However, turning off onto the road into the National Park was another story. We do have to wonder if NP are actually trying to deter people from visiting as this and the one into the Bungle Bungles are horrendous roads. With the caravan on the back, we just took it slowly and everything seemed to survive the trip intact.
We set up camp, had lunch and then around 2.30 headed into the gorge. We had resisted going earlier as we were concerned that it might be too hot. But the gorge was shaded for most of its length.
The entry is impressive as you walk through a split in the rock. The gorge itself was quite nice, but nowhere near as impressive as others we have seen lately. But the big feature was the number of freshwater crocodiles in there. We had read that the gorge has a population of around 70, and in a short time we had counted to 37 of varying sizes. We walked almost to the end of the gorge (the last kilometre is closed due to flood damage), so did about 5 k's all up. It was a much easier walk than some we had done lately. By this stage it was late afternoon, as we had spent quite a lot of time crocodile watching.
Freshies
Huge rock in the middle of the gorge has significance for the local indigenous
Early Friday morning we drove the extra 30 k's to Tunnel Creek. When we were in Fitzroy Crossing we had booked a tour at the information centre there. You don't need to take a tour to see the caves, but we were so glad we did as we found it a very rewarding experience. The tours are run by Bungoolee Tours a local indigenous group. There were ten in our group which was a good number and the tour was taken by two young and very talented indigenous boys. Without doing the tour there would have been so much we would have missed, such as the marks in the wall where spears used to be sharpened. Our tour started with a traditional smoking ceremony where we passed through the smoke before entering the cave.
Narrow opening
The entry to the tunnel involves climbing up and through some very large rocks, and once you are in there, a lot of the walking is through the water. Fortunately at this time of year the deepest was only just above knee level. The tunnel is about 750 metres long, and half way through the roof has collapsed, so although torches are needed, it isn't a great distance until you can see light again. At the end of the tunnel, we were taken on a path that lead to a rock overhang with ancient rock art. We all sat around here and listened to the story of Jandamarra, an aboriginal from the late 1800's who was caught between the two cultures and used the tunnels as a hideout. He has become something like our Ned Kelly to the local Bunuba people and has taken on a mystical presence. At the end of the story, we were privileged to be entertained with three songs and dances by Emmanuel, one of the guides. We then discovered that they were all going to Sydney the next week to perform the story of Jandamarra at the Opera House. When we had internet again, I found an article on them, and discovered that he is going to be the star of the show.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-02/jandamarra-stage-production-set-for-opera-house-debut/5566766
We made our way back through the caves and discovered that two hours had gone very quickly. On the way back we took the short detour to the Lillimurra police ruins. It was interesting but heart wrenching to read that there had been around 10,000 Bunuba people in the late 1800's but within three years there were only 1500. This and other atrocities are parts of our history we don't hear much about.
Later in the afternoon we took another walk into the gorge for some crocodile spotting. The next morning, around 7.30, we walked into the gorge again and could only find one crocodile. So we wondered where do they go when it is too cold for them. Not many places for them to hide, so they had to be there somewhere waiting for the sun to shine through.
Pack up time and then back on the terrible road and into Derby. We had already booked three nights at the same caravan park, but within a day we had decided to book another two. It's a nice little park, with only twenty sites and all grey nomads like us. Children aren't allowed here, which has drawn some flack, but I can understand it as there aren't any play facilities for them, and as the park is only one road and quite small there is nowhere safe they could play. I had promised Jim some fishing, but so far we have spent all our time with cleaning and maintenance of the car and van after all the dirt roads, so that was another reason to extend for another couple of days.
So far we have spent quite a bit of time cleaning (again) and some maintenance. That red dirt certainly knows how to get into all the nooks and crannies. We've been to the main tourist sites such as the prisoner tree, the cattle trough that is the longest in the southern hemisphere, and Frosty Pool. And of course the jetty goes without saying. Yesterday we were there when the tide was out, so today or tomorrow I hope to see it when the tide is high. Derby has some of the highest tides in the world, up to 11 metres.
Boab prisoner tree, but it can't be confirmed that is what is was used for, unlike the one we saw at Wyndham
The longest cattle trough in the Southern Hemisphere
Frosty Pool, used by serviceman in WW2, and filled from the same bore as the cattle trough.
Something else Derby has that we haven't seen for a long time is FLIES!! They are driving us crazy. As soon as you open the door it seems a dozen get in. We don't know why they are so prolific here when we have had so few of them up to now.
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