Day 35-39 Derby, Windjana Gorge, Tunnel Creek and Bell Gorge

We left the caravan in Derby and camped for 3 nights at Windjana Gorge and Bell Gorge along the Gibb River Road in the West Kimberley. The days were hot - about 36-38 degrees. The kids had to put their heads under a tap and wet their t-shirts to keep cool.

At Windjana Gorge we walked along the trail past pools of freshwater crocs. We stopped to have a drink near one of our new "friends" - see Henry above. We did a 2 hour tour of Tunnel Creek with an Aboriginal guide who showed us through the cave and old aboriginal rock art. We waded through knee to hip deep water in our runners and we told about the story of Jandamarra, an aboriginal rebel who hid from the white authorities in the late 1800s. We needed our torches because the cave was very dark and we saw heaps of bats.

The next day we went to Bell Gorge. We were very hot, so scrambled down the rocks to have a swim in the large pool under the waterfall. Even though this is the middle of the dry season there is still water cascading over the falls. The rocks in the pool were very slippery so you had to carefully edge in on your bottom. The gorge and falls were very beautiful and the swim was refreshing after a long hard walk. After the walk back to the car park Dad opened up the "car bar" for a cold Solo - see us above sitting at the "car bar".

Back at camp we toasted marshmallows on the open fire.

We drove back to Derby the next day very dirty and dusty and had dinner at the Spinifex Hotel to celebrate our return from the wilderness.