We are camped by the Pentecost River, in the bush, 70 km west of the start of the Gibb River Road. Barney’s gone fishing for barramundi. He’s wandered down the bank to join the other fisherman, past the sign encouraging people to be wary and keep themselves, their children and pets well back from the water’s edge. Saltwater crocodiles live here. While Barney was bird watching early this morning he spotted a lumpy head through his binoculars, surfacing quietly, eyes 9 inches apart. Yuck!
The Pentecost River flows northwest from here to the Indian Ocean. The tidal reach raises the river nine metres, regularly flooding the land and bringing fish in from the sea. We are camped on the Home Valley Station – one of the many huge, rambling cattle ranches that cover this part of the country. Australia’s wild west. A number of these stations have developed their properties as ‘wilderness’ areas for tourism, offering everything from luxury tented camps with swimming pools to rougher bush-type camping with solar showers and covered picnic tables like the one where we are now. It’s costing us $16 each per night to camp here –well worth it for the showers alone. There’s a lovely wind this morning that sweeps away the flies and keeps the temperature just bearable. It’s 33.5 degrees Celsius in the shade at 10 AM. We have no big plans for the day, except to watch the river rise and fall, listen to the noisy flocks of cockatoos circle above and maybe go for a walk once it cools down a bit. It’s enough to just be here and watch the colours change on the Cockburn Mountains as the sun crosses the sky.
Later....as the sun sets, the mountains in the distance glow red. Then the full moon rises. It’s only 5:30.
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Pictures from our travels form Purnululu to Home Valley Station
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| Bungles to Home Valley |
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