Day 156. Kununurra

Finally, some grass under my feet

I can't tell you how nice it is to finally have some green grass under our feet. The caravan park has lovely green grassy sites, and I haven't stopped walking around without my shoes on since we got here. You don't realise how much you miss a silly little thing like grass until you go weeks and weeks in red dirt and dust, without seeing any.

It has felt so good to be able to clean out the van, and get through the heap of washing I have. I still have one load that was just too horrible to face today. It's the colours that will need a good rubbing with the old sard wonder soap first; I'm really missing my mum right about now. We are going to take our stay in Kununurra a little easy, and use the time to not only see some sights - but regroup, restock, and just rest. We feel like we have been on the go since we left Broome, and are in real need of some down time.

I took Scarlett for a swim in the lovely pool here after lunch today, and she loved it. I however was straight in and straight out. It is really hot here (finally) but the water was still really cold. I had no problem letting her hangout with the other kids, while I relaxed and read my book on a deck chair.


Ivanhoe Crossing in flood



Kununurra is beautiful, there is so much water here and everything is so green. We went for a drive this afternoon, and the countryside is filled with orchards and plantations. It's not something I imagined this far out. Sandalwood and mango's seem to be the biggest, but I also saw a banana plantation too. We called in at the Ivanhoe Crossing too as I was really hoping to cross, but they have been letting so much water out of the weir for some reason at the moment it's closed. The water is so high, you can't even see the bollards that mark the road.

Shane took us back up to the weir for another look, and there were some aboriginal women sitting on the river bank (a little too close to the edge for my liking) catching fish, and they pulled one in while we were there. The water level is up so much that you can barely make out where the picnic tables with there submerged chairs are.


Aboriginal women fishing at weir



Next we visited the 'Hoochery' The oldest continuously operating legal still in W.A. The main drink here is Rum, and you can do tasting trays for as little as $2 each taste. We both tried two, I was a fan of the Mango rum, and Shane not fussy at all as he liked everything. He is a massive fan of rum, and he could have sat here all afternoon; had we not have had poor Scarlett with us, who was bored stiff.

Later - while Scarlett was sleep in the car, I popped into the Zebra Rock Gallery. I have my eye on a 4 piece collection of domes that represent the Bungle Bungles, although at $189 is a little too much for some rocks I think. I was hoping at the very least to get a small one for Scarlett's rock collection, but think I should wait till she is with me to pick it.


It's the one on the left

On the way back to the van park we were stopping in at Coles to grab a couple of things; when Shane suggested we take a look in at Nina's Jewellers just outside. They carry pieces with pink Argyle diamonds in them, and my favourite ring (I will get when I win lotto) just happens to be one of their designs. Oh my god, they were soooo beautiful. I wasn't the biggest fan of diamonds, but when they come in pink they make me green with envy. Before I knew it, Shane had the lady find my favourite design and it was out of the cabinet and on my finger before I knew what was happening. And at only $21,000, I think I will get two! Needless to say I walked away giddy as, and with nothing. But a girl can dream... can't she?

This evening Scarlett and Shane are at the outdoor movie here in the caravan park, they are showing 'Tangled'. They play a movie here every night, and because it gets dark so early they have them on by 5pm; so it's not a late night for the little ones.

Tomorrow we have decided to go for a drive and visit the Argyle Dam; it should be an interesting trip!