With no early morning wake up call, courtesy of a carload of knuckleheads with a box full of pyrotechnics, we managed to have a thoroughly recuperative sleep over night. It didn’t go astray that we left the air conditioner running, set for a low enough temperature that we needed to snuggle beneath the doona to keep ourselves warm. It was pure bliss. When we did arise, it was to yet another fine morning.

Our plan of attack for today was to have a proper look around the town of Kununurra, before venturing a little further afield. So we started our adventures at the shopping centre. There are all of your basic needs spread between this centre and the surrounding block or so in which the main retail area is clustered. We spent some more time picking up supplies for dinner, before taking a wander through the other shops. A sports store, a camping shop and a clothing store contained little of interest for us, but kept us busy for a while.

There was also the big (by Kununurra standards anyhow), fancy premises which houses Kimberly Fine Diamonds. As the Argyle Diamond Mine is only a little way south of Kununurra, I had expected the fruits of the mine to be available here. I also had a city-centric expectation that a shop such as this would have a security guard posted at the entrance, checking IDs and whispering into a two way radio to have the door unlocked, which in my mind would be constructed from thick bullet proof sheets of glass, opening into a sterile, carefully climate controlled showroom, more reminiscent of an operating theater than a shopping mecca. I could imagine glass display cases arranged under powerful, ultra-white lighting, being attended to by stylishly coiffured ladies wearing black sleeveless dresses and white cotton gloves.

The reality could have been no further from my visions. There was no guard to turn us away, as we pushed the ever so regular looking door open, to enter a warm, welcoming retail space. There was giftware of all sorts scattered about the shop, while a couple of retail assistants, which at least nearly lived up to my dream, stood behind the long glass counter filled with rack upon rack of exquisite diamond jewelry. If the shop itself didn’t reach my lofty ambitions, the jewelry did, as did the prices naturally. Beautiful rings, studded with stunning coloured diamonds for which the Argyle Diamond Mine is renown, all wearing little price tags with too many zeros for my bank balance to comprehend. I had to drag Bec out, before she brought our trip to an early and sudden conclusion due to a lack of funds with which to continue.

Next door was an Aboriginal art gallery. From first impressions, it appeared to be just a small room, the walls covered in the bright coloured works for which Australian indigenous people are known. Display panels were set out across the floor space, each filled with further works of art, all for sale. Beyond this first small room, the gallery spread out across several more spaces, and was much larger than we first thought. It was I who needed to be dragged, kicking and screaming, out this time, as I fell in love with an energetic, yellow and orange toned piece of art that looked like bolts of lightning streaking across the outback.

With us both ruminating about what could have been, had we won the lotto last week, we finished up our otherwise unsuccessful shopping expedition, and made our way sadly back to ‘The Beast’. Our next stop is about 10km out of town, amusingly enough, at a distillery where we may be able to drown our sorrows.

The ‘Hoochery Distillery’ lays claim to being Australias oldest, continuously operating, legal still. I personally think that if you need to add so many clauses to a claim to fame, well, it sort of softens the impact a little. Given that they produce rum here though, and I drink rum, I was always going to drop in, regardless of any claim to fame that they might proffer. For $5.00, you get a tasting paddle. Your choice of 3 tipples, served in shot glasses over ice. With 5 different rums and a couple of liqueurs from which to choose, narrowing the field to 3 was a herculean task. I ended up doing what any true, discerning rum drinker would. First I selected the low end, cheap, regular, everyday, that if I like I might even buy a bottle of rum. Then, as a comparison, I went with the 2 ultra expensive, single barrel, over proof distillations, knowing full well that this would be the only way I could hope to taste them, as I had about as much chance of purchasing a bottle of either of them as I did my painting or Becs new diamond ring.

Wouldn’t mind rolling one of them out to ‘The Beast’.

As it turned out, I was only tempted by one of the expensive tipples, but it was hardly worth considering a bottle, regardless of price, considering I still prefer my rum over Coke than over ice. I did pick up a jar of breakfast marmalade, that promises to have a generous portion of rum in the recipe, as a consolation. We also sat down to lunch here, sharing a plate of fish and chips. The fish was a delectably tempura battered, local salt water Barramundi. Easily some of the best fish I have eaten in quite some time.

Lighter in the head by three shots of hard liquor, we stopped next at ‘The Sandalwood Factory’ which specialises in all manner of beauty products. It is more a shop and café than a tourist attraction, although there was a little theater set up in the back corner, where I joined a gaggle of other men who were also waiting patiently for their other halves. A rather ingenious way I thought, of making sure the lady folk and metro-sexuals had all the time they needed to browse the jam packed shelves of lotions and creams that made all sorts of claims.

Bec didn’t spend a great deal of time browsing, so I didn’t manage to see much of the program being screened in the theatre, but from what I could glean, it was a self promotional program about the sandal wood process. I am sure it would have even included a little segment about how the sandal wood makes its way over to China, before being returned as sticks of incense labeled: “Made in China from Australian ingredients”. In all fairness however, many of their products do seem to be made right here in Western Australia, just much further south in Albany.

Kellys Knob Lookout was next. Now, who Kelly is and why she has a knob were not explained, but explanations weren’t required for the lavish views across Kunnunurra that were afforded to us from the summit. Whilst sunset might be the better time for a viewing, the middle of the day provided us with a clear view over kununurra, out across the low lying plains to the distant encircling ridges. Simply spectacular, and only a minutes drive from the centre of town.

Looking up (that’s me at the top).

Looking down.

Back at the van, we sat chatting to our neighbours for a while, enjoying the cool shade beneath the gently rustling trees. The onset of dusk had us scrambling for the camera and the dogs though, as we rushed down to the lake front to get a few snaps of the sunset. It was not as impressive as I had hoped, but the dogs enjoyed a walk, before it was time to cook dinner and settle down for the night. As I continued flapping my gums with the neighbours, Bec prepared dinner, and firmly nominated me as chief (and only) dishwasher again. Oh well, it’s the price I have to pay.

The sun sets over the lake.

And I’m falling for it!

Bec’s trying to fatten me up for Christmas.

Until next time, stay safe, have fun and don’t forget to write.