Final Day in the Outback

JOURNAL EXCERPT
TUESDAY, 30th April - Porcupine Gorge National Park
Our last day camping before heading off to Nairana for our caretaking duties.
 
We had planned an early start down into the Gorge for the day. However, we spent some time chatting with a father and son from California whom we had met here two nights ago, so we didn't set off until about 11am.

The track down into the Gorge is very steep, rough and rocky - a level 4 walking track.  It took some time to get down but it was well worth the effort - not so sure I felt the same way climbing back up again!

The colours of the gorge walls were amazing - ranging from dark browns to pure white.  There were sandy areas and rocky outcrops and with all the basalt rock it was extremely hot.  However, there was a fabulous swimming hole to cool off in.

After spending a wonderful four hours in the Gorge we made the exhausting 45 mins climb back up the mountain - probably would not have been so bad if I had remembered my "puffer"!

COLOURS OF THE OUTBACK
A dry land, a harsh land
A land unforgiving
Where pioneers came to eke out a living.
A land full of colour
sometimes grey, oft times vibrant
a land where a man needs to be strong and resilient.
Yet out of this harshness beauty abounds
that must have been what our forefathers found
in a land so different from one left behind,
a land to seek fortunes, and a new life to find.
The Outback has beauty that cannot compare
to anything else you'll see elsewhere,
blues and greys, reds and browns,
are all in this land, if you just look around.  
(Written at Porcupine Gorge, 30th April 2013)