Galvan’s Gorge Lily
Up early to get ready for the drive to Mount Barnett and Manning Gorge (about 110 kms). Whilst we had breakfast, Rocky the Mudlark slithered around on the bonnet of another car as he jabbed and butted his opponent.
There was also a group of Bower Birds loitering nearby. They were a comical bunch, hopping around with a tall posture, looking left and right in search of bright and pretty things to nick and take back to the Bower. This particular group reminded me of Oliver Twist – one bird (Oliver Twist) seemed to be doing the risk-taking whilst the other birds (Artful Dodger and gang) seemed to egg him on (no pun intended) from a safe distance. When Oliver Twist got close to a tent or caravan, he leaned forward theatrically to peer around, over and under tables and chairs for loot. The gang also tried too hard not to be noticed; when they saw me watching them they all stopped and seemed to try to look inconspicuous, each looking in different directions. I’m sure one of them even pretended to read a news paper!
Left Silent Grove at 8:30AM and drove to Imintji Roadhouse for diesel, cooking gas… coffee and milkshakes… and cakes before heading east towards Mount Barnett.
We stopped at Galvan’s Gorge for lunch and a swim. We were glad we did as it’s the prettiest gorge we’ve seen so far. The path from the road drops down to a little tree-lined stream flowing through several clear shallow pools dotted with blue water lilies. Shafts of sunlight broke through the trees, creating a dappled effect on the water and catching the red fins and tails of fish darting for cover as we passed by.
Galvan’s Gorge Waterfall
After 10 minutes or so we reached the main waterfall and pool which is surrounded by cliffs of about 20 metres height. The pool is surrounded by small Palm trees and a few Boabs, and the waterfall is topped by a large Boab. We stood for a few minutes, just looking. This place would win “Best in Show” at Chelsea!
We swam over to the base of the waterfall and saw a Merten’s Monitor on the rocks. Then the real excitement started; “Daddy there’s a rope swing!”. Sure enough, hanging over the pool from a Boab branch was a rope with a large stick tied to the end. Access to the swing was along another Boab branch that jutted out over the pool. Perfect! You can see the show here:
We had the gorge to ourselves for about 45 minutes before a few other travellers wandered in for a cool dip. We had lunch by the pool before heading back up to the car.
We arrived at the Manning Gorge campground at 2:45PM, set up camp then wandered down to the river. Wow, another beautiful place to swim with a sandy beach, rocks to jump off and a little boat with which to pull yourself across to the far bank.
The campground is privately run and isn’t as good as the DEC sites. The showers are a bit temperamental and hot water was a bit scarce.
Saw a German couple set up their little camper van in a nice quiet spot under a tree. When finished they sat down for a nice relaxing drink. Ten minutes later the Tour buses arrived and parked all around them. The Germans remained stoic as the tourists (mostly retirees) spilled out of the buses and chaos ensued. The Tour Guide set them all tasks – some started to set up tents whilst others unpacked camp beds. The Guide wandered from tent to tent reminding his group on how to assemble their items, it went something like “The poles with the red tape are for the beds, the other poles are for the tents!”.
As the Germans looked on, tents went up and some fell down with a clang of poles, lumps moved under the canvass as people stumbled around to find the exit and assess their progress. The Guide continued to encourage his flock with a tired but patient demeanor. As he strode across the site to solve another problem he was followed by an eager gentleman holding a cluster of multi-coloured poles jammed together to resemble a broken TV antenna.
The Germans remained seated for the entire performance and, eventually, the camp was set up and relative calm spread across the site.
Dinner then an early night (v. tired).
You paint a vivid picture.I can just imagine the scene
Mum
Hello! So glad you took the plunge and went along the Gibb – we must have been close to where you guys were at many points. We went along the Gibb but took a detour up the Munja track out of Mt Elizabeth Station for a week. That was incredible. I am back in Broome now for a few weeks then heading to Scotland for two weeks then back and continuing on to Darwin. I’ve been updating the blog and have a bit more work to do. Keep up the writing! Great stories. Enjoy
Helen x