Australia's Remote Northwest
Kimberley-Canning Basin Field Trip
Hosted by Gondwana Dreaming Pty Ltd.
July 29 - August 10, 2004
ITINERARY
Day 1: Participants arrive at Broome.
Tour Organisers will collect participants from the airport and take them to their motel. Depending on time of arrival, opportunity to do some sightseeing around Broome. Group Dinner and final arrangements. Overnight and dinner at Broome.
Day 2: Leave Broome by 0800 h for the three-hour drive to Derby.
Stop along the mighty Fitzroy River and the Prison Boab Tree just south of Derby. Drive into Derby. Sightseeing opportunity and last chance to buy things like film, sunscreen or your favourite chocolate bar. After lunch drive from Derby to Windjana Gorge. Stop at Permian locality along the way and drive along the Gibb River Road to examine reef / forereef facies, at western entrance to Windjana Gorge. Camp at Windjana Gorge National Park Campground (basic showers and toilets available). Rich birdlife, lush vegetation at the base of the cliffs near the water. The pools are home to fresh water crocodiles, many fish and numerous waterbirds. Spotlighting for freshwater crocodiles at night is an option.
Day 3: After breakfast, drive to the eastern entrance of Windjana Gorge.
Inspect Aboriginal rock paintings on the way. Examine conglomerate / reef / fore-reef relationships. Walk to the top of the ridge, overview of "classic face" (stop for picnic lunch and drinks). Descend to gorge, examine back-reef facies, platform margin unconformity. Walk back through gorge to camp and vehicle. Drive to Mt Behn, examine conglomerate / reef relationships. Return to camp at Windjana Gorge.
Day 4: We spend another day in the Windjana Gorge area.
Drive along the Gibb River Road to King Leopold Range and the falls at Leopold River Gorge. A scenic day surrounded by interesting rocks, birds, flora and fauna. Return to camp at Windjana Gorge.
Day 5: Drive from Windjana Gorge to Dingo Gap.
Examine Devonian lowstand fans, allochtonous blocks and karst (as well as Aboriginal rock art) at Tunnel Creek. Drive on to Oscar Range Quarry (for a quick stop only) and look at platform facies. Additional quick stop at Oscar Range road pass to examine fore-reef facies. Visit Fairfield exposure. Overnight at Fitzroy Crossing, Fitzroy River Lodge (motel accommodation). Dinner at Fitzroy River Lodge.
Day 6: Breakfast at Fitzroy River Lodge.
Today visit Geikie Gorge (Boat Cruise). This cruise offers an opportunity to see more Devonian Reef outcrops and karst features from the boat and on foot, but the emphasis is on Aboriginal culture. Discover Bushtucker and Bush medicine (Aboriginal use - past and present - of local flora and fauna for food and medicine). Learn how to make fire the Aboriginal way. Australian BBQ lunch. Overnight and dinner again at Fitzroy River Lodge.
Day 7: Visit Pillara Quarry to examine Devonian Organic rich facies.
Stop at Limestone Billy Hills to examine neptunian dykes. Stop at Menyous Gap; examine Devonian Pillara Type section back reef facies Emmanuel Creek; examine Ordovician Gap Creek Type Section. Drive to Cave Springs area - camp. Cave Springs: optional visit to the pristine Mimbi caves.
Day 8: Paddy's Valley, examine Lloyd Hill (&Wade Knoll) pinnacle reefs.
Examine Devonian Gogo basinal facies (scree only - this is seen better in cores). Highway roadcut east of Bugle Gap; examine Permian Grant Diamictite. Poole Range or St Georges Range; examine Permian Grant (post Poole Range glacials) & Poole Sandstones. Camp again at Caves Springs area.
Day 9: We leave the Caves Spring area early.
Drive to Wolf Creek Meteorite Crater before going to Halls Creek for overnight stay and dinner at Hotel.
Day 10: Fly to Purnululu (Bungle Bungle) NP.
Spend the day examining these massive sandstone domes with their orange and grey horizontally layers of silica and cyanobacteria. Visit Piccaninny Creek and Cathedral Gorge, in this fascinating area. Fly back to Halls Creek for overnight accommodation and dinner.
Day 11: We drive back to Fitzroy Crossing for a night's accommodation.
On the way, tour the Lead-Zinc mine.
Day 12: Breakfast at Fitzroy River Lodge.
Return to Broome via Blina Oil Field and Erskine Range; examine Triassic Blina-Erskine sections. Detour to Grant Range; examine Permian Grant Sandstone. Stop along the way to inspect the Permian Nookumbah Formation. Stay at Broome (Motel). Dinner at a venue in town.
Day 13: Spend the Day at Broome, sightseeing.
Overnight and dinner again at Broome (motel).
Day 14: Fly out of Broome today.