14 July - Boodjamulla NP - Lawn Hill Gorge Campground.

Great nights sleep, was pretty tired after a big active day. 

Up at 6.30 (the second time) ready to walk in a Westerly direction this time. I wanted to be there for sunrise. I headed for Duwadarri Lookout for the sunrise. It was a bit of a climb up. 

The sun rose and some good views over the Gorge and Duwardarri Waterhole. Then back down and around to Indarri Falls. This has a couple of small falls and is where people pull out the canoes to drag around the rocks to reach the Upper Gorge. 

Sun hasn't peeked over the escarpment yet.

Here she comes.

View from the Duwardarri Lookout for sunrise. 

looking up to lookout, not sure how that is out of order

Sun colouring the clouds

Looking down into the Gorge

Some pink flowered plant at the lookout

My shadow selfie.

Just love those colours

Got these signs in better light on the way down.

Some Nulla Nulla - Ptilotus on the track around to Falls.

Looking down into Indarri Falls.

We keep seeing the signs, but haven't spotted any evidence.

This is the slide to slide canoes up and drag them around the falls about 80 metres to the Upper Gorge.

Watched the birds for a while and a few canoeists pulled in too. 

Then back to camp, with some more bird watching on the way. 

Reflections

Home for bacon and egg breaky - thanks Dad. 

Then I set about trying to get some photos sorted out and a couple of blogs posted. It takes a while, especially on my trusty little Zenbook. 

Meg popped over to see if we were serious about dinner at Adels Grove - sounds good to me as we have to go there later to collect my handbag - fingers crossed!  

Meg booked - so all good for an easy tea. 

Sat around, visited the neighbours. J returned from his walk - he has put the drone up near the falls, so that should be good footage. 

Stef's solar panel wasn't performing as well as it should be. Ironically they are affected by heat, so he was tipping some water over it to cool it down for better performance. 

Weird isn't it, that solar panels don't actually like it hot. 

A map of the walks. I did all of them except Upper Gorge.

 Off to the canoes after light snack lunch. We were in luck 4 two man canoes available at about 1.45. Carmel wasn't keen to do it and Steve has offered to take Jadon's car across to Adels Grove early to get the new tyre put on the rim of the flat one. Then we will join them later for dinner.  We had to leave a deposit for the paddles - which we need to return in the morning - as the canoe hirer was leaving before we would be back. 

The canoe pairs were as follows. 

·  Sarah and. Michael

·  Jadon and Milani

·  Meg and Stef

·  John and Nicola. 

Each canoe was allowed one  double paddle and one single. This proved a bit of a challenge when both team members were paddling. 

It was very pleasant out on the water. There was a fair bit of water coming off paddles that kept me cool in the back seat. 

Michael and Sarah getting sorted.

Jadon and his 'passenger' Milani

Stef and Meg (holding on tight)

and sometimes paddling.

Happy paddlers.

Looking up on the Gorge, as opposed to down on it.

Stef keeping it smooth and calm. 

Us 

Big tall Gorge walls.

 We had a couple of cameras between us so hopefully some serviceable shots. 

The Gorge is amazing - the creek has made its way through the burnt orange rocks and carved/ created? a path filled with emerald coloured water (tinged by the calcium carbonate in the water. 

We saw amazing vegetation including - white trunked gums, water lilies, palms and other tropical foliage and many other types of trees. Some of the trees growing in the Gorge walls were barely hanging on, they had long white roots snaking their way down the cracks in the wall. Looked stunning 

Such a variety of vegetation.

 There were birds chirping and flitting hither and thither.  

 There was also a variety of rocks including the burnt orange canyon walls, tufa - which looks like petrified coral, conglomerate rock and other bits and pieces too. 

 We paddled up creek through the Dawarri Waterhole and then around the corner into the Indarri falls. Here we had to alight the canoes (not an easy task) at a landing made for the purpose, then slide the canoes out of the water along a metal slide (a bit like monkey bars but lower to the ground, then drag the canoes about 70 metres on a fake grass path over rocks and dirt and re-enter water and board the canoes again in the upper Gorge. 

Approaching Indarri Falls. Here we got out of our canoes and dragged them up the slide and around the falls to the Upper Gorge. (hard work)

Dad

Paddling along the upper Gorge I noticed something sunning itself on a flat rock ledge at the waters edge. Turned out it was a croc. I discreetly alerted Sarah and Michael as Sarah had been keen to spot a croc. We kept it quiet from the other canoes as we had some nervous paddlers already - they didn't need any extra stressors. 

We saw this fella, lounging in the sun on a rock ledge, but given some nervous paddlers, only our boat and Sarah and Michael were aware of him, couldn't get closer for a shot. 

The Upper Gorge was very peaceful, we had the whole Gorge to ourselves. We paddled through some narrow reedy sided sections through a small section with not quite submerged rocks and logs to negotiate to end up at a small set of rapids which was our turn around point. We rafted our four canoes ( eventually) for a group shot by Sarah. We had been paddling upstream all this time so turning around was really rather pleasant paddling. 

The Upper Gorge.

Turned out he was still there on return journey and Milani and Jadon spotted him, without an issue. 

The four of us paddled a little closer to get some photos - the lazy bugger had  not and did not move a muscle.  Pretty stoked to see a freshwater croc in natural habitat. Dad reckons it's the biggest freshie he has seen. We can't agree on how long he was, but I would say edging between 1.5 and 2 metres. Dad reckons 8 feet. 

Sarah and Michael getting a closer look

and closer still, will be interesting to see how Sarah's pics turn out

Unfortunately with the sun on the screen of the camera, I was pointing and hoping.

This is out of focus, but I think his eyes are open watching us.

Full body shot.

So we had to reverse the procedure at Innarri Falls and once we got canoes and humans out we stacked the boats on their side and took the opportunity for a refreshing swim at the falls. There was a built in spa/massage under one of the falls. We tried for a group shot - not sure how successfully!!! a

When I jumped out of the water at Indarri Falls to grab the camera, saw one of these lizards, called Ta Ta lizards, cos they wave their leg, which he did. Cute little guy.Thankfully he was still there once I'd grabbed the camera for swimming shots. 

Dad swam over to the falls, but didn't make it in under the falls.

Meg did. It was a real pummelling.

Meg, Sarah and Michael

Beautiful clear water. 

Dad lolling back in the water.

Getting ready for the group shot attempt.

Well, everyone is in it...sort of.

And the other side. 

Milani

The Falls.

Getting out of the little Falls section was tricky, as the rocks were slippery. 

Meg slipped and I think I captured the end of the fall.

Then back into Canoes for the paddle back to the home base by 4.45. 

All in all a fantastic or, in Milani's words, fabulous, canoeing and swimming experience. (For MOST of us)

We stacked the paddles and life jackets under Stef's Disco (car) ready to return in the am. 

Then it was home for a shower, we were already wet so thought we could brace the cold water showers. It was surprisingly good - though I didn't stand under it for a helluva long time. 

Dressed and ready to leave for Dinner at Adels Grove. A dusty 10km trip - would my handbag be awaiting me at the other end AND what state would Steve be in having been sitting at the Adel Grove bar for several hours? 

After answering a few questions to prove my connection to the handbag it was handed over. In return I made a generous donation to the RFDS and left $20 for Michelle's sister in Mt Isa. 

Steve wasn't too messed up, but he wasn't driving home either. 

We had a pre dinner drink, and awaited our turn to be called. We had choice of lamb curry, goulash or steak with a range of accompaniments - rice, mash, roast pumpkin and a nice mix of greens. We all enjoyed our meals followed by apple crumble and ice cream. 

Dad with his Bundy at Adel's Grove for tea, a photo to be sent to Uncle Lance.

and just to prove it, he had two.