"The GORGE"
The gorge aka Wungong Gorge has been one of my favourite places to visit since the 1980s.
It is a breathtaking valley or gorge, showcasing sheer cliffs to a stream way below,(see photos here)
where the Darling Scarp abruptly rises from the plateau of the metropolitan area of Perth.
It is best reached on foot from Bedfordale or Byford. This requires a hike of 40-80min at normal walking pace along gravel tracks.
I have sighted eagles and feral pigs in this gorge in the 1980's. Kangaroos, birds, lizards, snakes, ants,flies, and those darn kangaroo ticks! are all present in large numbers.
a mob o' kangas in the bush near Byford...In the east, Wungong Dam is visible from the Byford side, and on a day of good visibility* it is possible to make out islands out to sea in the west from the Bedfordale side.
On the Bedfordale side there is one section where dense scrub gives way to sheer cliffs with no warning at all, so if approaching from the north-western sort of direction on the Bedfordale side, great caution is recommended, particularly in fading light, as the possibility of literally walking off the cliff (like a Rav 4 advert), is feasible.
*****Late 1980's; The days of building huts, playing attackers and defenders, sardines, other fun games etc on the Bedfordale side, generally at night.
Also used to head down there after school sometimes. It might have been during this time when some car-keys were dropped on the Byford side, and we had to spend 2 hours going down to the bottom and back up the other side and then back again. From memory it can take about 30 minutes at least to descend OR ascend one side of the valley.
***** Early 1990's less frequent, but still paid the occasional visit. Including a walk along the length of the valley all the way to Wungong Dam, and my first visit from the Byford side?
*****mid 2000 Went there briefly with my THEN girlfriend/best friend from the Byford side, no descent into the valley.
*****August 2000 Went there with my brother SDP from the Bedfordale end. Full descent, can't remember if we ascended to the Byford side or not, perhaps not.
*****November 2003 Briefly from the Byford side with a mate, no descent into the valley.
An "U.T.G." hiking day, as shown by JP on the edge of the gorge Nov. 2003.
*it is common for the summit of the Scarp at the edge of the gorge (especially at the "landing strip" on the Byford side), to be utterly enveloped by low altitude cloud, reducing visibility to about 5-10metres in all directions, as you literally walk through the cloud. I have experienced this on at least two occasions on the Byford side.
Nov 2003; Stvrs points out how little one can see in the middle of the cloud on the airstrip.
Back to JP's hiking page.
No just take me straight home now!