Day Nine: Thursday, 13th May 2021

An early morning stroll around the Mitchell Falls Wilderness Lodge revealed what a pretty site had been chosen to construct the camp.

Pandanus

The swimming hole

Camp Creek flowing into the swimming hole

Pied Butcher Bird (Cracticus nigrogularis)

The pied butcherbird is a songbird native to Australia. Within its range, it is generally sedentary, and is carnivorous, eating insects and small vertebrates including birds. It nests in trees, constructing a cup-shaped structure out of sticks and laying two to five eggs. The pied butcherbird engages in cooperative breeding, with a mated pair sometimes assisted by several helper birds. The troop is territorial, and defends the the nesting site from intruders.

The pied butcherbird is found across much of Australia, excepting the far south of the mainland, and Tasmania. It is a bird of open sclerophyll forests, and eucalypt and acacia woodlands and scrublands, with sparse or no understory. In arid areas and northern Australia, it is more restricted to woodland alongside rivers and billabongs.

Camp Creek

Water Boatman (Corixidae)

Corixidae is a family of aquatic insects that are found worldwide in virtually any freshwater habitat, with a few species living in saline water. There are about 500 known species worldwide. Note that its weight creates dimples in the water, but does not break the surface tension.

Water Boatman (Corixidae)

Corixidae are unusual among the aquatic family in that they are mostly non-predatory, feeding on aquatic plants and algae, instead of insects and other small animals. They use their straw-like mouthparts to inject enzymes into plants. The enzymes digest the plant material, letting the insect suck the liquified food back through its mouthparts and into its digestive tract. A few species will eat small invertebrates such as larvae, but the family is primarily herbivorous.

After breakfast we returned to the airstrip at 7:00 am to check-in for the afternoon helicopter flight, spied a green tree ant nest, then set off on the 3.5 hour walk to Punamii-unpuu (Mitchell Falls). 

Green Tree Ants, sometimes called Weaver Ants, build balloon-shaped nests among the foliage of trees and shrubs. Groups of workers pull leaves close to each other and 'weave' them together with silk produced by the larvae. A Green Tree Ant colony may consist of many nests spread over several trees but there is only a single queen.

Green Tree Ant (Oecophylla smagagdina)

Green Tree Ants occur across northern Australia from the Kimberly region in Western Australia to about Gladstone in Queensland. They are found in all forest types but do not occur in the highlands. Green Tree Ant workers are aggressive and defend their nests by swarming onto the attacker. They cannot sting but bite with their jaws and squirt a burning fluid from the tip of the abdomen onto the wound.

The first section of the walk showed pretty wildflowers,

and, more pretty wildflowers,

and, yet more wildflowers,

and, balancing rocks,

before revealing Little Mertens Falls,

and, a pretty flow of water,

over blocky sandstone walls,

into a beautiful azure pool, suitable for swimming.

Little Mertens Falls

Tenacious flora

Angela & Colleen on the edge!

Leaving Little Mertens behind, we continued parallel with Mertens Creek across rough, uneven rocks,

A re-created burial cairn

until, below the falls, we reached a Gwion Art Site, created by First Nations people thousands of years ago, that depicts Wandjina figures, human outlines, and plants and animals that occur in the landscape.

Female figure

Human figures

Wandjina figure

Long-necked Turtle

Kangaroo

Barramundi

Sitting under the waterfall, and listening to the falling water, and looking out over the serene pool, it is easy to understand why this place is of spiritual significance to First Nations peoples, and to the creators of the rock art.

Behind the Falls

More wildflowers

As we climbed up from Little Mertens Falls, we returned to "normality", surrounded by the flora and fauna growing, earth and rock formations being, and time passing effortlessly from ancient history to futures unknown.

Alive and dead - the fan palm needs both elements!

No common name for this pea (Cajanus cinereus)

I like this photo because it depicts the relentless, on-going, nature of life. The lichen on the wood, and the mould on the leaves are modes by which matter is broken down after it dies, but then finds new life as nutrient for new plants, and thereby provides food and shelter, for insects, birds, and animals.

St Andrew's Cross Spider (Argiope aetheria)

Argiope aetherea is a common, large orb-web spider. Like other species of Argiope, it is commonly known as the St Andrew's Cross spider, due to the characteristic cross-shaped web decorations female spiders often include in their webs - look at the zigzag pattern near the top right leg. Females are many times larger than males.

We continued the hike,

through woodland,

and, rock forms (pretending to be orges!),

found another site of rock art,

amazingly fresh,

until we reached the top of Big Mertens Falls,

and made the crossing,

to enjoy the wonder of Big Mertens Falls!

Billabong above Big Mertens

Detail of the waterlillies

Big Mertens Falls flow over the edge in the middle right of the photo

The gorge into which Big Mertens Falls drop - cascading from the right of the photo

After an exhilarating hike, we eventually reached the top of the plateau to arrive at yet another Kimberley wonderland, where the falls cascade in to the gorge.

Mitchell River flowing through Mitchell Plateau above Mitchell Falls

We crossed the Mitchell River above the falls,

via a very slippery, rocky, unstable crossing place,

where the water level and pace of flow was the highest and strongest that Ray had experienced.

After drying-off, enjoying a brief rest and a snack, we then took a brief walk to behold a natural wonder that strikes one speechless - the quadruple falls!

The second, third, and fourth tier of Mitchell Falls

Ray - our Guide - filled with love of the Kimberley!

Anthony - filled with questions!

Julie - filled with wonder!

Karen - filled with enthusiasm!

The upper three falls

My best on-ground photo of the quadruple cascades

At Mitchell Falls, the Mitchell River flows over an 80-metre, four-tiered section of sandstone creating an impressive series of falls and pools.

The lowest of the four cascades

Wandjina track marker

Monjon (Petrogale burbidgei)

The Monjon, the common name for the smallest of the rock-wallabies, is restricted to a small area of the Kimberley region and on nearby islands in the Bonaparte Archipelago. Common names include: Burbidge's rock-wallaby, and, Burbidge's rock-weasel. They are shy, and are mostly active during the night; during the day they retire to caves or other cavities amongst the sandstone. Their diet is primarily composed of grasses and ferns. The breeding period is assumed to be year-round, with most births occurring during the northern wet season. The Monjon is listed as near threatened, partly because of the small size of its known range. It was first described in 1978.

All aboard for the flight back to Drysdale airstrip

Not content with one helicopter flight, Helen has now chalked up two!

The eighteen-minute flight seemed to go for an hour as we looked down on the Mitchell Plateau, the gorges, the rivers, the trees, and landforms - the amazing landscape of our Timeless land. 

Western Gorge, Mitchell Plateau

Four-tiered Mitchell Falls

Mitchell River

The area of flat rock serves as the helipad above Mitchell Falls

JCR Falls, Mitchell Plateau

Mitchell River

Mitchell River, and Walmsley Bay in the distance

The Mitchell River

The Mitchell Falls and lower Mitchell Falls

Mitchell Plateau

Safely landed at Drysdale Station air strip

Wild Dingo

As if the day had not given enough, on the very bumpy drive back to Mitchel Falls Wilderness Lodge, we had a second sighting of a wild dingo. Most probably a young male that had been exiled from the pack - it looked in very good condition.

Go to Day Ten