The Three Gorges

 I know there is a place in China, Yangzhe I think, but this is our version.

Got up early, surprise, to a lovely morning. Night Herons, Cormorants, Darters, Dusky Moorhens, Coots, and some sort of duck were fishing in the river just outside our room, the reed warblers were flitting in the reeds and something else was swirling in the sky. I strolled just drinking it in. I think the most important photo I took was of the death adder that protects the water in local stories.

We breakfasted whilst overlooking the river, enjoying the cool.

The weather was tipped to reach 40/41C. Anyway off we went to Redbank Gorge, a walk along a riverbank, and then in the river bed led us to a beautiful spot. It was probably 8:15 and pushing 30C. So gorge #1 was swum in by your present interlocutor.

Apparently there are four more levels up that canyon. I had a quick look and it looked dry and I was alone, so did not push it.

The walk back was a little warm, particular the bits over sand. Luckily it was only about 20 minutes.

The drive was just as gorgeous as yesterday. In Marjan's immortal words : “These hills are showing their bones. None of that shrubbery sh#t!”. Not too far to Ormiston Gorge. There are number of walks from here that are undoubtedly wonderful. At 36C we decided the 5 minute waterhole walk was far enough. Another lovely spot. Lovely enough that after we both had a swim I trekked back (ok five minutes may not be a trek normally but in 40C (it had got warmer) it is a trek) for the esky and Ormiston Gorge was our picnic spot.......under a tree, by the waterhole.......life is good!

Marjan even took up nature photography......not bad. She may be a grump in the heat but she has talent.

We could have stayed a while, but this is the heart of the national park, and therefore a kiosk called for desert. An iced coffee and a conversation with an Austrian couple we had been tracking all day, and the kiosk manager, a refugee from Northcote, made for a pleasant air-conditioned interlude. We were told that one woman recently was so spooked by the thought of snakes that she spent two hours at the kiosk whilst her group walked down to the Gorge and had a swim.

So, we had drunk about 4 litres of water and an iced coffee and were still thirsting., and essentially had probably walked a total of 2k in a couple of short bursts whilst breaking it up with dips and sessions in air-conditioned Subaru comfort. It was really hot. At home we would have closed the blinds, tuned on the air and read a good book. But we decided to push on and visited the Ochre Pits. Again a very brief walk, Really interesting....but hot....did I say it was hot....

So back to Glen Helen....put our stuff away and walk to our third gorge for another swim...... Marjan has been swimming 7 days in a row.... In some cases many times a day......we found out later it got to around 42.2C.

Oh the joy. More gorges tomorrow....... one called Ellery Big Hole. Hope it has enough water for my big b#t!