We were up before sunrise to get a good seat at the campsite's Platypus Pool and we were lucky enough to get one definite sighting as well as a couple of possible glimpses. Sadly there was not enough light for a photo but you all know what a platypus looks like anyway. By the time the hordes were arriving they had missed the action.
Today's main activity is a walk up the Carnarvon Gorge. This is 600 feet deep, cut through sandstone which releases water all year round, and gives the gorge its own micro climate. The full length of the gorge trail has not yet been restored after the rains but we were able to access all of the interesting bits.
The first section of the trail was quite open woodland with lots of birdlife including spectacularly coloured king parrots. There were also butterflies, dragonflies, lizards and to Rosena's immense relief, no visible snakes. There was a bit of cloud cover and a breeze which helped to keep the temperature just about right for us. Further on the flora became more exotic with palms and cycads, some of them unique to Carnarvon. There were a number of side trails to the main trail, each leading to a different natural attraction. The most spectaclar of these was a cleft in the rock, which led through to a natural amphitheatre. Rosena was very brave and went up the step ladders.
By lunchtime we had reached the feature known as the Art Gallery, an overhanging cliff featuring Aboriginal art work dating back hundreds of years. The temperature after lunch was rising rapidly and we considered that the walk done was probably 15km round so we took the decision to return to the car. A welcome shower on our return and then we dined on that well known Aussie dish - tacos! We had never eaten them before but they were great, and of course the wine and the company was good too.
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