Bell Gorge, Western Australia

Driving outback Australia, with broken air-con, there is nothing more appealing than clean, cool, crocodile-free, water hole. Bell Gorge is one such on the Gibb River Road, in northern Western Australia.  We had driven all day and got to the camping spot late. We put the tent up in record time, and hopped back in the car – as the “nearby” water hole was actually about 5km down the road.

We arrive about 30 minutes before sunset, which is early this far north. We arrived just as a tour group left, and we had the place almost to ourselves. As it was mid-dry season the water was fairly shallow, but deep enough to float in.  This is actually the top pool of a series of falls, so it would be positively dangerous in the wet season, and you’d need a helicopter to get there to! The air temperature was in the mid-30’s and I suspect the water was around 25C!