Leaving the spectacular Northern Territory left us all feeling alittle low .... we had seen so much and had such a good time surely it can't get any better????
It took us 2 days from Kakadu to Kununnurra, stopping at Katherine (again) and a small town called Timber Creek where low and behold they had a barrista who worked a proper coffee machine!!!
Kununnurra is a town not far over the NT/WA border and is on the outer border of the region known as the 'Kimberley'.
Located on the Ord river which is best known for the Ord River Irrigation Scheme, the town itself is quite young. We stayed at the base of the Mirima National park also known as the mini Bungle Bungles, the sunsets are spectacular! We headed up to what's known as Kelly's k*** lookout for sunset over the township of Kununnurra and the hues were amazing, the depths of the oranges and reds of the setting sun against the red rocky landscape really only truely captured by the eye rather than the lens. Maybe WA will bring us memorable moments after all!

EL QUESTRO
The El Questro wildness Park is over 1 million acres in size and most of it accessible by 4WD only. Being the dry season our territory was able to make it to the station with the one river crossing required. But first our first point of interest and stop in the park was at Zebeedee Hot Springs. Oh my goodness truely the best springs yet!!! Properly hot not just tepid it was brillant and set amongst a lush green stream cascading over the rocks there was plenty of options for all. Zoe was able to stand and splash around, Dean and I were able to submerse ourselves just like a big bath and the boys climbing up and down from rockpool to rockpool blocking off waterfalls while the other waited for the big release underneath. It was a fantastic morning.
We approached the station and the river crossing with the appropriate level of caution, which for Dean means waiting and watching a range of different cats cross to see the water levels. When one driver stopped and said we would make the crossing easily and his friends did the crossing the day before in a low sedan Dean was suitable convinced. We stopped at the station for lunch and explored the grounds and the various accommodation options. Still a working cattle station of around 8000 head of cattle, there was only little evidence of their presence with a cattle yard in the distance.
Our last stop for the day was to venture out to Emma Gorge. A hike through the gorge for around an hour with the boys doing what they love best, climbing over rocks, we were rewarded with a spectacular waterfall into a plunge pool. Thomas and only after some convincing Ben ventured in for the "freshing" dip. Back along the way we came we returned to the car and headed back into Kununnurra. What a day!

The next day was spent taking a family bike ride along Lake Kununnurra and exploring the Mirima National park. A walk along the base along a boardwalk introduced us to the range of native flora and how the indigenous people used the plants/trees in their day to day living. Whether it be for making hunting tools, bush tucker, using the leaves or bark for medicines and ointments or even for drugging fish so they could take what they needed and let the rest "wake up" and swim away! The obligatory climg up to the lookout also provided us with another beautiful view of the surrounding landscape but also an encounted with a rock wallaby that seemed to be following us up the path. The days were certainly warming up and it was starting to be quite hot to be doing lots of hiking activities in the middle of the day, lucky we did have a pool at the caravan park and could cool off in the heat.

LAKE ARGYLE
We decided to stay an extra night and do a day trip down to Lake Argyle, the largest freshwater lake in Australia. It holds around 19 Sydney Habours and the size truely immense. We took a 2 hour boat cruise on the lake which included a delicious bbq lunch on board of the local catfish and a swim off the back of the boat. After all of our previous experiences with crocodiles Thomas did make sure there were no saltwater crocs, we were well assured that only freshwater crocodiles ... phew!

Our introduction to the Kimberley has been what we hoped and we can't wait to continue our adventure across this region!