KUNUNURRA AND THE KIMBERLEY
Kununurra is the eastern
gateway to the Kimberley and the home of outback adventure.
Developed in the 1960s as a service town for the Ord Irrigation
Scheme, it has a population of approximately 6,000 people. It is
well serviced with a modern hospital, leisure and aquatic centre,
specialty shops, air and ground passenger services.
A feature of the town is the
extensive waterways, which form the basis of the Ord Irrigation
Scheme. The mighty Ord River, once a series of waterholes during
dry season, is now a permanent waterway. From the Diversion Dam
upstream to Lake Argyle, the Ord has developed into an intricate
and interesting ecosystem of rivers, wetlands and lakes.
Surrounding the town itself
is a variety of unique and unusual rock formations, which are
typical of the region. The colours and shapes of these formations
have to be seen to be believed. Mirima Nature Park, known locally
as Hidden Valley, is one such example.
The town is the ideal base
for an adventure holiday, utilising one of the many 4WD, cruise or
flight operators located in Kununurra. From this one centre,
visitors can access all parts of the Kimberley in a variety of
fashions, limited only by time, preference and budget.
Popular destinations which
can be reached from Kununurra include the Bungle Bungles, Lake
Argyle, Gibb River Road, the Mitchell Plateau, the Ord River,
Argyle Diamond Mine, plus many others. Visitors to Kununurra should
beware, however - local rumour has it that once a person has tasted
the waters of the Ord River, they are destined to
return.
The Kimberley region is
located in the northern part of Western Australia, extending from
Broome in the west to Kununurra and Lake Argyle in the east, from
the sea to a bit south of the main Great Northern Highway (Route
1). It covers about 421,000 square kilometres -- slightly larger
than Japan and much larger than United Kingdom, New Zealand, or the
Australian state of Victoria. It is bordered on the west by the
Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the
Great Sandy Desert, and on the east by the Northern
Territory.
The Kimberley region was one
of the earliest settled parts of Australia, with numerous groups of
people arriving over thousands of years from the islands of what is
now Indonesia. European settlement, however, is quite recent,
dating from around 1885, when the MacDonalds and the Duracks
arrived to set up cattle stations, having spent several years
droving their cattle from the eastern colonies. Many other
Europeans arrived soon after, when gold was discovered around Halls
Creek. Although the gold rush didn't last long, some people
stayed.
Other industries have
included pearling (a big industry in Broome for many years until
the 1940s), mining (including the Argyle Diamond mine, which began
operation in 1983 and is still producing about 1/3 of the world's
diamonds), agriculture (centred on the Ord River Irrigation Area
near Lake Argyle) and tourism. The geology of the area is varied
and fascinating, as well as producing some spectacular scenery. You
can also see some ancient Aboriginal rock
The cache is a thin
cylinder tube with a log paper and you will need to bring your own
pen.