Phew, we’ve reached Kununurra and flopped! Both feeling jaded, (having caught colds as well which doe’snt help)……..its also very, very hot and oppressive! Don’t all get your hankies out I know you’ll have no sympathy whatsoever, as you enjoy the lovely British Autumn …..ah cool and crisp!
In the very apt words of Aussie author Phil O’Brien…“It is build up time in the Top End………hot, sticky, sweaty, really b!!!!y hot and steadily growing hotter. Humidity is on the way up and air so heavy its hard to suck it up and get it down your lungs. Its what the locals call the suicide season” ( the late Dry, the lead up to the start of the Wet season, which starts at the end of October). He’s not far wrong…… although we were told by one shop assistant yesterday that it was unusually cool for this time of year……what is she nuts!!
We have however found a beautiful shady, camp spot though overlooking Lily Lagoon at Lake Kununurra with the Sleeping Buddha as the prime view, so not much to complain about really. The Sleeping Buddha is a rock formation which looks like the buddha is lying on his back asleep. The lagoon has those Jacana birds (Jesus birds) skittering across the lily pads, as well as Ibis, ducks, moorhens ( at least they look like moorhens but bigger Aussie versions), and apparently some resident freshies! So we decided to stay here for a few days to recharge our batteries, and ditch the colds and sniffles, ready to hit the Bungle Bungles, El Questro etc next week! This takes some planning due to restrictive 4WD access only so we need to decide how we get to these places.
The Sleeping Buddha, Lake Kununurra
Paul at sundown, view from camp at Kununurra