23.02.2023 from Mambray Creek CP in Mount Remarkable NP to Cowell

23.02.2023 from Mambray Creek CP in Mount Remarkable NP to Cowell

It's already quite warm early in the morning, but we decide to go for a short morning hike, 2.5 km return is not too much, but in the heat it can be exhausting. We trudge up the path, the Alligator Pool and a view over Spencer Gulf are promised to us. There is no water in the pool and there are no alligators here. The view of Spencer Gulf and the NP shows us how important it is to establish and preserve national parks. The first and subsequent settlers have converted all possible areas into agricultural and grazing land, leaving no chance for the natural vegetation and habitat for the animals.

In the NP there is another entrance, but it is 60 km away on the road. As the crow flies, it is only 11 km, but who wants to hike that in this heat. So we drive to the second entrance, where we can visit the Ali Lookout and Alligator Gorge. The Ali Lookout is still bearable, there are 45 moderate steps down, and we are rewarded with a beautiful view into the gorge and there are explanations. Because once upon a time, an Aboriginal man worked as a shepherd for 2000 sheep for a white farmer. Everyone called the man Ali, and one day the people decided to name this place in the gorge after Ali.

We hike back and descend into the gorge, it's 30 degrees, and we climb down 250 large steps, admiring the gorge. Why the gorge was named after the alligators is explained today as follows: the settlers saw a goanna, a lace monitor, and they mistook it for an alligator.

The 250 steps up are very difficult for us. We continue to Port Augusta, we will come back here and drive into the outback and then to Eyre Peninsula today. In the town of Whyalla, we find a wifi at the local library and stay there for a long time, finally we can upload the blog posts and pictures and we book the campsites in Lincoln and Coffin Bay NP.

Now we only have to drive 100 km to the destination of today's journey. Today we are staying at a motorhome site on the coast. 10 AUD for a camping spot is reasonable. At 8.30 pm, the camper next to us turned off the generator. I briefly considered applauding.