Day 81 - Fitzroy Crossing - Geikie Gorge

Today we joined a tour group to visit the Geikie Gorge.  After a tour of the town we were taken to the Fitzroy River, via the old Fitzroy River Crossing, to join a boat for a trip up the gorge.  Geikie Gorge is situated at the junction of the Oscar and the Geikie Ranges. The mighty Fitzroy River has carved a 30 metre deep gorge into the remains of the ancient limestone barrier reef that existed there in the Devonian period. There are a couple of large sandbanks which back up the river for about 16km.  At its deepest in the dry season the river is up to 14m deep.

When the Fitzroy is in full flood during the wet season it covers the whole national park. Those floods rise over 16 metres up the gorge walls and the continuous rise and fall of the water has left the bottom of the walls bleached white.  

We saw a number of Johnson fresh water crocodiles but we must admit, we are "out crocodiled" at the moment.  There was plenty of bird life too. 

Our tour ended with a visit to The Crossing Inn.  The historic Crossing Inn sits on it's original site on the banks of the mighty Fitzroy River, and is the oldest established hotel in the entire Kimberleys region. 

Following is a link to more pictures of Geikie Gorge. Copy and paste the link into a search engine if you wish to see more.

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=Geikie+Gorge&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=tLKrU_bbFcK4lQXHnIHQCw&ved=0CD0Q7Ak&biw=1440&bih=716

260614 Our tour group and van on the old Fitzroy River crossing

260614 Exiting the old Fitzroy River crossing

260614 The walls of the Geikie Gorge

260614 The limestone rocks are washed by the floodwaters

 260614 Some grotesque shapes formed by the erosion of the limestone cliffs

260614 The layered nature of the old reef

260614 A bigger picture of the gorge's walls

260614 The Crossing Inn - the oldest established hotel in the Kimberlys