Passing by the Kimberleys
Trip Start
Mar 01, 2006
1
168
551
Trip End
Dec 01, 2007
Kununura - Halls Creek - Fitzroy Crossing, Australia
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
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Got up in Timber Creek, packed and left at around 8. We had stopped here because there were some lookouts and viewpoints accessible with 2WD car through gravel roads. So we went to see these places in the morning: not very photogenic, but the size and desolate aspect of the landscape was something. Low mountains with savana and termites and trees all around. We came across an exhibit about these army rangers who were patrolling around this countryside on horseback during WWII, surviving in these very unhospitable lands made of with small valleys and large flat mountain tops.
We drove past huge Lake Argyle: too late in the day (and therefore too hot) to do anything there, and we had not planned anything, so we drove on. South to Halls Creek, and finally to Fitzroy crossing. From there we could access some gorges in the morning, and there was supposed to be a large Aboriginal community too.
I had told to myself that I needed to find the bar in this town and hangout there in the evening, hearing the stories and having a look at these people who live hundreds of kilometers from any real city, be they black or white.
Upon arriving at the camping grounds, I changed my plans. A large group of Aboriginals was there, and for one good reason: the camping/restaurant/bar was also the bottle shop (the place licenced to sell alcohol). Most of the Aboriginals were drunk, and yelling and shouting and sometimes throwing things at each other.
When I came back to the car after having spent 10 minutes checking in, there were a couple of Aboriginals around the car, dead drunk, talking with Damiela and Teresa and Steffen, who looked very not at ease. We kept talking while getting back in the car and until leaving for the campground, but anyway it was one of these sad discussions with very drunk people who leave no doubt that this is their normal everyday state.
The campground main door was padlocked(!), and once we were in unpacking and cooking, we could hear lots of yelling and a car running wild, and bottles being thrown around. The white guy at the bottle shop had also introduced us to his "best mate", a baseball batte. And when we went out to get beers some of the Aboriginals insistantly asked for money. In australia you are commiting an offence if you are helping someone drunk getting more alcohol (haha), so I really don't know why they even tried.
So in the end I gave up my idea to hang out around the bar. I met later people who had been working and staying in Fitzroy Crossing and who confirmed it was not a safe idea to get out with the Aboriginals there. Sad.
Geographically, we were travelling south of the Kimberleys, a large mountain range that lies between Darwin and Broome. We were going around its southern limit, but a good trip must be to take the other route and drive right through the Kimberleys with a 4WD. Next time, or in another life.
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