On Our Walks

@kmakm
Thankyou Kate.

The wet season is a very important time. You can actually see the earth being replenished, washed and renewed. Ourselves as well.

It is like as if the dust is washed off and our lives are strengthened. 

Experiencing  a Kimberley Wet Season is indescribable. It is probably why I stay even though I whinge about the humidity and always say in March " I am not staying another wet season". 
 This one is my 25th!

At this time of the year conversations at social events revolve around -
Will we get a wet season?
Will it be an early 'wet' or a late 'wet'?
Will be have a wet 'wet or a dry 'wet?

After a thunderstorm It's how much rain did you get. A great competition ensues.

@JJ70
There was a time a few years ago (Well many years ago!) when we had no rain  in the Kimberley during a Wet Season. None at all from November to February. Very dry.

A group of us ladies thought that perhaps we should do a rain dance at midnight on our  front lawns wearing the suits that we were born in.

Luckily for the neighbourhood it began to rain at 09:00pm and so come midnight we were all tucked up in our beds with the airconditioners clunking away combatting the humidity.

More pictures please @"Annie C" I'd love to dance about in a Kimberley downpour. It is actually on my bucket list....one day...

You paint a beautiful word picture of life in the Kimberley, as well as actual pictures @""Annie C". K xox

OMG!  @"Annie C"  I can't believe she didn't understand what a Closed Road was - specially living in WA!!

@arpie
No we are not on town water. The Water Corporation say 10kms out of town is too far to bring a big pipe! Has advantages though as we do not pay water rates or water consumption.

We don't use tanks to collect rainwater. Too much dust on our roofs that collects in the other dry 10 months.

Our water is from a bore. Come September / October the bore water is "tasty"!

I never buy up big. I am however fond of saying that we could live out of our store cupboard for 6 weeks. Same with the freezer. A generator comes in handy when the power goes out, as it often does. 

Especially when the personnel in the gas fired powerhouse in town miscalculate on the number of gas tankers required!  We are connected to unreliable town power. Hence a generator.

Last year the road was cut for 18 days, and you know what, we managed. The only person who could not understand why I could not make the appointment with the oncologist was the clinic receptionist!

She did not quite understand that a closed road is a closed road and that there was no other way to get to the airport 220 kms away!

I offered a Jacarandah School Atlas! She did not know what that was either.

Ah life in a Kimberley Wet Season.

@JJ70
Hello Jo
The flower is Mulla Mulla. There are many varieties and the colours range from pale pink to dark purple. Along the roadsides in the Kimberley you will see round pink pompom like flowers of Mulla Mulla that we call Bachelor Buttons. 

WOOHOOO!   I saw on the BOM that there was the chance of rain up your way @"Annie C" !   That is just brilliant!!

Do you have big tanks as well, to collect the rain - tho without downpipes - maybe you are on town water?

Hello Ladies
We 've got rain!  The Kimberley is wet - well my bit of it. Now this is in no way intended to rub it in to those of you still waiting for rain in drought stricken areas, however we have waited 12 months for a decent downpour. We will no longer be going "troppo".

The heavens opened at 08:00 am and in 21 minutes my wirelessly read rain gauge says 32 mm. ( I am technically up there with the best of them). The solar panels will be getting a wash, the ground is wet, the garden will be happy and the shallow aquifer will be replenished. Our water will be sweet once again. It was getting a bit "chewy" over the past few months!

There is 2 inches of water over the lawns and running down the driveway. The big green tree frogs are doing naughty things on the lawn. All is good with the day.

The newcomers to town will be predicting that the  road out of town ( The Derby -Broome Highway) will be closed, that the Fitzroy River will be OVER the bridge at Willare and we had better do some "buy up big" shopping at Woolies just in case. We who know better will just say "is that right". 

I have never seen water over the Willare Bridge. The decking is 17.5 metres above the river bed. I have seen the water a metre below the bridge decking.

Some photos for you.

Water pouring out of the gutters - we don't bother with downpipes. This is 10 minutes worth of rain.

That's my orchid house. I think we can now turn off the reticulated misters!


The driveway is now a bit squishy. I will be up to my ankles in mud at the gate!

I think I will leave walking out to my sewing room ( 50 metres from the house) until the thunder and lightening has passed. I'm a scaredy  cat.

However within 24 hours evidence of rain will be negligible. Such is life in the Kimberley in the wet season.

Summer is the season the Red-tailed Black Cockatoos lose their tail feathers. This is from a male (solid colours). The female feathers are mottled and stripy. Found two on my walks over the week.