Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge

Posted on

28/06/2019

Our first stop for the day is at Tunnel Creek, this is an awesome cave / tunnel system that goes through the base of a mountain with water flowing throughout. A torch and shorts that can get wet are essential as the tunnel is pitch black and you need to walk through thigh deep creeks to get through.

After we crossed the creek in pitch black by torch light, some other travelers showed us how to spot the red eyes of the resident crocodile that lives in the creek. Not sure if would have crossed had we known beforehand. On way back he was floating on the surface and we saw all of him, as we got the camera out he casually and silently disappeared under water. We then had to cross, in the dark with him somewhere under water. Everyone says it OK though cause he is just a freshy, (Fresh Water Crocodile) and they don’t bite.

The Cave system varies greatly as you travel the 750 metre length, including, really high cathedral like ceilings, stalactites, incredibly smooth rocks and bolders, artwork, overall a great experience.

We camped for the night at Windjana Gorge, this is a national Park Camp Ground and to our suprise there are Solar hot water Showers and proper normal flush toilets.

When we went for our walk we discovered that there was very little water in the gorge, this is due to a very light wet season this year. Other people that we met at the gorge explained to us that after a decent wet season this gorge boasts a beautiful swimming hole with rope swing etc. However all we got to see is shallow puddles of this dried up system with about 40 fresh water crocodiles all jammed in together for a patch of water. We had been told that of an afternoon as the bats fly out from the gorge on sunset they swoop down for a little drink on their way out, this apparently creates a bit of sport for the croc who jump up and snap at the bats. We had happy hour or so with heaps of other people waiting to watch the action, the bats did fly through the gorge at sunset but none really went near the water, perhaps next time.