Windjana and Tunnel Creek

About ten years ago I received a cd called "Windjana" very nice mood music and The Gorge has since then been high on my list of "want to do's". On Monday we got that opportunity. We left at 8.30 in a 4wd bus with nine other like minded souls for a day trip down the Gibb Road- well 140km of it!! The gravel section after 60km of tar was very rough with bad corrugations, not suprising as it takes a battering from myriads of 4wd camper trailer towing tourists.
We had morning tea on arrival at Windjana then walked along the shady banks of the Lennard River into the Gorge. It was a wide break in the 300 million year old Devonian Reef with plenty of fossils to see in the limestone walls. Fresh water Crocs abounded on the waters edge totally ignoring the tourists. Although Windjana is the same reef that makes up Geikie Gorge at Fitzroy Crossing, it is much larger and certainly has more imposing cliff faces.

After lunch we travelled on to Tunnel Creek National Park and prepared to go underground, following the path of the submerged river. The footing wasn't brilliant as it involved rock scrambling and wading knee deep in water. However the effort was worthwhile. The walk was 750m each way and without torches could have been dangerous. Some of the rock features were quite brilliantly patterned, especially at the swimming hole end.

We did question whether we should go and see "another Bxxxxx Gorge" but we were pleased we did, as each one has been different.

The rest of the week was taken up with some serious relaxing, walking through the Botanical trail and wetlands before leaving Derby on Friday morning for a 220km drive to Broome.