Escarpment Base Trail
Kennedy Range National Park
Directions - Kennedy Range National Park is located just under three hours east of Carnarvon, and 50 minutes north of Gascoyne Junction. From the Temple Gorge Campground, head back out of the park, taking a left tun before the park exit and following the signs for Honeycomb Gorge and Sunrise View. There is a small car park for Sunrise View and the trail head is next to the wooden sign.
The Hike - Spending a full day exploring the numerous trails located within Kennedy Range National Park, I had taken in a lovely sunrise from the aptly named Sunrise View. The plan was to hike all six of the available trails in one day, which meant a fair bit of forward thinking had to go into the order of what trail to do when. Having completed the Sunrise View Trail at sunrise, my thought behind doing the Escarpment Base Trail next was to get the longest trail completed while it was still relatively cool, and as the range faces east, the lighting would be better in the morning.
Having packed up my tent and sleeping gear, shoved it in the car and rushed off to catch the sunrise, I hadn't made breakfast yet, so in the car park for the Sunrise View Trail, I setup my table and set about brewing a cup of tea and enjoying a delicious Radix breakfast meal. Watching the changing colours as I sipped on a cup of Earl Grey, this was a nice calm moment before attempting to do a lot of hiking. I was joined by many friends as time went by, with the flies waking up and deciding that I was a good target for them to pester. With my calming breakfast being slowly ruined by more and more flies, I packed everything up and filled up my water bottles for the longest trail in the park. The bite of the sun could already be felt when I set off at 8am, and my newfound friends were all keen on joining me as I left the car park and ascended the small hill I had just watched the sunrise from.
The Escarpment Base Trail (not to be confused with the nearby Escarpment Trail that climbs up onto the top of the range) runs north-south from Sunrise View to Draper Gorge, providing access to all the short walks into the interior of the range from the Temple Gorge Campground. For the sake of this hike, I was only going to hike from Sunrise View to Temple Gorge and back, as most people visiting won't have two cars to do a shuffle. Walking north to south for this first leg meant that the views looking to the south were fantastic, as the sun was going to my on my back. The flat top of the weathered range was looking just as good as the early morning, as I left the Sunrise View Trail and continued along the well defined rocky path that weaves around the lower slopes of the range. With the flat expanse of heath off to my left, and the dramatic cliffs of the Kennedy Range to my right, this was going to be a scenic way to explore the area, and get my bearings on the landscape.
Just as the name suggests, you follow the base of the Kennedy Range, and that means wiggling around the lower contours of the nearby cliffs. This first stretch leads from Sunrise View to the start of the Honeycomb Gorge Trail, and it was a nice start to the walk. Looking across the little bowl created by the flowing water off the range over millions of years, the high cliff faces and jagged little peaks are a wonder to stop and stare up at. Along with the flies, there were plenty of little crickets hopping around, and I was lucky to get a couple to stop long enough in one spot to take a photo. Much easier to spot and photograph were the large ants going about their business, with some sporting glistening golden bums that looked a treat when the light caught them at the right angle. Arriving at the access road for the Honeycomb Gorge Trail, you can see the famous honeycomb erosion as you look towards the cliffs, something I would be checking out in person after this hike.
Continuing along, this was one of the more awe-inspiring sections of the trail, as you cross the road and hug the edge of the cliffs from a distance of about 100 metres. Walking towards the endless plains to the east, this exposed section of the trail has a mystic about it, amplified by the rocky spires to your right that changed shape as you walked further along. Weathered down over tens of millions of years, these geological survivors stand tall in the landscape, and provide some great features to photograph against the bright morning sky. This area also marked the start of the wildflower and bird finds, with lots of pink Frankenia magnifica in flower, and plenty of birds that I wasn't quite close enough to take photos of. Rounding the corner, I couldn't stop staring up at the magnificence of the tall spire to my right, beaming in the morning sun. Coming across a series of square shaped boulders, this was an unexpected delight, and one that looked a bit out of place.
A much different style of boulder to the rounded granite ones you'll see in the south of Western Australia, or even the windswept shapes along the coastline of Kalbarri, the straight edges and box like shape of these boulders was striking. With the way the light and shadows were cast on one particular boulder, you could be excused for thinking this was a public art display making a comment on the decline of cubism in a post modernism world, juxtaposed with the timeless nature of the ancient landscape. The face in the rock you can see in the second photo gallery above certainly caused me to stop in my tracks. This whole complex of boulders was pretty fascinating and I can see why the trail was taken right through it. This spot is also where you'll find the widest section of east facing cliffs, and the sheer bulk of them is an impressive spectacle.
The birds of prey love the cliffs, and over the course of the day I'd spot several Nankeen Kestrels using them as lookouts while they searched for meals. Finally getting a bird to stay still long enough for a photo, a Crested Pigeon stopped on a nearby branch. When I see them back home, I call them fancy pigeons, as they look more striking with their little pointy hats. After 1.5km of walking south along the edge of the cliffs, you start to turn west again as you follow the contours to where Temple Gorge has carved a path through the range. Recognising the shapes of the distant hills from my afternoon exploration of the campground last night, it didn't feel like I was almost at the turnaround point. This section was a fantastic finish though, with some stunning breaks in the cliffs that made me want to head up there and explore the entire area.
This area was rife with colour, as the wildflower display ramped up in what is a pretty arid region of Western Australia. More Frankenia magnifica was joined with Acacia ramulosa, Trachymene pilbarensis, the beginnings of the Pink Mulla Mulla flowering period, and the bright red berries of the Barrier Saltbush. While it was the dead of winter up here, and this was coming into prime wildflower season, it was still nice to see so many varieties lining the trail. As I was walking along, something caught my eye in the scree covered foothills, a Bigurda (or Euro as they're commonly known as). I got a couple of photos before they bounded away behind some boulders. Pretty soon I was walking parallel to the entry road leading to the campground and knew the turnaround point was near. Crossing a dry creek bed, the seasonal water source provides a refuge for various plants, and this is where you might find some flowering species like the Silver Cassia, as I did.
I had explored near this area the previous evening but not quite as far as the trail leading to the wide road heading towards Temple Gorge. Popping out onto the road, I stared down to the end, knowing I would be exploring there in an hour or so. Rehydrating in some nearby shade, I was passed by a couple that were heading towards Honeycomb Gorge, furiously swatting at the flies that were annoying them too. Giving them a head start, I eventually got going again, excited to see the trail from a different perspective, and also spot things that I may have missed, such as the Spiny Fan Flower and Dead Finish. The bird life was more kind on the return journey, with a Willie Wagtail fluttering about, and a pair of Diamond Doves posing nicely for some photos. The return hike was a much quicker affair but I still took time to enjoy the scenery, stopping to photograph the dragonflies and golden bummed ants (which are Calomyrmex glauerti). Arriving back at my car, the longest trail was over, and I could enjoy penetrating the various gorges for the rest of the day.
Final Thoughts - When in a new city or town, the thing I like to do most in order to get a feel for the place, and get my bearings, is to go for a walk.
While there is nothing here but a campground and walk trails in terms of facilities, I still prefer to go for a long walk instead of driving around. Being a pretty long trail if you walk it as a there and back, the Escarpment Base Trail provides a great way to appreciate the Kennedy Range from a much wider lens.
While most will use the trail as a means to get from the campground to the other walk trails, I think it does alright as a standalone trail.
Get out there and experience it!
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