Serpentine Gorge

There aren’t enough words to describe just how beautiful the landscape is here.

The birds are amazing – bright green budgies in flocks buzzing above us everywhere we walked followed by a sighting of a wedge-tailed eagle as its huge shadow passed above us.

Simpson’s Gap and Standley Chasm were just stunning. The colour of the rocks, the reflections in the water, the flowers and plants along the path and our local guide showing us how many of the plants here are edible. The chasm itself was spectacular – it reminded me of Petra. Brilliant red stone shining in the afternoon sun.

I have to admit that the terrain on the trail is the hardest I’ve walked on – big rocks became easy trip hazards – you had to constantly be alert to the possibility of a fall. It was hard on the feet. I had been warned.

Serpentine Gorge and Counts Point provided more spectacular scenery. From Counts Point, Gosse’s Bluff looks like a mini Uluru – the result of a meteorite hitting the earth 142 million years ago. The view was amazing – the gorge to our left and the hills and ranges as far as the eye could see. Greens, whites, reds – all combined in a spectacular landscape that seems endless.

The flowers too, from the purple Sturt's Desert Rose to the red of the Australian holly - leaves of every shade of green, some spiky some soft like velvet. More photos....Read more