Pat around Aus: Kennedy Range National Park

We travelled east from Carnarvon to go to Kennedy Range National Park. To get to the park we had to cross a river The river crossing road was damaged due to recent heavy rain so Pop had to take a rocky and sandy detour road.

All along the dirt road there were wildflowers of all colours blooming. Some white flowers looked like snow on the ground.

We camped at Tempe Gorge Campground in the Park. At the campground we set up our camp and got out some snacks and water and went on a two hour walk on the Temple Gorge Trail. The Temple Gorge Trail had rocks shaped like a temple.

The road into Kennedy Range National Park

Our camp site

Walking into Temple Gorge

Near the end of the gorge there was a window rock. We think it looks like a golden harp.

There were nice shady places in the gorge

In the afternoon we went to see the Dawson’s Burrowing Bees which are amazing native bees and they are rare and only found at Kennedy Range and Mt Augustus. We followed the directions to the bees’ hive and we heard the loud buzzing of the bees before we got to their hive which was massive. There were burrows everywhere and the bees were big. The female bees were a light blue and the male bees were brown, yellow and a green colour. The female bees build the nests with turrets so the dirt doesn’t fall back into the hole. They then collect pollen from the poverty bush and Rough Bluebell flowers. They put the pollen in the nest and lay an egg on it so the larvae has food to eat when it hatches. The female bee then seals the nest chamber and the larvae stays in the ground till the next year between July to September and then they hatch out. The bees were really fast going down their holes. The bees don’t sting either but they can bite. I caught one. OUCH! I stayed and watched the bees for ages.

The next day we drove our scooters to Honeycomb Gorge. We saw honeycomb looking holes in the cliff faces that had been eroded by wind and water.

The beginning of the walk

A lava ball

Round lava balls in the limestone and sandstone. Pop thinks the balls eventually fall out leaving holes.

The view from Sunrise Mountain. I'm walking down the track

More view from Sunrise Mountain

I found an interesting bug in one of the holes.

The last gorge we went to see was Drapers Gorge. We walked for about two hours through a creek with lots of shiny volcanic rocks. We went up steep tracks and along rock ledges. At one rockpool we saw beautiful Star Finches that were brown and red.

I really enjoyed Kennedy Range National Park!