Manning Gorge is a seven kilometre drive into the backyard of Mount Barnett Roadhouse (a place where the list of rules is longer than the list of goods available for sale).
We had an early start this morning, leaving El Questro just after 0600 to beat the crowds to Zebedee Springs. One couple were there before us and they had taken the top pool. This left the middle pool to us. The soft morning light filtering through the palms was perfect for taking photos and before I knew it, an hour had passed and Sue had finished her swim. Apart from when I was standing in the 32C water to take photos, I hadn’t had a swim.
We rejoined the Gibb River Road and set off on the longest section without available fuel. The road is mostly gravel although some steep sections have been tarred. There were many floodways and creek crossings but the majority were dry. The Pentecost River was the biggest crossing at about 100m wide, but the water was never more than axle deep. The Durack River was not as wide but just as deep. In the dry these are easy to negotiate, but it wouldn’t take too much rain to make them difficult or impossible to cross.
We stopped at Ellenbrae Station for morning tea. It sits about seven kilometres off the Gibb River Road and is a working farm. They welcome visitors and sold tea, coffee, cold drinks and scones that were fresh out of the oven (with more being baked as we watched). In their backyard was a boab estimated to be 400-700 years old. Its truck formed one wall of their bathroom and the plumbing for the shower was attached to the tree. They had bird feeders which were attracting zebra, double bar and crimson finches. These little birds were delightful to watch and I have sat there for hours.
Near the gate of the homestead was a plaque commemorating the lives and achievements of the former owners of the station. The two brother had died five years apart. The one who loved to fly had died in a plane crash and the motorcycle lover had crashed his Harley on a ride to Lake Argyle.
The rest of the drive was remarkably uneventful and lacking in points of great interest. After 350 km of corrugation it was a relief to finally stop driving. Although we have completed more than half the Gibb River Road in one day, the countryside becomes more interesting between here and Derby with mountain ranges and gorges to explore. But all this awaits us.
Tags: manning gorge, mount barnett, pentecost river, Zebedee Springs
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