Here We Go Again - Chapter 58 - Mataranka to Cooinda

The internet issue has created a monster. I can be contacted by phone so people think I have access to internet – not so. Phone coverage does not relate to bandwidth. Nor does “free Wifi” as the demands placed on resources here in the Kimberley far outweigh supply. One person on the Wifi might get reasonable speeds. One hundred and the whole thing falls down.

There are some urgent client matters I need to attend to so we pack up early and head for Katherine. No sooner do we look to be pulling out then another van, much like we did the first morning we were here, is ready to take our spot. We have been here a while and filled up on one of the several trips into Mataranka township where the fuel price is some 30 cents per litre less than at the park.

Its not far to Katherine, relative to the great distances between settlements out here. But what Katherine is, is a hub. “Lost” Grey Nomads are flocking here. Lost in that the demands on the caravan parks has taken away the ability to just rock up and get a site. If you haven’t booked

.

It seems that every van in the Kimberley is here. We find a parking area and settle for a while for me to deal with the work urgencies. The others take the opportunity to wander and shop for the provisions, milk, bread etc.

I am working away when there is a knock on the van door. Its an Indigenous man, and in the politest exchange of narrative suggests to me we have parked in an unmarked but very important bus zone and rather than have to cart their “stuff” around our Cruiser and van did we mind if we moved so allighting could be done adjacent to where they were waiting. The conversation continued as I quickly grabbed my keys and headed to the Cruiser. He was happy to tell me where he was going and that he was taking the family home and how appreciative we was that I took his request seriously, profusely apologising for the inadequacies of the signage of the area.

It was an exercise in being told to “f%$k off you idiot, you shouldn’t have parked here” in the nicest of manners.

Having moved the van across the way and thinking to myself what a pleasant experience that encounter had been, I went back to the urgencies of the day.

The emails are sent and the others have returned. We have been in Katherine 2 hours. The reports form the wanderings is of supermarket shelves bereft of essential items. Much like a Covid lockdown, but here its a simple supply of Grey Nomads (and the streets are full with very few spaces available for the locals) demanding essentials.

Into the countryside we go. North towards our goal for the evening. Before we get out of telephone range I get a text suggesting the attachment to one of the emails was not attached. Two hours of work and I forget to attach one of the most important pieces – well done Jeff. Hopefully there will be Wifi that works at Cooinda and I can rectify the blunder

The obligatory road works sees us stopped at the Fergusson River bridge. Here we are right beside the north south railway line. In past trips we have seen the Ghan pass by, but not today, in fact we are not even sure if the Ghan is running in these Covid times as South Australia is in lockdown from all reports.

The lights turn green and the line is off. Silver Leader, in front of us for the moment, is the last vehicle before the lights turn red. We have to wait again. They disappear into the haze in front.

It seems an inordinate amount of time before the oncoming traffic clears and the lights turn green. We are so far behind we are even out of UHF range for now, but I have clear air in front. As soon as we clear the road works I let some cars pass. I get appreciative alternating trafficators in thanks. Its so easy to do the little things to make everyone’s day better, and out here on the road, one less overtaking manoeuvre means one less chance for that horror accident.

From the pleasantness of the encounter this morning to assisting faster vehicles in overtaking, some manners and some forethought can make this world a much nicer place.

Enough of that dribble, I need to catch up. The one thing to remember on long trips, its the journey and not the destination that is of the greatest importance. I lock the cruise control into 98, our optimum speed, and sit back to enjoy the uninterrupted views Mother Nature has for us as we travel to the Pine Creek turnoff. We will arrive soon enough and our game plan of not driving in the dusk will not be thwarted.

The turn off sees Silver Leader has waited. As soon as we come into view he is on the radio suggesting we need to turn left here. Only one problem, he is on the right side of the road pointing in the direction we are about to travel. His dyslexia has won again creating mirth for a while in the radio transmissions. We might have to work even harder on the passenger or driver’s side calls or we may miss something important.

The first thing our turn to the “other left” is the amount of fire damage the landscape has endured. Whether from the weather, controlled burning or “someone sick idea of a joke” – Made America Famous, Harry Chapin from the Verities and Balderdash album 1974 (read here a cigarette butt incorrectly discarded). And, unlike the small areas adjacent to the previous highway, the burnt areas are significant and continuing.

The fires were some time ago as the lower vegetation has returned, green and looking lush. What the fire has done is given us a great vista into the wilderness, but with their protection gone so has the fauna apparently. Whereas last time on this road we saw wild donkeys and Brumbies, all there is, is the landscape. Red rocks, crevasses of greenery and black charredness where Mother Nature has yet to reply to the devastation fire brings, even though they have obviously had rain recently.

Was that a camel? No only a large termite mound, but Forbsy would have called it, especially after the time time we circumnavigated the country and he called the expectation of camels from Katherine, not seeing any until the Nullarbor. The UHF is agog for a moment.

This road is a lot tighter than the highway and maintaining speed on the cruise control is not an option. We pass the Gunlom Falls turnoff. We wont be going there this time around. It os closed because a walkway under construction last time we visited has been built across some sacred land and the locals are not happy. When we were here at the construction phase the structure seemed only to be scaling the cliff. I suspect they went way further than simply up the cliff for the locals to have been angered. 

Tradition and convenience, two words that often end up in conflict where the original occupiers (notice here I do not use owners) are concerned. I want to see but I don’t want/need to understand the cultural significance. Yes its not a great cathedral, constructed over the land but its use has up to 80,000 years in the making, but it is a place of significance to a race much older than any else in the world. 

Wars have started during history for much less

Soon enough we turn into Cooinda. This park is full too. If we were not booked we would not be staying here. The fullness creates its own issues, one of which is finding our spot. Robyn has returned with a map. It seems simple enough, but in the attempts to negotiate the narrow streets and avenue of the park, she manages to get us lost and travelling over the same piece of ground several times. Silver Leader simply parks and watches as our leadership of the convoy falls into disarray. 

Then we find the spot, but unlike most designated parking areas, squared off for ease of parking, this area is a large pie, poorly numbered devoid of others (for now). Much procrastination and gnashing of teeth occurs as we sort out where we can/should park and set up. Working on the location of the electricity and the water is no real help.

We settle in the best we can, with no real idea if we will have to move, knowing there are supposedly 6 sites in this pie. Needing a drink or at least an area of cool air, after setting up we head to the reception area to check out tours etc. On our return the area has been filled, and bonus, it looks like everyone is happy with the arrangements and we do not need to move.

Although this place is full, we feel comfortable. We know what to expect here and the park “fits like a glove”.

Back to the bar for happy hour, Robyn notices they have Pims and Lemonade in premix cans and orders one. We find a table and settle for a relax. The food truck across the are is closed – no staff. 

Staffing has been an issue all around the trip. The backpackers don’t seem to be able to get here due to Covid, yet most of the places we have been their numbers do not seemed to have diminished as broken English and other babbling conversations abound. Just not enough evidently. Certainly not enough if you listen to reports from the farmers looking for fruit pickers or like here at Cooinda, wait and short order cooking staff.

One wonders if that is going to affect Robyn’s ability to compare Mango Smoothies across the region. For now though the Pims has her attention and not feeling like cooking we look to the menu for food.

All the meals here are huge so we decide to share a schnitty and chips. Even then we struggle to finish it.

Cooinda is a place where adventures begin. We are looking forward to some old sights and many new experiences as we turn in for the night.