{"id":4477,"date":"2022-10-07T01:09:49","date_gmt":"2022-10-06T14:09:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rjjc.net\/home\/?p=4477"},"modified":"2022-12-02T22:29:42","modified_gmt":"2022-12-02T11:29:42","slug":"lake-argyle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rjjc.net\/home\/lake-argyle\/","title":{"rendered":"Lake Argyle"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lake Argyle<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
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Sunset Cruise<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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Lake Argyle<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Ord River<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Main Dam<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Dedication<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Kapoc pods<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Ord River<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Spillway<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Main Dam Spillway<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Ord River Spillway<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure><\/div>\n
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September was a very full month spent mostly in Darwin, flying home for a week for James’ and Alex’s wedding, then down to Katherine and finally heading west. So the last day of September heralded the end of the month, the start of October and a new state, Western Australia. For Rob it was the first time to set foot in W.A. and had now been in every state and territory of Australia. Jo had been there decades ago for a work trip. Lake Argyle<\/a> is only just over the border but W.A. none the less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the incessant heat of the Northern Territory buildup, it was quite strange to see dark grey clouds as we approached the Quarrantine Station at the W.A. border. You cannot take a large range of fruits and vegetables across the border and the Quarratine Officers actually do inspect inside your van and car to ensure that you have fully declared everything you should.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Believe it or not… it started raining at the same time we pulled in under the quarrantine shelter and the air temperature dropped from 34o<\/sup>C to 24o<\/sup>C as soon as we crossed and continued on our way. It seems that W.A. really is another country! It didn’t last too long and we eventually made our way down to the Lake Argyle Resort and Caravan Park<\/a> where the temperatures resumed their climb to the mid 30’s and above.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Lake Argyle Spillway<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Lake Argyle<\/a> is the country’s second largest freshwater reservoir after the Ord River<\/a> was dammed in the 1970’s. Despite it’s immense size you don’t really see it until you actually approach the resort, which is perched high above the lake on one of the many cliff tops surrounding that end of the lake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from the resort, there is no other development anywhere else around the immense shoreline of the lake and it’s quite weird that such a massive body of fresh water has only one tourist location and a handful of boats at the boat ramp. It is eerily desolate around the lake in contrast to the resort itself where everybody is congregated. We were surprised that there weren’t dozens of houseboats and pleasure-craft cruising the deep blue waters; only a few tinnies and a couple of houseboats.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Lake Argyle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The resort was fairly large and our site was quite comfortable and reasonably sized with a bit of shade. The amenities were ensuite-style, combined toilet\/shower. No issues with water obviously! Turning the shower on full cold resulted in a wonderful tepid shower instead of the icy blast we’d get back home in Royalla…<\/p>\n\n\n

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Ord River<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

A small helicopter operated flight-seeing trips of the lake and the Bungle Bungles from only 100m or so away and there was an infinity pool not far from that where you sit in the almost cool water overlooking the lake below. We didn’t do a heli flight… too expensive for what it offered but we did book the Sunset Cruise<\/a> operated by the resort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also took a day-trip into Kununurra (70km away) to stock up on groceries after throwing out our veges at the border. This was also to do a quick check of Kununurra to see if we wanted to stay there given the reports of crime and anti-social behaviour. We decided that the reports seemed a bit overblown and some other campers recommended staying at a particular caravan park, which we chose to do after our stay at Lake Argyle<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Lake Argyle Spillway<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

So apart from the Sunset Cruise<\/a> we didn’t do much for seven days other than a drive down to the lookout and over the dam to see the spillway into the Ord River<\/a>, which was quite a sight in itself. Even with only two of the three pipes jetting out the raw power was mesmerising.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Lake Argyle Silver Cobbler (catfish)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

For our last night we ate at the resort and both had the Lake Argyle Silver Cobbler<\/a> special. Silver Cobbler<\/a> is the commercial name given to the Lake Argyle Shovel Head Catfish. It is commercially harvested from the lake and is a beautiful eating fish. The resort’s cook panfries a thick fillet and then places it on a bed of wilted spinach over which he pours egg that scrambles over the fish and the spinach. It was absolutely brilliant and so different to the usual battered, crumbed or grilled fish.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>

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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>
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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure><\/div>\n
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The Lake Argyle Resort and Caravan Park<\/a> operates a Sunset Cruise<\/a> on a fairly large catamaran motor cruiser spending around three and a half hours on the water. It was a great way to cap off out stay at Lake Argyle<\/a> and was well worth the price of admission. Jo was pleased that she got yet another Senior’s discount!<\/p>\n\n\n

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Lake Argyle Cruise Wharf<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The cruise starts with a bus trip from the resort down and over the dam to the spillway and hydro power station and then back to the catamaran which is down a steep, rocky road to the boat ramp. The driver was at pains to explain that the boat ramp road is a privately ‘maintained’ road by the hydro power company and is the only access to the lake… Turning the bus after dropping us off did look a bit precarious to say the least.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Once on the catamaran they explain that the part of the lake that we can see from the resort is about 1% of the total lake and that Lake Argyle<\/a> contains anywhere between 18 and 21 times the volume of Sydney Harbour…<\/p>\n\n\n

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Lake Argyle Cruise<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Side Note:<\/strong> Still wondering why bodies of water are measured in ‘Sydney Harbours’ or why asteroids are measured in ‘Buses’ or ‘Refrigerators’?!?!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway… the cruise take you past the main dam and explains that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n