Darwin to Jabiru (Kakadu) 29 - 30 August 2013

To be honest I think we spent a day too long in Darwin. This was more to do with where we were staying than the town itself which is lovely and would be a great place to live if it wasn't for all those jellyfish and swimming dinosaurs. While I'm thinking about it, never ever ever ever stay at the Discovery Holiday Park in Winellie Darwin, unless of course you like the sound of jet aircraft taking off and landing all night long, or the dulcet strains of a scrap metal recycler which seems to be able to bang, clang and crash bits of steel together very loudly from 08:00 to 17:00 six days a week. It really is all about location, location, location. And they have the gall to charge over $40 a night just like everywhere else in Perth! The only thing that saved our mental states (other than the wine of course) were the next door neighbors Ruth and Max who we bumped into at Florence Falls the other day only to have them pull up on the site next to ours in Darwin. A terrific retired couple who have been meandering around the country in their motor home for the last five months. They are heading back home to QLD now so we probably won't see them again but they were good company and having a ball. I'm also blaming the sinus infection I have had for the last three days on the pool there as well - no proof, but but bugger it, they are the nearest available scapegoats ;-)

The trip out to Kakadu was not especially notable - we only really stopped on the way at the Window on the Wetlands which is about 50ks out of Darwin, but it wasn't worth the bother. Set up more for school groups I think. Did find out that the government tried to set up commercial rice growing in the area in the 1950's though. Only to have it all go tits up (oops, should have said pear shaped) when the native geese eat all the seed - who would have thunk it?

Arrived in Jabiru just in time for lunch, yep 2:30PM, which seems to be when we find time to eat most days, set up camp and hit the pool. Got to say the digs, while still expensive, are a huge step up from Darwin. Kakadu Lodge is a true oasis of civilisation in the middle of the wilderness. Lots of shade, no aeroplanes, no scrap yards, a fantastic pool surrounded by palm trees, a bar (got to hurry this up as happy hour is fast approaching!) etc, etc.

Ranger Bob (Christian actually, but they all look like Bob's to me.... even the girls) put on a slide show on Friday night, on some of the rock art to be seen in the park which was very informative and made the trip out to Nourlangie Rock a lot more rewarding today. There are over 500 rock art sites within the National Park dating from over 20,000 years ago right up to present day and they document changes in climate, habitat, and customs in a truly amazing way. The artwork is never touched up help it survive as that would interfere with the original artist's intentions. It is perfectly acceptable however to simply paint something new over the top of existing work and you can see this in many places. Just weird....

It is a Roo, not a Moose

 


We also clambered up to Nawulandja lookout and the views were spectacular as we are coming to expect up here.





Anbangbang billabong was fantastic too. We bravely crept past the crocodile warning signs and got quite close to some of the bird life, including two Jabirus which was great.



 

 

 

Saved the Jabiru for last.

We have booked a sunrise cruise at Yellow Waters tomorrow, so it will be an early start - have to leave Jabiru at 06:00 to get to the boat on time. It's gunna be ugly!
Also booked a day tour into Arnhem Land for Monday, so it looks like Jim Jim and Twin Falls tomorrow after the boat ride and breakfast, and then Ubir for some more rock art and the East Alligator River on Sunday. Life is tough :)

Here's a tip for all you prospective travelers - always put the spare battery for the camera in the day pack. It can be a long trek back to the truck to get it when the little red light of no confidence starts blinking............ DOH!!!!

Oh, and after a brief suspension of hostilities, the Prado Spotto stands at Len 142, Hazel 139 and closing fast.

Darwin 24-25 August 2013

Before I get started, I thought I should mention the weather in Litchfield NP. You know, just to show some solidarity with those we left behind in Melbourne. It actually rained there on Thursday night! We must have had 50 to 60 drops.

Now, Darwin.
After fitting two new tyres to the Patrol



and a quick visit to the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre, where they have one of only two B52's on display outside of the U.S.A. (It is massive.),



we set off to explore the big city. I think we are staying about six or seven sets of trafic lights out of town, so an easy cruise in, but you have to stay alert because when you get to the eigth set of lights you are coming out the other side already. Big it is not! Very nice though, and quite laid back. According to Joan's daughter Justy (who we met up with at the market (further down the page), a commonm saying here is "Not today, not tomorrow, not on Thursday, maybe next week."
It was Open Day at Parliament House, so we had a gander. Very nice, but usualy it is full of polititions. You can see the sea from the lawn though which was very nice after being so far from any salt water for so long.

The sea is that blue but just under the sky

Had a bit of a drive around to see the sights of Cullen Bay and Fannie Bay (which is appropraitely named as I was provided with a viewing of one by a local lass who was aparently trying to cool off a little by waving the hem of her skirt around as she stood at the intersection waiting to cross.......

Cullen Bay

Fannie Bay (you didn't expect a photo of the fanny did you?

Darwin CBD from Fannie Bay - told you it wasn't very big.

Sunday was a day of culture. We hit the Museum and Art Gallery of NT and the Military Museum, where we found ur next 4x4 and camper trailer

 

and then headed off to the famous Mindil Beach Sunset Market. Salamanca Market in Hobart doesn't have to worry too much about the competition is all I can say. The sunset over Mindil beach was very nice though. It is a bit strange to sit on such a perfect beach with hundreds of people as the sun sets on a day where the temperature reached 33 degrees, and no-one is game to go into the water for fear of crocs and box jelly fish.

Lytchfield to Darwin 23 August 2013

Slow start this morning as we only had a relatively short run to Darwin. Stopped in at the Territory Wildlife Park on the way. Similar set up as the Alice Springs Desert Park, but more tropical in nature as it focuses more on the top end habitats and wildlife. Another amazing place well worth the entry fee. We arrived at 10:40 and didn't leave until 14:30. Could have stayed longer as we missed a couple of bits, but the legs and stomachs were both complaining at the attention or lack of it they had been given. The free flight bird show was excellent - they flew an eagle, an osprey, a bustard, a kite, a sulphur crested cockatoo (nuthin special in that one), a pair of lorikeets, and a jabiru.

Bustard throwing a rock at an emu egg to crack it open

 

 

We had never seen one of these shows before and can only recommend it to all and sundry. The park covers many different habitat types including water. Didn't know we actually have fresh water swordfish and stingrays (Steve didn't have to go into the ocean after all.... what, still too soon?)

Looks small in the photo but was almost 1 meter across

Off to Darwin central tomorrow to see the sights of the big city once I've found somewhere to get a couple of new tires for the truck - the rears are looking a bit sad and sorry for themselves and I don't think they will make through to the other side of the Gibb River Road.

Katherine to Litchfield National Park 21 - 22 August 2013

Well, we said our farewells to Katherine this morning and headed back out onto the Stuart Highway again in search of Litchfield National Park.
First stop along the way was Pine Creek which is an old diamond and gold mining town set back off the highway. Drove up to the lookout over the old open cut mine which is now a dam and had a look out as you do in these places. Very picturesque.

Yep, it's a hole in the ground...

I had been looking forward to Adelaide River as it has the Commonwealth War Cemetery which commemorates the Australian Servicemen and Women (as well as some of the non-combatants) who lost their lives in World War Two defending the Timor Sea area and Northern Australia. It is a beautiful, tranquil and solemn place and it was quite emotional standing amid the graves.

From Adelaide River it was on to Litchfield, but a sign on the side of the highway offered an alternative scenic route that was only 10ks longer, so we hung a left and threw caution to the winds.
Advertising it as the scenic route was a bit of poetic license, but it was windy, narrow and bumpy. We think that the chief engineer for the Tablelands Hwy might have cut his teeth on this one first, just so he could get all the bumps right!It did take us to Robin Falls though, which was a very pretty little set of falls about 600 meters of rock hopping past the car park at the end of the road. Some very nice camp sites along the George Creek here too. It would be nice to spend a few days here if it wasn't so far from home :-)

So far so good, but it couldn't last. As the day wore on, it got hotter and hotter, and we got tireder and tireder. When we got to Litchfield NP, we had to choose a place to camp. One option, Wangi Falls, was supposed to be very popular due to the falls and plunge pool right next to the campground, and another was Sandy Creek, which is reached  9k 4WD track. Because I was feeling pretty ratty, and as we had been stuck behind a Winge-abago for ages, when the turn off to Sandy Creek came up I took it. Mistake No 1. It was long, it was hard, and there was a retreat. By the time we got to the campground, both of us just wanted a swim to cool off, but to our horror, the falls and pool were a 1.7k up hill trek away. Add the swarms of ravenous sand flies, and we decided that Wangi Creek might have been the better option. Mistake No 2. Pushed things a little too hard in our anxiousness to get there while there were still some vacant sites, I hit a bump in the track a little too hard and the seal on a bottle of apple cider which was packed cap down in the back of the truck let go. Suffice to say, the Patrol is now all apples... You have probably guessed already that when we got to Wangi, there were no vacant sites, so it was a 52k, very hot drive back to Litchfield Tourist Park just outside Batchelor.  Set up in record time - which had it's own dramas - and hit the pool. I swear there was steam rising from the water as I dove in. Found out that Wangi Falls campground was full at 1:30 in the afternoon, so we had no hope at all.

So, here we were, all cooled off and ready for a pleasant evening after the afternoons strife, but fate was not finished with us just yet - the fuse on the camper fridge had blown, and do you think I could find the fuse box? An hour of opening and closing every orifice (on the camper), crawling underneath, and unscrewing every electrical fitting I could, the white flag of surrender was flown. Luckily we had a 240v lead for the WAECO in the truck so I was able to run the camper fridge off the inverter instead of 12v via the blown fuse. At least the food would be OK. The booze was safe in the truck fridge, so it wasn't all bad news ;-)
Rang Aussie Swag in the morning. Had to use a pay phone - jeez those things are expensive - come on Telstra lift your game on mobile coverage out here! Turns out the fuses were virtually staring me in the face all the time, but behind some unlabled covers which you have to gently prise off. All good now, but have to buy some more spare fuses when we get to Darwin.
Once all this was settled, we headed bravely back into the National Park. Great place to visit. Went for a swim at Florence Falls.








Had a gander at Tabletop Swamp


and Tolmer Falls.



Then ventured back to Wangi for another swim and some lunch at around 2:30PM.

Katherine 20 August 2013

Two gorges cruise this morning - wonderful. Tour guide Dave had a real dry sense of humour, while being very informative. When asked if the white breasted cormorant near the bank was a penguin he only hesitated a microsecond before replying "Yes, a beautiful example of the Tropical Penguin." before setting everyone that didn't get the joke straight.

The cruise was in two stages as there is a big rock bar separating the two canyons (there are similar bars between each of the any canyons - I'm thinking he said there were 15 - which is what holds the water in them between wet seasons) and you need to disembark and walk 600 meters to get to the next boat. The whole exercise is repeated in reverse on the way back tough Dave said we didn't have to walk backwards across the rocks :-) Not very strenuous as it is mostly board walks or steps, but some of the Olympian specimens on the tour (and especially in the party of 60 from the Ghan which we met at the halfway point on the way back) still struggled.

Rock art at the halfway point

 Parks an Wildlife check the canyon system continuously for salt water crocs to make sure that swimming and canoeing is safe. According to Dave, the final test is to send a couple of pommy tourists through in a leaky canoe, and if they make it the tourist season can begin. His words, my laughter.

Salt Water Croc Trap

Some of the beaches along the way are sign posted warning that they are fresh water crocodile nesting areas, and there is a $5000 fine if you walk on them. The freshies lay their eggs in the sand and then abandon them, so a single footstep can wipe out the whole nest. The eggs are up against it anyway as they will only hatch if the temperature is between 30 and 36 degrees. If it is between 30 and 32 all the hatchlings are female, 33 to 34 and they can be either male or female, and 35 to 36 they are all male. Above 36 degrees and you've got poached eggs (another Daveism).

Croc tracks in  the sand

The second canyon is the more spectacular of the two and if you've ever seen any promotional photo's of the area they are probably from here. It is possible to cruise the third canyon as well if you have the time and the money, but we were very happy with two. Simply spectacular scenery.

We even got to see our first fresh water croc on the way back down.

At the end of the ride Dave, being the consummate proffessional that he is offered the traditional aboriginal parting of "Buna Buna" (or words to that effect) wich traslate roughly to 'until we meet again'. He then followed up with a traditional Orstralian one of "Git orf me boat!". Told you he was a professional...




Had a meander round the Katherine museum after that, but it was a hard slog when there were 67 gazillion, well at least forty, prep school kids and their screaming teachers wizzing around at the same time. Still, very interesting (I never knew Katherine was bombed by the Japenese during WW2) and worth a visit. Just try to avoid school excursions.

Next time we are up here we will do the canyons by canoe, do the tour of Springvale Homestead and visit the hot springs.
Topped up the pantry and booze supplies in Woolies as we are heading off to Litchfield National Park tomorrow.