Tuesday 6th July - Mitchell Falls National Park

I don’t think either of us needed a swim and a cool off more than today.  We’d just completed the 8km round trip to Mitchell Falls, and had arrived back at Little Mertens Falls near the campsite and were somewhat hot and sweaty.  I cannot express how refreshing it was to jump into the cool pool at the base of the falls and then climb out onto the rocks to be pummelled by the water cascading down from above.

Despite the detour and corrugations, I’m pleased to say it was worth the effort.  Mitchell Falls really is spectacular, consisting of a four tier waterfall with plenty of flow despite it being the dry season.  In the wet it must really be a sight.  A scramble along the gorge edges afforded various viewpoints, and if you are feeling flush you can take a helicopter flight over the falls and back to the campsite.  We’d left our wallets behind to avoid temptation.

En-route to Mitchell Falls are two other falls, Little Mertens and Big Mertens, the latter appropriately named for the height of its drop.

Anne was none too happy as I climbed down near the edge in order to take a photograph.

Also on the way are a couple of Aboriginal rock art sites, each with a mixture of styles and with both displaying newer pictures painted over older examples.

Back in camp we tried out the solar shower which had warmed nicely during the day (we’d definitely recommend getting one if you’re heading somewhere warm).  The swim and the shower had us feeling human again, and to top things off we had most of the afternoon to relax as we’d booked in at the park’s campsite for two nights, so there’s no packing/unpacking to do today.