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.