Lake Argyle – Day 3

We were in no real hurry to get started today so after breakfast I had another go at reducing the pink hue of the Ute and Fifth Wheeler, while Ann did some washing (which was dry in a couple of hours).

After lunch in the fiver, we joined the “Kimberley Durack Sunset Explorer Cruise on Lake Argyle”.

WOW !!!!!

Things started off with a very informative DVD on the construction of the Ord River Scheme way back in the 1960s and 1970s. How visionary those responsible for this project were! Kimberley Durack first proposed a dam on the Ord River in the 1950s on the Durack family’s Argyle Station. It took a while to get underway and the experts who were brought in relocated the dam wall a little way from the originally proposed site, but the foresight to build this project was quite incredible.

After the DVD we boarded a bus for a quick drive over the dam wall with further expert commentary from John, the driver and then disembarking from the bus and boarding the “Kimberley Durack” tour boat at Bamboo Cove.

Graham, our tour guide, was extremely knowledgeable about the Ord River, the general Lake Argyle area, the irrigation and hydro electric programs and more, plus he showed us a few of his wildlife friends along the way. He also showed us some photos he had taken during the “double wet” in 2011 when they had twice the usual rainfall and staff were trapped at Lake Argyle Resort for 10 days. He had some great real life stories to recount which made the tour all that more interesting.

During the cruise we had afternoon tea and later stopped so several hardy explorers could go for a swim in Lake Argyle. We also enjoyed nibbles and a glass of champagne whilst watching the sunset. Strangely, there was Telstra mobile phone reception out in the middle of the Lake some 30 km from the Argyle Diamond Mine but very few passengers had bothered to take their phones with them.

Then it was back to Lake Argyle Resort where we enjoyed a “Christmas in July” roast dinner with trifle for desert. We finished the evening off with an extended chat to some fellow Victorian travellers who are going in the opposite direction to us. It was great to be able to swap notes as to what lies ahead.

Finally it was back to the fiver for coffee and an early night.