Into the Australian Outback
- Michele Payne
- Aug 16
- 5 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
After a lifetime of camping and exploring Australia’s coastal fringes we thought it time to use our retirement years to explore The Outback. So we purchased a brand new VW Campervan, completely fitted out with a bed, basic kitchen and poptop roof to allow indoor headroom. To that we added a retractable awning plus the optional addition of a shadecloth side wall, when the the weather dictated. What a setup it was after 30 years of basic and often rough camping through Australia. So off we set, feeling invincible.
Katherine was familiar territory from last year and we weren't expecting more than a few days out of the car to exercise, pick up supplies and generally prepare for the next leg. However, when you have time on your side things often impact on your day in unexpected ways.
Looking for an art museum we were told they were all currently closed, then given directions to a vaguely art based outlet "near the parking lot". We were on our bikes so off we went to find it. Hessian cloth along a wire fence almost made us turn back in frustration, but we persevered. At the far side of the enclosure was a solitary table, shaded from the extreme heat of the day by a small gazebo, beneath which sat 4 indigenous women. Before them on the table we could see a small pile of unframed indigenous art works, varying in size and colours.
Soon we were in conversation with the women, the youngest of whom was the “arts co ordinator" for the aboriginal community of Larjermanu, 500km south east of Katherine, from which they came. The works were all original and for sale, direct from artist to purchaser! In conversation for over an hour we discovered that the community was known internationally for its art and many of the artists had been invited to repeatedly exhibit in Paris, New York and Berlin. International recognition and travel was commonplace for these women, though nothing in their manner nor appearance would have you suspect so. They were matter of fact about about their art, willing to share information about it when asked, and seemingly nonchalant about whether or not we bought any. We did of course: a birthday gift for Laura and another for me. And we gained a worth of information about their community plus an invitation to visit them for a while during our travels. If only we could. .. perhaps on another trip; one is already taking shape in my mind!
From Katherine we headed west towards Kimberley territory. One hundred kilometers out we came across a huge herd of brahmin cattle, being moved along the paddocks by both stockmen and helicopter. Fascinating to watch! Further on we caught our first glimpse of dark red escarpment: Kimberley signature at last!
It rose massively above the Victoria River Roadhouse, close to where the Victoria River crossed the highway. Morning light made for a beautiful sight...and photo course! Our plan had been to climb the escarpment and camp the night at the roadhouse, but with the temperature already at 33.5 we decided with some disappointment that a steep uphill climb in full sun was not for us.
On we pushed in air conditioned comfort to Timber Creek. Like many NT (Northern Territory) towns, this one is organizing for the local indigenous people to become heavily involved in tourism. They own and run one of the 2 caravan parks in town. We stayed the night there at Wirib on a shady, unpowered site for $10...bargain!
And they even provided entertainment: whilst showering i heard the woman in the next cubicle call out to her friend as she entered the block. "It's that you Mary? Don't use the first toilet dear, there's a snake in it. Try the second." "Oh, alright" replied the equally calm Mary to her friend. Meanwhile the fully soaped and wet me had my eyes glued to the 30 cms space at the foot of my shower door, waiting to see if I'd suddenly need to do a Catwoman routine! A very quick shower and, as I opened the door, I saw the last half of a snake tail slither over the wall to the men's section. It's the Outback!
We spent the afternoon beating the heat by taking a fairly touristy boat trip along the Victoria River, spotting crocs and lots of birds before watching the sun set. A cool and pleasant option to the alternative of sitting back at camp, but quite expensive for what you got. It's understandable I guess, when you realize these people have only 5-6 months each year in which to make their annual income.
From Katherine on was all new territory for us, so we delighted in each kilometre. The scenery didn't disappoint: no matter how much you see in photos there's nothing which can prepare you for the actual scale and colours of what you'll see. No description I can write will either, so you'll all just have to do the trip one day soon!
Our favourite place was definitely Keep River National Park, just on the NT/WA border. The walks there are superb. Not long or arduous, (about 5 - 8km, with some easy climbing ), but the ancient rock formations and bird life are fantastic, as is the serenity. This is possibly the best NP we've ever used; beautifully kept, with large campsites and non-smelly long drops!
Zebra Rock Mine Campsite was another interesting spot to camp for a night. Ten kms of dirt brings you to a huge, sparsely treed paddock, whose only saving grace is an oasis of bougainvillea and massive rock tables connected to a small outdoor reception/shop area. It's a working mine and the rock is quite distinctive in appearance, with some rare pieces resembling a zebra stripe pattern. However there's a lot of hype and hard sell, so it's difficult to know exactly how it's formed, what age and what rock type it is. My resident geologist thinks it's quite possibly slate. All in all, an interesting place, especially the "shower block". No snakes this time but ancient, workmen type portable blocks with rickety doors and very cold showers.
Lake Argyle was our next stop. A massive, man-made dam created over 3 dry seasons by blocking the Ord River above Kununurra and flooding the valley to create a water supply to feed the 1960s built Diversion Dam and Ord River Scheme. Durack family history is also to found here, with the original homestead having been moved stone by stone and re-erected to become a museum and memorial to that far sighted pioneering family. Of course, the lake lends itself to tourism, with wonderful red cliffs falling down to the deep blue of the lake on which you can take sunrise/sunset tours.
But we chose another option - the half day 4WD with a tour of the Durack homestead, bush tucker, aboriginal art and the Stockman’s gallery. It proved to be a great choice, not because of what we saw, but who we met.
But that's an entire story in itself, so I'll tell you it in the next email.
This was Part One of a five part series. Check out the other articles in the series too:
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