The arrival time was staggered, which meant that the walk was taken with small groups rather than the usual big and noisy one.
The guide board describes the walk as “easy to moderate, 5km loop and would take 1.5 hrs”. However the reality was it was extremely steep, with rocky sections – in reality I personally should have taken the task a bit more seriously!
The walk provided vista views of the national park, lush gully trails, river access, water pools, pools and the Den of Nargun. On the way or retuning, depending on if you went clockwise or anticlockwise on the circuit, there is a beautiful natural amphitheatre that has been carved out over millions of years called Deadlock Den. Woolshed Creek cascaded over a number of platforms and then pooling on the rocky bottom. There were lush gullies as green as it gets, with a thick canopy covering everything.
The 500 metre walk off the track to the Den of Nargun was a particularly rocky section – but an amazing sight at the end. Aboriginal legend describes a Nargun – a female creature that is made of stone except for the breasts, arms and hands – is very fierce and lives in the den. The Nargun would drag unwary passer-by’s into the den. Any weapon directed against it would be turned back on its owner. It holds cultural significance particular for women. There is a spiritual feeling there and even on the approach I felt the need to be quiet and respectful.
There was a lot to explore – the grandeur of the Mitchell River National Park, the amazing Dens that have a Northern Territory feel and the rich aboriginal history. Driving onto Bairnsdale I felt a peace and that I had been somewhere really special.
Bev Piper