Tunnel Creek

 

Wednesday 14 June – Mount Hart to Birdwood Downs                                                         

A bit of a drive today as we had to adjust the itinerary when Windjanna Gorge campground closed for the season due to flood damage.  Hence we were packed up and on the road just after 7.30am (Jenny is always very relieved to get the van hitched up without it rolling down the hill and into the river) and we repeated the wet and muddy drive back to the Gibb River Road.  Once we were up and over Inglis Gap the road remarkably improved and was so well graded it almost felt like bitumen in parts.  We can see now why we saw a guy letting his tyres down near Imintji – that’s where the rough and corrugated roads of the true Gibb really begin.

Quite a bit of traffic on this end of the Gibb and even more as we turned onto the road down to Tunnel Creek.  Lots of clean cars and caravans who have all obviously come from the west and have yet to see any real dust and this road being recently graded, yet to see any really rough roads.  Due to Windjana being closed there were heaps more caravans in the Tunnel Creek car park and we had to part on the side of the car park as there were no free bays.  3 tour buses there also so we expected the cave to be heaving with people. Luckily a lot of people were coming out or else sitting in the picnic ground having lunch as there didn’t seem to be that many people in the cave and there were sections where it was dark and quiet and we couldn’t see any other headlights.

We had to laugh at Shaun who had been quite nervous about the deep creek crossing where you have to swim for about 20m.  He strode towards his doom and swam doggedly across in grim silence (expecting any moment for a crocodile to drag him under) but made it safely to the other side where he could then relax and enjoy his underground journey.  Lots of creek crossing which was lovely as it was nice to be cool on another hot day.  We shone the torches around and could seek lots of little bats on the roof of the cave and lots of little fish and even small marron or terrapins in the water but no crocodiles of any description.  They would be crazy to be near anywhere near that many people I would think.

By the time we got back to the vans it was about 1pm but the boys wanted to crack on and get to tonight’s campsite so it was a party size packet of Cheetos for lunch.  Oh well, you can’t eat fabulously every day and especially after two weeks on the Gibb when just about all the fresh food has run out or gone limp.  Once we got back to the Gibb River Road it was time to pump up the tyres and say goodbye to the dirt – we are back on the bitumen!

Another hour’s drive down the hard stuff and we were pulling into Birdwood Downs Station.  We weren’t sure where we would end up but by now it was 3.30pm and we were close enough to Derby to get phone reception and an email reply from Birdwood to say they had room for us so we pulled in and parked up in their ‘big rig’ area so we didn’t have to unhitch. We stocked up on sausages and steak from their fridge (another station that has upped its game this year) and retired to the vans, not bothering to go over to the communal fire pit or even use their amenities having become used to just using our own over the last couple of weeks.

 Wednesday 14 June – Mount Hart to Birdwood Downs                                                         

A bit of a drive today as we had to adjust the itinerary when Windjanna Gorge campground closed for the season due to flood damage.  Hence we were packed up and on the road just after 7.30am (Jenny is always very relieved to get the van hitched up without it rolling down the hill and into the river) and we repeated the wet and muddy drive back to the Gibb River Road.  Once we were up and over Inglis Gap the road remarkably improved and was so well graded it almost felt like bitumen in parts.  We can see now why we saw a guy letting his tyres down near Imintji – that’s where the rough and corrugated roads of the true Gibb really begin.

Quite a bit of traffic on this end of the Gibb and even more as we turned onto the road down to Tunnel Creek.  Lots of clean cars and caravans who have all obviously come from the west and have yet to see any real dust and this road being recently graded, yet to see any really rough roads.  Due to Windjana being closed there were heaps more caravans in the Tunnel Creek car park and we had to part on the side of the car park as there were no free bays.  3 tour buses there also so we expected the cave to be heaving with people. Luckily a lot of people were coming out or else sitting in the picnic ground having lunch as there didn’t seem to be that many people in the cave and there were sections where it was dark and quiet and we couldn’t see any other headlights.

We had to laugh at Shaun who had been quite nervous about the deep creek crossing where you have to swim for about 20m.  He strode towards his doom and swam doggedly across in grim silence (expecting any moment for a crocodile to drag him under) but made it safely to the other side where he could then relax and enjoy his underground journey.  Lots of creek crossing which was lovely as it was nice to be cool on another hot day.  We shone the torches around and could seek lots of little bats on the roof of the cave and lots of little fish and even small marron or terrapins in the water but no crocodiles of any description.  They would be crazy to be near anywhere near that many people I would think.

By the time we got back to the vans it was about 1pm but the boys wanted to crack on and get to tonight’s campsite so it was a party size packet of Cheetos for lunch.  Oh well, you can’t eat fabulously every day and especially after two weeks on the Gibb when just about all the fresh food has run out or gone limp.  Once we got back to the Gibb River Road it was time to pump up the tyres and say goodbye to the dirt – we are back on the bitumen!

Another hour’s drive down the hard stuff and we were pulling into Birdwood Downs Station.  We weren’t sure where we would end up but by now it was 3.30pm and we were close enough to Derby to get phone reception and an email reply from Birdwood to say they had room for us so we pulled in and parked up in their ‘big rig’ area so we didn’t have to unhitch. We stocked up on sausages and steak from their fridge (another station that has upped its game this year) and retired to the vans, not bothering to go over to the communal fire pit or even use their amenities having become used to just using our own over the last couple of weeks.