Day 57 - Windjana Gorge National Park.

Unusually, we saved our walk for the heat of the day. This is because we are walking through Tunnel Creek, which is completely sheltered and involves getting wet. You can spot fresh water crocodiles in there if you are lucky/unlucky, depending on your feelings towards them. This is where Jandammurra hid for three years on the run from the police in the 1870's. He was trained as an boy to be a stockman, and then was persuaded to help track down all his tribesmen. They were chained up and he was left to guard them. One of his elders talked him back to the Aboriginals side, so he shot his tracking partner and freed his tribes men. Then the three years hiding began. He was shot at the mouth to Tunnel Creek. Looking at the small triangular opening, just above and to the right of Justin's head, you can see how he hid here for so long.

 

The openings at each end of the cave are similar shapes due to the flooding creek water carving out the rock over the years. It reminds me of an upside down keyhole.

 

Above is the opening at the end of the tunnel. The girls went into water up to their tummies to get here. Below is the start of the tunnel.

 

And the middle....

 

There are limited stalacmites in this cave because the water washes most deposits each wet season. We saw two types of bats, and plenty of them. It got a bit pungent in the middle of the cave, which is 1.7km long.

On the way out the girls found some inner strength to lift this rock. It's amazing, the power of the three of them!

 

I have to admit to a longing for the sea and its breezes. Windjana campsite nearly did me in, it is so dusty and has few attractions to visit. We saw the ruins of Lillimooloora Station, transformed into a police station, yesterday, but that is a fifteen minute visit at most. When it was a running as a cattle station, Jandarrmurra was trained here as a station hand. We toyed with driving to Fitzroy Crossing, after Tunnel Creek, to escape the heat, but three hours travel for a diversion is excessive.

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