Grand Brachina Gorge

Being reintroduced as part of the Bounceback program, these Yellow-footed rock wallabies are perfectly at home here in Brachina Gorge, where there are not only lots of rocks, but small caves, which is how I spotted this one. They were prized for their fur by early settlers, which is why they became so rare.

Driving through Brachina Gorge, mostly beside a dry creekbed, there are plenty of showstopping rock formations; they certainly stopped me, often.

Note the area of oddly pale and rounded boulders at the foot of the wave cliff.

I needed a guide constantly at my side to answer my questions… how, why, when?

At one point there was a large scree of loose stones, and beside it the rock walls were noted as habitat for the very wallaby species I was so fortunate to have seen.

Look at the huge log pile against the gum to the right; this whole gully floor must be a rushing river after good rain.

Most of the Flinders gorges I have now seen hold very few caves, so the abundance of them here surprised me.

Seeing the exposed roots of the bordering gums, I can imagine such a gully river even better.

Not that I want to see one, as my AWD van might not cope, and there are daily gatherings of clouds, which, as I’m not local, I can’t interpret.

They tend to dissipate and a cold breeze dominates daily, which does not drop at night, but gusts fitfully and often strongly, so I keep waking up and wondering if I shoudl pull down the roof.

 I do worry about rain as there are many dips and fords for the many currently dry creeks.

One dry day at a time…