Following the Kimberly Road and loving it (or through the rabbit hole and into the fire) - Fitzroy Crossing 18 - 21 Sept

Geike Gorge cruise at sunset

Fitzroy Crossing is the town at the point where the road crosses the Fitzroy River.  We have heard that in the wet this is a mighty watercourse with ridiculous amounts of water flowing under the bridge.  At the end of the wet all there is to show how big this river can get is a small string of waterholes under the bridge – but as we have crossed dry river bed after dry river bed this is still something.  There is not much to Fitzroy Crossing but we aren’t here to see the town, this is our base to explore the bottom of the Gibb River Road and visit Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek.  But Fitzroy Crossing is the home of Geikie Gorge on the Fitzroy so we start there with a short cruise just before sunset.

Geikie Gorge Cruise

Geike Gorge is carved out of a 360 million year old limestone reef laid down in the Devonian period which was the Age of Fishes (and nicely we had already learnt so much about at the Age of Fishes Museum in Canowindra earlier in the trip).  The millions of years of floods during the wet season has carved out the gorge revealing different strata of colours deposited in ancient times.  This same Devonian reef system is also the rock that both Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge are carved out of as well.  The cruise is run by the parks department and takes you along the gorge where you learn about the geology as well as the local fauna (well a couple of wallabies, two freshwater crocs and a few birds).  Whilst not overly long the whole family enjoyed this cruise and by the time we finished it we walked off literally into the setting sun.

 

 

 

Tunnel Creek

 

Our main reason for stopping at Fitzroy Crossing was to explore Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek at the end of the Gibb River Road.  Again these were on unsealed and pretty rough roads so we decided to camp overnight at Windjana Gorge.  On the way we stopped to explore the amazing Tunnel Creek.  This had to be one of the coolest (literally and figuratively) and most funky walks we have done.  You spend most of your time walking through this long tunnel along a creek bed in the dark.  The boys thought this was a totally cool idea because they got to wear their torches again (we also did this through super cool lava tubes in Undara Queensland).  However, in the darkest parts where you couldn’t see anything but what the torches illuminated, with the red eyes of the fresh water crocs staring at you, they may have expressed a feeling of nervousness (sorry no photos from the dark parts).  

But it isn’t a long walk and about half way along there has been a cave in allowing a wash of natural light to flood in.  It was the perfect walk to do in the afternoon of what was as usual a very hot day.  When we emerged back into daylight the temperature difference was striking.

Windjana Gorge

From Tunnel Creek the road improves as it seems more people come the other way.  As we arrive in the camp ground we are greeted by what seems a very very long wall of rock – the same style of rock we are now familiar with from Geike and Tunnel.  It is hard to make out where the gorge  is until we see the crack, a small gap appears in the continuous wall – in there is Windjana Gorge. 

We set up camp and do the walk along the wall – there are very few tables in the camping ground so we go to the day use area and have our dinner there.  We are rewarded with a spectacular sunset which sets the wall in front of us ablaze.  A ranger swings by to check on things and tells us that in a second a stream of bats will emerge from the gorge and that on the way they will stop at the waterhole in the gorge to take a drink – this is where the crocs lie waiting for their chance at dinner.  With our dinner spread in front of us we don’t have time to pack it up and get in the gorge to see this sight.  But we have now recommended this to other travelers and we hear it is a rather spectacular sight.

 

After a very hot night in the tent we emerge just after dawn.  It is a bit cooler but we know this will not last long.  We hurriedly dress and have a light breakfast.  We have learned well that the best time to walk is early, really early if you can manage.  There is a track along the side of Windjana Gorge, but at this time of year we don’t bother with it – we just walk up the centre as there is hardly a drop of water to be found.  Where waterholes do exist they are almost ridiculously full of freshwater crocs and an abundance of birds trying to drink without becoming breakfast.

 

 

The gorge runs for about 3k, 3k of towering cliffs, a baked mud river bed and trees lining either side which in many places are full of last nights flying foxes.  As we walk up the river bed drinking in the view the temperature climbs rapidly demonstrating why there is hardly a drop of water to be found now.

Even in this small puddle there was at least one croc.

Does it look hot - because it is baking!!!

For a final hurrah from this magnificent gorge on our way out we were rewarded with two pairs of Brolgas also seeking a cooling drink.

We returned to our camp and packed up.  It was only 10:30.  So we decided to drive to Derby for lunch and our first view of the Indian Ocean.  We had a lovely lunch by the wharf literally watching the tide roll in.  We had also reached the land of massive tides – they can change by up to 12 metres up here a figure which was inconceivable to us southern Australians.

And finally the Indian Ocean - anyone for a swim?

However as we headed back to the highway to Fitzroy Crossing there was a growing black cloud on the horizon.  A storm, no,  a very large fire which had cut the road.  We were informed we could wait for the next update on the state of the road which would be at 6pm.  We decided instead to take the very long and bumpy way back that we had already come that day.  All in all we put in quite a few kilometres for our lunch in Derby.

Yep definitely time to take another route!