Sunday 17 July 2016

Note to all

Hi just wanted to let you all know that from now on I will be using PDF for the blogs, as it takes forever to upload photos and info each time I do one.
 A PDF is much quicker for me and I don`t have to be connected to internet all the time while I am working. 
If anyone does not want to receive them as PDF Let me know and I will take you from the list.
Thanks to everyone that has commented on our travels.

Cheers for now til next time.

Wednesday 6 July 2016

Sunset cruise on Lake Kununurra




The evening sunset cruise was wonderful idling quietly along the water way and lake with the dead trees rising out of the water to create some lovely views.








We all enjoyed a great dinner of steak, fresh Barra and salads, very yummy!!
It was a very enjoyable time.

We found that the local markets were held on Saturday morning in the park, so it was off to see what there was there, lots of stalls with a variety of good’s for sale.
We spent an enjoyable hour wandering around, then it was off to the café for a cuppa and something to eat.

Kununurra




Lake Kununurra was formed with the construction of the diversion dam and provides a permanent water supply to the irrigation area’s.



 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Kununurra


Lake Argyle was built for two purposes!

    1.     To bring water down for the irrigation areas.

    2. To stop the feast or famine cycle, of flood or dry.

Lake Argyle was formed by damming the Ord River [1973] and forms a storage catchment. It supplies a constant flow of water into the lower Ord all year round, thus removing the flood or dry of the normal seasons.

By releasing a constant flow of water down river to the diversion dam , two thing’s would be achieved,

     1.     Ease the risk of flooding to the flood plains which stretch all the way to Wyndham.

     2.      Slow the harvested water to be used for farming without the use of pumps.

By building levee bank’s the water level is raised enough to allow gravity to feed the main irrigation channel for the plantations of Indian Sandlewood now in the area, and allow the lower Ord to flow all year at a constant rate. They do this by raising and lowering the radial gates on the diversion dam.

A Hydro power plant has also been built at Lake Argyle, this supplies power to the Argyle Diamond mind and to the towns of Kununurra and Wyndham.


For more facts and figures go to the web site.

http://www.lakeargyle.com/explore-and-learn/statistics/
http://www.mtromance.com.au/visit-us/the-sandalwood-factory-kununurra/

This whole experience has been mind blowing in size and experience.


 Feeding fresh water crocodiles and fish









Special thanks to Pat and Allan for their help with these blogs

Sunday 26 June 2016

Zebra Creek Mine Campground



Saddle Creek Rest Area is our next night stop, arriving at about 10 am it became very full by 2pm with a lot of traffic coming in and out all afternoon. A lovely breeze kept us reasonably cool outside. There are towering escarpments surrounding the rest area beautiful as the sun set on them.






Zebra Creek mine campground our choice for the next 3 nights it is about 10 km off the highway on a dirt road. The first 5kms was pretty good the next 5kms on their property was quite shocking for a place that advertises all vehicle access, for normal caravans it is a bit hairy with all the flood ways and dips in the road and is to be taken with care.
The free guided tour is very good and really informative, the mine is the only working Zebra stone mine in the world so is very unique. 

 Primordial rock looks like plowed paddocks on a farm


There are actually 3 variations mined here Primordial, Fire stone and Zebra stone that come out of the same site which is an open cut mine all have a different look.



 The owner would like to leave the Zebra stone in the ground and turn it into an attraction left in place for the future.
Tour jeep


 In the gallery













Fossil found in the mine. 

Zebrarockmine.com.au