The drive in is lovely. Ranges provide the back drop to the lush grasslands, dotted with cattle, brolgas and towering ghost gums. It’s getting late in the day so this scene is lit by the warm glow of afternoon sun.
We opted to stay at Sandstone Park, it had great review on WikiCamps and they weren’t wrong. You climb a small jump up to be treated to magnificent view, large camp site and the cleanest porta-loos on the planet. Fresh cloth hand towels daily, super clean and a few other little touches that give them a well kept homely feel. While the toilets are good, it’s the views that is what where really here for.
It’s not long before the girls have a visitor and the games are on. They love the chance to play and Georgia in particular loves having someone to get her dolls out with. However pesky school had to poop on their party but it was only short lived. When they are motivated it really doesn’t take long for the girls to power through school and get back to whatever it is that they want to.
We have never really had much success cooking with the Webber, struggling to get it up to temperature. I was hankering for a roast chook so thought we’d give it another go. Unfortunately it went much the same, Ken even resorted to sliding the Webber with cooking chook inside back into the tunnel boot, hoping to shield it from the wind and cook things better.
Eventually the bird was cooked and dinner delicious but when I lay down in bed that night all I could smell was burnt animal fat and smoke. My side of the bed and head is directly over the tunnel boot, ugh! It took about a fortnight for the smell to disappear and I’ve pretty much given up roasting anything again! Still we eat like kings. While the oven can only cook on the top shelf we manage some delicious meals and the Thermomix has really come into its own with our low carb, healthy fat diet.
Our first full day we schooled before making our way to the Carnarvon Gorge Visitors Centre. A very informative and fascinating centre which is also the starting point for a number of walks. We did a short 30 min loop track along a creek, crossing it twice. It was very scenic, and while the girls are alway reluctant they love it when out there. Lulu is not a great walker and wants carried the entire way and will not be carried or put in the sling. Ugh!
We are going to be going through many more gorges over the next few months and hope to do plenty of walks. I am a little worried and unsure how it going to workout if I have to carry her everywhere.
It was now getting pretty warm and on the way back to camp we pass a swim/play spot at some rock pools. I’ve a picnic lunch, so we stop off, and spent a lovely cool couple of hours playing, building, fossicking and making paint. Nothing beats a babbling brook for tranquility.
That evening the kids invite their mate over to join in movie night and his dad Ronnie joins Ken and I by the fire for a bit too. Ronnie has lived a fascinating life travelling and sailing around the world and is now taking his son Ron Junior around Australia for a few years. It was a really pleasure listening to Rons stories and learning from his vast experience of life.
We stayed on for one for day, just a hanging about the van day. More play for the kids with RJ, stories and chat with Ron and soaking up the views for Ken and I. We’ve not explored the gorge as much as maybe we would have liked but we have loved our time camping here in this stunning location. Surely you’d never tire of watching the cliff faces change colour as the sun makes it merry dance across the sky.
The drive out was again beautiful and we stopped to capture a views with the drone, when yet again, the now all to familiar news arrives at the car window, “dronies down”, in a tree this time. Kens got a pretty good idea where it is, so off he goes on another recovery mission. Luckily the tree was a small one and he was able to retrieve it, with just minor damage. With everyone accounted for and present back at the car. We get on the road heading for Longreach.
Not much luck with the webber cook it on an open fire see how that works he he you see cowboys doing it all the time in films he he
Absolutely loved the video fantastic scenery it looks so dense in places frightening