Lesgold?s Road Trip

[Lesgold]

This morning we drove though a small town called Halls Creek. It was the first place in Western Australia that gold was found. We had a look at the China Wall which is a natural vertical wall of quartz that runs for quite a few kilometres. When looking at it, the name of this feature is obvious.

[Lesgold]

We are getting close to the top corner of Australia. Yesterday was quite hot at 35C with an overnight minimum of 21C. Pretty crazy temps for the middle of winter. We have also started to move towards the east slightly. Here is the sunrise at 5:40am.

[The15thMember]

I can't believe how much you guys are doing on this one trip, Les!  Did you plan every stop in advance?  Or are you just finding all these cool places as you roll along?

[Lesgold]

Hi Reagan

My wife does a bit of research while I drive so really, most of the trip is unplanned. Don?t know where we will be next week and really, I don?t care. We have barely scratched the surface on this trip. There is so much to see but our time is limited. Within a week we will leave Wester Australia and head to the Northern Territory on our way towards home.

[Occam]

Awesome to be able to get out like that Les. Good on you guys!

[Ben Framed]

Great pictures Les!!!!

Phillip

[Lesgold]

Thanks Occam and Phillip. The scenery here is mind blowing. Pictures just don?t do it justice. Will post some more from todays trip later this evening.

[Lesgold]

We headed towards Kununurra to visit Emma Gorge which is famous for its beautiful red cliffs and a stunning waterfall. The walk started with an open valley that was covered in savannah type vegetation. As we progressed the vegetation began to change and the rocks became larger, producing interesting water features.

[Lesgold]

Towards the end of the walk we made it to a pool that had crystal clear water. By this stage we were hot and considered a swim but decided to continue up over some rugged terrain to the end point. The falls were incredible. Water tumbled 65 metres into a large pool below. We enjoyed a well earned swim before attempting the walk out. It was a special place that was visually striking. As you can see from the last photo, the gorge had narrowed considerably by the time we made it to the end.

[Lesgold]

We are staying in the town of Kununurra for about 3 days before moving into the Northern Territory. Yesterday morning was spent exploring Mirima National Park looking at the sandstone features of that area. The soft stone of the cliffs would normally erode quickly but a black algae growing on the surface of the stone protects it from the elements.

[Lesgold]

In the afternoon we went for a swim at a local waterfall. A pretty place with crystal clear water. It?s amazing how some of the trees are able to grow on rock faces into pure stone.

[Ben Framed]

In the afternoon we went for a swim at a local waterfall. A pretty place with crystal clear water. It?s amazing how some of the trees are able to grow on rock faces into pure stone.

Nice place. Do y'all run across snakes in locations such as this?

Phillip

[Ben Framed]

We are staying in the town of Kununurra for about 3 days before moving into the Northern Territory. Yesterday morning was spent exploring Mirima National Park looking at the sandstone features of that area. The soft stone of the cliffs would normally erode quickly but a black algae growing on the surface of the stone protects it from the elements.

Each picture looks like a postcard!

Thanks Les,
Phillip

[Lesgold]

Hi Phillip

I?ve only seen one snake since leaving home which is a bit of a disappointment. I was hoping to see a few as there are some different species up here that we don?t get on the east coast. If I spot any, I will see if I get a picture or two to post.

[Ben Framed]

Thanks Les I would like that..

Phillip

[Lesgold]

Our last trip in Wester Australia was to the Argyle Dam which was built in the late 1960?s to store water for irrigation. It?s quite a large puddle being about 70km long by about 40km wide. Considering it?s size, the dam wall is relatively small being only 100m long. We had a sunset cruise on the lake and enjoyed the late afternoon sun with a beer. Feeding the archer fish was a highlight and spotting a few crocs really topped off a good day out. We have just arrived in Katherine and will stay here for about 4 days before heading south.

[The15thMember]

spotting a few crocs really topped off a good day out.

My Patrick face is back.  How big was that croc?  I was just swimming in a local reservoir yesterday (we have a ton of them in my area), but thankfully no crocs around here!   

[Lesgold]

Hi Reagan,

That was a fresh water croc. They don?t grow all that big. The one in the pic was about 2.5m. The saltwater variety can get much bigger.

[The15thMember]

Hi Reagan,

That was a fresh water croc. They don?t grow all that big. The one in the pic was about 2.5m. The saltwater variety can get much bigger.

Uh-huh, because an 8 foot long croc isn't THAT big.      https://tenor.com/XVl4.gif 

[BeeMaster2]

Reagan,
Do you have alligators or crocodiles? As far as I know we only have crocodiles in the Everglades. Not sure about the Swamps in Louisiana but I never hear anyone talking about them being there.
Jim Altmiller