Big Birds with a Bad Bowel problem! - Kununurra 2nd, 3rd & 4th September

Even though we are like a video in reverse as we retrace our steps, we both can't get over the beauty of the country we are travelling through. Same roads but going the opposite direction at a different time of day and everything looks new and exciting. The Victoria River area probably the most breathtaking. By the time we go to the NT / WA border it was 37 degrees and we were both hanging out for a bit of shade at the Quarantine Inspection station, no such luck. On arrival the inspector shoved a sign in my face and mumbled something about have you got any . . . NO! Keep going then. What about my moment in the shade, don't you want to go through everything looking for cane toads, there might be some stowing away somewhere? Keep going! Even Trishy, who will walk a mile in Big W just to let the door girl check her handbag, couldn't convince the guy to check her bike. Keep going!

Not like Intrepids to be done out of their moment in the shade, we parked the bike up on the WA side of the border and walked back and stood in the shade. Mr Keep Going had just finished confiscating 10kg of fruit from some dumb caravaners who obviously have not read the signs for the last 200km saying no fruit. Having made his big bust for the day he finally relaxed a bit and had a chat with us. All dosed up on shade we rode the last 45km into Kununurra. The stupid GPS ( really I do love it ) decided to do a rat maze tour of Kununurra to get to the caravan park. The GPS must have been a Greek taxi driver in a past life. No way were we going back to the Hidden Valley Park this time and found a much better park. They even drive you around on a golf buggy while you decide choose your spot and there it was, the biggest shadiest tree in the world. No exaggeration it was massive. Great choice or so we thought. With the tent erected where the sun never shines we headed to the pool.

Come night time a few blood curdling screams rang out from the tree above. No problem. Then came the pitter patter of what sounded like heavy rain drops then the occasional splosh like a cup full of water hitting the tent. On inspecting outside there was no imminent Noah inspired flood but "What the . . . ? ?" Can emus fly? There were the most horrendous ,massive, messy, slimy bird droppings all over the tent. Something that size could only be done by a flying emu but none were visible in the extensive branches above. Later investigation would finally reveal that the offenders were Rufus Night Herons. Quite a large bird that punches way above its weight when it comes to poop.

Tuesday 3rd - The rock hounds went to visit a rock enthusiast that we had been told about, to quote Trish "a funny old bloke in his own house with a pop eyed rescued Chihuahua and a little barrel foxie dog". Any family or friends who have been "trapped" by Trish in our rock room as she enthusiastically explains our rock collection will understand the passion of this guy. He even had names he had given to his precious agates. It was very interesting but in the end even Trish had to make an excuse so we could leave. It was with trepidation we went to bed expecting another bombing run from the Nigh Heron.

Wednesday 4th - Only a small poop clean up this morning. Another early start so we could ride the 72km to Lake Argyle. Once again the scenery was breathtaking and the roads a bike riders dream. It was really good to see the dam and lake up close; well I guess it is the whole reason for the existence of Kununurra. This has been a much better caravan park than where we stayed last time but the tourist season is drawing to an end and as someone said "It is like someone blew a whistle and all the Grey Nomads left for home". The park is going into shutdown mode and mothballing some of their ablution blocks as numbers dwindle to a trickle.

Pooped Dave