So the start of the week saw me back in Darwin for a few days which was fantastic because it meant some extra time with my good old friend Steph. On Thursday we went to Mindil Markets where we would eat way to much food and see another old friend Col, and his lovely partner Ange. We watched the sunset and reminisced about old times, in particular about a hilarious incident in Lagos that need not be mentioned on this site. Later on in the week we checked out Berry Sprigs and the WW2 oil tunnels. We had another spot of fishing in Shoal Bay, where Steph caught a Salmon, Steve a Barra and me… a small cat fish. For my last night in town we met up with some of their mates down at the ski club on Darwins coastline, then took to the wharf for a meal. When we arrived we noticed a boat with pride flags draping from it. Curious as to what this was we started asking questions. A rather Fairy God Mother looking lady on the boat clarified with us that it was Darwin Pride, that this was the Boat Party event and that we should definitely get tickets. 15 Minutes later we had tickets. What an awesome excuse to have a random night out with a friend from way back when. We had such a great time. The party was hosted by drag queens which were absolutely hilarious.
With a slightly sore head and a later time of departure, I took off for Nitmiluk National Park the following morning and arrived with just enough time to hike Butterfly Gorge. This was an eye opener. The track for the most part was excellent. It wasn’t until I hit the last 500m that the track really became narrow and more of a bush bash. I was alone and no other walkers were anywhere to be seen. Every little sound of a crack in the dry leaves around me made me jump as I thought it could be a snake. It wasn’t until I saw a snake that I realised snakes don’t make much sound at all; they slither away very quickly. So with what I thought was roughly 400m to go, I see another snake. I very masculinely let out a high pitched squeal and think to myself, ‘do I turn around?’ I’d been told by a few people how stunning it is when you arrive so I was eager to push on. As terrified as I was of standing on a snake I wanted to reach the end. I am so glad I did. Its so untouched and so damn beautiful. After taking it in I ventured back through the narrow track where I would see another two snakes along the way. None of which I was prepared for, and none caused me to fall silent about the matter. I intently stared at the track floor and thankfully didn’t bother any snakes enough to want to bite me.
From Explorers Way and back onto Savannah Way I took off to King River West rest stop on the way to Kununurra. I arrived in the dark and decided this was a great spot for a overnighter. It wasn’t until the morning that I realised I had parked in sand just a bit too soft for Roger. Roger is the Van as his number plate includes RDA. I was bogged and not moving an inch. With a sheepish look on my face I went looking for some help. Thankfully a family with a couple of 4WDs were close by and got me out of a hairy situation pretty quick. Cheers guys.
With Roger free I was able to kick on to Lake Argyle, have a swim in the infinity pool and venture on to Kununurra. We checked out the dried up salt lakes in Wydnham, watched the sunset over Cambridge Gulf before retreating to Parry’s Creek Farmhouse for the night. The following morning was an early one as I was eager to see the gorgeous landscapes of the Kimberley Region, something I have really been looking forward to. The landscapes are rugged, dramatic and beautiful. Seeing these sights only confirm that a return is necessary with a 4WD.
Broome is a short 160kms from where I landed in Willare this evening. With a large number of stock on the road, and a massive 900kms travelled today, it is time for me to hit the sack. I’m so excited for my West Coast portion of this tour. Don’t forget to tell all of your mates in Perth that I am extremely close to arriving. If they know of anyone who is planning a hens night or a ladies night, please get them to contact me! Its so important to get the message out there to get your skin checked, and I want to raise as much money through these male stripping gigs as possible for the Melanoma Institute Australia