Josh, Kim, Indie & Jarrah are travelling around Australia in their 18′ Marvel Golden Child caravan. Their adventures through The Northern Territory and Western Australia, including tackling the Gibb, look absolutely amazing!!
Here are just some of their photos and information about their travels through Western Australia. You can follow them on Facebook & Instagram – Loss’d Around Oz.
DALES GORGE CAMPGROUND, KARIJINI NATIONAL PARK
We based ourselves at Dales Campground for three nights to explore the national park. The sites are large and there are a lot but they do book out online early so prebook in advance. We had a great view over the Mulga woodlands with heaps of beautiful wildflowers like our own little garden in front of our site. You will see dingoes out here so be sure there is no food, rubbish or shoes left outside.
We found it a great location for the eastern side of the park but a fair drive to Hamersley Gorge. Would recommend the freecamp at Tiger Eye Pool to visit Hamersley and then move camp to Dales for the rest, otherwise the Going Overland freecamp is a 40minute drive to most gorges.
BROOME, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Oh Broome you sucked us right in and we never wanted to leave!
What we thought was going to be 5 nights of winding down after a hectic week was in fact just one big weeklong party with so many travelling families (plus some extra nights after the Dampier Peninsula as we just could not get enough)!! Thank you to @therealaustraliandream for bringing the tunes to the travelling family catch-up on Cable Beach!
Our Broome must-do’s:
Sunsets on Cable Beach
Grab a floatie and a coldie and float down the lagoon at Coconut Wells on the incoming tide or laze about in the rock pools at low tide
Find a hidden rock pool at Gantheume Point
Watch the full moon rise over the Roebuck Bay mudflats to form the Staircase to the Moon at Town Beach
Sample the local brews at Matso’s Brewery (the ginger beer and mango beer were our picks!)
Check out a movie at the 100 year old open air cinema
Jump on board with @absoluteoceancharters and fill your freezer with tasty reef fish
Catch up with friends and make new ones as this is one big party town party
PENDER BAY ESCAPE, DAMPIER PENINSULA
Our next camp was a short 11km away, probably our shortest move on the trip. We headed to Pender Bay Escape and scored a great site (C10) right on the swim beach with views of the stunning Kimberley country red cliffs. We were joined by our friends @pacingourtravels and @livingadrift which meant the kids had a squad and great nights around the campfire for the adults.
We did some adventuring to Heart Rock and the rock pool but mostly just chilled out taking in the ocean views with whales splashing in the distance and swimming in the croc-free waters. The dads picked up some work on a new amenities block here and we got VIP access to a bath under the stars
PARRYS CREEK FARM
While on the Gibb other travellers recommended Parry’s Creek Farm to us. It’s located 23km south of Wyndham and was a good location for our first camp off the Gibb.
We had a great overnight stay here enjoying the shaded pool, happy hour at the bar and looking for the resident saltwater crocs in the creek. In the morning we joined the free tag along tour to Marglu Billabong. Alfie was a fantastic guide telling us about the different flora and fauna and some of the local Aboriginal creation stories of the area.
Afterwards we headed in to Wyndham to try a barramundi pie and get a ‘snap’ with the Big Croc. The pie was delicious!!
KUNUNURRA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Our first big town after the Gibb and our last town in Western Australia! We well and truly needed a restock on groceries after our 18 days on the track.
We based ourselves at the Lily Lagoon Resort which was a great choice. For $35 a night we were right next to the lagoon and made very good use of the huge new pool. Jarrah started swimming independently here! There is an abundance of potable water taps, free washing machines, a cafe and heaps of green grass.
While in Kununurra we:
visited Kangaroo Haven and cuddled baby joeys
restocked the cupboards
got a wheel alignment and repaired a few minor damages
took a day trip to Lake Argyle
scrubbed the vans and cars clean of all the Gibb dust
visited The Hoochery Distillery
cross the iconic Ivanhoe’s Crossing
move camps to a freecamp on the Ord River
find a (not so) secret waterhole
take a walk around Mirima National Park, known as the mini Bungle Bungles
There’s just so much to do here! Definitely ensure you allow at least a week in Kununurra.
HOOCHERY DISTILLERY
Never one to go past a distillery or brewery we weren’t going to miss The Hoochery at Kununurra. They say they are the oldest operating LEGAL still in WA. I’m sure there’s a few illegal ones around
We ordered a rum paddle and gin cocktail paddle, then when we still couldn’t decide what bottles to buy ordered another gin/liqueur paddle. We walked away with a bottle of their tropical ‘Out of the Ord’ gin and Ord River Premium rum. They have a great food menu too available over lunch time.
IVANHOE CROSSING, KUNUNURRA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Another iconic river crossing up this way is Ivanhoe Crossing. There are actually two flooded causeways that you cross. The crossing is over the Ord River which flows from Lake Argyle through Kununurra and out to the Timor Sea at Wyndham.
There is a resident saltwater croc that cruises this river but the locals still get in for a swim! We crossed over a few times with and without the vans from our freecamp Button’s Crossing, north of Kununurra.
FREECAMP: BUTTONS CROSSING, KUNUNURRA
Friends had recommended Button’s Crossing to us so we made it our last camp in WA. It’s a freecamp along the Ord River, across Ivanhoe Crossing. It is known saltwater croc territory so we remained alert when close by the waters edge.
We had two steamy nights here with temps at midnight still above 30 degrees but we made the most of it with campfire cookups and drinks around the fire with new and old friends.
Check out more adventures and reccommendations from Loss’d Around Oz by following them on Facebook & Instagram
If you would like some information on our Marvel Golden Child Caravan, you can request a brochure or contact our dealership on 07 5491 1888