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gemfyre21/3/2011
I just had the scare of my life. Worse I think than getting bogged on a road in the middle of nowhere that no-one had travelled on in days.
I had just began the trail into Mandu Mandu Gorge – I had no intentions of doing the full 3km walk, I just wanted to see the start of the gorge. I made a misstep on some rock and fell. And my right knee went out (dislocated). I have nightmares about this and now it was happening.
(ETA : Both of my knees have been dislocating on occasion since I was 9 years old. It's an injury I'm very familiar with. It's still no barrel of laughs).
My first reaction was to scream at the top of my lungs in horror and disbelief and then call for help. But I knew there were no other cars in the carpark, and the gorge carpark is a decent way in off the road. Someone probably would have arrived eventually, but I had no idea how long I'd have to wait.
I took a few deep breaths and adjusted myself to be a bit more comfortable, and started working on getting my leg straight. I know if I get my leg straight, the kneecap will go in again. To me it looked as bad as the last time I did this (you know, when I ended up in a brace for 6 weeks and on crutches for 4 months). This was the other leg, which in a way is good, it means that both knees are equally weak, or strong. I was obviously wrong about the severity of the dislocation (or if I wasn't, then I must have had some serious adrenaline coursing through my system).
I worked my backpack off my back (thank God I'd bought it with me, I almost just headed off with my bins and my camera, I really didn't intend to walk that far – and I'd barely got out of sight of the carpark when the disaster struck). I found my radio and started calling for help. I had only tried a few channels, with no answer when I thought to myself, “You're going to have to do this by yourself, or sit here roasting in the sun all afternoon.” I put the radio down and started making a concerted effort on my knee. Slowly sliding my foot down the rock, pushing on the kneecap, working on getting my leg straight. Although it still hurt, somehow I was able to ignore the pain more effectively than usual. Honestly, it can't have been more than 10 minutes before I had my leg straight and pop, in went the kneecap back to its rightful spot. THANK GOD. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It's interesting, when you have no-one around to be concerned about you or to whinge to you just get down to business. I didn't feel faint, it hardly even hurt (but maybe that's just because I am so damn used to the feeling of dislocating my knee these days). And now I know that I am capable of doing it myself if I really need to – although I didn't really have too much doubt about that.
(ETA : Seeing as it's still healing 2 weeks later, I have a feeling it MAY have been as bad a dislocation as last time, or almost. Just goes to show how differently you react when you're coursing with adrenaline and have no-one to whinge to).
I had some water and put my long sleeved shirt on to protect me from the sun while I rested for a few minutes. I then gingerly managed to get on my feet and limp back to the carpark, I figured I'd write this while I was resting. My knee aches, but it's usable. I guess Mandu Mandu Gorge will have to wait until another time. I think I want to spend the afternoon swimming at Turquoise Bay, where there are plenty of people around just in case something goes wrong.
Okay, well now lets catch up on the rest of the day, which was actually pretty awesome apart from my little accident.
Morning was leisurely. I made breakfast of eggs on toast and the yolks were perfect and runny. Then I headed off about 10 to 9 to head to Yardie Creek Gorge to take a wander around there. On the way I poked my head into the hide, because according to the signs, it's better at high tide. True, it was. About 5 Grey-tailed Tattlers were balanced on a rock. That was it.
First item on the agenda at Yardie Gorge was to look at the creek crossing that I very briefly considered crossing early in my planning before I came to my senses. Even if the conditions were right (which they were not), it was a saltwater crossing, no way I was subjecting my car to that. The water wasn't too deep, but it was running fast and surrounded by banks of soft sand. Since Cyclone Vance in 1999 the sandbar has been open, no doubt Carlos helped clear it out a bit more. Yardie Gorge is the only gorge in the Cape Range with permanent water, because it is near the ocean and so deep that the water table seeps into it.
I did the 'Nature Trail' which was a short walk on a level gravel surface and immediately decided I could go on and do the 'Gorge Walk', a slightly more challenging, but shorter walk up the gorge. About the only birds I saw were Kestrels and Singing Honeyeaters, but the views were fantastic and I spotted a turtle swimming about the gorge. The trail soon led to a steep trail downwards into a gully then back up the other side to near the end of the trail. I decided that was far enough for me, with my silly knee and all (heh, little did I know).
I poked my head in at a few of the camping sites and beaches on the way back up the coast. One bloke was in an old bus with “Just Cruisin'” painted on the side. He was accompanied by a trailer, a tinny and an vintage looking ute. I really wanted to take a photo, but he was out the front at the time so I figured I'd better not. A place called Bloodwood Creek yielded Black-winged Stilt, Red-capped Plover and a couple of emus coming down to cool their feet.
After that was my little fiasco at Mandu Mandu Gorge. After all that drama I went straight to the Visitor's Centre to get something for lunch and to rest a while. They don't have much in the way of food and I contented myself with a sausage roll before sitting in the theatre there and watching a film about the life on Ningaloo Reef. After I was rested I got changed into my bathers ready for a dip at Turquoise Bay once again.
As usual the water was beautiful and clear and turquoise blue and a particular sort of fish teemed around in the sandy area where people swam. Many tried to catch one, none succeeded. I swam and floated about for a while, gently flexing and stretching my knee which had become quite tight and a bit sore.
I was starting to prune up and preparing to leave when a family that had been out snorkeling returned and the husband announced that the coral and stuff was slightly further along the beach, in those dark areas over there. It wasn't far and another couple was making a bee line for the area, so I grabbed my goggles and did the same, not bothering with the old snorkel that I am no good at using anyway. At least now I had people nearby too so I could feel safe while I was exploring. My goggles were old and ill-fitting and kept fogging up and of course I just had to hold my breath while I looked, but WOW. You could walk right up to lumps of coral and stick your head under the water and see loads of colourful reef fish. I also spotted many a sea cucumber and a rainbow-coloured parrotfish, possibly the highlight for me. We must have spent at least half an hour out there looking around in amazement. I now really hope I can get on one of these snorkel tours out of Coral Bay. If not, at least now I think I have the confidence to hire a snorkel and proper goggles and go out there.
By this time it was 4:30 and low tide, so I returned to Mangrove Bay to check out the mudflats. Success! There were a few types of waders mucking about there and Mangrove Grey Fantail in the mangroves. I took a walk along the mangroves and also saw mudskippers and hundreds of tiny fiddler crabs. It was just great to smell the mudflats – it's a unique smell that I find quite invigorating. The bird hide once again was a dud.
I headed back to camp and sat reading and doing crossword puzzles until the sun went down. Now I am preparing dinner and will have a shower after that and get to bed sometime. Tomorrow I am on to Coral Bay, can't wait to see what wonder await down there. Hopefully my knee comes good.
21/3/2011 (Yardie Creek Homestead, Mangrove Bay, Yardie Gorge, Bloodwood Creek, Oyster Stacks, Mandu Mandu Gorge, Milyering Vistor's Centre, Turquoise Bay, Tantabiddy Boat Ramp)
Australian Pipit
Australian Ringneck
Bar-tailed Godwit
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Black-faced Woodswallow
Black-winged Stilt
Brown Honeyeater (H)
Brown Songlark
Crested Bellbird (H)
Crested Pigeon
Eastern Reef-egret
Emu
Galah
Greater Sand Plover
Grey Plover
Grey-tailed Tattler
Little Corella
Magpie Lark
Mangrove Grey Fantail
Mistletoebird (H)
Nankeen Kestrel
Osprey
Pied Butcherbird
Rainbow Bee-eater
Red-capped Plover
Singing Honeyeater
Torresian Crow
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Welcome Swallow
Western Bowerbird
Whimbrel
Yellow-throated Miner
Zebra Finch (H)
The rest of today's photos are here.
I just had the scare of my life. Worse I think than getting bogged on a road in the middle of nowhere that no-one had travelled on in days.
I had just began the trail into Mandu Mandu Gorge – I had no intentions of doing the full 3km walk, I just wanted to see the start of the gorge. I made a misstep on some rock and fell. And my right knee went out (dislocated). I have nightmares about this and now it was happening.
(ETA : Both of my knees have been dislocating on occasion since I was 9 years old. It's an injury I'm very familiar with. It's still no barrel of laughs).
My first reaction was to scream at the top of my lungs in horror and disbelief and then call for help. But I knew there were no other cars in the carpark, and the gorge carpark is a decent way in off the road. Someone probably would have arrived eventually, but I had no idea how long I'd have to wait.
I took a few deep breaths and adjusted myself to be a bit more comfortable, and started working on getting my leg straight. I know if I get my leg straight, the kneecap will go in again. To me it looked as bad as the last time I did this (you know, when I ended up in a brace for 6 weeks and on crutches for 4 months). This was the other leg, which in a way is good, it means that both knees are equally weak, or strong. I was obviously wrong about the severity of the dislocation (or if I wasn't, then I must have had some serious adrenaline coursing through my system).
I worked my backpack off my back (thank God I'd bought it with me, I almost just headed off with my bins and my camera, I really didn't intend to walk that far – and I'd barely got out of sight of the carpark when the disaster struck). I found my radio and started calling for help. I had only tried a few channels, with no answer when I thought to myself, “You're going to have to do this by yourself, or sit here roasting in the sun all afternoon.” I put the radio down and started making a concerted effort on my knee. Slowly sliding my foot down the rock, pushing on the kneecap, working on getting my leg straight. Although it still hurt, somehow I was able to ignore the pain more effectively than usual. Honestly, it can't have been more than 10 minutes before I had my leg straight and pop, in went the kneecap back to its rightful spot. THANK GOD. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It's interesting, when you have no-one around to be concerned about you or to whinge to you just get down to business. I didn't feel faint, it hardly even hurt (but maybe that's just because I am so damn used to the feeling of dislocating my knee these days). And now I know that I am capable of doing it myself if I really need to – although I didn't really have too much doubt about that.
(ETA : Seeing as it's still healing 2 weeks later, I have a feeling it MAY have been as bad a dislocation as last time, or almost. Just goes to show how differently you react when you're coursing with adrenaline and have no-one to whinge to).
I had some water and put my long sleeved shirt on to protect me from the sun while I rested for a few minutes. I then gingerly managed to get on my feet and limp back to the carpark, I figured I'd write this while I was resting. My knee aches, but it's usable. I guess Mandu Mandu Gorge will have to wait until another time. I think I want to spend the afternoon swimming at Turquoise Bay, where there are plenty of people around just in case something goes wrong.
 |
|
| Mandu Mandu Gorge This is all I ended up seeing of the gorge. I slipped and dislocated my knee nearby and thought it better that I didn't go bushwalking alone after that. |
Okay, well now lets catch up on the rest of the day, which was actually pretty awesome apart from my little accident.
Morning was leisurely. I made breakfast of eggs on toast and the yolks were perfect and runny. Then I headed off about 10 to 9 to head to Yardie Creek Gorge to take a wander around there. On the way I poked my head into the hide, because according to the signs, it's better at high tide. True, it was. About 5 Grey-tailed Tattlers were balanced on a rock. That was it.
First item on the agenda at Yardie Gorge was to look at the creek crossing that I very briefly considered crossing early in my planning before I came to my senses. Even if the conditions were right (which they were not), it was a saltwater crossing, no way I was subjecting my car to that. The water wasn't too deep, but it was running fast and surrounded by banks of soft sand. Since Cyclone Vance in 1999 the sandbar has been open, no doubt Carlos helped clear it out a bit more. Yardie Gorge is the only gorge in the Cape Range with permanent water, because it is near the ocean and so deep that the water table seeps into it.
 |
Yardie Creek Crossing At very low tides and when the sandbar is blocking the creek mouth this is sometimes crossable. It's still hell on cars though due to soft sand and saltwater. Many people get stuck and/or damaged crossing here. If you DO cross you can take the 4WD down the western side of the peninsula to Coral Bay, instead of going back up and around on the bitumen. |
I did the 'Nature Trail' which was a short walk on a level gravel surface and immediately decided I could go on and do the 'Gorge Walk', a slightly more challenging, but shorter walk up the gorge. About the only birds I saw were Kestrels and Singing Honeyeaters, but the views were fantastic and I spotted a turtle swimming about the gorge. The trail soon led to a steep trail downwards into a gully then back up the other side to near the end of the trail. I decided that was far enough for me, with my silly knee and all (heh, little did I know).
| Yardie Creek Gorge Osprey, Kestrels, Swallows and Woodswallows all nest on the rock faces. |
 |
I poked my head in at a few of the camping sites and beaches on the way back up the coast. One bloke was in an old bus with “Just Cruisin'” painted on the side. He was accompanied by a trailer, a tinny and an vintage looking ute. I really wanted to take a photo, but he was out the front at the time so I figured I'd better not. A place called Bloodwood Creek yielded Black-winged Stilt, Red-capped Plover and a couple of emus coming down to cool their feet.
 |
Bloodwood Creek A tidal creek that wasn't too bad for birdwatching. Two emus wandered down for a paddle while I watched. |
After that was my little fiasco at Mandu Mandu Gorge. After all that drama I went straight to the Visitor's Centre to get something for lunch and to rest a while. They don't have much in the way of food and I contented myself with a sausage roll before sitting in the theatre there and watching a film about the life on Ningaloo Reef. After I was rested I got changed into my bathers ready for a dip at Turquoise Bay once again.
As usual the water was beautiful and clear and turquoise blue and a particular sort of fish teemed around in the sandy area where people swam. Many tried to catch one, none succeeded. I swam and floated about for a while, gently flexing and stretching my knee which had become quite tight and a bit sore.
I was starting to prune up and preparing to leave when a family that had been out snorkeling returned and the husband announced that the coral and stuff was slightly further along the beach, in those dark areas over there. It wasn't far and another couple was making a bee line for the area, so I grabbed my goggles and did the same, not bothering with the old snorkel that I am no good at using anyway. At least now I had people nearby too so I could feel safe while I was exploring. My goggles were old and ill-fitting and kept fogging up and of course I just had to hold my breath while I looked, but WOW. You could walk right up to lumps of coral and stick your head under the water and see loads of colourful reef fish. I also spotted many a sea cucumber and a rainbow-coloured parrotfish, possibly the highlight for me. We must have spent at least half an hour out there looking around in amazement. I now really hope I can get on one of these snorkel tours out of Coral Bay. If not, at least now I think I have the confidence to hire a snorkel and proper goggles and go out there.
By this time it was 4:30 and low tide, so I returned to Mangrove Bay to check out the mudflats. Success! There were a few types of waders mucking about there and Mangrove Grey Fantail in the mangroves. I took a walk along the mangroves and also saw mudskippers and hundreds of tiny fiddler crabs. It was just great to smell the mudflats – it's a unique smell that I find quite invigorating. The bird hide once again was a dud.
I headed back to camp and sat reading and doing crossword puzzles until the sun went down. Now I am preparing dinner and will have a shower after that and get to bed sometime. Tomorrow I am on to Coral Bay, can't wait to see what wonder await down there. Hopefully my knee comes good.
21/3/2011 (Yardie Creek Homestead, Mangrove Bay, Yardie Gorge, Bloodwood Creek, Oyster Stacks, Mandu Mandu Gorge, Milyering Vistor's Centre, Turquoise Bay, Tantabiddy Boat Ramp)
Australian Pipit
Australian Ringneck
Bar-tailed Godwit
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Black-faced Woodswallow
Black-winged Stilt
Brown Honeyeater (H)
Brown Songlark
Crested Bellbird (H)
Crested Pigeon
Eastern Reef-egret
Emu
Galah
Greater Sand Plover
Grey Plover
Grey-tailed Tattler
Little Corella
Magpie Lark
Mangrove Grey Fantail
Mistletoebird (H)
Nankeen Kestrel
Osprey
Pied Butcherbird
Rainbow Bee-eater
Red-capped Plover
Singing Honeyeater
Torresian Crow
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Welcome Swallow
Western Bowerbird
Whimbrel
Yellow-throated Miner
Zebra Finch (H)
The rest of today's photos are here.
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no subject
Date: 2011-04-03 02:59 am (UTC)When I tore the meniscus in my left knee, I was halfway up the stairs of Victoria station; fortunately there was a white knight who carried my suitcase up the rest of the stairs for me.
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Date: 2011-04-03 03:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-03 05:07 am (UTC)Ouch! Glad you sorted it out!