The town of Kununurra was established on banks of the Ord River in 1961 as a service hub for the Ord River Irrigation Scheme. As a result of the Irrigation Scheme, the Diversion Dam was built, and the agricultural industry was developed in Kununurra.
If you fly in Kununurra and watch from the sky, you will be surprised how green it is in Kununurra. It is like an Oasis of the outback.
Lake Kununurra & Lily Creek Lagoon
The construction of the Diversion Dam on the Ord River in 1963 formed Lake Kununurra. The lake is a popular spot for watersports and fishing.
And on the northern bank of Lake Kununurra, beautiful wetland called Lily Creek Lagoon extends to the town of Kununurra.
Lily Creek Lagoon is located just south of the town center, and it is a peaceful and scenic spot overlooking a huge rock formation called Sleeping Buddha. You can also see many birds here.
Ivanhoe Crossing
Downstream from the Diversion Dam, there is a man-made causeway called Ivanhoe Crossing, where you can cross the Ord River by car (only in dry season).
It is also a popular place for fishing. However, saltwater crocodiles inhabits this part of the Ord River, so you should not go into the water.
Watch out for Crocodiles !
Kununurra has many beautiful bodies of water, but you need to be careful of crocodiles. Yes, there are crocodiles in the waters of northern Australia.
There are two types of crocodiles in Australia : saltwater crocodiles and freshwater crocodiles .
Saltwater Crocodiles (also called Estuarine Crocodile) are huge, ferocious crocodiles. Although they are called “saltwater” crocodiles, they can be found in both saltwater and freshwater environments. They are aggressive and dangerous, and sometimes called “man-eater” crocodiles.
On the other hand, Freshwater Crocodiles are relatively small crocodiles with narrow mouths that live only in freshwater environment. Freshwater crocodiles mainly eat fish and are rarely a threat to humans, unless they feel threatened.
Around Kununurra, dangerous saltwater crocodiles can be found downstream of the Diversion Dam (i.e. from the Diversion Dam down to Whyndham). So at places like Ivanhoe Crossing, Parry Lagoon Nature Reserve, or Whyndham, you can sometimes see giant saltwater crocodiles sunbathing on the riverbank. You should not go into the water or walk too close to the riverbank in these area.
On the other hand, only freshwater crocodiles inhabit upstream of the Diversion Dam, so people enjoy watersports and boating at Lake Kununurra and Lily Creek Lagoon. There are even some swimming spots on Lake Kununurra and Lake Argyle.
There are usually warning signs posted near water, so be sure to check them before approaching the water.
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