Recreation in Nature!

Oct 21, 2015 @ 2pm, by Emmanuel Higgins

On Sunday and Monday this week, we had the most blessed time hiking in Carnarvon Gorge National Park! Well... sore muscles, scratches and bruises too, but well worth it!

We stuck to the main track the first day, and walked to the end (The Big Bend) and back (about 20+ kms).

The second day was the most adventurous! We walked to a place called "The Moss Garden", and then went off the track to explore a part of the gorge we had been told about by friends at Emerald. It was called 'Hellhole Gorge'. Not the nicest name, but a very spectacular series of canyons.

We encountered 4 snakes a dozen or so huge spiders (about the size of my hand) and lots of little lizards. The canyons were quite narrow. At times as narrow as 3 meters across. Huge rocks, fallen down tree trunks, and pools of water were scattered all along the way. On one occasion, the only way forward was to swim through a few meters of deep water, and climb up a small waterfall.

Another time, Andy climbed up a particularly difficult small cliff of rocks, and spent 20 minutes or so trying to clear a hole where he could pull us up. He tried pulling me through (being the smallest!), I only succeeded in gaining a few scratches :), we ended up all climbing the way Andy did.

After a few hours of rock-hopping, climbing, and navigating rock pools and other obstacles, the gorge abruptly ended with a waterfall, maybe 40 - 50 meters high, which had a small flow of water passing over. After much deliberation, we succeeded in climbing up a large tree that had fallen down and was leaning up the canyon wall. We explored further up the creek for a while, then climbed to the top of the mountain for a view before retracing our steps all the way back, through all the obstacles and back to the car.

Quite a few times we were reminded of our Christian journey, and its many obstacles, kind of like Pilgrim's progress!

Time spent in nature is the best form of recreation! Not wreck-creation (like some popular activities) but re-creation! A time when God can impress and speak to us through nature. A time when we can be refreshed, and feel renewed, as well as expend lots of energy!!

Below are some pictures of our time in Carnarvon gorge.