So, the cyclone off the Pilbara coast didn’t seem to do a lot, in fact it turned out to be a bit of a flop. I decided to leave the coast and head inland again as the predicted torrential rain hadn’t eventuated.
The Kennedy Range is quite startling. Located about 170km inland from Carnarvon, you approach on a dirt road from the south. This impressive range of flat-topped mesas suddenly appears and rises majestically; it looks like the entire land surface was pushed up by a giant hand.
Aboriginal people have a long history in the area. The range features prominently in local tradition.
Pastoral leases were taken up in the surrounding areas, from the 1870’s onwards and many still operate today. However, there is very little water here. Because of this, heavy sheep grazing did not occur over much of the range itself so the original environment remains relatively unscathed. This makes it pretty unique in this area.
The escarpment towers 100 metres over the surrounding plains. Seasonal rains have carved massive gorges into the mesas and several of the streambeds form rocky paths to explore these amazing ravines.
Temple Gorge
It was hot when I arrived, so I put off walking into Temple Gorge until the late afternoon. The dry creek bed forms this rough walk. Not far into the gorge, you are confronted by the towering rock face known as The Temple.
As you go deeper into the gorge, the walls get steeper and the chasm narrower. Here, water has carved a path out of the solid rock and apart from a bit of clambering up the occasional (dry) waterfall, the way is pretty smooth.
The late afternoon light made the rocks of the gorge glow a deep red colour, which was profoundly beautiful to see.
Sunrise View
Getting up early, I wandered up a steep path to a lookout to catch the sunrise. This was amazing to see, but I was not really looking at the sky but the incredible cliff faces opposite.
As the sun slowly broke over the distant horizon, I watched the colours of the massive cliffs turning from dull grey to a deep crimson and then to amazing amber as the sun rose.
It quickly became obvious it was going to be another hot day as soon as the sun rose, but I was glad I had made the effort to walk up to see this amazing spectacle.
Honeycomb Gorge
The walk into Honeycomb Gorge is impressive.
First you wander through an ancient rock fall littering the landscape, skirting massive boulders fallen over millennia from the cliffs above. Then you enter an amazing natural amphitheatre formed by a towering cliff face.
During wet weather, a waterfall would cascade down the cliff, although it was totally dry while I was here.
At the base of the massive cliff, the rock face is pockmarked by remarkable honeycomb into the sheer rock walls. Formed over eons of time, these cavities have been eroded into the red walls by wind and water spray.
It was amazing to wander in this overpowering gorge, with the red cliffs towering over you, glowing against the deep blue of the sky.
A couple of Wedge-tailed Eagles were gliding on the early morning thermals and I managed to photograph one as it came in to land on the high precipice. I did wonder if they had a nest up there, but I couldn’t see one from the cliff base.
