Friday July 8th 2011 Kununurra Show

Slept in this morning until 8:00 a.m. We decided to stay an extra night here and drive to Wyndham tomorrow (Saturday) to look around rather than stay there for a couple of nights. This park is OK and it’s only an hour’s drive.

First time in a while that there’s been a breeze and it does make a difference. It’s not as humid.

The Ord River has a barrage-like structure that regulates the flow. It’s a bit like Goolwa only the amount of water coming through is significantly greater. There spray that comes off the water as it travels through the gates is an attraction for birds that fly through (a bit like kids running through lawn sprinklers). The flow of water is rapid. We drove to a park that showed the water levels; a picnic table and seats was slowly being devoured by the rising water.

zebra rock

Zebra Rocks is a shop that sells striped rocks as well as other semi-precious stones. The setting is picturesque with well-watered lawns, tall green shade trees, aviaries housing a galah and several short-billed corellas, wandering peacocks and peahens, a workshop where stone is cut, shaped and polished, a shop and a café.

catfish feeding on bread

The property’s gardens meet the Ord River and stale bread can be bought from the shop to feed the fish.  From a pontoon, people throw pieces of bread into the water and a mass of catfish (and others we don’t know) soon swarm to the bread. It’s like looking at a moving, seething carpet of black fish.

Elephant Rock can be seen to advantage from this point. Check out the photo.  A worker told me about the sunsets and new moon reflections on the river. Sounds pretty special.

Elephant Rock

The Kununurra Show started this afternoon and it was a family day (this meant no alcohol) so we decided to go after Robert chatted with someone who told him that this was the better of the 2 day event to attend. $15 each entry fee was paid at the gate.

The usual side show alley stalls lined part of the oval. Being a country show, there were hats, R M Williams mobile shop (amazing), machinery including a mobile timber mill that impressed Robert very much. There were utes and sturdy cars on display as well as other farm vehicles.

CWA provided tea, coffee and scones and I thought a scone would be a treat. Unfortunately the volunteer behind the counter preferred chatting to a friend on the other side of the counter rather than serve me. I did wait for a few minutes but decided to forget it.

The art and craft exhibitions were great. The whole community is catered for with constructions made from pop sticks and cardboard for the little kids through to quilting, photography, jams and pickles for older groups.

art and craft from little kids

Watching a performance of the circus kids was really entertaining, especially the little ones. It was a highlight for both of us.

Our next stop was the cattle. Many had a reprieve from live export market. They are large animals but they are also timid. I approached them slowly with the camera yet they still retreated or tried to move away so I backed off from those animals. I didn’t want to frighten them.  Some of the bulls are pretty big in many parts of their bodies.  They have such lovely coloured hides from the golden tans through to silver grey and white. Looking at some of their flabby skin under their throats reminded me of some people who have similar features (I’m starting to get the turkey neck happening).

As we walked out of the cattle yards (which weren’t smelly at all), I spotted a barbecue from a nearby stall right next to the cattle – that’s wrong!!!!!

barbecue near cattle yards!!!!!!

The pet exhibits were few and the reptiles out-numbered them. Snakes and more snakes from pythons to death adders were safely behind glass but they still sent shivers through many of the people standing at a distance.  Some bright spark had placed a couple of plastic figures of crocodiles in one cage. Someone will get sucked in.

On our way out we bought some cold Vietnamese rolls for an entrée before the leftover spag bog from last night.

We took another stroll to the lake at sunset, where we spotted a couple of crocs just cropping the surface of the water.

I’m thinking of changing my name to Itchy and Scratchy. Robert bought a can of Bushman’s insect repellent – it’s got so many warnings on it that I tested a small area to see if I had a reaction.  Apparently, it’s supposed to be the answer for every bug/insect that bites, stings or annoys.