The Ord continued to narrow.

And 55km from our starting point, we reached the Top Dam – and the reason why the river was still flowing in the middle of the dry season.

The dam pumps out enough water to keep the river level constant throughout the year. Without it, the Ord would still be a series of waterholes. This in turn provides a consistent water supply to water the crops downstream. It also generates electricity for the region.

Lake Argyle itself is enormous – 20 times the size of Sydney Harbour – so water and power is no longer a problem in this area.