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Published: September 7th 2014
We arrived late at Mitchell Falls camp ground. The road in was pretty rough with lots more corregations. The next day we got up early to set off on the walk into Mitchell Falls. It took us an hour and a half and at one point we were hopelessly lost, even with the map, we just couldn't find the markers showing us where the track continues! I think we spent about twenty minutes searching before we finally found it!! The walk into the falls was definitely worth the effort. The falls are just beautiful. When we first arrived mum stayed up the top of the falls because she was nervous about crossing over the rapids above the waterfall to get to the front side of the falls. However, when we got around there Gav went back and got her because the rapids were tiny and the walk around was easy. So glad mum decided to join us, the last time she was here she didn't cross over to this side of the falls so it was nice for her to see them from a different angle and it's not the same if we don't all go together anyway!
We walked
all around the cliff tops having a good look at the falls. It's a shame that you can't get better access to them - they are so inviting to swim in! We stopped for a bite to eat and then made our way back around to the top of the falls where we could all have a refreshing swim. The water was beautiful and we spent about an hour just cooling off - even mum went in!
We broke the walk back up by stopping off at a small waterfall called Little Mertens for another swim.this waterfall and swimming hole is only about fifteen minutes walk from camp so it's a great spot to cool off and wash off some of the dirt and dust that is now ingrained in our skin! Haha. Gav walked back to camp a little early (nature was calling), it's a shame that he did. The boys were climbing among the rocks and caves around and beneath the falls when Jack said " hey mum I think there's some aboriginal artwork up here" we just brushed it off at first and didn't really believe him but he was so persistent in saying there is
aboriginal artwork up here and then Luke said "yeah, there's more up there to". Well Mum loves looking at aboriginal cave art so I climbed up and had a look and sure enough the boys had found a whole heap of artwork on the rock walls! There was even a small plaque in the rock saying that this sight had been catalogued by the Weat Australian museum!! There is absolutely no mention of this sight in any of the visitor brochures. We found a path that mum could easily climb up and she joined us to view the artwork. It was great!! After taking lots of photos and viewing the artwork for about an hour we made our way back to camp very tired after a very long day.
The next day saw us rising early to drive out to Surveyors Pool and Port Warrender. Surveyors Pool is another small gorge in the area. Surveyors Pool is a pretty place. It didn't contain much water and the walk in was pretty easy. From here we travelled around to Port Warrender. We didn't really know what to expect all we knew was that it provided access to the coast. Any
Me!
Yes I'm on this trip to! I don't feature in many pictures. Hahacoast line access is enough to motivate Gav to want to go and have a look! We were driving along the track and came over a hill and like something out of a movie script the trees parted and off in the distance was an absolutely stunning coastline! Everybody was very excited to see the coast - even the kids were oohing and ahhhing as it came into view!! Haha From this point the track began to wind down to the water and this was were the real excitement began! The track was very steep, very rocky and very narrow. Mum delivered quite a few litters of kittens on the way down and at one stage wanted to turn around and go back but there was nowhere to turn around! It was obvious in parts that no one had driven this track in a while.
Gav and I agreed that we have never seen coastline that is met by such rugged landscape before. It was like something our of Jennie Bakers children's book - Where the forest meets the sea. It truly was a special place. We spent about an hour down there and set off back to camp.
As with all driving - what you come down you have to go back up - it was great 4wding to top off an awesome day.
On the way home Gav spied a big snake by the side of the road so we stopped to check it out. Don't know what sort of snake it was but it was a beautie! Quite large and a beautiful creamy, silvery sort of colour. He took off up a tree as soon as he spied us. Further down the road we stopped to look at a frill neck lizard that was in the middle of the track. He was a big lizard and it took Gav to pick him up by the tail before he would finally move off the road so we could go past without squashing him. The kids all laughed loudly at the way he ran - head up and straight into the bush with his frills out!!
Our encounters with the wildlife continued that night. We had been told from the outset not to leave rubbish lying around at camp as there are quolls in the area that will get into the rubbish and create a mess.
We all made sure we put our rubbish bags away before bed as there are no bins out at Mitchell Falls. ( both mum and dad and us carry rubbish bags in the spare tyre carriers of our cars).
Gav and I were woken around midnight by the sound of something rummaging in our garbage bag on the back of the car. Gav went out to investigate and I watched from the safety of the tent (hehe). Absolutely hilarious to see Gav poke the bag with a big stick, lift the lid and have a quoll leaping out of the bag and running off under mum and dad's camper! Even funnier when we returned to the bag, thinking it was now empty, to have another quoll hissing at him as it to took off into the night!!! Haha
Something else amazing happened that night. Gav decided to shave!! It was as if the homeless man that has been following has decided to leave and Gav returned in his place haha.
We left Mitchell Falls and began the trek up to Kalumburu the next day.
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BEAUTIFUL