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Published: September 6th 2014
The next day we were up early and set off for Manning Gorge. On the way we stopped off at the Imintji Communnity Store for morning tea. They claim to have everything and they say they are an oasis with the lot. Well they arnt lying! They do have everything and they are a oasis with the lot! Haha mum and dad enjoyed a cappuccino with a homemade apple pie, cream and ice ream. Gav and I had a homemade sausage roll and the kids hot chips. It was really really yummy and a great place out in the middle of nowhere!
From here we continued the journey to Manning Gorge. The camp area was really great providing a much needed shower (we haven't had many showers this trip!) and proper toilets (hooray we haven't had many running toilets this trip either!).
The walk into Manning Gorge was tough. It took approx 1 1/2 hours and it was steep and rocky. I again have to take my hat off to Mum and Dad. They were determined to get into the gorge and despite the difficult walk in they made it. There and back. At one point the walk involved
climbing down a sheer rock face and I didn't think Mum would make it but sure enough she did. I was worried we wouldn't be able to get her up after getting her down but again she bloody did it! What an amazing, amazing couple they are - in their seventies and still going strong!!
The walk may have been tough but it was definitely worth it. When we first arrived the kids were about to jump in when another man told them to wait a second and stay out of the water because there is something swimming in their and he wasn't sure if it was a snake or a small fresh water crocodile! Upon closer inspection it turned out to be a water monitor! (A medium sized lizard) he had his swim and then planted himself on a rock to dry off. With that we all entered the water, again it was cold but bare able. We all swam out to the waterfall and sat on a ledge under there. The huge rock walls surrounding the gorge were a gorgeous red and black and the water was jet black and just beautiful. The kids had a ball
playing under the waterfall and then exploring the surrounding rock pools for small fish. All the time the water monitor was still sunning himself on a rock nearby. I've heard a few people say on this trip that if you have seen one gorge you have seen them all. I sooooooo disagree. Each gorge we go into is unique in its own way and the absolute beauty of them could never be truly conveyed into words and my amateur pictures will never do them justice.i wouldn't miss this for anything!!!
We were back at camp that evening and Gav was chopping wood with the axe for our camp fire when something unexpected happened - he "did a Dan" haha. Those of you who travel to Fraser Island with us every year will know what I mean by "he did a Dan" - it means Gav nearly chopped the top of his finger off with the axe. I'm sorry to say though Dan - gav made your axe injury look pretty amateurish! Haha. Gav really did a good job of removing the top corner of his thumb, including part of the nail. It's a pretty nasty injury and we are
currently changing the dressing daily and keeping a very close eye on it incase infection sets in. I think Gav will have abit of a dodgy looking thumb when it heals and I'm sure it is much more painful than he is letting on!
After leaving Manning Gorge we made our was to The Barnett River Gorge (yep, another gorge! Haha). This walk in was only 30minutes but again it was rocky and involved climbing down into the gorge from above. Again Mum and Dad inspired us all with their determination to still get the most out of life and not miss any opportunity that comes their way and made it the whole way in. At the start of the walk there was a small boat of sorts on a pulley system. So you had to hop in the boat and pull yourself across the water to get to the other side. Without really thinking we all piled in and set off, how that boat didn't tip over is a bloody miracle, we were all laughing hard as we made our way across the water, the kids pulling the rope and the adults trying to keep the boat balanced!
Haha it was great fun.
There wasn't as much water in this gorge as the other but still there was enough to have a swim around in and there was a small waterfall nearby. The kids and I had a splash around and Gav assumed the sleepy man position under a shady tree, nursing his very sore thumb! All the gorges we have been into are full of these little fish and they are really cool - if you sit still long enough they come up to you in the water and start to pick at the dead skin on your feet and legs. It feels really weird but gave us a bit of a laugh. We stayed down there for a couple of hours, made our way to camp and enjoyed the usual excellent dinner, great fire, awesome star display and restful nights sleep, that is until some idiot turned his generator on at 5.30am! (Not happy Jan!). Spent the next night at another free camp spot by the Hahn River. We have travelled to The Drysdale Station and are now camping at Miners Pool on The Drysdale Station
Miners Pool is a basic bush camp with
pit toilets and that's all. It is along the banks of the river and the kids were keen to blow up their tubes and float on the water. After setting up Gav and the kids put the yabbie pots in the water to see if they could catch any sherapin. The kids spent the whole day in the water with their tubes and they had a ball. It was 5.30 before we finally made them come in for the day. When mum and dad went down to the river for a walk they noticed a small fresh water crocodile sunning itself on a log right where we were swimming!! The boys were unsuccessful with catching anything in the yabbie pots but we had a great stop over on our way to Mitchell Falls.
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Amanda Stellino
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:) :)
Crrraazzzyyy to hear about Gavin's thumb hahahahaha! That beard must've gotten in the way of his eyesight, I'm telling you that beard has got to go! Barnett River Gorge looks similar to Lawn Hill! .. Awwww my Nanny and Grandfather I love them so much, they are such an inspiration! Everyone is looking very tanned in their photos. I might need to get myself some fake tan to blend in!