26th Sept - Kununurra

We are slowly getting used to the daylight hours here, sunrise 5.30am and sunset 5.20pm or thereabouts.   By 6.30am this morning, we had done 2 loads washing, had breakfast and were wondering what to do next.  We took off for a bit tour about town.  The township is nestled between the Mirrima National Park and the Ord River, so we take off on the Suzi over to the National park, they refer to this as the mini Bungles.   We decide to go in the cooler part of the day, but by 7.30am when we set off for the walks it doesn't take long before we are sweating up a storm.

My ever adventurous Darl attempts a rock jump.

And he nearly makes it!  No skin off......

I just opt for a pose, this is actually quite a climb up to here.

We were saturated, so continue on our little sightseeing tour to the Sandalwood Factory.  Not producing yet as they have planted forests of Indian Sandalwood, take 15 years to grow, 4 years to go, however the shop is well stocked with Australian Sandalwood products and we indulge in trying all the different creams, perfumes and deodorants.   Onto the Hoochery Rum Distillery, WA's only legal operating still.  It is 100% locally made product.  Quite a nice drop, we buy a bottle of rum, did the tour, tried the Rum Cakes on offer and off we set to the Zebra Rock Gallery.

Now the Zebra rock carvings, little pendants etc., are all quite beautiful but very expensive.   We venture out the back to the work shop and get chatting to the workshop boss, a character, tall thick set chap with a jacky how and leather apron on.  One would think that Kununurra is a thriving town with all the agriculture and crops (mangoes, sandalwood, melons, citrus, pawpaws etc) however it's not till you get chatting to the locals that you get the real picture.   Apparently the Sandalwood forests are a pending problem.   They are taking over from the crops (cane, mangoes) wrecking the scenic aspect of the town as blocking out the mountain views, quite correct as I checked this on way back to camp, there are also some bad environmental implications as well.  We found this boab with a hole in it and I am in it, I know should of stuck my head out a bit further......