Glen Helen Gorge (Ormiston Gorge & Redbank Gorge)

DAY 19 – GLEN HELEN GORGE (ORMISTON GORGE & RED BANK GORGE)              Thursday, 21^st July

Ormiston Gorge

Our babies at Ormiston Gorge

Sarah, the artiste!

Glen Helen Gorge

A relaxing morning with pancakes in bed for Mum (cooked by Chef David)!  We then went to Ormiston Gorge, where David worked in 1982.  He said it was very interesting to see the effect of tourism on the Gorge.  Many more made roads and walking tracks.  The walk down to Ormiston Gorge was just beautiful.  Magnificent River Red Gums everywhere and a beautiful sandy, rocky river bed.  The photos just don’t do it justice.  The beautiful gums against the red rock were just stunning. 

Out to Redbank Gorge for lunch!  This was a more difficult walk over the boulders in the river bed down to the waterhole at the end and the gorge itself.   Redbank Gorge is a very narrow gorge and David can remember being here in summer and swimming all the way down to the end and back again.  The kids have been amazing with their ability to keep walking each day for long periods of time.  The promise of a chocolate frog every now and then helps too!!

We came back for some “R and R” at the “resort” and to do some schoolwork.  Before dinner, we strolled down to Glen Helen Gorge itself.  With the setting sun on the red rock, it was absolutely spectacular.  A pair of Heron were sitting on the water as well as a flock of wild ducks, which stunned us.  We haven’t seen many water birds in Central Australia. 

Entertainment tonight in the bar was from Peter Skipson who played the guitar, singing some of his own compositions as well as some Eric Bogle and other assorted.  He is a photographer in his spare time and his photographs of Central Australia are nothing short of stunning.  Hard to explain but there is something special about listening to “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda” and a song about Bogabilla (being a Queensland girl) as you sit quite literally in the middle of Australia.