The VinCats

08/08/2026

Let's get out of here... 🚙

Finally, with Freddie fixed, cleaned and ready to go, we're leaving Kununurra!

It's been quite the stay and we want to give a big shout out to everyone we met along the way who helped us out in one way or another.

It really is appreciated. 👍

Before we could go anywhere though, there was one last job...

Getting the caravan cleaned.

And Shadow got cleaned too.

He was not happy about that one! 😂

There's only so much dog smell you can put up with... 😶‍🌫️

Then finally...

We're rolling down the road again!

That feeling of freedom, the fresh air and the scenery as you travel along is just magic.

And after being stuck for so long, it's definitely not something we're taking for granted.

We made it to Spring Creek, a well-known free camp used by lots of people heading to the Bungle Bungles.

We managed to squeeze ourselves into a spot down the bottom near the Ord River.

Shade ✔️
Nice outlook ✔️
Happy Vincats ✔️

It felt a bit strange turning up at a free camp with so many caravans around and hardly anyone actually there.

Give it a few hours though...

People started trickling back in.

That night we sat around the campfire listening to stories from people who had been into the Bungle Bungles.

It sounds absolutely amazing.

Unfortunately, it wasn't happening for us this time.

We'd actually booked into a campsite months ago that allowed dogs and had kennels available so we could leave Shadow there while we explored the Bungle Bungles National Park.

Unfortunately, the campsite closed from 1 June.

And just like that...

Another plan came to a stop.

Another one for "the list" for next time.

I reckon that list is getting longer rather than shorter! 😂

Have you stayed at Spring Creek with your dog and found yourself in the same situation where you couldn't do the Bungle Bungles?

04/08/2026

What actually went wrong with Freddie? 🙃

We stopped just 800 metres short of reaching the Gibb River Road after leaving El Questro.

Turns out Freddie decided he needed a holiday. Not exactly the one we had planned.

There were no warning lights on the dash, but Freddie was getting slower and slower. Vince immediately suspected it was fuel related, even though we had plenty of fuel. With more than 20 years as a mechanic, his gut feeling was that it was a fuel issue.

Out came the diagnostic scanner... low fuel pressure.

What does that mean?

We checked fuses and everything else we could on the side of the road, flattening the battery in the process.

After being towed to Kununurra and waiting three days for the assessment, the workshop confirmed what Vince already suspected.

It was the fuel pump.

We sourced a new fuel pump and had it delivered straight to the repairers. Vince also asked for the original pump back.

How does a fuel pump fail on a five-year-old vehicle that's only travelled 78,000 km? It's not exactly something you can inspect under the bonnet.

When Vince picked Freddie up (by e-scooter, of course!), he took the original pump home to have a closer look.

It turned out the electrical terminal on the pump had snapped off.

The pump itself was actually repairable, but without pulling it apart, there was no way of knowing. That's why a new fuel pump was fitted. We certainly don't blame the repairers—they were already under the pump trying to get us back on the road.

⚠️ A quick warning: don't attempt to repair something like this yourself unless you know exactly what you're doing. Working around fuel systems can be extremely dangerous.

Because we'd flattened the battery and it was already nearing the end of its life, that was replaced as well.

So, was there a lesson to be learnt?

According to Vince... not really.

In over 20 years as a mechanic, he'd never seen or heard of a fuel pump terminal failing like this. Sometimes it's simply a freak mechanical failure.

The damage?
• Fuel pump module, labour and new battery: about $1,800.

The good news?

RACQ were absolutely fantastic. They covered the towing, six days of hire car, and three weeks of accommodation (including the extra time after our original five-night booking).

As for the original fuel pump... we're not quite sure what we'll do with it yet. It might just become one very expensive souvenir. 😂

If there's one takeaway from all of this, it's to make sure you have the highest level of roadside assistance you can get—especially if you're travelling through remote Australia.

01/08/2026

Freddie comes home... 🚙

📞 The phone rang.

"Freddie's ready."

Finally... some good news at last!

Now we have a problem.

We couldn't fit both e-scooters in the car, so a plan was hatched.

Shadow and I stayed back at camp and went for a walk while Vinnie jumped on the e-scooter and headed into town to bring the beast home.

While Freddie was in getting fixed, Vinnie also organised a brand-new, sparkly battery. Ok, ok... maybe not sparkly, but definitely brand new. 😅

You don't realise how much you miss your own vehicle until it's gone.

Seeing Freddie drive into camp for the very first time... three weeks after we arrived... was such a great feeling.

It was so, so good to have the beast back where he belongs. 😊

Now it was time to start getting ready to hit the road again...

Of course, our plans have changed yet again! 😅

The next day was spent giving both Freddie and the caravan a good clean.

It took us all day, but Freddie's looking schmick again and ready for the next adventure.

If you've been following along, you'll know this all started when Freddie came to a stop on the Gibb River Road.

For anyone who missed it, here's where the adventure began...

👇

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1J8xceJciZ/

31/07/2026

The end of hire car life... 🚗

We've had the hire car for six days and have been so grateful to have it.

It gave us our freedom back while Freddie was waiting on parts and meant we could still get out exploring.

We managed to visit Lake Argyle, Wyndham, check out the metal and stone art places... and, of course, do the all-important grocery shopping. 😄

Having wheels again made such a difference.

Eventually though, reality kicked in.

Time to put the groceries away, fill the hire car up and return it.

The fuel bill came to about $72 after travelling just under 600km.

Now that ain't bad!

If we'd done the same trip in Freddie, it probably would've cost us three times that. Thankful for small mercies... 🤣😅😂

Luckily, we'd packed the e-scooters in the back before returning the car, so we had a way of getting ourselves back to camp. We even tried using the e-scooters as a tow vehicle, but there just wasn't enough grunt to make it work!

I'd forgotten just how bumpy that track was.

I'm sure it was smooth when we drove in to pick the hire car up six days earlier! 😂

Just as we rolled back into camp...

📞 The phone rang.

"Freddie's ready."

Well...

That changed our plans in a hurry! 😄

24/07/2026

June 2026 – Travel Expenses

Well, this month started off well, then ended badly, with a few unexpected expenses arriving to blow the budget. First, Shadow needed veterinary treatment—not once, but twice. Then, just to top it all off, our Nissan Patrol broke down and had to be towed. Fortunately, not everything was bad news, but June will certainly be remembered as one of the more expensive months of our trip....

See our June 2026 travel expenses, including a Nissan Patrol fuel pump failure, Shadow’s vet bills, and the real cost of full-time travel in Australia.

24/07/2026

We did a thing... 🥂

The Ord River had been calling us ever since we arrived in Kununurra.

So... we finally answered.

We booked ourselves onto a sunset dinner cruise.

Now this was luxury for us.

Getting picked up from the caravan park and driven to the boat meant one very important thing...

Neither of us had to drive.

Well... you know what that means! 😂

After the safety briefing, the first mission was obvious.

"Off you go Vinnie... grab us a couple of drinks."

Back he came with a wine.

Turns out the drinks were included.

Well now... don't mind if I do change drinks!

CC and Dry please... and keep them coming. 😜

As we slowly cruised along Lake Kununurra and the Ord River, we tucked into a delicious platter of cheeses, crackers and other tasty bits.

It was a great way to get everyone chatting and getting to know each other...

Probably helped by the free drinks too. 😂

When we stopped for dinner, we were treated to barramundi, steak and salads.

Absolutely delicious.

Although, if I'm being honest... I think we managed to consume more drinks than food! 🍻

One little surprise...

The lovely lady who prepared our dinner was the very same person who'd kindly lent me her car so I could take Shadow to the vet.

How's that for a small world?

As the sun started setting, everyone was busy taking pics, laughing and I was busy photo-bombing, which they laughed about.

In all the excitement... I completely missed the actual moment the sun disappeared behind the Ord River Diversion Dam! 🤦‍♀️😂

Never mind...

The colours afterwards were absolutely stunning.

At least I got to enjoy them...
..through my slightly CC and Dry enhanced eyes. 🤣

On the way there and back, the skipper did an amazing job weaving through all the trees sticking up out of the water.

Somehow he'd also heard the story about the cook lending her car to "someone whose dog had to go to the vet."

That someone was us.

It really is a small world.

After the week we'd had, this was the perfect way to relax.

Have you ever treated yourselves while travelling after a week that didn't quite go to plan? Or are you the type who saves the pennies for the next adventure instead?

23/07/2026

After finishing our final walk at Mirima National Park, we raced back to collect Shadow and headed off to continue our day of exploring.

Our first stop was Ord Metal Art.

Wow... what a view!

We were so busy taking in the scenery that we forgot to take any pics of anything else. 😂

And yes... there are saltwater crocs in the river.

It looks so inviting, but there's no way you'd catch us jumping in!

The metal artwork here is incredible.

There are beautifully crafted Boab trees, jewellery and so many unique pieces. You can tell just how much time and effort has gone into making them.

I absolutely loved the Boab sculptures.

Sadly, the only thing we came home with was a little Yes/No coin... and it wasn't even made by the artist! How bad is that? 😅

They also sell the famous Zebra Rock, which is only found in the East Kimberley.

We were told by a local that since Lake Argyle was created, the original area where it was found is now underwater, so it can only be collected by diving for it.

They're millions of years old and are highly prized for jewellery, carvings and display pieces.

Believe me... I would have loved to bring one home.

The reality is, when you live in a small caravan, every bit of storage and every kilogram counts.

As much as I admired those Boab pieces, there was simply nowhere to put one.

Maybe one day... 😊

Just across the road we found Kimberley Ornamental Stonecraft.

Vinnie was on a mission to find the perfect paperweight and eventually settled on an Okapi stone, estimated to be around 600–670 million years old.

Lucky it's nice and small, so finding a spot for it wasn't too hard!

With Shadow happily enjoying another outing with us, we headed back towards town and made one more stop at Rockalong Stoneworks.

They had some beautiful stone slabs, artwork, wine racks and jewellery.

Personally, I thought Kimberley Ornamental Stonecraft offered a bit better value and finish, but if you're in the area, both are definitely worth a look.

Right... we'd better get out of here before Shadow decides to christen another display...

Only joking folks... calm the farm! 🤣

Have you ever found the perfect souvenir while travelling... or have you had to leave something behind because you simply didn't have the room?

23/07/2026

Imintji Campground – Review

Imintji Campground was our second campground along the Gibb River Road after leaving Birdwood Downs station. After spending around 3–4 hours on the road, including roughly 100 km of corrugated dirt road, we were more than ready to set up camp for a few days. The campground is managed by Tex, who was friendly, welcoming and happy to answer any questions we had about the area....

Read our Imintji Campground review on the Gibb River Road. Learn about the facilities, Bell Gorge access, camping with dogs, and whether it’s worth staying.

23/07/2026

🥾 Walk 5 of 5 – Gerliwany-gerring Banan

The final walk!

This one is a Class 3, 2.2km return walk with very little shade along the way.

I think we may have done this one backwards. 😅

The main information sign was at the end of our walk and explained that the trail traverses the savannah woodland before entering Hidden Valley.

Oopsy doozy... nothing like a little adventure!

We started this walk a little further along from where Walk 3 & 4 finished (see yesterday's post).

The track follows alongside the road for part of the way, with the cliffs and incredible rock formations towering above you on one side.

It really feels like you're up close and personal with the sandstone.

The walk itself is a mix of boardwalk, sandy sections, stony paths and the odd rock to step over.

Even though it's rated a Class 3, we both found it a pretty easy walk.

One thing we loved about Mirima National Park was how quickly the scenery changed.

Around every corner there seemed to be a different rock formation, another cliff face or a new view to stop and admire.

We were definitely glad we'd started early again.

There isn't a lot of shade on this walk and you can really feel the sun once it gets up.

Well... that's Mirima National Park done and dusted.

We're so glad we made the time to explore all five walks.

It's one of those places we'd happily come back to, especially at sunrise or sunset. I reckon those rock formations would put on an incredible show as the light changes.

Another one for the "next time" list. 😊

Have you walked Mirima at sunrise or sunset? If you have, we'd love to see your pics in the comments and see what we missed.

22/07/2026

🥾 Walk 3 & 4 of 5 – Banan derdbe-gerring gooleng theniyinhang & Demboong Banan

As if an 800-metre walk and a 3.5km loop weren't enough, we decided to squeeze in another two walks before heading back to Shadow.

Walk 3 – Banan derdbe-gerring gooleng theniyinhang

This is a Class 1, 500-metre loop.

It branches off from the first two walks, so we'd already completed about half of it.

When we got to the start near the car park, there was a tiny pink rope across the entrance. More like little flags than a proper barrier.

We weren't quite sure what was going on because when we reached the other end of the walk, there was nothing blocking it at all.

We figured if it was completely closed, both ends would be blocked, so we carried on carrying on. 😊

This section is all on a raised boardwalk, making it an easy stroll through the trees with the towering rock formations all around.

You'll just have to trust us on this one... somehow I only managed to take 2 pics! 😂

Walk 4 – Demboong Banan

This one is a Class 3, 500 metres return.

The start is on the opposite side of the car park, with about a 100-metre walk before you reach the trail.

After a small rock climb up about 2 feet through a narrow gap in the eroded sandstone, the track opens up and feels fairly straightforward.

There was a lot more shade along this walk too, which was very welcome after already clocking up a few kilometres.

I still couldn't get enough of those towering cliff faces and incredible rock formations.

Then, just as we were happily wandering along... the track suddenly ended!

There was even what looked like a path continuing on, but the sign said End of Trail, which didn't feel very polite 😅

The sign mentioned views over Kununurra.

Well... I suppose it depends on your definition of "views." 😄 We could see more hills rather than the town itself, but it was still a nice spot to stop for a look.

With four walks now under our belts, it was definitely time to head back.

We didn't want to keep Shadow waiting any longer, and we were glad we'd tackled them early before the Kimberley heat really kicked in.

Shadow was pretty happy to see us back, so the first job was taking him out for his well-earned walk before we all hid inside in the air conditioning for the hottest part of the day.

Four walks down... one to go! 🥾

We'll be back in the morning to tackle the final walk and finish off Mirima National Park.

How are you enjoying the walks so far? Have you got a favourite yet?