November 2022

At the moment the hillside of Barron Gorge looks nothing like the photo above from May 2022. In the drier months I still head up the hillside even though the seasonal waterfalls are pretty much dry. There is a really good reason for that.

There are sections of the hillside that even in the dry I cannot pass. This little gorge has very deep water and a steep rock wall both sides. I need to find a way around and in the dry is the time to do that.

I am exiting rainforest in the dark often but only in areas I know very well. For an unknown area I am forced to start the journey mid day (after Saturday work) to ensure I have light on the way out. That means even with the rainforest canopy giving shade it gets very hot and sticky.

There is still some water flowing down the gorge so at the deeper waterholes on the hillside I can still get a swim. And that is what I did.

It takes me about 40 minutes to get up the hillside to this waterfall. After a swim I continued up the hillside planning to try and pass that mini gorge for the first time. I would return to here dripping with sweat 3 and half hours later for another swim.

When I got to the top of the previous waterfall there was an Eastern Water Dragon enjoying some sunshine. Rather than disturbed by me it seemed to be very comfortable with my company.

I know it was not threatened by me because it came even closer. I always drop down low when I see animals, the first reason is to get eye level and the second is I believe this threatens them less.

If you ever wondered why they are called Water Dragons I think the photo above from a day when they were swimming in the water with my son will explain.

An hour or more later and I had found a way through the side bush past the mini Gorge. A fair way higher up the hillside I then discovered this waterfall. It may not look like much in the dry season but come the wet season this will transform.

Add in some increased water flow, nice light and a bit more thought on composition and this will be a new spot for the upcoming waterfall season.

I discovered two things at this waterfall. The first was that I would once agin need to discover a path through the bush to go higher up past this newly found waterfall. The second thing was that I was not alone. An Australian Brush Turkey was looking down at me from above in the rainforest canopy.

The Australian Brush Turkey is most commonly seen scraping at the ground. This one was up in the canopy to distract me away from its nest which I noticed on the way out.

I did not take a photo of the nest but above is another birds from 2021 in Barron Gorge. The nest is a huge pile of leaves and small branches under which they incubate 18-24 eggs. They breed between August and December and the nest is guarded by the male.

It was time for me to head back down the hillside. When I got to the river I waited to see if Billy would come down the river again in his pack raft. He did not but I will share photos of him passing through the Rooster’s Tail earlier in the week in his pack raft in the next post.