Rather than dragging the caravan out the Gibb River Road, we decided on a day trip from Derby.
We made some semi elaborate preparations in the morning and set out a little later than planned, but with great expectations. The road was pretty good, alternating tar and dirt, with some tar single lane thrown in for good measure.
We arrived down at Tunnel Creek about two and a half hours after leaving. First order of business was some lunch in the car as it was getting pretty warm, about 35C. Then we headed into the caves to cool off. It was amazing how the temperature dropped so suddenly once you were underground. It was also great not to have to lather up with sunscreen knowing that we wouldn't see much sun for the next hour or so. The boys were all pretty excited (OK, Isaac was pretty scared) about going into the pitch black and having to wade through the water with torches and headlights. Isaac only took a few minutes to stop having to steel himself and actually start enjoying it. It was a pretty easy walk and we all enjoyed it very much. Stalagtites/mites and bats, as well as the interest of wading through the water, made the approx 1k walk to the halfway point, pass very quickly.
We arrived down at Tunnel Creek about two and a half hours after leaving. First order of business was some lunch in the car as it was getting pretty warm, about 35C. Then we headed into the caves to cool off. It was amazing how the temperature dropped so suddenly once you were underground. It was also great not to have to lather up with sunscreen knowing that we wouldn't see much sun for the next hour or so. The boys were all pretty excited (OK, Isaac was pretty scared) about going into the pitch black and having to wade through the water with torches and headlights. Isaac only took a few minutes to stop having to steel himself and actually start enjoying it. It was a pretty easy walk and we all enjoyed it very much. Stalagtites/mites and bats, as well as the interest of wading through the water, made the approx 1k walk to the halfway point, pass very quickly.
At the end of the tunnel we had a quick look at some rock art and spotted a Mertens water monitor. We joined up with another family while walking back and they told us they had spotted a couple of crocs on the way in. This time we looked more carefully into the dark and spotted a pair of eyes reflecting back at us at the edge of the cave. Soon after we actually saw one of them, about 2 metres long and as pale as an egg. You could see it floating under the surface of the water about three or four metres from where we were about to wade through. It was pretty fascinating and somewhat unsettling! Emma said it reminded her of Gollum, all pale after being away from the sunlight for so many years. As we made our way through the water crossing, the older kids from both families were strangely a lot closer to the centre of the party with the four adults covering the four points of the compass. Nothing said out loud of course! Only the two youngest boys pressed on as if nothing was any different.
Emma now narrating - The Gollum crocodile was, of course, a freshie so we weren't too anxious really but it was our first time seeing a croc in water we were about to get into and getting in anyway! A lot of our other swims have had signs up saying freshies in this area and salties under a "management plan" which really means they aren't meant to be there but don't sue us if they are! I have felt more anxious plenty of times about the risk of a salty, than the reality of a freshie. Initially even the risk of a freshie made me feel a little nervous on the kayak but those days are now long gone...
The Gollum croc was part of the Lord of the Rings theme of the day as the walls of the Tunnel Creek outcrop (a massive reef in the days when the seas covered this part of Australia) reminded Paul and I of what Frodo and Samwise had to climb getting up into Mordor, on a less computer generated scale. New Zealand, eat your heart out!
Emma now narrating - The Gollum crocodile was, of course, a freshie so we weren't too anxious really but it was our first time seeing a croc in water we were about to get into and getting in anyway! A lot of our other swims have had signs up saying freshies in this area and salties under a "management plan" which really means they aren't meant to be there but don't sue us if they are! I have felt more anxious plenty of times about the risk of a salty, than the reality of a freshie. Initially even the risk of a freshie made me feel a little nervous on the kayak but those days are now long gone...
The Gollum croc was part of the Lord of the Rings theme of the day as the walls of the Tunnel Creek outcrop (a massive reef in the days when the seas covered this part of Australia) reminded Paul and I of what Frodo and Samwise had to climb getting up into Mordor, on a less computer generated scale. New Zealand, eat your heart out!
In the afternoon we dragged the kids off to one more amazing site, Windjana Gorge. Sascha was most unenthused and wanted to sit in the car. Paul, Isaac and I were interested and Dom was a man in the middle. We promised just a quick look - no big long walks - and thats what we did. Isaac and Paul counted up to 99 crocs and that was only in the first part of the gorge. I can only imagine how high the total would have gone if we had taken the stroll up the gorge for a few hours. We can truly say we have not missed out on seeing crocs this trip. (There have been a few subsequent walks or cruises etc since where some people have been a little disappointed not to spot one... we have not felt let down. We have had our cup filled to overflowing!) After a fairly sedate, but at times tense visit, we eventually headed back home down the Gibb River Road, just a little before sunset. The tension was due to Isaac forgetting his camera and having to go back for it (taking up extra time in our "short of time" day) and Paul and I having differing expectations about the timing of the day. Paul expected a punchy in and out plan and mine was a more laissez faire approach. I figured we wouldn't be coming back in a hurry and we should just take our time. He was keen to get back home and have dinner with the Spences and not do much travelling on the Gibb after dark. After all it's not the safest road.
He is right. Its not super safe but this could have happened in the light just as easily as in the dark! Turns out we were well prepared, with our headlights for Tunnel Creek, to handle a tyre change after dark! And I had packed enough food and water for us to be able to cope, if we had failed and needed to stay overnight, out there. It was tricky getting the spare out of its place under the car as the winch wasn't working properly and the towball was really hard to get off. We were very grateful for an Indigenous family of good Samaritans who happened to have a Dad with a good strong hand! As it was our first change of the trip, there was a fair bit of checking the instructions in the book, but it all got done in the end, and we felt pretty satisfied with ourselves.
We had plenty of snacks in the car, for the nervous drive home without a spare, and a tasty stir-fry was waiting for us when we finally arrived around 8.30. Thanks, Rosie!