We left the camp near Manning Creek and move forward in our adventure for the day. If Day 7 used to spent in Manning Gorge and around it up to Manning Creek, Day 8 was a bit different as we had been in few different places that stunned me of its natural beauty. If Manning Gorge amazed me, it’s the same thing that I felt when I reached two more gorges.
After leaving, we stopped again in Mount Barnett Roadhouse to buy some stuff. Then, our guide was on checking up the truck. Someone from the roadhouse helped to checked the tires. Then, one tire has been replaced. Next, we went to a nearby motor repair shop to vulcanize the tire. In the same shop, we enjoyed seeing photos that was given to us by one of the worker in the shop and we had something to spent our time while we were waiting.
Mount Barnett Roadhouse
Over the Range Tyre and Mechanical Repairs
After leaving Mount Barnett Roadhouse, we traveled again in Gibb River Road for at least half an hour to reached Imintji, a local community. There is community store that can serve cold drinks, ice-cream and other groceries. It also provides fuel-diesel. There is art centre beside the community store but at the time we reached the community it was already closed for the season.
Imintji Community
Bell Gorge
We left Imintji Community and move forward to Bell Gorge. We drove towards the gorge for almost an hour. We reached the parking and trekked half an hour to reach another amazing and picturesque gorge named Bell Gorge, still located in King Leopold Ranges. There was a waterhole in gorge but I never walked near it since the waterhole looks deep and my swimming skills are not for it. But few from the group and myself decided to enjoy the small pool where the Bell Gorge Waterfalls flows through it.
Bell Gorge Information Board
Bell Gorge
We enjoyed more than two hours of our time in Bell Gorge. Next we were all back again in Gibb River Road. After more than two hours again, we stopped along the road without knowing the reason at first. Then our guide Scotty told us to look back and there we saw a human face structure which positioned as side view. The first thing that I noticed was its pointed nose. Then our guide said it is called Queen Victoria Head. It is quite amazing to see a human figure in rocks and boulders along Napier Range and located just above the Gibb River Road.
Queen Victoria Head along Gibb River Road
Windjana Gorge National Park
We returned to our truck, we stayed in the road for more than half an hour when we reached the parking of Windjana Gorge. Scotty told us to bring our torch which we did and we got off the truck. At the parking area, we already enjoyed limestone escarpment that I had noticed when stopped to see Queen Victoria Head. We walked few minutes towards the gorge and we saw Lennard River where we noticed there are lots of freshwater crocodiles (freshie). We stopped walking when we found a great spot to see the gorge and the river on sunset. Most of my group sit around just beside the river. While I spent few minutes to capture the surroundings of Windjana Gorge before I joined the group to sit with them.
Escarpment at Windjana Gorge National Park
Lennard River at Windjana Gorge
Surroundings of Windjana Gorge
Freshwater Crocodiles at Lennard River in Windjana Gorge
Fruit-Bats Leaving the gorge
We sit in our spot for a while to enjoy watching the “Freshies” in Lennard River and after few minutes, we started to see fruit-bats flying away from the gorge. The few bats become too many, until we saw thousands of bats leaving the gorge. We were watching for half an hour and it seems the fruit-bats have not gone all. It was one of the amazing thing to see in the gorge aside from crocs. It was totally dark when we left the gorge. That was the reason why our guide told us to bring our torch. We spent our night in camping ground in Windjana Gorge National Park, where we enjoyed again our daily night routine in cooking and preparing the dinner, then cleaning our mess after. That night, we also exchanged our email address as the night was the last night of the group to be all together as some from the group and that includes me will end the adventure journey the next day while some from the group will continue exploring Pilbara Region after reaching Broome.
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