Mt Elizabeth Station

From Home Valley Station we travelled to Mt Elizabeth Station, dropping in at most of the gorges on the way.

30klms off the Gibb River Road, Mt Elizabeth is not normally frequented by international tourists, so if you chose to camp away from the ablution block, was very quiet and tranquil. The Pretty Wallabies are unafraid and one came to investigate our camp set up.

Mt Elizabeth is a working cattle station, on which they were completing their annual muster by helicopter. Owned by the pioneering Lacy Family, it is welcoming and an enjoyable place to visit.

We discovered that there were a number of tracks on the property that you can take, right into the wilds of the Kimberley and to the Walcot Inlet, on the north west coast. Included in this was a little known gorge called Wunnumurra Gorge. We drove to the gorge, a mere 9klms, which took 1 1/4 hours. The road in was very challenging over rock ledges, ridges and sand. The effort was well worthwhile as we had the most spectacular gorge to ourselves for the whole day! Deep pool below a cascade of water with white beach at the other end of a very long expanse of water.

 

It was quite hairy walking to the gorge as we were reluctant to drive the last kilometer or two to the walking path (another kilometer), due to the extremely steep boulder strewn track, where we feared hitting the differential on loose rock. The walk included scrambling over and down rock faces, with two ladder climbs on unsecured ladders. We thoroughly our well earned swims!

Unfortunately my camera ran out of power so no other photos, had to get the station to recharge battery!

When we returned from our drive out to the gorge, we noticed a Double cab Triton with Travelander camper on the tray. The only trouble was that the tray was at a 20degree angle off horizontal to the cab. It transpired that the chassis had buckled on their drive out on one of the station tracks some 42 klms from the homstead. This required, the station to send a rescue party and their friedns returning with their now empty ute teay to collect the abandoned camper. Then a tow truck was ordered from Kununurra and took eight hours to reach the homestead. Who knows what the insurance will make of this??? The owners of this infortunate Triton were Rob and Joyce Stocker from Albury, who knew Don and Janice very well.

We met some interesting people at dinner that night, when we dined at the homestead. Brian and Jane were two medicos who had worked in and established a hospital in Zambia. They had owned a private practice in Humptydoo in Darwin and wereavid bird watchers. Their friends were called Allen and Pam. All had just returned from Mornington after a bird count.

 

 

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