We headed out of Derby on the Gibb River Road Most of the country through here is flat When it’s lower there are fewer trees and usually soggy for a while after the Wet. On slightly higher ground there are trees and shrubs. Cattle country. We turned south for our first stop at Windjana Gorge. All of a sudden a vertical wall of limestone appeared – the Talbot Range rises straight out of the plains.
Apparently a long fringing reef ( like the Great Barrier Reef) extended from SE of Fitzroy Crossing in an arc running NW and across to Kununurra. It only comes to the surface around here.
The walking track goes through this narrow gap and into a Gorge with waterhole and basking freshwater crocodiles and tall walls. there is a nice camping ground. I could easily have stayed a few days exploring the area.
So then we went to Tunnel Creek. We’d been warned that the entrance to the underground tunnel is more awkward this year than usual. Some of the group bailed out, but it wasn’t so bad. The walk through this large cavern with the creek through it was more on soft sand than I’d anticipated. A couple of knee deep creek crossings. Sand in the sandals. And eventually we were through. But the bus was at the other end so we retraced our route.
Then onto Fitzroy Crossing and the Fitzroy River which frequently floods up 14m. Quiescent today.
But everything nearby is built high, this is our accommodation for tonight.
And to finalise a long day, a quiet cruise on the Fitzroy River at Geiki Gorge. Here the river splits the Oscar and Geiki Ranges. Both very low elevation and limestone. The ‘gorge’ does have Gorge walls but a long way apart. The river only reaches both sides during flood times in the Wet. At it’s narrowest point the walls are probably 400m apart. The white band marks the ‘usual’ high water level in the Wet.
We’re off to the Bungle Bungles tomorrow. Expect poor internet so probably no update before Wednesday night.
travellingkathy 