Log 20-06 Kakadu

Kakadu, 20,000 square K’s of national park, & we’re about to enter. At Mary  River Roadhouse we paid our entry fee of $25.00 ea. Which allowed us 14 days stay in the park. There is only one main road through the park (Kakadu H’way from Mary River to Jabiru & Arnhem H’way to Darwin) & wanting to take it slowly & see everything the park has to offer we went down every side track or road there was, excluding 4WD tracks. We went along gravel roads that shook the van relentlessly, only averaging 15KPH. Each night we stayed at a different campground, some with showers, some only toilets. We even stayed at the resort at Cooinda. There are 7 main stopping points in the park & we visited them all. We climbed to lookouts, walked the tracks, went on boat trips around the billabongs. The only things we didn’t do was the 7 hour, 4WD safari to Jim Jim falls (often shown on TV with water pouring over the escarpment) as we were told that there may not be a lot of water there, & as we were also informed that 70% of the park is savannah, the helicopter flight. It has been very relaxing to stop each night after doing something each day, just listening to the birdlife, reading a book & having a cool drink. We only travel around 50 – 60K’s each day so not long on the road. We have heard much about the history of the aboriginals of the area, seen a few examples of rock art & learned that, as well as Arnhem Land (77,000 square K’s), Kakadu has also been returned to it’s original owners, with the N.T. government leasing some back. According to a couple of business owners, most of the N.T. has been returned to them but I think it’s only the best parts that have as all the main tourist areas are aboriginal owned & run.

Our 5 days here have been great & tomorrow we will take the Arnhem Highway out, checking the last stopping point on the way. To think we will have travelled around 280K’s in the park & seen less than 1% of what the park has to offer. Our only disappointment has been that a lot of the walking tracks were closed due to ‘seasonal conditions’ & that May to July is the burning off season so there has always been the smell of smoke in the air & that is why, we think, other than crocks & birds, we haven’t seen a single animal.

For our last night we stopped at a campground near the East Alligator River. The camp was set up in a large circle with toilets & showers in the middle & camp sites around the outside, as you drove around the one way street you picked a site that you liked & simply, in our case, backed into it. We were surrounded by Huge pandanus trees, cabbage leaf palms, gums & others of which I don’t know the names. Our neighbours were only metres away from us but only just visable through the trees. Another beautiful spot but, at dusk, thousands of mosquitos descended upon us. We survived anyway & this morning we finished our trip & proceeded to Darwin.

Map of Kakadu
sorry about the shadows

These fellows just keep getting bigger

O.K. now they're getting serious

View from Bukbukluk lookout

Hovercraft on Yellow Waters
last year the wet season lifted this floating pontoon
off the poles retaining it.

What a poser, it just let the boat come right alongside

It's mate was a bit less willing

Jim Jim billabong

A stalk & a jabaru vying for the branch

Nouriangie Rock
We think this haze was due to burning off

Rock art

This is Nabulwinjbulwinj

Namarrgon - The lightning man

Murierlla billabong

On the road to Ubirr

Flood plains of the East Alligator River
with Arnhemland on the horizon

Dramatic rock formations near East Alligator river

Rock passage, same area

Log 15-06 Katherine

Arriving at Katherine, we fueled up & tripped out to the gorge. Katherine Gorge Resort was a third rate van park where all the vans were so close that our awnings almost touched. After so much driving lately we were becoming very jaded what with packing & unpacking every day, filling up in the morning & then driving for 5 or so hours. We had decided to stay a couple of days but the poor conditions & ridiculously high prices changed our minds & we didn’t even stop to do the gorge. Leaving the next morning we proceeded to Edith Falls, 100K up the road, great once again. While there we agreed to push on to Kakadu & then slow down. Returning to Katherine, we stocked up on food & fuel. Then drove to Pine Creek, a classic old gold mining town where we could get a hotel room cheaper than a camping space. After a look around we drove to Harriet Creek, just outside of Kakadu,  to stay the night. Chatted to some very nice people, one couple introduced themselves ( Una & Dave) as they said they kept seeing our van at various places & we were obviously doing the same route. We had both picked the same spot for the next night, Kambolgie camp ground in Kakadu. Let’s see what happens.

Lower Edith Falls

Plunge pool, Edith Falls

Upper Edith Falls

Pine Creek

Abandoned open cut mine now flooded

An example of a small termite mound

Mother & child

Katherine Gorge pool

First midges, then flies, then mice, now fruit bats

Log 12-06 Mataranka

I know I keep raving about the scenery, especially the flora, not knowing how NT normally looks we can only say that south of Alice it has been like driving through a continuously changing garden. The spinifex, although somewhat brown looking, is definitely alive & growing, all flowering plants are in flower now, & the whole scene is just bursting with colour.

Our next stop was to be Kings Canyon, a 330K return side trip. The cloudiness from the day before continued & as we arrived mid afternoon, we did the lower canyon walk intending the 3.5 hour top walk next day. Many people have told us that it is much prettier here than at Uluru. Unfortunately it rained all night & continued into the following day so we cut our losses & made our way back to Alice with an o’night stop at Finke River once again.

Still raining & we have stayed o’night in Alice again as phone & internet contact is only predictable in as much as you hardly ever have it. A little about alcohol sales in the territory. No drinking outside of licenced premises, bottles sales only after 2:00PM, cask sales only after 6:00PM & one (1) 2lt cask per person per day. They scan your licence & every liquor outlet must be connected as you can’t buy a second one anywhere else. Sundays you can make a purchase after 10:00 AM?????? Oh, & fuel, $2.50lt is now the most expensive to date.

Rained for 2 more days so we continued North, stopping at Finke River & the Devils Marbles once again where it poured during the night but next day was bright & clear but cold. Once past Alice the flora returned to vast fields of spinifex with small dense shrubs. Our next stop was Banka Banka Station. We arrived about 11:30 AM, there were a few vans there but by evening there must have been 40 – 50 vans. It was a nice setup, level sites, grassed & as much spring water as you want, I even gave the old girl (the truck, that is) a much needed tub. There were walks to the water hole & the lookout for something to do.

Once past Renner Springs small trees started appearing & soon dominated the landscape. Our next stop was Dally Waters, the pub there is the oldest pub in N.T.  est.1930. It has caravan parking adjoining & there were around 100 vans there, talking to an employee, he told me it was the same every night. We spent happy hour in the pub & stayed till about 6:00 PM. There was live entertainment & the pub had a specialty of beef & barra for $27.50 a head plus a normal menu.

Next stop was Larrimah where we visited the local pub & zoo, had the most delicious home made pie & then proceeded to Mataranka where we visited the thermal pools for a dip, unfortunately the water temp here is only 34º, a lot lower than Atherton. Nearby was Bitter Springs where the water temp was the same but the water was a blue-green colour due to the dissolved limestone. Once again, another beautiful part of nature.

Banka Banka Station 1

BB Station 2

The waterhole BB Station

Daly Waters pub 1

DW pub 2

DW pub 3

We've seen thousands of these, this one is 3 mt tall

Home of the beautiful pies

Mataranka thermal pool

Bitter Springs

Standley Chasm to Kings Canyon

A few more photos as promised

Looking down on the carpark from the first climb
Sorry it's out of order

Mt Connor, we thought this was Ayres Rock
till we got closer

The rock, at Sunset

Steep part of the climb

At the top with the Olgas behind

It doesn't show very well but you have to navigate these ripples
 accross the top section to reach the summit, they vary from 1 to 5mts high
check out the lady in red

The Olgas

King Canyon

King Canyon

Another sunset shot
the rock just glows

Log 05-06 Uluru

Leaving Mt. Isa the spectacular prehistoric scenery continued  for another 40K’s before we came onto the Barkly Tablelands. The scenery changed to flat grasslands that continued for another 400K’s. At the Northern Territory border town of Camooweal we stopped for lunch & fuel. We were told fuel in NT was dearer but an extra 40¢ a litre was a bit steep. We stopped that night at Wonarah Bore, half way between Camooweal & Tennant Creek. Someone made a fire & we had a great night chatting & keeping warm.

Moving on the next day, Liz drove first & the road had only 4 curves in 225K’s before we turned on to the Stuart H’way & in to Tennant Creek. We spent an enjoyable time there, at the museum & looking at paintings by local artists, of which Liz bought a couple. Driving on to The Devils Marbles we decided to stay the night as they are a sight to behold, I must have taken 30 photos. A lot for me.

We decided to stay another day at the marbles before moving on & spending 2 days at Alice Springs exploring the museums, art centres & cultural center as well as Simpsons Gap & Standley Chasm, both well worth the effort. Alice Springs has certainly grown since my last visit, with a mall in the main street & a huge inner city shopping complex & business center. Temperature here is a mild 25º during the day, dropping to minus 2º at night. The van park we stayed at was backed by the magnificent MacDonald Ranges, about 5K’s out of town.

Our next stop was a free camp at Finke River rest area where some caravaners gave us tips on where else to stay before arriving at Ayers Rock.

Moving on, we next stopped at Curtain Creek where you can free park or pay. There is a quaint old pub with a restaurant alongside, cabins to stay in & a bird aviary. There is also an emu that wanders around the campground & we have seen little mice running around (worrisome). Showers are $3.00 each but when we went to have one there was no water as their pump had broken down. We had stopped only 100K’s from The Rock but as it was later in the day &  overcast, so no sunset, we thought it prudent. Also we wanted to arrive there early today, Sunday, & spend the whole day looking around.

Arriving at 9:00 AM we booked a site at the resort (the only place you can stay) then drove to the Rock parking area where Liz opted out for a walk around the base (12k’s with side trip) & I climbed to the top. The sign says only the fit should do this & the climb should take 2 hours return. Well.it took me 2 ½ hours & Liz finished her walk just as I was climbing down the last section. Both of us were worried that the other would wonder where we had got to. Then, after a quick lunch we headed off to The Olga’s. There are several walks there but we decided not to try, After a walk around the base we jumped back into Wherearwee & headed back to the sunset lookout parking area for the Rock. We had 2 hours to wait & by sunset the area was full, people everywhere, it was a party with people talking, drinking, eating, whatever. It was very overcast again but at the last minute the sun broke through & we got a couple of shots.

Mt Isa

We're here note landscape

Up until 18 months ago it was deristricted

These bloody marbles are heavy

Look at me push them apart

I hope that marble doesn't roll during the night

A few more marbles

The locals grow big at Aileron

Alice, museum of natural history

Alice, museum of aviation

Grave of Albert Namitjura

Simpsons Gap

Todd River

MORE PHOTOS TO FOLLOW!