Fearless Camp, Glen Helen Gorge

Today we walked out from camp to the Serpentine Dam, a folly built to service a Chalet built for visitors but which wasn’t much use because of the salt content of the surrounding rocks which contaminated the water.

The reflection of the grey and black rocks where the water cascaded into the dam looked amazing flanked by the stunning red of the gorge itself. Sadly, the fire in 2019 left a scar on the landscape with black skeletons of the trees as far as the eye could see. It is growing back but it will take time.

The colours here are so intense – maybe it’s the deep blue of the sky but the light makes everything so vivid. The rainbow colours of the clay pits and the red earth of the gorges that we walked through were perfect for taking photos – I took lots. Only the local aboriginal men can touch the clay for ceremonial use, preserving it for future generations.

We ended the day with a swim at Glen Helen Gorge. Well, some of us dipped and some swam – the water was much colder than I expected. Stunning location as always.

Our camp, called Fearless, was named after Sue Fear who was a well respected mountain guide who lead some of World Expeditions' trips. We were greeted by a flock of red-tailed black cockatoos - quite a welcome. Didn't think much of the native spiders who decided to visit my tent later in the evening.Read more