Like ten days ago, we are sitting in Kununurra having coffee and writing this article. In the meantime, we have been enriched by so many wonderful encounters and scenic views that we are happy to write about them.

Ann gave us a very warm and uncomplicated welcome at her beautiful home in Kununurra. Apart showering, washing and spending cozy evenings, we also went on after-work excursions with her friends. Thank you so much for this incredible hospitality!
In general, we felt very much at home in Kununurra and had the impression that many of the 4,500 inhabitants love their region and are very happy here. We have never met so many emancipated and independent women as in the north of Australia. They are well educated, have exciting, responsible jobs, their children live scattered across the vast country, they are very committed, have ideas, projects, get things done… Inspiring personalities with a lot of zest and joy for life!

While Ann was working, we devoted ourselves to preparations for the next excursion and sorted out any material we didn’t need, which we were allowed to leave at her place. This included all rain gear, as rain is practically non-existent in the “cold” dry season from May to September (16mm of rain in five months). It’s hard to imagine that in the hot rainy season, over 700mm of rain falls in just four months, turning dry streams into raging rivers and making many roads impassable.

During our research on Western Australia, we came across the Pernululu National Park, which we didn’t want to miss out despite having to cycle a few extra kilometers. We were happy to forgo the popular day trip by helicopter, even though it would have been much shorter and more comfortable😉.
So, we bought and packed provisions for eight days and set off on our trip to Pernululu National Park. With the friendly support of the wind, we pedaled to the turn-off into the national park 250 km away in two days. Apart from the art gallery in Warmun with its natural-colored paintings by indigenous artists, there wasn’t much worth seeing on the way. Despite (or perhaps because of?) this, we really enjoyed the journey through the vast savannah and table mountain landscape in the warm afternoon light – a great feeling of freedom! And partly because the Great Northern Highway was pleasantly busy and there was no reason for any concern. Except for a rutting bull that disturbed us while we were camping in the evening… 😊

Our carefree attitude didn’t change as we bumped along the sandy track into the national park for a strenuous day. There was enough water, our food supplies were good and there were plenty of passing cars. Quite exhausted, dusty and sweaty, we reached the information center just before it closed, and we enjoyed an unexpected cold Coke. What a wonderful surprise😊!

We left most of our luggage at the campsite to visit the gorges and rock formations. To make the most of the pleasant temperatures and warm colors of the morning hours, we got up an hour before sunrise (i.e. at 4:30 am). It took us two hours to cycle the 15 to 20 km over sandy corrugated roads. However, the effort was well worth it, as we were thrilled by the hikes through the vast landscape!

And although the bicycle is not the predestined means of transportation in Australia, it gave us many great conversations and acquaintances that we would never have had behind a windscreen. A friendly war veteran slipped us his business card, an Aboriginal tearfully told us about his ancestors who died in the Japanese bombing in 1945 and a group of senior citizens traveling by bus treated us to an ice cream, an invitation to an evening drink at the campsite turned into dinner together, David was allowed to ask a road train driver his many questions, a member of the Crankin’ Wheel Women group sent her co-driver to give me her T-shirt, which she had worn during our conversation… because she didn’t want to get out of the car in her bra😊. Amazing! And these are just a few examples…

The thought of a well-stocked supermarket with cool drinks, fruit and vegetables motivated us to hurry back to Kununurra as our food supplies dwindled. Once we arrived in the “city”, we were allowed to stay with Ann again as a matter of course and take the time to plan our next venture.