The alarm gets us up just before 6, nobody likes it, but it is the only way we can attempt these walks given the heat. I’ve lived in Sydney pretty much all my life, and I can remember a few days of 40° repeating. However, I’d be surprised here if we’ve had a day under 35 in the last month.
We make our way out of the roadhouse and drive the 2km down the road to the start of the walk. The walk is meant to be just over 2km, some have it has moderate, other easy. We should be done in 3hrs. It starts of easy, but in my opinion becomes moderate plus. I think we’ve woken the kids up too abruptly, as neither of them are happy about the walk and they are letting us know about it.
About halfway up the path goes between two high rocks, Justine stops us all to see this small rock wallaby or potoroo with what seems to be a joey. We walk by as quietly as a 7 year old can. They’re wary, but not really scared. As we lumber past, they just hop quietly out of our way.
On the drive back, I take a quick detour down to the river boat ramp. Along the road there are heaps of wallabies and cockatoos.
Last night as we pulled into the van park and started to setup, ah damn, we’ve left Caitlin’s sheets and mattress protector back at Katherine. We quickly look at the distance and work out it is about 400km return, probably not warranting the backtracking just for some bedding, it’s not the sheets, it’s the mattress cover Dawn sewed up for us. Shortly we get a call, and a lovely French Canadian family we met in Katherine noticed we’d left them and knew we were travelling in the same direction. We’ve arranged for them to take to their next destination which is Lake Argyle.
As we’re driving down the road we start to slowly close in on another van, as we get closer we think there is a chance it is the same family, after another 50km or so we both pull in at Timber Creek for fuel. Laundry rescued. They even returned the pegs!
Our Laundry arrives at Timber Creek (in the van in front)
Timber Creek was meant to be our stop of tonight, but looking closer, there is not much to do here and it’s only lunch time, so we decide to have lunch and then move on to Keep River National Park. One of the campgrounds there allows generators, so we should be able to run the AC for a bit. There looks to be a good walk there too for the morning,
On the way this cow will not get off the road and given it’s colour it was a bit hard to spot on the road.
Like many of the landscape changes, all of a sudden there are all these Boab trees
Nope, I’m not moving 
It’s a 18km dirt road in and Justine is driving, the road is pretty good, so good, that about halfway down we pass a grader finishing up for the day. They are doing up the road at the moment. It’s fine until just before the campsite where there is a dry creek crossing, but the exit is a little steep and the sand looks soft. This might be Justine’s first 4x4ing with the van on. We get through fine.
As we arrive the car is reporting it is 43°, so getting the generator and AC on is pretty important, we won’t be annoying anyone as we’re the only ones here. The van slowly starts to cool down a little.
Here with all our friends….
We start thinking about what we might do for dinner and we start to get a few spots of rain. Initially it didn’t really look like much, but it didn’t take too long to start raining heavy and the lightning and thunder to start. I race out and put the generator under the van. We spend close to the next hour (playing Uno) in one of the most violent thunderstorms I’ve seen in ages. The wind wasn’t bad, but the lightning was so close. The van floor was rumbling with each thunderclap. The whole campground is flooded under a few cm of water.
Eventually it starts to clear, and as quickly as the water has appeared it has gone.
During 
Just after 
an hour later
We leave the AC going until the generator finally runs out of fuel, I’m not going to fill it again.
Yes…a Kimberley wet season thunderstorm…makes you know… you’re alive!!!
Those bloody Brahman cattle…same colour as the road at night…and they lie on it enjoying the warmth…gotta watch ’em. look at the musculature on that beast…Wow!!
I enjoyed 3 days of 47 degrees in Kununurra many years ago… nothing like a decent sweat.
That’s a great outcome to the laundry…funny how fortune works your way…almost…but not quite…makes up for the busted fridge.. maybe
…..that’s one hell of a cow! Storm sounds scary…lucky it was over so quickly.. Hey when you get to Broome ,you must go to the Roebuck hotel. I was there in the early ’80’s shooting a mini-series. It was a corrugated tin shed, supposed to be the roughest pub in Oz. I;m sure its all gentrified & kid friendly now…..
PKx
I’ll try and track down the Roebuck. It was a pretty big thunderstorn and it was right overhead. The road crew guys said it was the first time he had ever seen lightening actually hit the ground.