100 days of Mayhem

Its all a matter of attitude and expectations.

I used to be a bushwalker. These days, since I have been let down by my body, specifically my left knee, I am a camper. Central to both these activities is the pursuit of solitude, isolation and wilderness. So as I packed for 3 months 'camping' around Australia, my subconscious expectation was that these would be important elements in the trip. I now realise that isn't really what this trip is about. We are doing a lap of Australia to look at some of the country's iconic places. We know about these places because they are famous for their beauty. They are tourist attractions, and if we are attracted to them that makes us tourists. So we shouldn't be surprised or disappointed to discover lots of other tourists attracted to the same location.

We wouldn't expect to be alone in the Sistine Chapel, Ankor Wat, or even Uluru, so why should we expect isolation at Mitchell Falls, Emma Gorge or Echidna Chasm; Especially in the Kimberley when tourism is limited to the dry season, May to October. The tour operators call this the '100 days of Mayhem', though by my reckoning its closer to 150, but I guess that tour operators are hired more for their ability as raconteurs than mathematicians. Once you get your head around the idea that you are part of the crowd, you can relax, join the queue, and see some of the best scenery Australia has to offer.

From Mitchell Falls we headed to Surveyor's Pool. On a hot day, the cool, clear waters of Surveyor's Pool look very inviting, but unless you are willing to accept lunch invitations from saltwater crocs, it is better to stay back and just bathe in the view.

On the way to Surveyor's Pool we decided to take a short trip to the beach. We realised we were close to the Timor Sea, so we turned down the 'road' to Port Warrender. The 20 km trip took us over 2 hours as we crawled the cars, in low range, up and down rocky jump-up after rocky jump-up.

The view of Admiralty Gulf was well worth the trip. Port Warrender is home to a handful of rough fishing camps because it is the perfect environment for barramundi and crocodiles. Unfortunately, without a boat, catching the former involves a long wade across mudflats frequented by the latter. Inspired by pragmatic cowardice, we discretely removed barra from the evening's menu.

Another couple of hours of bone jarring rock hopping got us back to the 'main road' up on the plateau, but by now we were faced with waning light and tired, hungry kids so we found a clearing with spectacular view and set up camp.

The good road conditions allowed us reach El Questro near the eastern end of the Gibb River Road the next day. The eastern Kimberley is fringed by the magnificent Cockburn Range which is capped by a thick layer of laterite which forms an orange red scarp above a steep scree slope. El Questro is nestled on the western side where the range is sculpted by the Pentecost River. The station is home to some beautiful gorges, including El Questro and Emma Gorges, where the water is the clearest I have ever seen. At the end of the Emma Gorge is a large pool where the deep water seems to almost glow with a blue light. And the good people who manage El Questro had the foresight to place a cafe which sells ice cream at the Emma Gorge car park.  A very civilised way to cap off our rugged Gibb River Rd experience.

We'll see you when the dust settles.

Emma Gorge Pool

bush water

Cockburn Range

A room with a view

Durack River

Admiralty Gulf from Mitchell Plateau

El Questro Gorge

El Questro dingo

International Bad Hair Day

Cockburn Range

Horse and cart, Mitchell Plateau

the very inviting Surveyor's Pool

Emma Gorge

End of the road