Black River Gorge

[stefan]

At Plaine Champagne there are three well marked viewpoints within 3Km (2miles) of each other giving views across the Black River Gorges. The first, 7Km (4miles) from Le Petrin, is on the left and is marked "Alexandra Falls" and leads through shaded forest. The second, 1Km, is closed to vehicles and entails a short walk along a well trodden but unmarked pathway. The third is marked "Black River Gorges Viewpoint" where there is a parking area and a notice warning drivers not to leave vehicles unaccompanied. From here there are panoramic views across the gorges with the peaks of Rempart Mountain and Corps de Garde in the north-west just visible in the distance.

The area is the last refuge of some of the world's rarest and most threatened birds such as the Echo Parakeet, the Mauritian Pink Pigeon and the Mauritian Kestrel. The birdwatcher may be lucky to catch glimpses of them but it is more likely to spot the cuckoo shrike, flycatcher and Mauritius blackbird or the graceful white paille-en-queue (or tropic bird) swooping through the gorges. The paille-en-queue has been adapted as the Air Mauritius logo.

source : uk connection