Last night at Halls Creek was the first night, in 50 days, that we have been able to sleep without our air-conditioning and we woke to a quite cool (for us) 16 degrees. I slept very peacefully.
Todays journey takes us to Fitzroy Crossing, a very easy 280 km journey. The landscape continually changed today. We started with flat downs country interspersed with red stony rock hills with prickly spinifex and then the scenery changed to what we were so used to seeing around the Cloncurry area. There was flinders grass, mimosa and coolabah. We would then come into heavy timbered country but then just as quickly the trees would disappear along with the hills. It made for a very interesting journey.
We pass Nicolsons Gold Mine at "Lamboo" Station that is both open pit and underground and has been producing gold since 2015. We can see the Mueller Range with its extensive outcrops of flat-lying massive sandstone that form striking rock features. At some point we cross an invisible line that separates the East Kimberleys from the West Kimberleys.
We crossed the Mary River that heads 25km south of Halls Creek and flows west into Margaret River that then flows into the mighty Fitzroy River. There is a camping area at Mary River and we drive the short distance in to have a look. It is quite lovely so we stretch our legs and take a walk down to the old Mary River bridge. It is only 10am and there are lots of caravans parked up here. Perhaps they haven't seen the sign that says 24hr camping only.
We return to the car and further down the road we see, too late, a sign pointing to Ngumban Cliffs. There is nowhere to turn around so we just have to imagine how lovely this place is. It is also a free camping area and even from the road we can see that it is packed with vehicles. Sitting high on the cliff, from what I read, it can be very windy.
Onwards to Fitzroy Crossing where we are staying at the Fitzroy River Lodge. The reception area and lodge is very upmarket but the van sites are pretty ordinary, and it is one of the most expensive places we have stayed at. While we are driving I am usually doing research into what we might find at our destination and the Danguu Geikie Gorge tour along the Fitzroy River, looks like it might be interesting so I booked seats on the 4pm cruise through Parks and Wildlife.
It is an easy 20km drive along a sealed road to Geikie Gorge from Fitzroy Crossing and Philip comments that it can't be much of a gorge because there are no mountains! He's right but soon enough we do come across some rocky outcrops. We stop at the well laid out open air visitor centre to do a little reading about the gorge formation before we are called to the boat ramp.
We walk the short distance to our waiting boat and set sail. Within minutes we are totally gobsmacked. This is like no other gorge we have ever seen. It is absolutely mind boggling beautiful. As we cruise slowly and silently through the very still waters we are mesmerised by the formations that wind and rain have cut into the sandstone walls. The differing colours are simply astounding and I just can not find enough adjectives to describe the scenery. Maybe the photos will do it some justice.
We spot lots of freshwater crocodiles, maybe a dozen, of differing sizes. There are also kangaroos to keep the little ones on board the boat happy. The bird life is prolific and I read on some of the signs in the information centre that there is a large variety of fish inhabiting these waters including the elusive sawfish. There are around 20 people on board this boat and everyone is just so quiet as we glide along the water. We just want to breath in this stunning scenery.
We return just as the sun is setting and the sun paints the walls of the gorge a brilliant red. Our tour guide talks about some of the aboriginal stories relating to this gorge but a sobering thought is that this place is also the site of one of the biggest aboriginal slaughters in early Australian history when more than 100 aboriginals were shot dead on a sand bar just in front of us.
We disembark our little boat and make our way back to the car. Both Philip and I agree that this tour is, hands down, the best gorge tour we have ever done. Remember the name, Geikie Gorge, and try to get here if you can.
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