This day started out warm and got hotter, overnight was nowhere near as cool as Mabel Downs.  We had a late cooked breakfast before heading in the coach for Zebedee Hot Springs which is part of El-Questro's Wilderness Park.  There was a short fairly easy walk through the tall Livingstonia Palms which gave great shade and picture opportunities. Tina had dressed in swim suit for the event, but on seeing the several rock pools decided that here unsure footing wasn't worth the risk. The scenery, the palms and fronds were wonderful and the water babes amongst us revelled  in the 30 C waters. Among the palms the soil was damp and very black as several of us found it tends to stain. 

Having "done" the springs we headed for our coach and lunch before moving on to Chamberlain Gorge to meet up with our catamaran for the next stage of our tour. This was an easy cruise down the gorge with the now familiar cliffs rising on each side, and massive rocks like giants sugar cubes in the water. Once again we could see the high water marks from the wet season, these times must be so spectacular if one could stay dry at the same time.
At the end of this navigable section of the river we paused to get acquainted with the archer fish, who were happy to be fed and spit water at us to everyone's initial surprise and amusement.

Arriving back at El-Questro we witnessed the return of the local flock of Noisy Little Corellas, very well named, creamy white in colour like a small Cockatoo which screamed at each other from the tops of their roosting trees for about an hour before settling down. Dinner tonight was tempered by the thought that we were to pack up for an early start in the morning, heading for Manning Gorge and genuine bush camping under boab trees by a great swimming hole. Such was the plan.

"The best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agley"