Splish-splash.....
12 months ago when I last passed this way, Home valley station was closed for 'renovations', we got to see the results, first hand, of 19 or 90 million $ spent! I have got to say that it is not in the spirit of the Kimberley, not least in my opinion.
Home Valley and 2 other previously abandoned stations; Durack river and Pentecost downs, are all under the ownership of the local indiginous land council, and it is they who have developed this 'resort' right out in the bush!
It is a grand job and a fine training ground for young local tribe folk to learn either station skills or resort skills....don't know where they can take them outside of this area, but i do salute the inisative to help the future of their young folk.
Why do i mention all this, well, to give you the picture that we are not really 'adventuring' here! Just taking a very expensive 'resort' break( take me back to Drysdale!!). Imagine, just 2 km up the track, on the side of the road I am able to get full 3G coverage, good chance to send some txt and pxts, which I make the most of. I took the oppotunity to take the bike round to their workshop where I convinced their mechanic that HE did not want to change my countershaft sprocket, but a couple of tools loaned would allow me to do it myself, so I fitted the 17t back on ready for the 'territory' and 130kph limits!
A couple of days of poolside lounging, nice food and cold beers( did I mention that they also had cold beer?) was not getting us across the Pentecost river, just 9km east of here( I did not have the fuel to even go down and back check it out, thats how fine the consumption/capacity thing was!), my wallet was hemoraging and i was getting itchy feet, so armed with all the knowledge obtained via careful research-that the river was indeed tidal, with full LOW being at 0630ish, and that the crossing was open to ALL VEHICLES, we departed! On the track not long after 6 in the relative cool we head very confidently down to 'Bluey O'Malleys' crossing!
Well,I did not hear D-Joolz expression when we rounded the last corner-because I was swearing loudly into the inside of my helmet( and hers too)- bloody river was well up, not the dribble I was expecting!. Park, switch off, explain that the idea that I had mentioned that she may have to walk, was now a reality, we are both well aware that good crox inhabit this waterway...there is no option girl, follow me. So I lead the way, full of confidence....well I have been here before and survived, how bad could it be? The first 100m was shallow, about 250-300 but very round slippery stones, the size of soccer and rugby balls all mixed up, cover the bottom, then, the last 40-50m it gets above my knees, prolly about 400-450? Thats the most important part of my life safely across, now I have to return to the bike and try to coax her across...all the luggage still on: it is so far across, and so laborious( dangerous too?) that I decide to go for it laden( listening Bass???....I know he will be shaking his head in disbelief). It wasn't pretty, it wasn't fast and I didn't stay dry....but I got over without dropping the sod! I am not sure wether D-Joolz or me was most relived
Chucked our helmets on and hit the track again, before everyone else gets going and making dust. Too late, 4x4s everywhere on the last 65km of gravel, so we just dig in and motor to Wyndham for brekkie at the bakery. then the croc farm for a close-up lookie, then up the hill to 5 rivers lookout...D-Joolz is looking 'peaky' now...its real hot here-34-35 and still. We have an appointment with a wee plane at Kununurra this arvo so we motor the 110k there without further ado. Arrange digs but now D-Joolz is decidedly 'off'...am lucky enough to be able to postpone the flight until 9 in morning...whew...relax and cold beer!
Now we are a full half day behind my plan to reach Darwin, as the flight while very good and worth doing, puts us back in Kununurra for an early lunch at the roadhouse at 1130. Both feeling fresh and re-hydrated now we go for it, just a few k's east we enter NT and wind the right wrist seriously...130-135 as fuel stops are reasonably spaced for us from now on. With very little traffic and no hold-ups we motor right to Katherine before dark( I don't know wot time it was as I had adjusted my watch the 1/2 hour time change after the border. We got up at 6 next morning and couldn't belive how many were up already...until later when I found out i needed to put another hour on my watch...dumbo
!!)
Darkie lapt it up!
In the pub there that evening, we were approached by a guy and his wife,30ish, who asked if the kt outside was ours....he had just done a fair bit of the Simpson and surrounds on a bmwx650. Had a good ole yarn, compared notes, spread bullshit and had a few cold beers( yup...got them here too!).
Dispite our 'late' arrising next morning, with only just over 300km to Darwin we bolt for it( Since Wyndham its all 'transport' stage) so I can get to NT motorcycles before they close and see if they can do my 15000km service( at 19000km!) on Monday before the kt goes into storage.
Service manager says no worries, couple of hours work(?) so have it in by 1300. Im not so sure.
Would you belive it...small world...spoke to a salesman who saw my NZ decal on the bike and asked where in NZ are we from? I always say near Taupo as very few NZers even have heard of Reporoa, so this guy says...where near Taupo? His uncles are a local farmer and businessman we know and he himself had worked there some years ago...unreal!
That is the motorcycle adventure over.
I will post my 'summary' of all things used and encountered soon.
I'm no gynaecologist, however I would be happy to take a look......................
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Originally Posted by Bass
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