We went to Hidden Gorge yesterday, expecting of course, a gorge, (but it was hours away and the evening was upon us), and we got a mountain – wahoo! Today we went to Alligator Gorge, expecting a mountain and a gorge and we got yesterday’s gorge, we think. The gorge we saw today was mostly hidden so maybe we’ve seen the hidden one after all. So tomorrow we are going to another entry point for ‘Alligator’ hoping that we can find the gorge here and a mountain would be great.

So on our walk in today we were challenged with those dry rocky creeks, often difficult to traverse. A father and son team successfully addressed any issues they may have had as they went about erecting their tent while a couple of enthusiastic young girls arrived with their beds in their backpacks. It really needs a couple of days on site before you can see the sites with a high degree of confidence.

We walked 3kms along a roadway that lead to the official starting points, where the road turns into tracks. Down into this dry rocky creek and across to the other side, we joined a track. It seemed we were in the hidden gorge already as some of the great orange gorge walls tried to keep hidden while others seemed to yearn for more exposure. Then there were burnt but very pretty pine trees, like a small forest blending well with the ochre colours.

We had walked more than the average daily walk distance than usual already so we backtracked (don’t like going the same way twice in the one day but we do find things we did not notice the first time) to save rushing to beat the dark. We were also happy to not be camping especially knowing there were to be no fires, although campers are allowed to bring gas.

I think we have another fullish moon tonight which will give the campers comfort and light once the gas has been put away. This morning while the sunrise was hidden partially by the clouds, the moon made it easier for me to walk, as I walked up a substitute hill near the water tower. Shiny gums glowed in the streets and especially in the parks where the beautiful grass was allowed to hug the tree’s base, together creating a stunning contrast.

When I think of red gums, I think of rivers, and when I think of SA, I think of creeks. Last year we followed the beautiful Aussie rivers, mostly flowing well. This year in SA we follow the hills and mountains  and dry creek beds. But today we saw a water hole, a reminder I am told of lots more when the steep mountains offer up torrents of water to the dry earth below