Tunnel Creek is a massive outcrop of colourful rock and at the base is an amazing cave that from time to time has ‘windows” into the cave from the outcrop that lets light filter into the cave , which has a fantastic pool of water in it . You have to wade through the water to get through the tunnel which is home to Ghost bats and small birds, two small crocks and myriad of small animals.
It also has a history an aboriginal Jundamarra that used it as his hide out because he was one of the “back fellas” that did not toe the line with the Feds, so they did what they do best, senselessly killed him. When I get back I must research this , I think I am not being told the whole story here. We stop at the Napier ranges for tea. I cant find the fire lighter (despite Zoe’s meticulous packing ) so I decide to use the cigarette lighter, I push it in but it does not click , leaving it for a few seconds I pull it out but it has not glowed red hot, I don’t know if its working, so I do what a five year old would not do put my finger on it to test- the pain is excruciating , a cattle truck rattles past, the driver and his mate are perplexed to see a white guy doing a rain dance with clear blue skies in the dry season. Marilu is killing herself laughing at my pain ( why are women like that ? ) Back in the car she tries to placate me – do you want a coke ? yes I say. She gets out opens the side door , opens the fridge gets two cokes and hands me one. We drive on , the car seems gusty , I look around I have my window open she has hers open , still its too drafty, why is the car so drafty I say, she thinks for a minute I left the side door open. We stop close the door and wonder if we will make Darwin.
The road is better but much more dusty because the gravel makes the sand loose. Lu and I travel with the windows open and by the end of the day I am a redhead.
Eventually we hit the great GIBB RIVER ROAD and turn north east on the road to Darwin, we stop briefly at the snack shop on the Leopoldt river, a rumble tumble old caravan with a deck quite nicely placed overlooking the river and the flat coloured rocks.
Onto Bell Gorge . This is interesting, its challenging about a half an hours walk down a fairly steep gradient across a very rocky path , you really need proper shoes here and my slops don’t help, it will be a miracle if I get back without a broken ankle. Eventually you get to the pools – man just spectacular the river meanders serenely across the flat rocks which creates smaller rivulets, the plant life is fabulous. This is not Niagra or Vic falls, it does not buzz with energy its exactly the opposite, peace is literally tangible .
The second pool involves a further steep incline and a steep descent, but the pool perhaps 50 meters wide and a 100 meters long, it looks too inviting not to swim. Lu wrinkles her nose that means I don’t really want to go. She is a better rock climber than me and gets there first. From here you can see the waterfall – just beautiful.
I swim to the waterfall, I want lu to take a photo but the stream is so strong that you cannot get within two meters of the waterfall because of the power of the current. We have a lovely swim and head back.
We decide to try make Chanley River Lodge , that means we must get to Imjinti store for fuel , Desire ups the anti and we have a dust trail behind us, we get there 4:35 the store is closed, well that means camping on the road – The store keeper sees us and turns around waving the keys, she opens up, we buy two magnums and pay two dollars a litre for fuel. We tell her we are going to Chanley, she says oh I have some supplies for them which we take. We phone Sheryl Camp to confirm they have accommodation. Sure she says I will put you up in one of the Rondawels !! good lord a bit of the old home country in that. Just drive to our gate and come straight up the road to the homestead she says , just so we don’t miss it how far is the homestead from the gate ? asks Marilu- oh luv says Sheryl you cant miss it its 42 kilometres exactly !! .She later tells us the Rondawels were built by South Africans in 1947
The Rondawel is secluded, we decline dinner at the farmhouse and sit down to Steak and Chops, corn, mushrooms and tomato cooked on the smokey joe. The rondawel is a round house with a peaked roof and no walls -all netting and a concrete floor but nice fluffy white pillows – we sleep like babies.
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