Exploring Isla Gorge

The topographic map (1:100K scale) is, as expected, of limited utility when exploring Isla Gorge National Park. The contour interval (at 20 metres) is too large to show the intricate and steep or overhanging rock features and appears compressed by the scale. You can scramble up a slope you estimate, based on the map, will lead from the base of the gorge to the upper ridges, only to be stymied by overhanging cliffs with no break to pass through. However, with the average depth of the gorge only about 100 metres, any reasonably fit bush-walker will be able to walk up and down to the ridge line multiple times so if the first exit route does not work, finding another is not all that difficult.

The afternoon before, with a couple of hours of daylight in hand, we had walked along a ridge which first led east from the small campground. A good foot-pad was evidence that many people had walked this way. After half a kilometre, the ridge splits and we took the northerly trending ridge scrambling down off a rocky bluff to a saddle to the south of a line of three little rocky bluffs in a row (see picture below). The rocky pimple, atop the rightmost bluff in the photo is actually a separate rock bluff to the east.

The first bluff was undercut to the south and west so we scrambled around on slabs past many caves and overhangs to a broad saddle between bluffs one and two. Here, we found a scramble route up to the top of the second bluff and walked along the top until walking down the north side was easy. We were running out of daylight to walk up the third bluff, but it looked possible from the east. On our return, we contoured around the eastern side of both bluffs (for something different). The ground was loose and steep but manageable.

Next day, we descended to Isla Gorge Creek following a good, cairned (unnecessary) foot-pad north from the end of the lookout trail. The creek was dry except for a couple of pools of skanky looking water in rock holes, so any walking requires all water to be carried even in this wet year. We easily followed a fork of the creek that ran south walking in the creek bottom. Our plan was to follow the creek for a couple of kilometres and then walk up-slope to the east to intersect the park access road.

The first slope we scrambled up went easily enough, weaving through some lower broken cliff bands past more eroded caves until we landed on a rocky saddle between two undercut turrets on a ridge not shown on the map (due to scale). In the picture below you can see two overhanging turrets separated by a bushy looking saddle which is not at all bushy when you are there. The second picture below shows the southerly turret on the ridge.

Egress from this area required us descending back down and either contouring around the turrets to scramble up through breaks in the gorge rim to the east or, walking back down to the creek and taking a steep route up talus and slabs to the west. The western route looked better so that is what we did turning the west ridge around the north end, although I suspect other passes could be found. We had scraps of animal trails along the way.

This was a very nice ridge to walk along, quite open, about 8 metres wide with good views to either side (see below). As we walked the ridge widened gradually and we walked out of the bush to meet the highway and turned to the left (north) to walk back to the camping area.

Later that afternoon, I walked back along the ridge track we had followed the day before but this time instead of branching off to the north, I followed the ridge east until I could walk north again to the edge of the gorge and scramble down a broad slope to a lower saddle and, continuing north, I worked my way up through loose broken cliff bands until I arrived at the top of the rock pimple east of the three rocky turrets from our previous walk.

Judging by the size of the two cairns on this pimple, people are pretty stoked to get here, although it is easy, if loose. To the east, I could see the last remnants of the gorge and out onto the open plains but the view to the lookout ridge is blocked by the three rock turrets.

Isla Gorge is a small National Park, but, if you are passing by, there is plenty of scope for exploration, although official trails are limited to the one short walk to the lookout.