Australia June 2013 - Visiting Squid: Part 4

Sunday 16 June

Another dawn awakening, and by 6.30am the generators around the camp had started up! We had planned on bacon butties for breakfast at the Mount Barnett station, so no rush as it didn't open until 8. We made it by 8.20, topped up with fuel, and also ice for the Eski (cool box), and enjoyed the butties. 

Suitably refreshed we headed off up the GRR to the Barnett River Gorge turn-off. Squid had been here for a hash weekend, but didn't recognise anything (something to do with the alcoholic haze at the time, or maybe a slightly different access point?!). It didn't help that there were absolutely no signs once with turned off the main road onto the very sandy track through the savannah grassland. No sign of a gorge either! Good 4WD driving practice however. Eventually after much bumping and swaying we came to an area with a few parked cars.... just leaving. I quickly interrogated one parting driver, who thought that the gorge might be across the creek & to the left - he had seen some people go that way, but no, he hadn't found a gorge! 

Mount Barnett Roadhouse

Barnett River Gorge
So with GPS switched on, so we could find our way back, we set off, and after some initial wandering came across a series of small cairns which, we reckoned, must lead somewhere. Somewhere took some while to appear, but at last we arrived on top the cliffs lining the gorge with the river way below us. All that remained was to find a way down! Cairns appeared in all directions, but with faith and guesswork we found an almost safe scrambling route down to the river. Unsurprisingly we had the river to ourselves - long shallow stretches of warm water flowing over very slippery rock, and the occasional deeper pool. 

We found our way back OK, without the GPS, thanks to the little cairns. Driving back out we gave directions to some lost-looking drivers coming in. Hidden gorge indeed.
Back on the road again we made good time, as there was nothing particular to see, miles of savannah and not a gorge in sight. The odd wet creek provided some interest, but overall it was a long tedious 250km. There were a couple of 'Jump Ups', with views as we crested the ridges, and a great view of the Cockburn ranges just before we descended to the Home Valley station to camp.

The Home Valley Station campsite looked several stars posher than anything we had camped in so far - short grassy lawns on which to camp, swimming pool, children's play area, laundry, restaurant etc., and roughly the same price too. One lost the outback feeling though. 

Typical Gibb River Road conditions - dust cloud approaching (i.e. a car)

Typical savannah vegetation on the Gibb

Typical creek crossing

My (hash-tag) creek

The other sort of hash (corned beef) being created 

The view of the Cockburn Ranges, from above Home Valley

Monday June 17

I awoke just before dawn, needing a pee, and realised that the sky was beginning to look fabulous, so I got up, got the camera - one pee, one shot, and back to bed!

We only had a short distance to cover to our next campsite at El Questro Wilderness Park, so we had a gentle start to the day. Short it may have been, but we had to cross the Pentecost River - the longest river crossing so far, and  rather bouldery too.

Sunrise over Home Valley

Queuing to cross the Pentecost River

Squid taking the plunge 
The El Questro Station, 14km off the Gibb, was a very oganised resort, with luxury areas, helicopter rides, restaurant and other facilities. It also had some wilder camping areas, so in return for higher cost we got poorer facilities, but extra peace. We booked in, had a coffee and shared a bacon & cheese 'sausage rolil, set up camp and generally chilled out.

After lunch we went back to reception to pick up equipment for the boat we had hired to explore Gorge IX: Chamberlain Gorge. The equipment comprised 2 life jackets, 2 oars, 2 batteries and an outboard motor. It was a 15 minute drive to the jetty, where I parked and Squid prepared the boat. Then we puttered (silently!) off up the gorge, with is fantastic vertical cliffs with almost level strata & the occasional fault. Large scars showed on the rock faces where cubes of rock had fallen off.
At the far end of the navigable gorge and walked for 25 minutes further up the gorge over slightly sloping slabs of rock and over blocks. It was here that Squid spotted sundew species number two of the trip - well I was excited! As we got back in our boat a larger tourist boat came up - once again we got out just in time. Around this part of the lake there were hundreds of Archer fish - spotted & spitting! we learned later that the rangers feed them to encourage this weird spitting behaviour. In the excitement I managed to get the boat trapped in some rocky shallow areas, seriously endangering our little plastic propeller...eventually after much spinning around we got off into deeper water, and back in time as the sun went down and the rock turned a lovely red. Chamberlain Gorge would have been my favourite if we had been able to swim in it, but due to the possible presence of crocodiles that was no go. 

Chamberlain Gorge

Squid in control

Sundew No 2

Camp fire and kitchen
Back at camp, in the gloaming, we collected firewood, lit a fire, had a beer and then later Squid cooked another camp special: salami, beans and tomatoes with Mexican spice, which we had with wraps. Early to bed again, with the sound of water and frogs.

Tuesday June 18

We got out early to get to Zebedee Springs before the crowds, but the car park was already filling up before 9am. The springs, warm water issuing from a fault in the rock, are in a tropically vegetated gorge (Spiral Pandanus and Livistonia Palms predominate), and there are a multitude of rocky pools in the shade beneath the palms - mostly filled with bodies even at this hour. It was not a surprise that even here Squid recognised a doctor she had worked with in Perth.....

After a gentle soak in the warm flowing water we returned to the car - just in time again as a tour bus arrived with more people in it than there was space available in the springs!

Livistonia palms near Zebedee Springs

Zebedee, indeed, springs

Circling kites
Back on the road out of El Questro we stopped twice; once to take a photo of Squid alongside her hash tag, and secondly to watch a cloud of kites rise from the swollen carcass of a cow presumably road-kill. We were heading out of El Questro to visit Gorge X - Emma Gorge, which was still part of the El Questro Station (and hence our permit bought yesterday was valid for the visit). As the parking for this was on the Gibb River Road, and it has a resort, pool and restaurant,  it is a very popular spot. The walk in was easy at first, but then became increasingly rocky, with one sharp ascent. At the end we arrived on a stony beach in front of a small plunge pool below a high trickling waterfall. Most of the water was in the shade, and was cool. On one side of the pool, beneath the cliffs and behind a rock outcrop, was a warm spring which dribbled water into the main pool. It was a lovely contrast with the main pool, but too small, and in high demand, to linger long in it.

Back at the resort it was baking hot, and we picnicked in what shade there was, before setting off back towards El Questro.
The El Questro station boasted many walks and drives, all graded and with leaflets available describing them. We decided we had time to visit the El Questro Gorge, the first one which stated that it was 4WD access only. We discovered why - there was the deepest river crossing we had done so far, and lots of soft sand, and we prayed that we were not alone on this route. We were relieved to find a few vehicles at the end of the drivable trail - safety in numbers! 

We set off up the gorge, naturally without reading the trail guide. It was flat and boggy at first, then increasingly bouldery as the gorge narrowed. Following little blue plastic diamonds on rocks, or ribbons dangling from trees, the trail criss-crossed the creek, meaning extensive boulder-hopping. After about half an hour we reached the half-way pool, through which we had to wade (it was up to Squid's waist), and then rock-climb out the far side in wet sandals. Past this point the gorge got narrower and rockier, climbed up a cascade, past some traces of rock-art until the way was blocked by a narrow waterfall dropping into a small pool. Lying in the water, and looking up, you could see how narrow the gorge was; beautiful swimming.

Emma Gorge

Climbing up El Questro Gorge

El Questro Gorge:  as far as you can get

Cold, again, Moi?
It was at this point the Squid read the trail notes, which said allow 5 hours to complete the walk, and we had about 1½ hours before dark.....so we started back as quickly as we could, bearing in mind the slippery rocks, dodgy scrambles and the hundreds of kilometers to the nearest hospital! It was with relief that we got back to the car park at 4.30pm. There was still some light left, but no other cars - we were on our own for the drive back out. Squid drove out with no problems (phew!), and an impressive bow wave.

We had a relaxed evening as we had booked into the Steakhouse for dinner. We made an error in having starters, and were royally stuffed at the end of the meal, and both had difficulty sleeping as a result. Gluttons....

Back        Next

Back to Trip Index

Home