Manning Gorge Campsite

This is a beautiful site, with lots of space. It seems to go on for miles beside the river, so caravans can easily find a private shady spot. It has one major drawback as I learned to my cost: the ground is covered in double-gees, or a relative of theirs. At dinner time I jumped up too quickly and toppled off my stool. My fleece jacket and leggings are now covered in them. I’m tempted to throw my clothes away as it’s such a major job to get them off! Life is too short to pick off grass seeds, am I right? Especially as they prick your fingers whilst removing them.

Rosella in flower near the river.
These are sold to add to champagne when 
they open up.

My fleece covered in burrs and grass seeds.
(After 30 minutes of trying to pick them off!)

Gools cooking damper on the fire.

There are also flocks of noisy white cockatoos which seem to have followed me here from Burswood.

The plan for today (for those energetic enough) was to:

• swim across the river, transporting belongings in a floating plastic drum, cut in half.
• get dressed in hiking gear on the other side: hats, sunscreen and water bottles at the ready.
• walk a 1.5 hour round trip up to Manning Falls, stopping for another swim at the Falls.

This all sounded a bit too strenuous, so I settled for a swim across the river, a lounge on the hot rocks and a swim back again. It was quite an interesting exercise, watching everyone get across with all their gear. The good swimmers had to bring the blue drums back for the next lot and ended up doing several laps.

Pulling belongings across the river.

Midstream it was possible to walk.

In the afternoon, we made a quick trip to the road house, so that the bus could be refuelled and the water tanks filled. It was also an opportunity to get an ice-cream. I chatted to a woman there about an incident in her caravan shower when her hip replacement popped out. She was in agony, she said, and had to be stretchered  to Broome Hospital. Wow! I don’t want that to happen to me - not before the end of my holiday, anyway.