Come morning it had really quitened down - but this campground is very exposed sitting up high on a bit of a small plateau - so the awning stayed rolled away and we headed off, with a packed lunch, to do some walking in Carnarvon Gorge.
We decided to walk out along the gorge floor as far as the "Art Gallery" and then return doing some side walks that we had missed when we were here 4years ago.
It was a lovely - albeit very cool start to our walk - but you soon warm up along the track. Walking to the Art Gallery (5.4km) takes you across 6 creek crossings, all across Carnarvon Creek, as you zig zag your way up the gorge.
The water is just so incredibly clear in this creek - yes I am standing on a rock in the creek - with water all around those stepping stones.
The Art Gallery site contains over 2000 individual motifs - made up of around 1350 engravings, 650 stencils and a smattering of freehand art. Some of the stencilling techniques are considered by researchers to be the most sophisticated in the world. Demonstrating adaptations that are found only in central qld.
After spending some quiet time viewing this site we head back to the turn to Wards Canyon.
The track in is short but up quite a steep staired slope. This canyon is quite sheltered and holds a diversity of ferns - with the most spectacular being at the end of the trail - where you are confronted with the massive fronds of thirteen King Ferns. These ferns are found nowhere else in the surrounding 250,000 sq km of Sandstone country.
Next we head further back along the track, taking a lunch break along the way, to the Moss Garden trail. To reach the Moss Garden you are head up the moderate staired slopes into Hellhole Gorge and then climb sharply to head into Violet Gorge.
There are lots of stairs to climb to reach the Moss Garden - but when you reach there you are treated to a cliff line whose base is covered by a lush carpet of mosses, pepperomia and ferns, supported by the largest spring in the gorge.
It is very very quiet and peaceful and very cool in the Moss Garden area and we sit for a bit taking it all in before heading back along the Main track to the start of the gorge walks at the NP visitor centre.
I loved the colours in this chink of Rak I spied along the track whilst heading back today
All up today we have walked approx 13-14km - not a terribly long or hard day of walking but even so we treat ourselves to afternoon tea at the Carnarvon Wilderness Lodge which we have to drive past on our way back to our campground.
Thankfully this afternoon back at our campsite the wind has abated considerably and we enjoy an afternoon of washing (those undies just keep building up) and reading - and of course sawing up the rest of our wood stash for our remaining couple of nights here.
Thankfully we enjoy a lovely evening by the fire before retiring to bed for a much quieter night of peaceful sleep - no wind at all tonight - what a difference to 24hrs ago thankfully.
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