Two individuals have shaped Tanya’s approach to expeditioning and while admittedly improbable, these unlikely historical figures have honed T-Bird’s thinking in the crucial area of …….. pre-trip preparation.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s (1749 – 1832 German poet, novelist and philosopher) imperative will never apply to her:
“There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.”
Wolfie ponders: “Where is my waterproof Kokatat cravat?”
Nor will Daniel Boone’s (1734-1820. American pioneer and Indian fighter) embarrassed admission apply:
“I can't say I was ever lost but I was bewildered once for three days”.
Boony, Geothy and local crew shredding on a first descent.
So what does Danny and Wolfie’s advice look like in action?
Below is a montage of the pre-expedition exploration that has already occurred and also some idea of where this Kimberly place actually is. These maps give a basic view of the region; stand by for something far better using the Google Earth system. And there’s a bit of history and enviro stuff thrown in at the end too.
Map to right: Find the double red “balloons”, head west to Drysdale, the north west to the Mitchell River National Park, click to enlarge. Photo above: Local bush pilot asking Tanya: “I’ve left my reading glasses behind, do these words say Landing Strip?”
Tanya: “No, they say Taipan Breeding Area”.
Photo right: Tropical low moving east over the Kimberly. The intensity of events like this is exactly how 6 feet of rain is possible from a single storm.
Caleb to Faux: “Holy shit Tanya, I just saw one run the rapid and its eyes were this far apart. You're the leader, you go first”.
Map below: They fly from Kununurra in the east to Doongan, then on to the put-in further east again, click to enlarge. Photo above: Local children training Tanya in indigenous sign language which indicates: “There is a large crocodile about to attack your kayak and its jaws are open wide like this”. Not recorded was the sign for: “Mmm, white meat, you will taste delicious”.
So there you have it for now but Goethe’s expression “Sturm und Drang” refers to “A state of violent disturbance and disorder in politics or social conditions” or “Storm and Urge”.
For the members of Waterfall Dreaming, the latter meaning is certainly true; when the storms come, they feel the urge ……
KIMBERLY HISTORY AND ENVIRO SNIPPET.
The Mitchell and Moran rivers are located in the north Kimberley and were named by the surveyor/explorer F S Brockman, leader of the North West Kimberley Exploring Expedition in 1901.
The remote and rugged 115,300 hectare Mitchell River National Park boasts the spectacular Mitchell Plateau, Mitchell Falls and Merton Falls, along with Surveyors Pool, the Mitchell and King Edward Rivers. It is also a significant Aboriginal heritage site.
The Mitchell Plateau is one of the most scenic and biologically important areas of the State. Small patches of rainforest grow around the margins of the plateau, where they are protected from fire and receive additional moisture.
Open woodlands of grey box, white gum and other trees and shrubs grow around the valleys and creeks. Pandanus and paperbarks line the watercourses. Up to 50 mammal species, 220 bird species and 86 kinds of reptiles and amphibians may occur in the area, including the dangerous saltwater crocodile, death adder, king brown and taipan.
(Always with the dangerous; what about the friendly and fluffy ones?) |
