We were up early at 4am before sunrise and on our way up to the
Mitchell Falls. As there were no other walkers we made sure we had our satellite phone with us in case of mishap. Initially the walk was reasonably easy but soon became more difficult with rocky areas to be negotiated.
Early Morning - The first part of the walk was easy.
Getting harder with more rocks
Make sure you don't slip! Help is a long way away!
The walk took us about 2 hours to reach the top of the falls. Due to it being late in the season (winter), there was very little water but we had been warned about this but still wanted to see it as this would probably be our only chance to experience this magnificent area. The scenery is stunning and would be even more impressive when the water was flowing fast.
Passed this beautiful spot on the way up to the falls
Taking a brief break on the way to the top to enjoy the fantastic scenery
The magnificent scenery along the way made the long walk worthwhile
We finally reached the end of our walk. We emerged from the bush onto the plateau above the falls as shown in the picture below. Unfortunately as we were travelling at the end of the dry season, the water levels were very low. Our son and his family visited the falls in June - a few months earlier and the water was deep enough for them to swim where Terry is standing.
The plateau above the Mitchell Falls - when our family visited a few months earlier, they were swimming here - water levels are much lower now.
Mitchell Falls - only trickles of water at this time of the year
Mitchell Falls - beautiful and even better when the water is flowing!
We made it!!
Beautiful! (The view not Tezza).
We saw a couple of helicopters fly in with some tourists from a cruise boat just off the coast - the luxury way to visit the area but in my book - not nearly as exciting as exploring by road and on foot!
We made it back to the campsite in good time and without incident. Time for a cuppa and then we packed up and hit the road back to the "main" drag.
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A long windy dusty rough road - you can see the broken stump of our CB radio aerial.
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Another beautiful river crossing
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The road seemed even rougher if possible on the way back but we made it and stopped at King Edward River campsite - once again deserted! We stopped for lunch and explored the area. There was plenty of water in the river - very cold water! They even provided a ladder down into the water - similar to the ones in swimming pools - very thoughtful. There were also picnic tables and toilets - very civilized?
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Lin at King Edward River
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King Edward River - lovely crystal clear water
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King Edward River
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After lunch at King Edward River, we turned onto the "main" road heading south back to Drysdale River Station.
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Motel type accommodation at Drysdale Station
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The stations are generally the only refueling point along the Gibb River Road
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At Drysdale River Station the Office/Store sells Zooper Dooper (ice blocks) for $1. After a long dusty drive on very rough roads these Zooper Doopers taste fantastic!! We had a problem with the valve on one of our tyres but the guy in the workshop here happily replaced it with no charge! That's country folk for you!
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Relaxing at Drysdale River Station as the sun goes down after a very, very long day!
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