Alex's Diary - Week 8

Day 50 – Wednesday 20/6/2012 – Bell Gorge Day 2

We woke up and had breaky. I read and then we drove to the gorge. We went to the information board before beginning the walk. It was a relatively quick and easy walk to the falls but was like walking across a dry riverbed. When we got there we walked up the cliff on the left side of the falls. I didn’t really like them, they were a bit like Grevillea (see my diary, day 47). The 4^th  level down the fall was a little jagged but otherwise straight drops. We walked down and had a swim. We had lunch and walked back to the car. We got back and read, had dinner and went to bed.

FACT: Never run on rocky ground.

Day 51 – Thursday 21/6/2012 – Bell Gorge to Windjana Gorge

We woke up and did a fast pack up. We hit the road and had breaky. I read for the rest of the trip and we did a quick set up. We had lunch and got our shoes on. We went to the beginning of the walk and started it. We walked through the rock and went down to the river bank and walked along it. It was clearly unaccessable during the wet as the river would have been bigger. I could see the high water line. The river would have been several feet higher and much wider. We climbed a steep part of sand and went closer to the crocodiles on the riverbank. They were sitting open-mouthed staring at the water and others swimming silently and effortlessly. There were some which turned their heads towards us. There were desserted ones and others in packs or pairs. We went and had a closer look, there tails were very spiky and I could see how they came from dinosours. We moved on and came to the fossils of an extinct animal from sea life, the Nautiloid. We went to the next sand bank crossing and crossed it slowly. We got back on the path and crept along a tree overhanging the water. We walked back having seen 35 crocs. We got back and read. I played cars with Lachie and went to bed.

Day 52 – Friday 22/6/2012 – Windjana Gorge Day 1

We woke up and had breaky. I read and then we repeated the walk we did yesterday. We found the fossil of a Nautiloid again and Dad took photos of us with it in the background. We went to the sandy bank we had seen crocodiles on yesterday. There were none, however, when we looked today. They were obviously somewhere else up the river. On the way back we saw one on the opposite bank. We had brought the binoculars this time so had a look at it close up. The binoculars helped me look but it felt funny wearing them. We went back and drove on to Tunnel Creek on which we went over our roughly 400^th grid! We’ve been over a lot so it wasn’t exciting! We got there and had a bits and pieces lunch. We walked down to the beginning of the tunnel in which the creek ran to give it it’s name, Tunnel Creek. It was an easy and quick walk down to the creek. We weaved our way in to the tunnel through rocks like the creek does.  It was dark inside so we used torches to see where to go. We got into the water and began sinking deeper and deeper as the sand got lower. We turned our torches off in the middle of the tunnel. It was pitch black and a little bit scary so I’m glad we brought a torch. When we went back onto the sand again at a clearing of tunnel it wasn’t exciting and felt yuck because all the sand was in my shoes! I liked getting back onto the water but it was quite rocky underfoot. We picked our way with difficulty as we couldn’t see clearly through the water. We actually went the wrong way through deeper water not up on the sand! We went up through to the end where it was relieving to see the sunshine because it was dark all through the tunnel and it was good to know you’d done half the walk. We went to the rock art and saw it with the butterflys underneath. The rock art was only of a hand meaning something that I didn’t know. The butterflys were what attracted me. We walked back and drove back. We played Frisbee with Lachie, Zea and Connor and had happy hour. We went over to Zea’s bonfire and played 2 hours worth of ‘bump Alex’, ‘get the glow stick’, ‘cars’ and ‘activity books’ in the firelight which the adults sat around. We went to bed.

Day 53 – Saturday 23/6/2012 – Windjana Gorge to Broome

We woke up and had breaky. I played ‘get the glow stick’ and ‘angry birds’ on Zea’s ipad while Mum and Dad packed up. ‘Angry Birds’ was hard and fun. We said bye and departed. We sung a celebration song to get off the Gibb River Road. We drove on to Derby’s wharf and walked along it. It was over murky brown water and we saw fish in it. We drove into the centre of Derby and got a mango smoothie from the CWA (Country Women’s Association) markets. We got a sausage roll from the bakery and pizza roll from IGA. We saw the prison Boab tree where the prisoners slept on their trips to gaol. We drove on to Dad’s cousin, Milton’s, house. We set up and told Grandma and Grandad all about what we did. I went and played cops and robbers with Milton’s son Ryan and Ryan’s friends Seasha, Baxton, and Sheldon. Ryan was fast and found some good hiding spots but cops rounded up robbers soon enough. I became a robber and quickly got caught but escaped when they left. We said goodbye to Seasha, Baxton and Sheldon and I played on my scooter with Ella, Ryan’s sister, and Lachie. I tried jumping on a small hill and succeeded. I skimmed a skimball across the pool. I had a shower and drove to Zander’s in Grandma and Grandad’s hired Hyundai. The restaurant was expensive for its quality and wasn’t the best. I had a garlic pizza bread for entrée and fish and chips for main. Grandma gave Dad his birthday present and card and back we went to bed at 9.30.

Day 54 – Sunday 24/6/2012 – Broome Day 1

We woke up and got dressed. We drove down to the markets and had a nice breaky of hash browns, bacon, sausage and toast that we got in the ‘Ozzi Breaky’ at a stall. We went to the non-food bit and walked around with Grandma and Grandad. Grandma bought a hat as her other one didn’t fit. Lachie wanted a bracelet but Mum refused. I bought an ice-cream from a mean stall owner who forced 2 scoops for an adult and 1 scoop cone for a kid. She didn’t let me have a waffle cone.  We picked up Ryan and Ella from Milton’s and Ryan directed us to his Dad’s work. We got out and walked over to Milton who took us inside the Barramundi lab where they start breeding them and put the small ones. We peered over the tub and saw about 500 fish roughly 3cm long. Milton told us about the breeding and then we saw the slightly bigger ones, 5cm-15 cm. There was a dead fish that’s head had been eaten off by one of the larger ones. We went to the 3^rd tank and saw the 15-35cm Barra. Milton told us that some big Barramundi could not be shifted from their favourite spot, the centre next to the pole. The kids needed a step ladder to see over the top of the massive tank. There were the 35-55cm length. They were very big and I saw the pellets which the Barramundi fed on fall out of the conveyor belt. The fish were quick and we got a splash from the tails when they got it from the surface. We looked into a microscope at the Rodifers living and moving. Even through the microscope they were less than a millimeter long. The food chain went algae, rodifers eat algae, Barramundi eat rodifers. We went into the mud crab lab and looked at them. They were medium size and bright orange and I was surprised that they lived in a pot in the water. We went into a lab leading off that which had 1 tub full of buckets and 2 or 6 Barra each. They were 80cms long and ate small fish! We even got to feed the fish. I threw them some with Lachie, Ryan and Ella and Milton dangled it in to make the fish jump up. It was cool. We looked at Milon’s fish and a Barra eventually gave the fish a yank and gave us a wave of departure, then turned with a splash to go. We went up to the biggest lab where 3 giant tanks stood. We climbed up onto a table to make the fish visible through a flap which Milton unzipped. The fish were up to a metre long and 30cm wide! I got some fish and threw them in the water to see fish streak towards it. Milton again dangled a fish. This time it yanked without breaking the surface. We went to another fish tank in the lab. Milton fed all of them and we went up closer. I had a good position but on the first fish, it made a massive splash and I got the most soaked! We moved to the 3^rd tank and I held one dangling in the water. The fish didn’t seem to want it or were just waiting me out. I got tired and tried the other tank. As opposed to half an hour, half a second it took for one to jump at me. I got freaked out and then we moved onto the sea horses. They weren’t very interesting because they were 5cm long and had nothing to do so I went onto the clownfish. Like the mud crabs, I was surprised to see they had a pot in their tank. Milton said they needed a pot to have their eggs on! These were not fascinating either so I went back. We thanked Milton and dropped Ryan and Ella and me off at their house. Seasha was there so we all threw a skimball around the pool. I had lunch and we skimmed the ball again. I played piggy in the middle and then had dinner. I rode my scooter with Ryan and went to bed.

Day 55 – Monday 25/6/2012 – Broome Day 2

We woke up and got dressed. I got my scooter and rode around the loop Lachie and Ella had shown me. I rode it once and decided to do it reverse. I stacked half way and returned with a bloody knee and pinky, grazed hands and other knee. I got detol on it and ready Harry while Mum and Dad packed up. I finished the 6^th book. I drove up to the caravan park and Mum and Dad set up while Grandma and Grandad took us to Zanders. We had a play on the playground and then had chips with sauce. I enjoyed them and then had a bubblegum flavoured ice-cream. I loved that more and we then went back and I read Harry. I rang Aunty Annie for her birthday. It was nice to hear from a family member which we had been out of contact with for so long. Then we went back to Cable Beach and Zanders. Ryan arrived and flung a skimball at me. We threw them together and then one hit my face so I chased Ryan around trying to get him. I got him cornered on top of a tube and hit him. I watched the sun set beautifully over the horizon featuring orange, red, yellow purple and crimson. I played ‘hit Ryan’ again and then ran back to the tent. We had dinner with Grandad and Grandma and went to bed.

Day 56 – Tuesday 26/6/2012 – Broome Day 3

I woke up at 9 today and had breaky. I played cars and then did my diary. We went to the terminal or airport to say bye to Grandma and Granddad. We met Milton on the way and got to the departure area. I asked Milton some questions and got absorbed in a conversation about pearl divers. Grandma and Grandad’s plane kept getting delayed and they boarded 1 hour and 30 minutes later than meant. I was annoyed that Grandma and Grandad couldn’t go and get comfortable  in their van back at Kunanurra. They got called aboard so we walked outside onto the grass to watch them take off. I saw them fly overhead and disappear. We went to the tourist information centre and asked about what to do in Broome. We came back and had lunch. I did my diary and then had a scooter ride with Lachie. I also found out we are on Salmon Street in the caravan park. We went up to Gantheaume Point to watch the sunset. It was quite spectacular actually featuring green, red, orange, purple, yellow again over the calm blue sea. It almost or did look like a staircase to the sun! We went back, I did maths mentals and went to bed.