course so the kids could get their Nana and Grandad fill! So congratulations Kerri and Craig on the arrival of Olivia and Ashley. The kids are so good with travelling now, they just take it in their stride, they are little troopers. A big sad good bye to everyone and in no time at all we are back trucking, back to WA.

So after a couple of big days on the road we arrive at our destination - El Questro! This wilderness park is in the fringes of the Kimberlys, so if the Pentacost Ranges wasn't enough you hit this amazing countryside. I know I keep saying it but each place just gets better and better. WA is spectacular and with the boab trees only in the northern part of WA it will be a real shame when we leave this magnificent area. The ranges here are so big every corner is like driving up to Ayres Rock they have that beautiful red colouring and with the blue sky in the background, you can't get enough. So we stayed 4 days an extra 2 than what our itinerary had planned, think we are getting into trouble, how does  next year sound on getting back. Just kidding! We were lucky enough to get one of the private campsites and at the same price $34/night we thought that was pretty good. We had our own waterfall and stream and some cattle saying hello and some wild brumbies passing through,  it was a nice back yard for a few days. With camp fires every night and the stars so bright we were really spoilt. There is plenty to do here, go 4 wheel driving, nature walks or hot spring swims or a gorge walk, what to pick. So we did a bit of everything, go the Branco track, Pigeon Hole track

and the incredible Emma Gorge which the kids walked about an hour to get to and was rewarded in the end by a beautiful waterfall and a very cold swimming hole. LOVE EL QUESTRO WE WILL MISS YOU.

There is the well known 4 wheel drive track to Broome, the scary, but challenging GIBB RIVER RD, everyone we had run into said you have to do it, well after a long corregated unsealed road to El Questro and the van taking a bumpy run we decided to get real and say no to THE GIBB. I know we are wimps but with low food supplies and no more time for repairs on the van we decided to take the easy boring way to Broome via the Bungle Bungles. Turkey Creek here we come, now this place is only designed for o/n stays, there is completely no reason to be here other than to fly over the Bungles. And at $200 a go, Michael and I thought it would be best if we went and not the kids, which was a good thing, I think the kids might have had an issue with a vomitting factor. AMAZING I will let the pictures speak for themselves. The Kimberlys just go on forever!!!

Michael and I are hanging out for sand between out toes,  I have to say I'm over the dirt and the flies. Not that the flies are really bad, I haven't pulled the head net out yet, but I need some beach action. Everyone is saying that Broome will be booked out, so we have a few spots to stop off  before then, maybe a crater to check out and another gorge and then I will be relaxing with a G & T  at the beach watching the sun go down. So I'm getting back to my wine and I will catch you next time on the Wood Express.

TAM'S TIPS

BE FLEXIBLE!!!!Scarlett has been really sick and had to go to the Darwin Hospital for a urinary tract infection which put us a bit behind. On the mend now.

BUDGET SMUDGET!!! Sometimes you have to just have those moments and go the extra expense and blow the weekly budget for an amazing experience.

TIME OUT!!! Living in such small quarters there are moments where you just have to disappear.

IT'S NORMAL! I think it's ok to have a melt down here and there it's only natural.  Has only happened a couple of times but it's ok.