Day 58- Monday 4th September

NHD- We all had a good nights sleep in our two side-by-side Eco dorms. (No Grace they're not biodegradable!)

Had a delicious continental breakfast and still no mention of our extra guest.

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Off we went to explore Joffrey Gorge. Once again all in thongs and singlets. Not exactly the best Gorge walking attire! (But when we packed yesterday after Fathers Day breakfast it was a bit rushed and no one checked the girls bags,James!)

Joffrey Gorge was even more hair raising than yesterday's Dales Gorge walk. 'Suited to experienced walkers with a high level of fitness'.

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Tim and Fidge were a wealth of information about the number of deaths and accidents that happen in the gorges. In fact they have had a friend fall to his death and his child become crippled on the same walks we were doing with our 5 kids aged 6-13 all in thongs! So aware of the dangers they took it all very seriously and slowly and carefully. Kids were always within sight, an adult at the front, middle and back, yes that's me! Happy, camera in hand, bringing up the rear.

As we started our way down the steep track into Joffrey a man shouted from the look out above "You won't get to the bottom with those kids!" "We'll be right!, We've got the Agnews!"

Much of the decent into the Gorge was a two to three man job. Tim, Fidge and

JD helping, lifting, passing, pulling and pushing the smaller ones up and down the more difficult sections.

Tim and Fidge had warned us that we were going to get wet. There were a couple of spots where it was shoes or in most cases thongs off, wading through slippery river rocks.

The kids were incredibly agile and it was so worth the climb when we arrived at the stunningly beautiful gorges. Swims, rock throwing and a couple of the larger girls thrown in by their respective dads!

Back to The Retreat for a cuppa, slushy and some of Fidge's home baked yummy slice, where we met a group who had taken a photo of us climbing out of the Gorge which thanks to Grace we were able to airdrop to our phone)

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Next stop Weano Gorge and Handrail Pool. A class 5 walk "recommended for VERY experienced walkers with a high level of fitness and agility". We got this!

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With phone in ziplock bag, Tim set off in the lead through the water crossing with much needed camera phone above his head.

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Kids swam, girls traversed the right side edge of the cliff.

So much adventure and great excitement until we come across the P&W ranger and a casualty, poor girl looked very sore and shaken awaiting back-up help to remove her from the bottom of the Gorge.

We learned later that she had slipped while trying to take a photo at the top of Handrail, bashed her head several times before hitting the water at the bottom unconscious!

The Ranger eyed us all top to barefoot bottoms and gave us (JD and I) a severe talking to about safety and decending into handrail "USING BOTH HANDS on the the rail at all times. Adult at top and one at bottom to catch any who slip" to which we replied "we've got this...we've got the Agnew's!...they're locals" He didn't look as impressed as he should have.

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Indescribable, amazing scenery!

It really was Gorgeous! But hard to describe to give the spectacular essence of the place full justice. Sheer red cliffs stretched upward up to a piercing blue sky and a points narrowed to arms width, you had to use the sides to balance your way while walking through incredibly slippery smooth river carved through by water.

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The handrail was literally that, a metal handrail bolted to the side of the Gorge down the 90degree drop down the path of the fall, hence very slippery, down into the pool. The decent was handled with great care by our touring hosts, (no one wanted to see the ranger again) straddling the rail was the preferred option and we all made it without incident.

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Waterfall swims, rocks to climb, cliffs to scale while Tim and JD swam off down the Gorge to some other more difficult to access waterfall. No not today for the rest of us!

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Tim came back when his tummy was telling him it was past eating time, which happens quiet often!

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Another swim stop at a quiet little pool

Only quick cause it was 2.30.

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Due care was taken to get back as safely as we had come and we all had a healthy appetite for pre made Tuna/Rice salad.

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A quick stop at Six ways look out @ Junction Pool, where the four gorges and waters all meet. Also the memorial site of a rescue worker, Jimmy Regan, who perished on the job.

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Another car shuffle this time Fidge offered to take all 5 kids so Tim could show JD and I through the irrigation area where the water from the mines is used, well really just taken to get it out of the way. It's used to grow hay for the Rio Tinto owned Station cattle.

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On our road trip, Tim pointed out the tanks and bores for the town water supply where he was responsible for testing the water quality as part of a previous job. Tim and I attempted to take photos of the roadside Mulla Mulla, it was a very humerous team effort, not particularly successful but extremely funny!

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Fidge got the kids home without too much bother. The Darcey/Agnew backseat pattern helped. Thankfully they behaved for her. Fidge had bathed them all on our return (don't throw the baby out with the bath water applied!) and Grace and Lotte set about baking a birthday cake for Fidge's big day tomorrow.

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BBQ for dinner, fire pot and beers till late!

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What an absolutely awesome day!!! Thanks Agnews!!!

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