We were leaving the Barnett Roadhouse just after 9am having bought 30 l of fuel and 3 bananas and topped up our water stocks and pumped a little more air into our front tyres.
Galvans Gorge was our first stop. We parked just off the road in the little car park and walked in along the track past two long lily ponds. There were heaps of bird sounds and lots of double barred finches were seen. There were some wrens of some kind too, but we couldn’t get close enough to see what kind.
At the top of the track we came to the swimming hole itself. There was a lovely waterfall spilling into the pool and some ancient artwork on one of the rocks beneath an overhang.
The double barred finches were in abundance on the way out
Trev and I stopped to have a cuppa and the others continued on.
On the way to our next stop we came across Al and Zita stopped and Evelyn on the road. She was searching for their lost TPMS sensor ( for monitoring tyre pressure). Craig was in at the “Over the range” tyre repair place getting a new deep cycle battery and another new tyre (this one to replace the worn one with the slow leak) We continued on and checked out “Frog campsite” by the side of the Adcock river which had lovely sites beside the creek and was quite large and flat.
Our next stop was the 5 km in of rough track to Adcock Gorge.
We had lunch in the car park there with Al and Zita before walking in to the gorge. There was a fair amount of rock hopping required for this one. The pool at the end was quite cool with black cliffs and just a trickle of a waterfall coming over. There was quite a bit of vegetation with fig roots extending down the cliff near the fall and a hanging garden of ferns etc cascading down nearby. The pool was chilly I thought ( but not as chilly as Emma Gorge).
From here it was just a short distance to the road in to Charnley River Wilderness camp and then 40km or so in on their road. We enjoyed the drive in with some lovely water crossings. They had very heavy pipe gates that made a very musical noise (like singing) as they opened and closed.
We had a barbecue to cook on and a burner to use instead of our own, hot water in the shower and a communal campfire to sit around and chat with others. And not too many campers squashed in close together either. We thought this was great.
Trev and I and Ev drove out to see the sunset from the lookout, but we were just a touch too late. Very dusty roads with rough patches.
Shannon and Jamie did a great job of welcoming us and we obtained a book about the place for a deposit.
Singing gates of Charnley river
Along the road to Charnley
You will find some heavy gates
As each is opened up
A tuneful sound reverberates
It’s almost like they’re singing
As they open up for you
And offering a welcome
As you bring your vehicle through
They sit there waiting patiently
Through the dry times and the damp
And welcome all the visitors to Charnley River camp
And as they swing to welcome you
They make a joyful sound
Another friend for Charnley River Wilderness is bound
- 30 litres of fuel@ $2.05/l=$61.50
- 134km
Luvapuzzle 