WEDNESDAY 28 JULY     GEMTREE

The Office people told us that there was worthwhile sightseeing out at a place called Painted Canyon, to the east. They gave us a mud map.

We drove about 65kms along the Plenty Highway, to the east. Despite the map, I missed the turnoff, which was fairly indistinct and not signed, and we had to back track. Then we drove – slowly – for about 10kms to the south. This is in the Harts Range, proper, and it is rugged and very scenic country, on Mt Riddock Station, still.

For the last part of the way, we had to drive up the dry bed of Eblana Creek. Where we had to leave Truck, was another vehicle. It belonged to an 85 year-old solo traveller, who we met walking back to his vehicle. He’d walked the couple of kms to reach the Painted Canyon and was returning. He said it was hard work in the sandy bed. We agreed.

However, the effort was worth it. The name relates to the banded and multi coloured rock outcrops and canyon walls found here.

There were also more of the white quartz occurrences. It all looked complex and contorted enough to be of interest to a geologist. There are the remains of a lot of mica mines in this central section of the Harts Ranges, too.

The gravels in the dry creek bed are, in places, red, containing fine sand worn down from garnets. In parts of the rock walls we could see layers of fine garnet gravel embedded.

We walked and climbed up through the Canyon, cut by Eblana Creek,  and out the other side in to more open country.

We had lunch there, and then walked up Little Painted Canyon. In some ways, this one was better. It has been formed by Migma Creek, but rather than being able to walk through with only a little climbing,  here we had to climb up rock faces that would be waterfalls if there was ever enough rain.

Climbed up this canyon to a white quartz hill vantage point, that gave good views.

The day had become quite warm down in the canyons, and I was wishing I’d worn shorts!

These places were great subjects for photos. Clearly, relatively few tourists get to come here. We have been fortunate that our extended stay at Gemtree has established our credentials and genuine appreciation of the area. There is a lot to be gained by not rushing into places, whizzing about and rushing on to the next.

Along the main Eblana Creek, we came across places where “cemented” rock walls had been made at the base of rock slopes, to collect water in this arid country, by the mica miners of the past. The fact that these were so small emphasized their need to gather even little amounts of water, wherever they could.

Made our way back the way we’d come. Drove 166kms today.

Back at camp, I marinated chicken breasts in garlic, lime and ginger.

We started tea with soup, then the chicken cooked on the BBQ plate, potatoes in foil cooked in the fire, and coleslaw.

The night was freezing, but the moon was full. There was a partial eclipse of this that we watched.