Mitchell Falls

Little Mertens Falls

10th June 2012

We were up before the sun this morning and on the very bumpy, steep and windy road out to Mitchell Falls. The Pajero was lucky enough to get a break from towing the camper today and it helped us to take only an hour and a half to get out to the start of the walking track. The worst section of the road was the twelve kilometres into the national park day use area. We had considered getting a ride in the helicopter out of Mitchell Falls, but at $110 a person, even three year olds, we would be walking in and out. After a quick breakfast, we were on our way. It took us two hours to walk to Mitchell Falls. The walk is not overly challenging, just long with two water crossings. We had a rest and started the long walk back.

Little Mertens Falls

There is no correct wording for what we experienced at Big Mertens Falls on our way back, but I will do my best. A 37 year old Victorian woman walking with an APT tour group tragically fell at Big Mertens Falls and our family was present for the immediate aftermath. The remainder of the APT tour group moved away and the woman's husband and one tour guide remained. They were both in shock. I am not sure we will ever forget their faces. Chris dragged the devastated husband away from the sixty metre cliff edge and did what he could to make sure that the two men were ok. There was little else that could be done as there was no equipment or first aid kit with a shock blanket. The feeling of helplessness was hardest for Chris as he is trained to respond to these kind of situations. With heavy hearts, we continued our walk back to the car in silence. Everybody was very sad and the kids had the odd question but it was a general grey heaviness that accompanied us home.

Aboriginal artwork Mitchell Falls Walk

We stopped for a bit of a snack before getting back in the car. A gentleman approached us with our underwater camera that we didn't even know we had lost. In a funny turn of events, he found our camera after his had stopped working so he used our camera to take some photo's. We made it back to camp pretty quickly and packed up and headed back down the Kalumburu Road to Drysdale Station. We arrived pretty late and everybody was a bit worse for wear. A hot shower and dinner at the restaurant and bed. There were things that happened days prior to today that lead to today occurring how it did. For some reason, we were meant to have this experience. I am not sure exactly what it is we are supposed to take away from today; maybe in time......

Big Mertens Falls

Top of Big Mertens Falls

Michell Falls