Valley of the Eagles walk

The Valley of the Eagles walk is a pleasant short (about 6km) walk up a ridge in the  Gunderbooka National park.

I visited at the crack of dawn to avoid the heat and hopefully see some animals. I was fortunate to see some eagles taking off from their nests..

The trailhead starts with the dirt equivalent of the "red carpet".  A good analogy, where the star of the show is the range at the end and the birds soaring in its valleys.

The native flowers are discretely hidden in the seemingly endless olive and brown drab foliage. The spots of floral colour are a welcome adornment.

Atop the range, the vista is presented. On display is the vastness of the west.  It seems to go on without variation, and indeed it does.  However, on this road trip up close I see a very much different perspective. The creeks, rivers and waterholes, bird life and other animals bring it all alive.

Feral goats are everywhere in the west. In this national park, there is no exception. I quite like them, much more than say dogs, pigs or cane toads.

After a few kilometres of walking on a compromised foot, this park bench was a welcome offering that I accepted. I had the park (and this bench) to myself and it, was great to sit quietly and just be.

I stayed in the campgrounds at Rose Isle Station . The camp showers were fun, a MacGyver build from old concrete water tanks, 200 litre drums with open fire for the hot water and bits of pipe plumbed here and there.  In a fashion, they work. 

The Darling river meanders on past. Plenty of fish were jumping, and very canny at avoiding my attempts to catch them.

Wherever I am, there are many birds. I still yearn to learn about their identification, but somehow the inclination evaporates as soon as I leave the environment. So, I will remain happy to be an ignorant admirer.

You can't beat the sunsets in the west. Well, those on the sea and the mountains will probably dispute that. A sunset is special when you spend the time to relax and enjoy the moment.

I have spent the time building this van. It is not complete, but it is ready for adventure. I am glad to be reaping the rewards.

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