To 'Big Bend.'

So.......this time last week, we woke for the last time, this trip, at Takarakka.There were kangaroos nibbling grass close by as we had our breakfast. Limpy and Nick were leaving today too but we were heading down the gorge to 'Big Bend' for two nights.We took the tent down and packed our rucksacks and headed back to the Visitor Centre car park and left Roxy there.We rang Shirley and Dulcie from a phonebox by the Visitor Centre. While Will was on the phone one of the Rangers came up and asked where we were off to."We are camping at Big Bend for two nights," I said, "Will our car be OK parked in the car park for that time?""It will be for a Yorkshireman," he said. "Are you from Yorkshire?""No, near Manchester," I said."Ah!, the other side," he said."Yes, the War of the Roses and all that."He was from Sheffield. I told him he now worked in a beautiful place but he knew that.He wished us a good trip and we headed back into the gorge for our second day. Will carried the large rucksack for the first shift and I took over after about 3 kms. A guy near the path to Ward's Canyon asked if we were heading to Big Bend. He had spent the night there last night."Were there many there?" I asked, hoping we would have it to ourselves."There were two other guys" he said, "but they were off on the next part of The Great Walk today."Other people commented on our heavy rucksacks. I just smiled and said "We like a big lunch."After we passed The Art Gallery and where we had seen the snake the previous day we were in new territory.The paths in this part of the gorge were less well trodden and the stepping stones at the creek crossings were not as well placed.Will took over the large rucksack again.We eventually came to Cathedral Cave where there were more Aboriginal paintings on the rocks and still more people eating snacks. I preferred it to The Art Gallery, it felt wilder and more genuine."Not far now" said some people we passed as we continued on our way. "We had our lunch there and it was freezing!"Finally after 9.7 kms we arrived at Big Bend. The cliffs towered over us and in a the bend of the gorge was a small flat wooded area with two composting toilets. There was no one else camping there so we chose a good spot and set up our tent and had some lunch on the picnic table also provided. While we were there a young couple came up and said "What a great spot to camp! Looks like you have it to yourselves."It turned out that these were the people who had arrived with the rattling caravan at midnight the night before. The reason they were so late was because he had stopped for petrol and accidentally filled his car with diesel rather than unleaded and had to  drain his tank.After they had headed back to Takarakka Will and I explored Big Bend and then continued up the gorge a bit further. The path stopped at Big Bend so we just followed the creek bed for about another 2 kms until our way was blocked by a wide pool.We headed back to our tent and set about making our tea. While we were cooking I heard voices and went to look and two more walkers appeared."I can see the toilet" shouted the man to someone else that I could not see. He spotted me and I waved cheerily, "Oh hello," he said.His companion turned out to be a woman in a wide brimmed white hat. We stood by the Picnic table, smiling, waiting for them to come over to chat to us but they just muttered to each other and disappeared out of sight."Oh, they're not happy we are here," I said.They pitched their tent at the complete opposite end of the camping ground.Will and I took our tea and sat on a rock overlooking the creek to eat it in the fading light. After tea I built a rock tower on a large rock and then soon after it was dark we headed to bed.I woke up some time later and heard snoring but it sounded nearby. I couldn't believe that the sound travelled from the other end of the camp ground so clearly.As it turned out it didn't........someone else had arrived in the dark but we did not find that out until the next morning.