Lake Argyle
Experiencing the remoteness of the North and North West areas of Australia.
AUSTRALIA
The Lake Argyle reservoir was built in the 1970s as part of the Ord River Irrigation Scheme, which aimed to transform the surrounding arid landscape into a thriving agricultural area. Today, Lake Argyle stands as one of the largest man-made lakes in the Southern Hemisphere, spanning an impressive 2,625 square kilometers when full.
The lake's vast expanse not only serves as a vital water source for the region, supplying irrigation to farms and supporting the local wildlife, but also offers hiking trails in the area to explore. We stayed at the Lake Argyle Holiday Park where the locals said we could swim in the lake as there were "only" fresh water crocodiles in the lake. We decided to play it safe and only swam in the picturesque pool at the campground and enjoy the views from there.
We found that much of the area in the norther part of Australia was quite sparsely populated and remote. We enjoyed coming across farm animals as we traveled towards Broome.
The solitude of Northwestern Australia allowed us the opportunity to reflect, detach, and fully engage with the untamed wilderness surrounding us. It was an experience we would never forget. Happy exploring!
The campground was very well serviced with an excellent cooking area, clean toilets and showers. While we were at the campground Janet also spotted a little owl in a tree.
The vast emptiness continued with only a few small towns dotted across the landscape. We stayed one night at the Ngumban Cliff Rest Area. We had driven over 600 kilometers from Lake Argyle to reach this rest area, and still had 500 kilometers to go to get to Broome. The landscape was vast and beautiful as we were perched on the lookout.
