Kennedy Ranges Nat. Park

Honeycomb gorge

Kennedy Ranges at sunrise

Alan christening his fire

Swimming at Rocky Pool...No Crocs in here Al????

Day 75

Got an early start and headed east first to Rocky Pool where I just can’t resist a swim in the waterhole. Alan assures me there are no crocs and I am a bit sceptical but jump in regardless. It is really warm and the only drawback is that it is a bit muddy looking so I just splash around near the edge, no serious laps! The road is really good bitumen and we arrive at Gascoyne Junction about 11am. It is a small community of the essential dwellings, first and foremost the pub and fuel station then a small school and Gov. Building and houses. It services all the surrounding stations and is a stop between Carnarvon and Meekatharra. We fuel up at $1.55 a litre of diesel and just hope that the people living out here are making the profit. It’s about a 50km drive to Kennedy Ranges Nat. Park, an eroded plateau 75km long and up to 25km wide which runs north to south. We arrive at the Temple Gorge camp ground, which is the only place to camp in the park and there is only 2 other campers, one who are the “Camp Hosts” Evelyn and Gordon and which is advertised on a whiteboard....we are not sure we have ever seen this before and wonder just what they do all day with very few campers here??? We set up camp and having collected firewood for a campfire tonight, we decide we will christen Alan’s fire washing machine inner which we have been carrying since Wendy and Nick gave it to Al for his birthday back in March! We decide to do 2 of the 5 walks you can do in the park. The southern and eastern sides of the range have eroded to form spectacular cliffs that rise 100metres and are dissected by steep sided canyons. These gorges would be absolutely spectacular after the rainy season with evidence of waterfalls and rock pools. The colours of the rocks and cliffs are beautiful in the late afternoon sun with eerie shadows and a peacefulness that you feel like you are in a very special place. Back at camp our fire is lovely and we enjoy the peaceful evening.