We have a map on a pamphlet from the Parks Visitors' Centre. The gorges aren't named on our large scale maps.

The drive is about 50 km each way. No matter how early we get up we will be "late".

Parks people have been burning off. This patch near the road is still burning.

Then it heads north for access to where four gorges meet. A bit like the visual equivalent of three tenors.

We headed first to Weano Gorge. A "walk along the edge and back through the bottom with a pool at the end" deal.

But first one of those oversize black-faced cuckoo-shrikes. Smaller than a crow, a bit smaller than a magpie, but larger than other cuckoo-shrikes we've seen.

Another of those "we should have" moments, but we didn't know how deep the water was and hadn't thought about how to keep the camera dry.

Too many shadows, this is looking south east into Red Gorge. Hancock Gorge joins Joffre Gorge which then joins Weano Gorge to flow into Red Gorge.

Shortly after Red Gorge joins Knox Gorge to flow into Wittenoom Gorge.

We think this is looking south east into Red Gorge, with Weano Gorge behind our left shoulder and Hancock/Joffre Gorge behind our right shoulder.

To our right, out of the pic, is a narrow bit of Hancock Gorge.

The tracks are identified with classes. Hancock Gorge is "Class 5". For very experienced bushwalkers. A high level of fitness and agility is recommended. So far we've been up to "Class 4". Its really a matter of calibration, we won't really know what its like until we try one. Up to then we just know its a bit more difficult.

But we are tough ..... we think.

Its possible to stay dry on the ledges, but of course becomes increasingly difficult.

Our feet are wet in our wet shoes and the rocks are nicely polished by water and gravel so are slippery for us.

So we put the camera in a plastic bag and tie that to a bit of string round my neck so as to leave both hands free.

Swimming backwards resulted in a couple of navigation errors but eventually we realised the pool was only chest deep if we took care.

The camera stayed dry.

Perhaps we should mention that there is a small tour group in front of us, and a very nice Scottish/Australian lady who didn't like water, so was waiting for the group to return, and described a bit of what was ahead.

Labelled "Spider Walk".

Interesting that the polished rock looks a little like what we called Jasper in Weeli Wolli Creek a seeming lifetime ago. We will continue to learn.

The tour group were just leaving, to have morning tea in the amphitheatre.

The distance from the first water isn't great. About 50m. Just "interesting".

As expected, we are confident "Class 5" is no more difficult than many places we have experienced in our 50 years of bush walking. Extra care.

Ali ventured into the pool and had a look through the next bit of passage (the orange bit in the middle of the pic). "Ali in Wonderland". There were three more small, descending, pools visible to her in the narrow passage.

It was one step too far for the camera in its makeshift waterproofing. The strata on the left were slippery.

Just a slightly different angle for this pic. The curve of the Spider Walk is cleverly designed to entice the curious.

To be honest we weren't sure we should have gone as far as Kermits Pool, but having been there we think this gorge is something special.

We suspect we fluked the lighting. Or maybe its always like this.

Climbing up the steps revealed tired legs, the accumulation of several days of exercise that began with Mt Robinson. And lungs that could almost not keep up. A sort of competition between legs and lungs as to which would be the constraint. Neither and both. But a couple of stops on the way up and we pronounced it "easy".

We returned to the lookouts to see if letting the sun move round a bit would yield better views.

We had a little luck. The view into Red Gorge was a bit better, though still lots of shadows.

Joffre Falls is about 4 km upstream, we'll drive round instead of walk.

There are two people about one third down the falls.

Not falling ...... the top two thirds of the falls is nicely stepped. They stopped just above where it got steep.

We try to imagine what the falls must look like with water cascading over the steps.

We decided walking the 200m from car park to lookout would be a reconnaisance. We are tired. With a 50 km corrugated drive in front of us. We'll plan walking in Joffre and Knox Gorges for another day.

We don't have pamphlets for Joffre or Knox. Just a mention in a general pamphlet. But we do now have photos of the very good signs at the beginnings of tracks to aid our planning.

We often see their tracks, this is the first we've seen the goanna on this trip.

Our planning for tomorrow has a distinct tendancy towards "day off".