Malcolm Douglas - Australia - My Country The Kimberley (Part 1) 1990

[Music] do [Music] g'day situated on the far northwest corner of australia is my country the kimberleys now the kimberley is twice the size of victoria and three times the size of england it's a huge spectacular and ancient land now i spend long periods in the kimberley bush and along the kimberley coast now in fact i've spent over 20 years in this region so i know this country well so for the next six months i'm going to travel to all my favorite areas so you too can experience this fantastic part of australia it's late in the dry season malcolm at his broome residence packs for a long expedition into the kimberley he follows the gibb river road north the only access deep into this remote wilderness it's a spectacular journey through the king leopold ranges the brilliant colors of the ancient folded sandstone glowing in the late afternoon sun these rich ochres are unique to the kimberley and give the landscape an intensity so different from anywhere else in australia [Music] first stop will be the central kimberley where they leave the land rover and continue on four-wheel bikes accompanying malcolm is bonnie his australian cattle dog and jack nixon jack like malcolm lives in the north and knows the area well the men are searching for ancient aboriginal burial sites and small mysterious paintings they're heading for the stony country but first a permanent watercourse has to be cropped a shallow section is found free of water lilies the old inner tube will help float the bikes across the bikes are used to explore areas where it's impossible to take a larger vehicle and as well there's less damage to the environment [Music] [Applause] malcolm gauges the depth and jack gives it a go [Music] the motor running in low gear keeps the wheels moving propelling the bike slowly to the far side [Music] the tyres pumped up for extra buoyancy are let down again to give better traction up the muddy bank [Music] it's now over 40 degrees time to cool off bonnie only five months old is already adjusting well to an eventful life with malcolm [Applause] [Music] [Music] oh at midday they reach the edge of the escarpment and look for distinctive rock markers placed high on the ridges by the aborigines to warn that this is a sacred place among the rocks are the caves of the dead until the aborigines left this area 40 years ago they interred the bones in the person's spirit place now the remains like the tribes are scattered and disintegrating many of the sites were shown to malcolm years ago by aboriginal friends sadly with the increase in tourism some of the skulls have already disappeared nearby the men locate a gallery of fine paintings called bradshaw figures this style was named after joseph bradshaw an early kimberley explorer who first described it when he found similar pictographs further west towards the coast the origin of these intriguing paintings is a mystery and the aborigines today have little interest in them calling them rubbish they are probably very old painted by the people of a bygone era a few kilometers away a well-preserved figure clearly displays the tasseled costume of a dancer or warrior this small elegant painting is part of the unknown pre-history of australia few people venture into the kimberley at this time of the year it's just too hot but malcolm knows that along the coast the fighting barramundi will be on the bite so the trailer and bikes are left behind and for two days the men head west battling through the roughest country in australia along tracks familiar to only a handful of locals eventually they reach the coastal plains and camp under a majestic boab tree the open sea is still 50 kilometers away so the men have time to prepare their gear and pack the dinghy before the tide comes in and when it does it ripples swiftly past flooding the dry riverbed in seconds with the tide come the pop-eyed mullet in schools of thousands they panic at the slightest hint of danger and for jack their top barramundi bait within minutes the inlets meters deep and the men head upriver into one of the most isolated gorges in [Music] australia the tidal influence ends abruptly at a rock bar beyond this point lies fresh water after a long hot day it's time to camp for the night [Music] from here on the rubber inflatable will be used to travel deep into the wilderness to a tranquil place with clean fresh water and the fish always on the bite the dominant species here is the barramundi most fishermen dream of catching a barra superb fighters they're one of the best eating fish in the north [Applause] the bigger catchers are released they're too much for only two people to eat mangrove snapper too make a tasty meal after several days spent fishing and exploring it's time to leave the big springs will soon drop off and if the men don't go immediately they'll have to wait another week for the tide to reach this far inland even so it's a long wait the water only flows into the gorge every 12 hours the heat and exertion of exhausted young bonnie jack passes the time with a hand line he's disappointed when he hooks a stingray and keeping well clear of the poisonous barb quickly returns it to the water by late afternoon the tide surges in to fill the inlet for just a few minutes before it ebbs away for another 12 hours with the tide come the crocodiles deadly hunters in the murky water the mullet always on the move are a favorite food for the crocs the men continue north towards the mitchell plateau the only access a badly eroded track used by a mineral exploration company the road's so cut up that only a four-wheel drive can get through the last stretch is tackled on foot so the men set off early while it's still cool several kilometers in the rough trail passes merton's gorge [Music] [Music] a short distance further on are the mitchell river falls a localized early wet season storm the previous night has sent a column of water plummeting for the first time in many months at the height of the wet when they can be seen only by air the falls are a magnificent spectacle [Music] me it's rough country and malcolm's boot is coming apart after temporary repairs it's back to bonnie and the land rover they set out for columbaroo the northernmost kimberley settlement along the way malcolm detours to a distinctive rock formation he's always looking for unknown aboriginal sites that can be registered for further protection a male and a female skull are found intact undisturbed by animals and close by painted images of the wanjinas mythical dreamtime beings who created the world and now guard the tribal spirits [Music] behind the bones winds a maze of caves malcolm has a keen interest in bats and this is a perfect place to find them so he and jack suspend a missed net the bats unable to avoid the fine mesh are soon trapped this harmless technique enables naturalists and researchers to quickly collect animals for identification and maybe even find a new species this tiny bent wing bat is found throughout the kimberley but being nocturnal they're rarely seen except for a second or two as they flip past with dainty delicate features the head's no bigger than malcolm's fingernail and the bat's all up weight is 15 grams [Music] a larger species too is trapped its sharp nose and distinctive tail identifies it as a sheath tail bat common throughout much of northern australia the exceptionally long wings and wide tail membrane enable this bat to fly swiftly and accurately tomorrow the men will head back to the gibb river road and drive 200 kilometers to kalumburu it's now seven months since the last rains and daily the temperature soars over 40 degrees [Applause] heat lightening from early monsoonal buildup ignites the tender dry scrub it's a harsh pitiless land at this time of the year 900 kilometers north from broome is the aboriginal community of kalumburu where remnants of the northern kimberley tribes have settled originally a catholic mission the aborigines now maintain a policy of self-determination behind the settlement is a huge expanse of open water where a rock barrier dams the king edward river for several kilometers it's here that malcolm will rendezvous with ken payton who operates a beaver float plane into the remote kimberley at 7am ken arrives from his bush camp on the coast [Music] malcolm wants to visit the king george river one of the most picturesque waterways in australia the beavers built in the 60s have received worldwide acclaim for reliability their distinctive appearance a reminder of a bygone era in aviation there's ample room for all the gear and bonnie too it's the most exhilarating way to explore this country there are no roads just true wilderness below runs the king george slicing straight into the interior the river flanked by soaring sandstone cliffs [Music] the gorge ends abruptly in an impressive natural amphitheatre during the wet season dazzling waterfalls thunder over the edge [Music] ken heads the beaver downstream with the rivers wider and the cliffs lower fickle winds at water level make landing tricky giving ken a few anxious moments all's well men immediately begin assembling the inflatable ken will stay with the plane while jack and malcolm explore the river [Music] the ochres here are more somber than in the other gorges of the kimberley the walls loom higher at every bend the sheer magnitude of the cliffs towers over the dinghy [Music] it's tranquil now but in a few weeks when the rains begin the torrential flood will pour over the escarpment an enthralling display that few people have ever seen years ago malcolm saw this spectacle and he's keen to come back by boat in a few months time to see the dramatic transformation from the dry season to the [Music] wet the men return to the plane they must leave before the afternoon wind springs up as they're packing more visitors arrive a group of friends plying the kimberley coast on their way south to settle in tasmania few yachts are seen in these poorly charted waters the huge tides make sailing a hazardous undertaking [Music] within the hour the men are back at kalumburu and ken flies out to kannanara for the wet season malcolm's looking forward to spending some time with his aboriginal friends the traditional hunting and survival techniques are no longer practiced and the last of the bush people are passing on their culture to the younger generation before it's lost forever dungal is preparing a hunting spear binding it with sinew from the leg of a kangaroo with the arrival of europeans a metal head replaced the age-old stone spear tip he demonstrates to the boys how the kimberly tribesman used a long warmer to propel the spear and how kangaroos and wallabies were stalked and killed in speargrass thickets these short jaunts into the bush are arranged by local school teachers who've set up the cultural maintenance program to maintain a link with the past in today's rapidly changing world the girls are taught how to make traditional cooler moons when a sheet of barks cut from a tree it's stripped of the rough outer layers before the introduction of tomahawks a stone axe was used for this process the oldest woman at kalumburu manuela is concerned that the bush skills are being lost and she's one of the main instigators in developing this project for the young girls mary too is a keen teacher she demonstrates how to peel away layers of bark so the ends can be simply folded dried bark from the boab tree root is twisted into string with the ends tied the containers complete [Music] manuela shows how bush string was straightened and used to carry belongings when the tribe was on the move these bark coolaments are an ideal bush utensil easy to make and perfectly functional the girls now totally absorbed in their work dig for edible bulbs in march 1943 kalumburu was mistaken for an air force base and the japanese bombed the mission killing five aborigines and a priest few people realize how close the japanese came to invading the kimberley and even today there are still relics of wartime disaster like this wreckage scattered through the bush the bombing raids that helped repel the enemy took off from nearby truscott airstrip in the north kimberley the wet season arrives early and it's time for malcolm and jack to head south again a carpet of green covers the ground that three weeks ago was burnt and barren soon the low country will be flooded and this northern region isolated for months [Music] back towards broome there's no sign of the wet and the country is desperate for rain [Music] boab trees unique to the kimberley drop their leaves at the start of the dry to conserve moisture but now with the rapid rise in temperature and humidity the leaves are shooting again a sure sign that the monsoons are imminent and when the rains do arrive the change is dramatic at the height of the wet malcolm's on the move again driving from broome right across the kimberley 1200 kilometers to windham the boab trees are now in full leaf situated on cambridge golf is windham a small sleepy frontier town and at this time of the year not much happens here [Music] but sometimes the locals go for a drive and malcolm's surprised to see that the driver of this buggy is a young girl her feet barely reach the pedals but she handles the vehicle well we've just arrived in windham and wind is not my favorite town it's right at the bottom of cambridge gulf and you've got a lot of mud sand flies mosquitoes mangroves and very dirty brown salt water but around about 150 nautical miles north of wyndham you've got some of the most spectacular country in australia so tomorrow we're going to pack our boat load on around about 800 liters of fuel and head north for the berkeley and king george gorges and without a doubt that's some of the most beautiful country that i have ever seen in australia overnight they packed the boat ready to leave on the morning tide malcolm's mate jack nixon has gone south to be married and accompanying malcolm on this trip is steve tucker from broome for the first 50 miles of the cambridge gulf it's a muddy brown on the second day as they approach the mouth of the berkeley river the murky waters left far behind for a start the berkeley's similar to many of the northern waterways with its mangrove fringe shores and low hills but a few kilometres in it's another world in these warm unpolluted waters there's an abundant supply of oysters before motoring into the gorge malcolm picks up a couple of bunches for a meal at the escarpment malcolm detours into a short side creek ahead is a beautiful waterfall it's been a poor wet but there's still a flow of water in most of the rivers further inland the cliffs saw higher seeking some respite from the midday heat they swing into a small creek enclosed by sheer cliffs the only sound a gentle trickle of water from the top the cool shade welcomes malcolm as he boils the billy oysters cooked this way are easily opened and tastes delicious [Music] mid-afternoon finds them back in the main river this truly must be one of australia's great natural wonders and only a handful of people have ever seen this part of the coast [Music] my as the afternoon shadows lengthen the ever-changing colors become more pronounced more dramatic its rugged grandeer has attracted malcolm back into this country time and again over the last 25 years they shelter for the night in a small bay encircled by sheer walls of glowing rock the kimberley is full of surprises an overnight storm transforms the chasm the lacy cascade and soft pastels a picture of delicate beauty malcolm and steve make for the headwaters of the berkeley at this time of the year the mighty barramundi will be lurking where the fresh water meets the salt [Applause] this is malcolm's favorite pastime casting a line in waters that are so isolated he knows the fish will bite [Applause] right away he has a strike steve too lands some good fish late in the day malcolm hooks one more for his evening meal the line snaps and for a few seconds it looks like he's lost his dinner [Music] all across the north kimberley the weather deteriorates and storms lash the land when the wind drops malcolm leaves the berkeley and makes a dash along the coast for the king george after a bone-jarring journey they swing into the river and shelter behind the first sand spit straight away the weather closes in again it feels like a cyclones building and bonnie's miserable while steve ties down another cover for extra protection malcolm makes a cover as the atmospheric pressure plummets bonnie grows more restless [Applause] the heavy rain sweeps in as the men struggle to cover the boat with a bigger tub [Applause] [Applause] so suddenly there's an eerie calm [Music] [Applause] then the wind swings 180 degrees and malcolm fights to reposition the anchor before the boats pounded onto the beach [Applause] all afternoon the storm rages after a sleepless night a perfect morning dawns to a gentle breeze and a cloudless sky motoring along the king george river they soon reached the spot where ken landed his float plane four months earlier they head straight for the end of the gorge where the waterfall should be in full flow [Music] what a majestic sight so different from the dry barren buttress malcolm saw before the rains began this spectacular region will in the future be one of the great tourist attractions of australia and malcolm believes that it should be protected now by national park status the canyon towers above the boat while photographing the ridge malcolm decides that tomorrow they'll climb to the top it's a strenuous hall in the innovating 40 degree heat bonnie now nine months old copes with every new experience a stunning panorama the boat reduced to a mere dot monsoons this year have been intermittent so the runoff from the rocky country is diminishing years ago when malcolm first explored this region the rivers were in full flood and the falls were one of the most memorable sights he'd ever seen the men trekked round to the far side of the canyon to marvel at the ever-changing view from the precipice [Music] they cool off before tackling the rocky descent few people ever visit this country in the wet the heat and humidity are unbearable i at low tide giant oysters are a welcome treat and it's just a matter of dropping a line for a feed of fat mangrove jack for tea towards evening thunderstorms sweep in and the following day the second waterfall at the end of the gorge plunges down the rock face as they motor slowly past the falls steve and malcolm are saddened by a stupid act of vandalism in this remote and most beautiful place idiots have been at work look at this sam 89 well done sam i don't know who sam is but i wish he wouldn't come up into this part of the world would have to be in one of the most spectacular gorges in australia and these senseless idiots have come up here with their spray cans and written around the side here here over there and over towards the waterfall i don't know why people do it but if you're thinking about coming up into this country please leave your spray cans at home the men deflate the boat and reluctantly begin the long run back to wyndham four days later they're on their way to broome in a month's time malcolm will relaunch his boat at derby and spend weeks exploring the west kimberley coast [Music] it's now april and the wet season's almost over the dramatic rain squalls diminish and the spear grass now metres tall tries to a pale yellow [Music] the wet season's finally over rather much of a wet was the worst wet we've had for many years in fact it's only in the last month or two that the spare grass these some people call it cane grasses had enough moisture to shoot every year during the wet the spare grass grows to oh somebody goes up three or four meters grows up it seeds and then very quickly it turns to this beautiful golden yellow and now just in the last week or two it's starting to fall over and that's really what tells me at the end of the wet season the winds have flung from the northwest to the southeast so now we're getting a beautiful dry wind across the desert it's a cooling wind it cleans away all the humidity some people call it the knock em down winds because the spear grass gets knocked down but once the sow has come we have cooled the cold nights and we have six months of warm the hot days and not a cloud in the sky a great time to be in the kimberleys in part two of my country the kimberley with malcolm douglas the men will head once again up the gibb river road to live with the kimberley cattlemen during their annual muster it's tough demanding work returning south they'll explore the buccaneer archipelago with its many uninhabited islands and reefs then it's an exciting voyage along the west kimberley coast a wild place where only the most adventurous ever go [Music] i'm sure you'll want to join malcolm on another great australian adventure [Applause] [Music] you

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Length: 43min 47sec (2627 seconds)

Published: Tue Dec 01 2020