Lorella Springs

Thursday the 1st of July I woke after a peaceful night sleep at the Butterfly Falls. Glad to say that the air bed and all the equipment was working well. So after breakfast and pack up and another photo of the Falls I headed back south east to Lorella Springs. The 39km driveway in to the property was rough as expected. I pulled in to the reception area which is also the bar. The staff were nice. There are a couple of guys that are the sons of the guy who kicked off Lorella Springs as a tourist destination. They now run it and are very helpful. There was a lot to be filled in on as the map of the property is complicated as the property is vast and there are many tracks to pools and gorges etc. The property is a million acres I was told. It is 80km to the gulf which is all on tracks on the property. I was not going to bother going to the gulf as I had been there in Karumba.

So after getting a lot of info and help with a plan I started on my first trip in Lorella Springs. I did not need to go to set up camp as I was not towing and I could go to the campsite after my trip for the day. I had arrived about 11am so I had a good amount of time. I headed off on the Crocodile Springs Loop as that trek involved some nice pools and would see out the time I had left for the day. But firstly it is a rule that everyone who heads out on any trip, including overnighters have to fill in a register so they can monitor the safety of everyone on the property. So I filled out the register and headed off. I got to the car of Wildfire Gorge and made some lunch. I then did the short walk to the gorge but came across this other pool firstly. By coincidence I wound up being camped near them and seeing them everyday. I also had jumper leads that they borrowed off me one morning to get a vehicle started.

I had a swim of course. Another family arrived with teenagers and the kids got very active climbing up the rocks and jumping off. I didn’t get photos though, not the done thing really.

I moved on to check out other pools, ie Fossil Fern and Tristan Pool. They weren’t special this late in the year. I got photos as Emerald Pool but it was not special either.

I then went on to Tawallah Pool which was beautiful. The guy from reception sent me on a rock hopping expedition along the river bed to this pool. I think I would have preferred to walk it. I was to find out that everywhere you go in this place involves serious four wheel driving with serious challenges. This was the start of driving through the river bed before getting to the bigger rocks.

So I had another swim at Tawallah Pool. I have a video of driving back through the river bed but it is to big for the blog but I will put it on facebook.

I went on to see Inkspot Pool which was pretty ordinary.

I made my way to camp and got set up.

I was in a good spot with a short walk to the bridge which takes you across the creek and the small hot springs right there at camp. This hot spring pool is only slightly warm really and it gets crowded. I took the photo of the pool in the morning when no one was swimming.

I had a good night, albeit to myself and mainly did some reading which I had not been getting enough time for so I was glad. The next morning was Friday the 2nd July and so day two at Lorella Springs. I spoke to one of the guys running the place again and told him I wanted to do the Gateway Gorge loop. He gave me a tip on going to Nudie Hot Springs first which is a bit further past that loop but that it would be nicer to do that in the morning rather than the afternoon. So I filled out the register and headed off. On the way I saw Eagles Nest Billabong. They put rowboats and sometimes canoes in good spots to have a paddle if you want.

This is one of the many creek crossings that you back and forth over. It is a particularly pretty one which I took a video of. On the way to Nudie Hot Springs I came across five four wheel drives that had stopped to look at a big tiger snake crossing the track. So it seemed I would not have Nudie Springs to myself and knew it was not a big pool but I was hopeful that as a big group they would be slow to make their way to the springs. So we arrived at the car park and that was what happened. I took off straight away from the carpark, already kitted up with swimmers and camera. That way I was able to get some good photos and videos of the springs with no one there. It was lovely and the springs were nice and warm.

Further up from the pool you come to rock walls where the the springs are coming straight out of the rock and at that point they are very hot. You can’t leave your hand under it for long.

There was a shallow pool close where the water comes out of the rocks and that was a beautiful hot bath. I lay in that one for a little while as well.

Next I backtracked and turned on to the Little Rosie Track for the Gateway Gorge loop. I then firstly came to Snapping Handbag Billabong. A very pretty spot but there is the chance that salties are there.

I proceeded on to Gateway Gorge. I saw nonone was using the canoe so I took the opportunity to have a paddle up the gorge.

There was an impressive rock cliff part way along the gorge.

Next was the Gateway Gorge Lookout. There was a serious rock climb in the Landcruiser to get there, low range job. There were some impressive views from the lookout.

Now a pano from the lookout.

And a video for good measure. You need to watch your step around here. That is a drop straight down between the rock walls.

Next stop was the Hidden Pools. The water in them were not fresh, a bit stagnant. This is getting late in the season for waterfalls and fresh water but there are still some around as you have seen. I actually walked to the Hidden Pools from the main track as it was hard four wheel driving all the time and I needed a break.

I climbed back behind the wheel and drove to Teardrop Falls. There was a rock bar at the start of this drive that was an extreme challenge and I had to be careful to pick the right lines to avoid any damage. Had I not seen other vehicles tackling it I might have walked it instead but I could not back out at that stage. Anyway no problem. I arrived at the Falls and it was running but not much.

Two other families who had driven in ahead of me chose not to make the steep climb above the Falls. They were after a swim and did not think there would be a nice pool above as it was stagnant down below. So they left. I am afraid they missed out big time. Not being one who wanted to risk missing out I climbed up. Firstly there was an impressive view at the top.

This next photo was to show my Landcruiser at the carpark, deep below.

Now a pano from there as well.

And a video for good measure. From the top of the Falls I walked down behind and found a magnificent pool. It occurred to me that this was the actual Tear Drop Falls but speaking to the owner chap later, it is all called Tear Drop Falls. Anyway this was a beautiful natural pool and I had a good sweat up from the climb etc so I had a swim of course.

I then got a couple of videos to do justice to it. The water is still running strongly and you can probably hear and see it running. I had my lunch with me when I walked up so it was an ideal spot to relax and have lunch. I had the place to myself but after a while a couple of people and a little girl walked on down to the pool. Amazingly it turned out that the fellow lives in the same suburb that I work in and was born in. All the way up here in the NT, we happen to be in the same remote pool in the same remote spot. He was only here for the one day. So we will look out for each other when we are back home. That completed the Gateway Gorge Loop so I made my way back but stopped at Snapping Handbag Billabong to boil the billy for a coffee. Could not see any crocs. So went back to camp for another relaxing night and enjoyed my book again.

Saturday the 3rd of July and day three at Lorella. I packed up that morning expecting that I would not be staying another night. Lorella Springs has a generous checkout time up till 2pm without penalty so I figured I could see the remainder of what I wanted to see using my late checkout. So I set out on the Yiyinti Track. I had been given info from a family I met at Butterfly Falls that the Helicopter Pool and the Valley of the Ghosts were great places to checkout. So I wanted to see both. It turned out to be quite a long way. I did not think I would get time to see the Valley of the Ghosts so even though I had passed the Helicopter Pool turn off I turned around and went to the Helicopter Pool. Again as with almost every track there was some challenging four wheel driving to be done. It was a beautiful pool as well and of course I had a swim.

Now for a pano of the Helicopter Pool.

And a video for good measure. On the way out from that track I stopped and walked to Le Spa. It was a nice little pool as well.

Then I was wracked with indecision as to whether I leave to go back to base and finish my Lorella Springs experience or stay another night, go see the Valley of the Ghosts and then get to see some more things the next morning up till my late checkout. I wound up choosing to stay another night which in the end I am so glad I did. So I went off to the Valley of the Ghosts. And guess what? More challenging four wheel driving to do to get in there. This valley had amazing rock structures and columns, caves, aboriginal art and more pools. Firstly some of the rock formations.

Then some aboriginal art.

Some rock formations.

A fossilized rock of a seashell. Much of Australia had a sea or ocean covering it. Very interesting.

Some more of the landscape and rocks.

There were impressions in some rocks which it appears that aboriginals sharpened implements.

More aboriginal art in the caves.

More rock and cave formations. I started peering into these caves but then got nervous as I realised dingoes may use these caves as a nest and somewhere to breed.

This big arch was amazing.

More aboriginal art. There was such an abundance of it in this valley.

Okay I am just going to show the photos now rather than announce them.

But here was a bee hive. It was the second one I saw here.

Continuing on.

Then I found the pools. By this stage I had got pretty hot and had a stumble so I was covered in burrs and foliage so it was good to strip down and cool off in the pool.

As I was heading back to the vehicle I saw another cave. Now that I had been a distance away it became evident. So I checked it out and there was more art there. Just so prolific in this area.

With the valley fully explored I headed back to camp. Unfortunately I had to set up camp again. But that didn’t take long as I was use to it all again. Plus the three second tent took, well, three seconds. The air bed has a motor powered by batteries. Gone are the days that you pump it up with a foot pump or by mouth. Fifteen minutes max to set up that little camp. The time consuming thing usually is folding down the three second tent. When you are practiced it can be very quick. It took me quite a few goes the next morning. No problem though. So with camp sorted my neighbour suggested I check out the sunset walk from the camp as they did it the day before. So off I went and was glad I did. Here are a couple of snaps of the vast campground before the sunset.

It was a beautiful sunset. There are a couple of panos in these.

Sunday the 4th of July came around and I was definitely leaving today so I packed up, had breakfast and went over to the bar and registered. I headed up the Tawallah Track to the Arch. These were actually a series of arches and caves. Amazing that they formed and remained like that.

I did a video to try and capture the whole picture but it is to long to post in the blog. I went on to the Valley of the Springs. The signage and information supplied was pretty poor about this spot so I just got a couple of photos of the rainforest like vegetation and the hot spring.

I then moved on to the Musterer’s Cave. Drovers and musterers used these caves to store supplies and equipment. There was also aboriginal art in the caves.

I then went on to the Waterslide. Over the years the water has smoothed down the rock and with water flowing down it becomes a beaut waterslide. However, there was no water running by now. I spoke to the families who were bringing their kids up for a waterslide. We talked about that there might be a pool at the top that the Dad can bail some water over the edge to provide enough water for a slide.

So that completed the sightseeing. I returned to the bar and checked out and my Lorella Springs experience was complete. I got away about 11 to 11.30am. It was an amazing experience, seeing all of these natural gorges, rock formations, falls, pools and billabongs. The aboriginal art was amazing. It is a four wheel driver's mecca. I can safely say that I have done more four wheel driving in those four days than in my entire life combined. Lorella Springs was perhaps the main target I wanted to achieve on this whole trip. I did and I enjoyed it. Tick, tick tick!