Our four-wheel drive trip to Tunnel Creek was cancelled as our advice from the other happy campers around us was that the road was rough and even though we'd make it, they wouldn't take their good four-wheel drives in, plus the aboriginal guy that runs the Tunnel Creek entry point isn't always there if the mood takes him. So we decided on a day of rest and relaxation at Fitzroy Crossing. And as the town doesn't offer very much action, and the Information Centre was closed that could have advised us on any possible activity that might have been happening, we didn't have much choice than to put our feet up and chat to the neighbors (Kevin is really getting good at this).
We did discover a Bower Bird that had built a nest on the ground in the park. Apparently they gather heaps of bits and pieces and build a 'bower' to attract the ladies. This one spent hours and hours decorating and redecorating with heaps of shells, feathers, polystyrene, a small medicine cup and several cable ties. He put stuff in and then would rearrange and move it all around until he was happy with it's placement (I thought he acted like a very frustrated interior designer but Kevin insists this is normal Bower Bird behavior). Kevin reckons he's coming back as a Bower Bird because all they have to do is a bit of housework, mate with whichever and however many ladies they choose, then they send the girls off to rear their children, and they don't even pay any maintenance! What a life!! The only drawback is that he does have to do a very silly dance to attract the ladies, and Kevin doesn't dance!
I'd like to make a statement at this point in the trip as to an issue that I have identified about the caravanning life. We (I) have decided that a few adjustments need to be made to certain caravan behaviour! If Kevin leaves the door open one more time and let's insects in, I will be chasing him with the can of fly spray instead of the thousand insects that invade through the crack in the ajar door! Last night I was in fact chased by a very large insect with extremely lengthy, pointed and (I'm fairly positive) poisonous stingers attached to its rear. This insect had managed to enter the caravan through the open fly screen door, and had made a bee line for me. It took half a can of fly spray and a lot of jumping and squealing on my part to exterminate the enemy! My question is, "why pay for screens for the door if you don't intend to close them?" I just thought this issue needed to be aired.
And so it was time to leave Fitzroy Crossing and head towards Kununurra. We'd been told by quite a few people not to stop at Halls Creek, which would have broken up the trip, so we had a very long day ahead to drive 629 Ks to the next safe place to stop overnight.
As we passed through Halls Creek we pretty quickly identified why we'd been advised to keep going at Halls Creek! To say the place was dodgy would be an understatement. We got fuel, after lining up at the one bowser that was working along with about 10 other cars, and then we high-tailed it out of there. Lunch was on the side of the road at a rest stop, and we made another fuel stop at Turkey Creek, an ice-cream stop at Doon Doon Roadhouse, and then we headed down the final 111 Ks to Kununurra.
We arrived at the Caravan Park, and thank goodness I had booked, as the park was completely booked out!! The staff were really helpful and we even managed to book some tours before they closed for the night. We plan to spend about 5-6 days here doing all the Kimberley sightseeing stuff before we head across the border to the Northern Territory.
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