The clouds were still with us when we woke around dawn this morning, but the forecast was for a clearing day with a top in the low 30s. We were one of the first to be up and about after a big Friday night in the caravan park with TVs tuned to the east coast footy, either NRL or AFL with lots of barracking heard above the sound of the TV commentary.
We had heard about a local market in Kunanurra on Saturday mornings and it proved to be a real gem. Lots of local produce from the Ord River scheme including cantelope, papaya, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, corn and beans. We have also taken note of the hours of the market as we will be back this way after some time in the Bungle Bungles (Tuesday to Friday). At least we are doing all that we can to avoid scurvy!
We dropped the market shopping off back at camp before heading the 70kms over to the Ord River dam that has created Lake Argyle. The scenery on the way took a very different appearance, with the hills looking markedly older than anything we have seen (possibly with the exception of the northern Flinders Ranges). The journey found a way through the ancient landscape, delivering us to a lookout above the main dam wall with views across the lake to the left and down the Ord River Gorge to the right.
We crossed the dam wall and found a shady green park for lunch overlooking the start of the Ord River, downstream from the dam wall, complete with lots of jumping fish, darters (similar to cormorants) and basking freshwater crocs. After lunch we headed back to Kunanurra, following directions we had to “Crocodile Rock”, a significant site for indigenous art that isn’t signposted and is a short distance up a dirt track off the main road. The life-sized depiction of a croc was worth the time taken to locate the cave, check for creepy crawlies and venture in. The cave also contained very obvious signs of habitation with a smoke stained ceiling, a highly polished floor indicating lots of passing feet, and heavily grooved stones that have been used to sharpen tools and spears.
We took another detour and headed out to the irrigation area to the north of Kunanurra to visit the sandalwood factory that is now the biggest producer of sandalwood products in the world, largely for the perfume industry. The area reminded us of the journey between Mildura and Wentworth, with relatively small-hold irrigation farms across flat river flood plains. The factory sold all types of sandalwood-based products but Wendy found that everything reminded her of the mosquito coils we have been burning, a mix of sandalwood and citronella. Wendy will never smell sandalwood and think of anything else after this trip!
We have eventually made our way back to camp, left the Prado there, and walked the short distance to the “Pump House”, a café and restaurant that is located in an old irrigation scheme pump house, on the banks of the Ord River, with large schools of cat fish swimming below our balcony table. We have checked out the menu for tonight and subsequently booked a table for this evening. It’s back to the Tvan to pack away the market shopping before putting on a clean pair of shorts for dinner.
There’s a sausage sizzle setting up in the caravan park on the banks of the Ord River and the patrons are starting to gather around the BBQ area – including one local freshwater croc, George, who is apparently over 50 years old and will take what ever comes his way. Based on his behaviour, plenty has come his way over the years!