The rocky road to…..

Heaven.

Friday, 30^th September, again up early- but not to travel on today. We had decided to drive up the 10k to a valley on the station that was exclusive to the very few people who were staying on the station- and that day that meant just us.

As we had breakfast we watched the Peacock put on a display for an obviously uninterested mate, his feathers werec wonderful. There is also a white peahen here, strutting around as though she own the place!

We packed up our lunch and plenty of water and set off to leave the homestead, driving through the paddock with a mare and foal, then through a creek with a very steep descent and ascent out, and along what was nothing more than a track, just wide enough for our car. It started reasonable after the creek, but very soon deteriorated, some of the rocks on the road were a foot high, and Betty had to go over them There was no way we could travel at any speed, and it took us more than 45 minutes to travel 8.5k. As we approached the top of yet another descent we looked over and said NO WAY! There were holes up to 15” deep, and rocks just as big, so we decided to leave Betty and walk. By then it was becoming very hot, and it seemed a very long walk over difficult terrain, even though we were following the road to the final car park. There was no way I was going to subject Betty to this!

It took us an hour’s hard walk to get to the water, and the first sight was wonderful., an oasis of peace, with waving palms, a delightful waterfall, a sandy beach, what more could we want? Complete seclusion- and we got it. We were the only people there, and we very quickly changed and stood under the waterfall to cool off, then into the pool.

Alternately sunbathing and swimming, we spent an idyllic morning, a lovely picnic lunch, then back into the pool- our very own sanctuary. All that was missing was a lackey to bring us cold champagne.

When I told Anne she had leeches on her bum there was panic, off came the costume and on went the salt, but they weren’t really leeches just small creatures picked up in the waterfall. Good fun!.

But every good thing has to come to an end, and as we started the long trek back to the car we looked back at the beauty of the valley, and said thanks for a wonderful day. Fortunately there was a slight breeze, and some light cloud, so it was a little less hot, maybe about 90 in the shade, but it still took us over an hour to reach Betty.

Then the ordeal of the rocks again, it seemed even worse going back, but our old friend made it in style.

We had decided to join the guests at the homestead for dinner- makes a change from cooking and washing up ourselves, and we spent a delightful evening with four Swiss people who were doing a brief visit to the area- they had driven 400k that day on the Gibb, we average only around 150 each day. Good luck to them!

Later we joined a young couple from Holland around the campfire who were traveling in the opposite direction to us, we swapped stories about the places we had been, picking up a few pointers to the places we must visit and those we should avoid. Very useful. Anyway- tomorrow, onward again, sorry to leave Elizabeth Station, but there is so much more to see yet..