Gorgeous (Mitchell Falls Wilderness Lodge to El Questro, WA)

Another early start saw us back on the Gibb River Road for a massive 450 km road trip to our accommodation at El Questro Emma Gorge Resort. There would be the usual breaks for morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea, but we were staring down the barrel of 8 or so hours of corrugated road. As such, this will be a short post my dear reader.

In a back to the future move, our first stop was Drysdale River Station. Happily we were not staying here - it was for morning tea and re-fuelling. Back in the bus for more bouncing around and a lunch stop that was clearly not memorable because I have no idea where we stopped and Jayne has no notes. Hmmm. Pretty sure we had wraps, fruit and juice for lunch.

Afternoon tea was a treat. We drove into Ellenbrae Station for scones. There was also the potential for "good coffee" but I have been disappointed by other people's version of "good coffee" previously on this trip. I decided to stay with water.

Double-barred finches.

Ellenbrae is a working station, running cattle. As tends to be the practice out here, contractors come in annually and muster the cattle for a fixed price per head. Prior to our scones arriving, we were treated to an informative and highly amusing talk from the station manager. Amongst other things he covered the challenges of the living out here, isolated, during the wet season.

A sulphur crested cockatoo.

Scones are turned out in their thousands during the dry and are enjoyed in the shaded garden beside the old homestead. The garden is a haven for birdlife, particularly doves, double-barred finches, bower birds and sulphur crested cockatoos.

Bar-shouldered doves.

The scones were delicious and time was spent trying to capture the perfect photograph of the local birdlife.

All too soon, we were back on the bus and heading once again for El Questro Emma Gorge Resort. Before we arrived, we made one last stop overlooking the Cockburn ranges as the sun was setting. Cockburn is not pronounced as it is spelt. It is pronounced co-burn, not cock- burn. And yes dear reader, juvenile jokes were made but we need not repeat them here.

The Cockburn Ranges.

Once again the Kimberley did not disappoint. There is much carry on about a Kimberley sunset, but in reality it is not the sunset but the colour changes of the mountains and landscape that is impressive. So it proved to be here. Our group invaded the solitude of some campers who were set up to watch the colour changes on the mountain range that lined the horizon. They accepted our arrival with good humour and we chatted about where we'd been and where we were heading. They snapped a group photo for us and we left them in peace.

The Pentecost River at sunset.

We arrived after dark at El Questro Emma Gorge Resort at around 6pm, and were shown to our accommodation. Similar in style to Mitchell Falls Wilderness Lodge, but the tents were newer and the dining facilities catered for more people. There were 60 glamping tents in all, so they couple potentially cater for up to 240 people. We were warned to check the toilet prior to use, lest we get a surprise from some local residents. Green frogs appear in the toilet bowl regularly. Although inconvenient, it demonstrates the health of the ecosystem.

He wasn't in the bowl, but clearly had been.

Dinner was not a favourite. It was buffet-style and we are not fans, however, given the time of our arrival it was a sensible option. After a long day in the bus, most of our group retired early in preparation for tomorrow's walk, sorry, hike, to the gorgeous Emma Gorge. Today's song title is by some unknown, a woman named Taylor Swift from 2017. Apparently she's touring Australia soon. Have a listen.

Until next time.

Shooting Star (Galvans Gorge, Manning Creek, Drysdale River Station, WA)

Another early start, another seat rotation, another long trip down the corrugated Gibb River Road to another gorgeous gorge for another swim. It's easy to be dismissive of the current itinerary as more of the same. To a certain extent it is, but every gorge is different and offers its own spin on the startling beauty of the Kimberley. From the ever changing colours of the rock walls, the meandering creeks, the different vegetation to the immaculate, cloud-free blue skies, the Kimberley is breath-taking and stunning.

An Olive-backed Oriole, an excellent singer.

The car park was much the same as the others we have encountered. Dusty with pockets of shade, populated by 4WDs attached to caravans. The walk to the gorge was exaggerated in difficulty and much of it was along the side of the creek on rock or in soft sand.

A silky grevillea.

Every bend provided a kodak moment.

The pool at Galvans Gorge was at the base of the falls and was supervised by a Boab Tree on the cliff top marking the difference between here and Dalmanyi. The water was unsurprisingly fresh and crowded with people. There was a tree with a rope swing for the more adventurous and a ledge beneath the waterfall for those who wanted to experience a water spa and massage.

Beside the swing tree was a rock overhang that protected some Gwion Gwion art, a depiction of a Wandjina, one of the spirit people.

The Wandjina watching over the pool.

Given where we were and the relatively early time of day, the pool was quite crowded. Everyone up here is ready for a chat and experiences are readily shared. I met a woman on the track in to the pool. She was wearing thongs, not quite sensible footwear. The track was easily negotiated, but thongs? I think not. As we fell into step she informed me that they had come from Emma Gorge - we were heading there in a few days time. The walk to Emma was quite difficult she explained and should be avoided if possible. Jayne had decided to opt out of this walk so I knew the Emma Gorge walk would be out of the question. She went on to say that the reason they were heading to Galvans Gorge so early was because the Manning River road had been closed at 8:30am and wasn't re-opening until nightfall to allow for some urgent repairs in response to the recent flooding rains.

It appeared we would have to alter our agenda as the Manning River was our lunch destination.

Back at the car park, Jayne, who was attempting to catch up on some blogging, had found it was impossible to be on your own in the Kimberley. Everyone stopped for a chat as she sat in the shade of our bus. She too had heard that the Manning River Road was closed. More interestingly, she reported that there was a large black snake in the car park. It was underneath a caravan and had startled some young girls as they alighted from their car. WA does not have the red-bellied black snake we have in the east. Research reveals it was probably a whipsnake.

We paused for morning tea at Mt Barnett Roadhouse before our guides received the news that the road to the Manning camp ground was indeed closed. Lunch would be at the Hann River crossing. It is a beautiful spot. The water was shallow in the river and still flowing quickly through the grove of Melaleuca trees. The river crossing, however, was not as shallow and there were some deep holes in the middle of the causeway and some even deeper soft sand either side.

The road is closed at the 1 metre level.

The Hann River.

This proved to be an excellent place to have lunch. We had a refreshing swim before our meal and then cars, attempting the river crossing, provided entertainment while we ate. One superstar 4WDer came down to check out the crossing. Serious discussion ensued as he directed one of his travelling companions to take a particular course across the river. He then drove his 4WD straight off the edge of the causeway into the soft sand to become bogged, much to the amusement of our tour group and his friends. A snatch rope was attached and he was towed out of his embarrassment.

Major amusement.

After the luxury of the Bell Gorge Wilderness Retreat, our next overnight stay, the Drysdale Station, was somewhat of a shock. Accommodation was in portable buildings, probably old mining dongas. We had single beds and an ensuite and there was a verandah that we all made good use of prior to dinner. Photographs were shared and we laughed about our lunchtime entertainment.

The dividing walls of the rooms was so thin that you could conduct a conversation with the people next door from the comfort of your bed. Thankfully our tour group is well behaved.

Almost like a demountable classroom.

Well, it's a place to sleep.

The night sky in the Kimberley is another astonishing feature of the area. The lack of light pollution at night allows for the most amazing light show in the sky. Sorry no pictures, just memories of the thickness of the Milky Way and the shooting stars. Which brings me to today's title, Shooting Star by that excellent New Zealand group Dragon, all the way from 1978. If you've never heard it, have a listen.

Until next time.