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Well we’ve had many mad doofs,

bush trips, moo trips, wateringhole trips, chook trips and other types of trips happen in the last months. But there comes a time when Noodle And Spam needs to be updated with out latest shenanigans.

August was Noodle and Spam’s Kimberley’s Holiday ! Actually Harsh and Rogi got ripped off they had to stay in Darwin. Luckily for them they were treated to 5 STAR luxury with our mate Donsie.

WARNING: Please get very comfortable. This is a record large Noodle And Spam blog, if you read it standing up you might get dodgy knees.

So we kicked off the trip yuppy style at Douglas Hot Springs, a sweet little national park between Pine Creek and Katherine where very hot springs meet the cooler douglas river, there’s water to suit everyone at this place.

Also a bath temperature billabong! And only one croc found in that billabong this year too, our mate Emily can testify to that!

It is always hard to leave Douglas but we got our butts into Katherine and got Moo’s a bargain $10 downing doona from Target Country. Moos was very excited about this as we hadn’t brought her sufficient warm bedding for her swag. Now with a happy Moo we headed towards Kunanurra along the Victoria Highway.  Near Victoria River we found a mad 4wd dodgy camp, the roadside stops were jam packed full of grey nomads so the doof bangas were happy to get some space.

Mia Moo discovered the madness of headlamps here as well, this brought a brief tear to Dad’s eyes! Next off we go to Keep River national park, a beautiful park in west NT just before the WA border. It has so much – bungle like ranges, savannah woodlands, tropical vies, crocs, indigenous art, grey nomads, britz vans, etc. Talking to the ranger guaranteed the cane toads will hit Keep River this coming Wet season, so we were stoked to see it before it gets toadtrashed.

Next we meet Al’s folks in Katherine and good mates Chip and Fi who moved there last year. Chipa knows how to get a really nice boat and take you on a custom black market charter cruise down the Ord. Can not be denied:

We then hit the Gibb and headed into the tasty El Questro park in East Kimberley. We got one of the private camps, a lush spot on the river and a mad base for zebedee thermal springs, moonshine gorge, the best trail riding we ever did, emma gorge and ice milks from the El Questro canteen. Oh and a bottle of cointreau which we forgot in Kunanurra, Al and Zo were very excited to get that for some Kimberley LA DE DA times.Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Flash video.Further down the Gibb we spent a couple more nights at Elenbrae station. Was meant to be one night but Al destroyed one of Mrs Harshesses tyres. We got another on the mail plane from Kunanurra. Elenbrae is known for the amazing scones in the kimberleys and we had to agree. Beautiful campsite with wood fired hot water. Amazing bathroom with a MASSIVE boab for one of the walls!

Dad was sadly a bit too soft to take his spanking new hilux up the Kalumbaru Rd, so from here we bonvoyared Al’s folks and headed off alone. The next set of highlights was the bar at Drysdale Station, the grader bloke there who told us about a mad private billabong camp, the tourist bull ball bag stubby holder that Al got (it still stinks like a wet bull and harsh tries to eat it. Al likes it because it makes him feel tuff).

Mitchell Plateau falls (WOW) !

Mitchell falls was a beautiful walk, great falls and heaps of really good rock art. And helicopters! In fact the whole region is chockas full of kimberley indigenous rock art and a zillion grey nomads towing stuff that shouldnt be towed there! And lots of rocks too actually. Al and Moos love the rocks, except for the ones all over the Mitchell Falls road. We got very excited at this point and had no option other than to dress up.

Next we head to Kalumbaru. Got some needed supplies including a classic old mans straw hat for Al, as his hat now had more gaffa than straw holding it together. McGowans Islands camp beach past Kalumbaru was amazing.. Unfortunately we stayed at Honeymoon Bay which looked mad at night but that’s all about we have to say about that joint at Kalumbaru ! It was great seeing a patch of kimberley coast. You gotta have a boat to really see it though, there’s hardly any public roads.

After finishing up at Kalumbaru (getting Zoe a shower at McGowans beach saved Al’s life !) we headed back down to the Gibb and on to Manning Gorge. Third time Al’s been here but never get sick of it. Can’t remember them doing this in the past, but now they provide eskies and tubes to cross the river wth ya stuff in style on the way in !

Zoe got offered a job to take over the running of the camp ground, but she decided to pass the offer for now. Al had to bury the bonnet, the gaffa could no longer hold it together. He was a bit devo’d at this, now he has to wear the kalumbaru straw hat which aint the same.

We could have stayed at Manning for a very long time. But instead we continued on the trip, visiting other gorges (Gavin, Adcock, Bell) and hunting Boab Nuts for Mia’s first birthday (ssshhhh!).

Some more quality free bush camping.

And then from Bell Gorge we turn off the Gibb towards Fitzroy Crossing. Still can’t get that Boab Nut! The buggers constantly smash. We are learning though, I promise. So we check out tunnel creek…

Tunnel creek was dark, cold and full of bats, what more could you ask for when you are going harsh in the bush!

Next we stay in Fitzroy Crossing for a night then head back towards Kunanurra to celebrate Mia Moo’s 1st birthday ! Stay tuned for the next episode of Noodle and Spam !

As a final bonus value because we know you want it here are some of our camp sites from the trip:

Le See Les You Later

Al & Zo