Saturday was a full days driving (although the distance was not all that great the corregations meant it was a slow drive). We have turned off the Gibb river Road onto the Kalumbura Road, and stopped at the Drysdale station for one of their infamous Big Kimberley Beef Burgers for lunch and a re-fuel. Many of the people we have spoken to here had intended originally to the Mitchell falls but have decided not to keep going due to the road conditions. A number of vehicles were being “welded” back together in the station work shed!! However…… Steve says lets press on!
We finally arrived at King Edward River camp area just before dark. We are all exhausted after the jarring drive and are really pleased to stop. (oh my aching back!!! – Sandra & mum – do not do this drive! – fly in by helicopter – or follow a grader!!!)
We are camped by the rapids, and have been assured by the Ranger that swimming here is fine – yes there are crocs – but only freshies. So, in we go for a quick dip!
Sunday morning we are up early to face the long day ahead. Although it is only 80k to the Mitchell River National Park, it takes 3 hours of bone jarring, and jolting to get there!! I am sure I don’t have a filling left in my teeth and I will need a full week with a live-in masseus to recover.
After the drive and a quick brew up – it was time to don the back packs and head off for the 5 hour (9km) grade 5 hike to Mitchell Falls. Quite a few areas of rock scrambling, and other areas that you crossed the river / creeks quite close to some of the cliffs and falls. You would certainly have to keep a close eye on any small children – or older ones given to wandering off – or older clumsy adults like me for that matter! We certainly feel blessed to have seen the falls at this time. Given the recent late rains (whilst Paul P was on the Gibb River Bike race I believe), the falls are running in all their glory – in fact much more spectacular than even the brochure promotional shot! There were 3 helicopters kept busy continuously ferrying paying customers for an 8 min view of the falls! I can only imagine the $ being made.
One of the highlights for us however, has been the amazing richness of the Aboriginal Rock art that you can see on this walk. There are Four stages of rock art that are present at Mitchell Plateau:
- irregular infill paintings (~30,000 – 40,000 years of age)
- Bradshaw art (~ 17,000 years old)
- Clawed hand paintings (~7,000 years old)
- Wandjina painting (~1,000 years old)
And we were able to see amazing examples of all of these. After our hike it was another 3 hour arduous, crunching, scraping, jolting drive back to camp. What a way to spend our Wedding anniversary! Tomorrow, after the nurafen has done its job, we are going to have a “rest” day. Steve and Ethan have tee’d up to borrow two inflated inner tubes from the Ranger, and I am dropping them 3k upstream so they can float back down to our campsite on the milder rapids! I on the other hand am hoping to hang the hammock….. and read – possibly with my eyelids closed!!!!
