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| Pedestrians at the start of the Tunnel Creek Crossing, Western Australia |
Sparing a thought for legendary Indigenous leader and activist Jandamarra, who used these remote caves in the depths of the Western Australian Kimberley region along the infamous Gibb River Road as a hideout in the late 1800's, I felt for the creek bed I couldn't see through the gloom with every step.
Eerie in the dim light of our torches, intricate limestone formations towered above as the creek swirled silently around my legs and a keyhole of light in the distance showed the end of our crossing.
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| Pedestrians at the other side of the Tunnel Creek crossing, Kimberley, Western Australia |
Inaccessible during the wet season when Tunnel Creek sometimes fills the vast caverns of remnant Devonian Reef dwarfing the tiny pedestrians crawling beneath it, the most dangerous part of our dry season ~750m crossing to the oasis at the far end of the caves was the possibility of wet – um – nether regions!
Back home, we should be so lucky if our crossings as urban pedestrians were as danger- and trouble-free!!
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| Tunnel Creek just before it enters the cave system, Tunnel Creek National Park, Western Australia |
'Pedestrians Crossing' is the City
Daily Photo community theme for this first day of
April. Why not go HERE
for the different interpretations of this theme from around the
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Wow. That's the best I've seen so far today about this theme
ReplyDeleteWhat a brilliant idea. Love the background info to your super photos. Very nice.
ReplyDeleteI'd heard of Tunnel creek, how lovely to see photos of it!
ReplyDeleteSuperbly captured!!
ReplyDeleteI love to see water disappearing into rocks. I know of at least two places in Victoria where water disappears into man made tunnels.
ReplyDeleteWonderful interpretation for theme day. Gorgeous place for a hike!
ReplyDeleteyou were BRAVE to take on that encounter (no snakes in them there waters?). I loved the finale photograph; so scenic Red
ReplyDeleteI love that image of folks passing through "to the other side". Excellent interpretation of theme day...and thanks for visiting my new site.
ReplyDeleteWhat stunning photos of a stunning place!
ReplyDeleteJandamarra was a hundred times the hero Ned Kelly is supposed to be, and I thank you for providing pictures of the place he hid out. No wonder he wanted to protect it.
This post is really breathtaking. What an amazing place! My favorite is the 2nd photo withe the perfect reflection and silhouettes. Happy Theme Day!
ReplyDeletewet and foreboding, not a crossing I'd care to make these days but once ago maybe
ReplyDeleteincredible, love that second photo especially! happy theme day :)
ReplyDeleteThis has to be the most exciting and adventurous crossing of the day! or of the year!
ReplyDeleteCompelling photos and a very creative take on this theme!
ReplyDeleteThese photos are just fantastic - I don't know that I would walk underground, deep into a cave - I think I've seen way too many "Cave" type movies. ha,ha I am looking at the many footsteps on the sand and thinking about how many people those belong to and where they might be from. Love the second photo and the reflection in the water. Very nice Red :)
ReplyDeleteNot sure I would like to enter the darkness of a cave thigh high in water! Great photos.
ReplyDeleteAmazing images Red, these are exactly the crossings I'd hoped to see here today :)
ReplyDeleteA very unusual and picturesque crossing...
ReplyDeleteOh dear, Red. I have read too many scary novels to not be concerned that something in that tunnel might grab your ankle and pull you under!
ReplyDeleteGlad you made it, so you might share these pictures!!!
I am green with envy! :-)
ReplyDeleteProbably the most picturesque crossing ever! Oh lucky lucky pedestrians!:)
ReplyDeleteWow, this is quite a post. Fun to read! What an adventure.
ReplyDeleteThat's an adventure such a cave.
ReplyDeleteGreetings,
Filip
Amazing and beautiful place, very original crossing!
ReplyDeleteAmazing photos, especially #1. The cave has a spiritual feeling.
ReplyDeleteThat's an amazing place.
ReplyDeleteMagical!
ReplyDeleteVery original thinker are you :)Fantastic angle Red! And I don't just mean the photos ;) Which are stunning as ever, and brought back lovely memories of our trip to the Kimberley, which I'm still writing about on my blog (nearly a year later!)
ReplyDeleteGood one
ReplyDeleteThat is a fabulous place. I have similar shots. I'm a shorty so I had to walk on tippy toes. Poor ole TOH wore crocs for the first time and sand got inside and rubbed the skin off his feet. He had to hobble back and we lost the group and nearly wandered into deep areas, luckily the guide came back to find us and lead us through the shallow part.
ReplyDeleteI have long legs, but I'm not sure I would be up to this crossing. The scenery on the other side is beautiful, however.
ReplyDeleteI have long legs and caves don't scare me, but I don't think I'd want to wade in ice water inside one...but how beautiful it is at the end! (And undoubtedly you are right that there are more dangers at big city ped xgs)
ReplyDeleteLooks like timing is everything on this tour. I would hate to be stuck on the wrong side till the water recedes.
ReplyDeleteI love places like this. It transports me to another time:) And the history behind it all is quite interesting. I once was in a cave that had a running river through it. It went over my head and was full of bats. A bit creepy:) At least this place has a bit of open end:)
ReplyDeleteNow this is worth the cross. Or, heck, just stand there awed. ~Mary
ReplyDeleteWow wow wow! All three are fabulous but the perfect symmetry of the second one is magical!
ReplyDelete@Rob Siemann - HAha, I hope mine wasn't the first one you looked at!!! Seriously, I'm flattered! Thanx for dropping by!! Hope your next visit is just as rewarding ...
ReplyDelete@LOLfromPasa - Well ... I'm not called Red 'too much information' Nomad for nothing, haha!
@Nathalie Beaumes - I'm glad I've resolved your curiousity!!
@magiceye - Did I mention I was balanced on one foot in a cold dark stream?? Just so long as everyone knows I'm suffering for my art ...
@Andrew - I've been to Silverband Falls in the Grampians where the water disappears into the rocks at the base of the falls, but Tunnel Creek is different again because it goes underground into a cave! Would LOVE to hear where your Victorian places are!!
@Meaghan - Getting there on a rough, rocky dirt track was half the fun! Thanx for visiting!
ReplyDelete@Carole M - OMG I didn't even THINK about snakes while I was in there - probably just as well ... I was actually surprised how well the pix turned out, given the darkness and all!
@Stuart - It really felt like a rite of passage! Thanx for dropping by!
@FruitCake - I became fascinated by Jandamarra's story while we were in the area. We also visited a number of other places significant to his story - stay tuned!!
@Susie - I have a weakness for framed shots ... this is one of the more successful ones!! Thanx for your kind words!
@Gerald - Haha, it DID help that the temperature was around 30 degrees C!!!
@Tanya Breese - Thanx & same to you!
ReplyDelete@Dina - Or maybe I'm just a drama queen??!!
@MJ - I didn't realise just how dramatic the pix looked until I saw them on the screen!
@Saucy Kod - Haha, it DID occur to me that we might be just a little TOO trusting of our guide ... but I can assure you that all the footprints were from a few months prior - the wet season 'flushes' out the creek every year!
@Fun 60 - I might not have done it either - without a guide!!
@PDP - You've been holding out on me then ... you're not an urban chick at all!!!
@VP - A dearth of zebra crossings in the deep Outback ...
ReplyDelete@TMWH - Haha, there's always the risk of paranormal misadventure, but I'm usually more at risk from my own lack of coordination!!
@cieldequimper - Then my work is done! You'll just HAVE to come downunder & see for yourself!
@LONDONLULU - It's my personal challenge to make everyone as jealous as hell. How am I doing?!?!
@Sharon - And just as much fun to do!! Drop by anytime for more FAB adventures!
@Filip - And it's WAAAAAY out in the middle of nowhere, too!
@Carraol - Well, I knew it was unique in Australia! We have our own kind of beauty down here ...
ReplyDelete@Oakland DP - Your hunch is correct - it has significance to the local Indigenous people!
@Randy - And even better live!! You should come down & check it out sometime!!
@Peter - You got that right!
@Jo - There's no shame in writing about things long after they happened ... is there?? 'Cos I'm SO guilty of that too!! Thanx for your kind words!!
@Jim - It's a far cry from Sydney, right?!?!
@diane b - Haha, some of that sounds familiar!! The torches were a bit dim so a lot of our crossing was feeling our way!! But SO worth it!!
ReplyDelete@George - Hey, if I can do it, so can you!!!
@Sallie - It helped that the temperature outside the cave was at least 30 degrees C!!! I'd have dried off in no time if I'd got dunked!!
@SFlaGuy - Lucky the creek's not tidal ... and the road would be impassable during the wet season. I trust those two factors would keep you safe!!
@Rohrerbot - If there were bats, I didn't see them ... but I'd rather see them than the snakes or crocodiles!!!
@Mary - Yep, that pretty much sums it up!
@ladyfi - Thank you! I'm pretty happy with the way these pix turned out - it's a real reminder of what we experienced that day!
Incredible and amazing. Those thousand words were like gilding on the treasure of those photos. What a place! Thanks for taking the time to make and share this.
ReplyDelete@Buck - It's always a pleasure to share somewhere special! But it was even more of a pleasure to have the privilege of going there!
ReplyDelete