Day 31 - Friday 3 August - Checking our Geikie Gorge

Day 31

Friday

3 August

Fitzroy Crossing – Geikie Gorge

The campsite was busy, when I got up at 7am. While we were in no rush to start our day, unlike those who were packing up and heading on. After breakfast and allowing ourselves to wake up properly, we packed up all that we thought we would need and made our way out to Geikie Gorge or Danggu as it is referred to by the local community. Unlike getting into Windjana Gorge, the road is sealed all the way to the carpark, but that didn’t stop the sizeable pot holes that popped up along the drive. 

The place was quiet, when we arrived at 8.40am. We checked in with a ranger and then read the info boards within the gazebo. The central column marked flood levels for different years, with 2002 and 1993 reaching 2m above the roof, some serious water. 

As we had some time before the boat tour was to begin, we decided to do a wander along the river bank and check out the Fitzroy River. Paul was interested to find a fishing spot for Barramundi or Balga, as is the traditional name in these parts. We walked all the way to the sandbar and then returned to the gazebo, where the hordes began arriving for the 930am boat ride. 

We were called to follow down to the water and jump on the river cruiser, picking out the front row seats for good vision. We then began are journey, skirting along the bottom of the cliffs. The rock face was painted black, orange and white and was weathered into interesting patterns and stripes. The white part again looking like porcelain. These cliffs are also part of the same Devonian Reef system that Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek belong to. 

As we cruised along, we spotted a number of freshwater crocs lying on rocks, warming up in the early sunshine. They were smart, it was quite brisk on the water and I was glad to have my jacket. 

After checking out the eastern cliff, we moved on to the western cliff face, having small nests pointed out and interesting trees. We didn’t travel much further, as the water was only about 1.5m deep and there were snags further along, instead, we made our way back along the same route. 

I spotted a wallaby as we neared the jetty and shortly after we disembarked from the vessel and returned to the carpark. We used the loo, where I was told to check the cistern for tree frogs. Sure enough two bright green kermits were housed quite happily under the lid. We then drove the car around to the carpark closer to the sandbar. 

We followed the path and this time descended to the water’s edge to test the temp, it was quite pleasant. Paul went to check out the possible fishing spots, while I made myself comfy on the sand and in the sun. He returned shortly after stating there was nowhere suitable to fish, so we just sat enjoying the serenity, before making our way back to the car and into town once more. 

As we drove along, we saw a sign to the old crossing, so we deviated and parked at the top of the rise. Kicking up great clouds of dust, we made our way to the concrete river crossing and walked across to the other entrance. We then returned to take a closer look at the river, which was flowing, but not greatly. 

I spied a couple of brolga further out, so figured I would see how close I could get. It did mean wading through the knee-deep waters and across some sandy patches, past the obvious meeting point, empty tinnies, sunnies and phone left behind, but I did get close enough for some decent shots. I was really impressed when they had had enough of me and took flight. 

I made my way back across the waters, this time seeing a rainbow bee-eater to capture. This bird wasn’t fazed by me either and I was able to get up close to take my pictures, capturing his vivid colours in the golden sunlight.  

Once done, we made the trek up the gullied 4wd track and back to the car. We passed through town and the BP, noticing a gathering of community members under a large tree, something was going down. We then returned towards the van, stopping at the Fitzroy Bridge, so that we could walk across it and check out the view. The water marker showed a depth of 9m. I imagine it is pretty incredible to see the water flowing up over this bridge. 

Once back at the van, we had our lunch and then spent a lazy afternoon doing very little. Paul read, I went through the photos and by 3pm, we were looking to stretch our legs. We decided to head over to the pool, as it was quite stifling in the van. Paul was game enough to jump into the cool waters, but I chose to just dangle the legs. Refreshed, we returned to have showers and freshen up. 

We continued to sit around for the remainder of the afternoon, before taking ourselves over to the lodge for dinner. We found a seat in the bar area, ordered up and then set about trying to answer all of the questions on the two games shows. It was an entertaining way to spend the early evening. 

Well satisfied by the time we had finished, we rolled ourselves back to the van and promptly parked it. We played cards to keep us amused, then retired early to bed to read.