26 June 2011 - Kakadu, N.T. Australia

Freshwater croc at Yellow Water



Suset at Yellow Water

 Time to move camp again to another part of the National Park further south.  On the way we stop at Jabiru 'township' to refuel only to find that the 'servo' was undergoing big renovations but they had a temporary site around the corner.  Stu was amazed with the setup, which was two very large rectangular containers filled with fuel (about the size of shipping containers) & they had to refill them both every 2 days - that's a lot of fuel!  Any building or maintenance work has to be done in the dry season which of course is the busiest tourist season,  so that makes things rather difficult.  It must be quite strange living out here in the wet season.  We asked the young girl serving us what they did, & she said it was pretty much eat, drink, sleep, & read, though the golf course usually had about 4 holes which were not submerged & still playable.  They are often totally cut off from Darwin & the south.  Last wet was an extended one, &  everything is a little behind in being put to rights, meaning that there are still quite a few of the unsealed roads closed.

We were to have a nasty little surprise at our next National Park camp site at Madugal.  We had discovered first thing that morning a few tiny ants in the van, & duly dispensed with them before we packed up to move.   However on opening out the awning again we were met by hundreds of them in the awning mechanisms.  Since then we have had more in the van so they must have come from the last site - surrounded by trees & long grasses on our lovely site. We have now noticed that lots of caravanners put talcum powder around their wheels when they set up - apparently the ants are not keen on it for some reason.
The camp here is on the South Alligator River & you may wonder why the rivers are named alligator & not crocodile.  The story goes that in the early days some American came out here & thinking the crocs were the same as the alligators back home, mistakenly  named the rivers .  The first thing we did was walk down to the boat ramp & honestly I don't know how some of these people launch boats without getting in the water.  Plus they go out in little tin dinghies which a big croc could so easily turn over.  We even saw a couple of guys from the camp go out in one of those rubber ones!  One good bite & it would be 'gurgle, gurgle'.   Our exercise for the afternoon was to a lookout up a steep rocky track in the heat.  The view was hardly worth it, but the lookout tower was large & very high with lots of seats & got a beautiful cooling breeze, so it was nice to just sit for awhile before we made our way down again.  That evening there was a Park Ranger slide show about aboriginal rock carvings & although we had seen a large number the day before, it was still interesting & informative.


At the top of Gunlom Falls




Motor Car Falls pool



Programme for the next day was to explore the immediate area by car,  headed off to Jim Jim Billabong along a very corrugated off road track (me driving), which we didn't manage to reach due to water across the road which had no depth marker on & looked very deceptive.  We learned from our next door neighbour campers that they did the same drive & watched two vehicles go through & the water was over their number plates.  Stu felt totally vindicated for not wanting to do it.  Our afternoon event was to have been a boat cruise down the Yellow River which has the reputation of being one of the best places for birds, crocs & sunsets.  The i-site had told us the boats were full for that evening, so we booked (but did not pay) for the following one, which was a bit of a pain as we really wanted to move on next morning.  As it happened the people in the next caravan did manage to get on it that night & weren't all that taken with it.  The crux of it all was that we cancelled ours, went down to the Yellow River ourselves, took photos of the hundreds of the very vocal magpie geese, white egrets, herons, water lilies etc plus a most beautiful red dragon fly.  After a couple of hours of relaxation in the hottest part of the day (now 32) we returned to the river again to take wonderful sunset photos which would have been every bit as good as on the cruise if not better, & a heck of a lot cheaper.  And to cap it all off we even watched a croc cruise down past all the visitors on the boardwalk, not real close, but we managed to get a reasonable photo using the zoom.  We had previously been feeling a bit disappointed with some of Kakadu (lack of birds in particular) but do realise it is dependant on the time of year you visit.  So finally a really lovely, positive end to our visit here.

Milly (Loo sign) Mary River Roadhouse

Willie (Loo sign) Mary River Roadhouse

23 June 2011 - Kakadu, N.T. Australia

Rainbow Bee eater



Grasses in the wind

 An uneventful drive from Darwin on another lovely morning.  Passed through 'Humpty Doo' (it's correct name - blink & you miss it),  stopped for morning tea,   through lots of wetland areas - marvellously green.  At one time an experiment to grow rice took place in this area but it was not  successful.  Arriving at Jabiru, the main centre for the Kakadu, a visit to the Information & Cultural Centre was a must in order to find out which National Park camp sites were open.  Some are closed due to poor road conditions etc.  Luckily the first one we wanted was OK & about 40kms away.  There are several private caravan parks available too, but they are all quite expensive, (like $50+ per night).  While we were asking about camps another tourist heard us & informed us we needed to get there early before all the rental motorhomes.  As it was only mid-day, we were not concerned but headed there immediately as we wanted our lunch.  Great camp with really large sites which all included a picnic table & seats plus a BBQ fireplace, & all separated from each other by strips of bush so nobody was on top of each other  The other great thing was that they had different areas for those who ran generators - naturally we chose the peaceful area as we don't have one & hate listening to them,  though they are supposed to turn them off by 10pm.   In actual fact we needn't have worried about it being too busy either - there were plenty of empty sites left at the end of the day.  We spent a leisurely afternoon just soaking up the surroundings & peace & quiet.  Late in the afternoon the birds appeared, unfortunately so did the mozzies.  There are at least 17 different varieties here apparently,  so Stu is not happy as he seems to be one of their favourite food items  & was quite badly bitten within the first couple of hours.   Fortunately they find me far too tough - must be the aussie genes in me!  The temperature was 31deg so is increasing a little each day,  but thankfully still not humid.   After a good nights sleep it was off to explore the immediate area before the heat kicked in.   There a little tracks everywhere around the camp so we chose the sandstone walk, through rocks formed as sandy sediments under an ancient lake about 1500 million years ago (before life on earth).  They were islands in a sea at the time of the dinosaurs 140 to 65 million years ago & as the sea eroded the sandstone as far as a shoreline of sea clifffs, it became the Arnhem land escarpment.  There are some interesting plants in this habitat, namely a particular variety of pandanus  which is recognised by it's 'cork-screw' leaf arrangement.  Aboriginal people use the leaves for weaving baskets & mats.  It bears a large, bright orange woody nut which contains a small peanut-like nut, only eaten if one is really starving as the trouble getting them open is hardly worth it.  Another interesting tree is the Sandstone Fig which has hairy leaves & grows on rocks where it's roots seek cool, moist crevices to provide strong support.  There is another fig , the Strangler Fig, which has also adapted to living on porous sandstone.  It finds a host tree which it in time strangles completely, rather like the rata vine in NZ.   The third type is the Sandpaper Fig which  has abrasive leaves, suitable for the aboriginals to use to smooth spears, didgeridoos & other wooden items.   One tree I thought could be quite useful  to  get rid of our NZ  possums is the Strychnine tree.  It has attractive yellow fruit & it & it's bark are poisonous to people & most animals.  On second thought, NOT a good idea at all!  One of the prettiest trees is the kapok tree with a lovely yellow bloom.

This environment is also inhabited by the Black Wallaroo.  Only the males are black, the females being grey with black paws, feet & nose.  It is only found in this rugged stone country of the Arnhem Land plateau.  They mostly eat spinifex grasses, leaves, fruit & yams, along with bush tomatoes which it eats with it's eyes closed to protect them from the plant's spines.  We were indeed lucky to see a female bound out of the bush ahead of us on the way home.  The other animal which flourishes in this area is the short beaked echidna (or spiny anteater) which breaks into termite mounds using their long sticky tongues to gather termites.  Sadly we haven't come across one of these yet, though I did think I saw a dead one on the road as we arrived here.  Of course the most talked about creatures  in the area are the crocs, both saltwater & freshwater.  There are signs everywhere warning one to be careful, NOT to enter the water under any circumstances etc.  Of course some people can't read it appears, especially fishermen.  Someone we met today was telling us he saw two standing in the water fishing???  Also saw someone hook a fish & bring it to the surface only to have it  promptly snapped up by the surprise appearance of a croc.  'Thanks for the meal mate!'   

We visited Cahill's Crossing which is the causeway through the East Alligator River to Arnhem Land -  it is necessary to have a special permit to do so as this is 100% owned by it's traditional owners.  I would love to have gone over to visit this special area, but Stu wasn't too keen on driving through even at low tide as someone got stuck the day before.  Only because they were doing it at high tide instead of low!    A tour was the alternative, but at $245 per person not really an option for us.  Instead we did a very interesting afternoon walk  at Ubirr where you can wander through several  fascinating  Aboriginal rock art sites, eventually climbing to a wonderful rocky plateau which offers superb views of the floodplains, incredibly green & covered in waterlilies & I believe particularly beautiful at sunset.  We should have chosen to do it all later in the day & stayed there for the sunset, which would have been quite magical.  To finish the day a ranger provided the campers with a 1 hour informative talk & slide show on 'The seasons of Kakadu'.  I'm sure most of us are aware of the 'wet' & the 'dry' seasons here, but we also learned of the indigenous peoples calender of six different seasons.  This calender provides them with a guide to the correct time for hunting certain animals & birds etc, & also for collecting different varieties of plants, seeds etc.  All very logical & environmentally sustaining, as is the seasonal burning which  is necessary to assist some plant seeds to germinate.  The burning takes place at the beginning of the dry season so that once the wet begins, the seeds then have the moisture to germinate.  Only small areas are burnt off each year, so that too much of their food gathering or hunting is not  affected.  These really are very clever people with 1000's of years experience behind them.


Rock Art at Ubirr




Aboriginal artist at work

 Another great experience was to take part in an aboriginal art 'class' one morning at the camp.  Arranged by the National Parks Ranger, a very well known aboriginal artist  showed us how they make their brushes from a reed-like grass, & provided us with paints & cardboard to try & emulate their style of art.  It was great fun with children & adults taking part together.  I spent more time being hypnotised by the skill of the artist himself, a man in later years whose grandfather was also a wellknown artist.  I would never have the patience or skill to paint as they do.

16 June 2011 - Darwin, Top End NT, Australia



sunset ay Mindil Beach



Waiting for sunset Mindil Beach



Sunset Mindil Beach

 Booked into Lee Point Caravan Park for a week to make the most of the lovely climate & relax a bit after all the travelling.  It's a big park with many, many nomads who make the  trek at this time every year & stay for 4-6 months (lucky sods).   Most book the same site for the coming year as they leave,  & are well set up for their sojourn with little gardens, vegies growing in buckets & pots.  They even run a small market every Tuesday morning in the camp with sewing crafts or jewellery made by the ladies, and caravan bits, tools etc sold by the men.  They had some lovely stuff at reasonable prices.  Apart from that they organise a 'Bocce' (petanque) tournament  over a period of weeks for anyone in the camp who is interested.  It's really great to witness all these 'seniors' enjoying themselves in later life.   Some of them have bikes, & as Lee Point Beach is only about a km away they can get a little exercise by cycling there. but  in general I think they just enjoy each other's company & the lovely warmth.   We found some walking tracks which led to the beach as well, so did that the first day, & it is a lovely long, long beach but unfortunately no-one can swim at this time of year because of the box jellyfish which invade the waters as soon as it warms up.  Very disappointing indeed.  Deciding to take a different track back from the beach we got ourselves a bit lost & although the journey TO the beach was only just over a km, the return walk eventuated into about 4kms.  We finally found a T junction & took a punt at which direction to take & luckily it ended up onto dirt road where we met a 4WD who I stopped to ask where it led.  Thankfully it ended just near the caravan park or we may have had a much longer walk home.
The next day was spent exploring Darwin city a little, getting info from the i-site & just generally getting a feel for the place.  It's not a large city & is very casual & laid back.  There are lots of parks & beach reserves with picnic areas which get very busy at weekends even though there is no swimming.
Thinking we might have more lucky on bikes than walking, we spent one morning cycling along waterfront tracks & managed to find some bush tracks as well which we always enjoy more.
Darwin has so many markets - it seems that every suburb has a market, so Sunday morning we spent visiting 3,  but although one was quite interesting, the others were mostly food.  But the food was so varied, & so international, as were all the fresh produce.  So many things I had never heard of let along eaten.  The only thing which really tempted me was a mango smoothie which was SO good.  It seems to be a regular Saturday or Sunday morning thing for the locals to visit the markets & eat up large.  There is also a very popular large market held on Thursday & Sunday evenings at Mindil Beach & it is has lots of crafts, clothes, food, entertainment etc.  One thing which took our interest was an asian man (possibly chinese) who did the most incredible paintings on site, with spray cans on shiny photographic paper which only took about 15-30 minutes to dry & they could be taken away.  They were assorted sizes & very reasonable & going like hot cakes.  The main attraction though had to be  the wonderful sunsets to be seen from the beach.  People take their own tables & chairs & relax, eat, drink & generally enjoy themselves while waiting, naturally armed with cameras.   We have never seen so many people on a beach waiting for a sunset.  Whole families including grandparents seemed to make it a gathering place.
The temperature has slowly risen each day we have been here & is now a very pleasant 29, no humidity at all which has very pleasantly surprised me in particular.  I fully expected it to be over 30 each day & very sticky.  However it appears this is the coldest June on record up here & all the locals are complaining about it being cold!  Anyway with beaches closed to us we sought out other swimming opportunities & spent a day at Berry Springs about an hour out of town.  There are three wonderful natural rock swimming holes, one with a lovely forceful cascade.  We expected them to be cold but it was a pleasant surprise to find them quite warm, especially right near the cascade.  We, with others, had a lot of fun trying to get close enough to duck under it , no easy task but  finally managed it by giving each other a push.  The roar was amazing.  We had to share the pool with fish but they mostly avoided us, but I managed to snap a few after I left the pool.  We also visited Howard Springs - could have saved ourselves the effort, as it was closed for swimming & is about to undergo a $3 million upgrade.  There were however lots of fish to see & I managed a snap of a turtle in the water.  Again we took a stroll along a small track & were followed by lots of lovely little butterflies.


Berry Springs




Casuarina Beach

 We are taking things very easy while we are here, so actually spent most of one day down on the beach stretched out reading a book in the shade.  There wouldn't have been more than 10 other people on the whole long, long beach.
Always conscious that we must not neglect our education on this trip, a visit to the Darwin Art Gallery & Museum was in order.  It was really very interesting, lots of aboriginal arts & crafts & history, & the display of Cyclone Tracey & the chaos she created extremely informative.  Museums in general seem to be much more exciting than I remember as a child.
As there is not a lot of attractions which involve long walks here in Darwin, an effort had to be made to get a little more exercise, so the bikes got  a bit of an airing & taken on a 15km bush track which ended at the beach not far from the camp.  Great fun, lots of ups & downs & only had to get out of the saddle twice where the track had been washed out.  We both much prefer this type of cycling to being on the roads.  For one thing you are so busy concentrating on what is coming up next that it never seems as far as it is.  So that is our last outing here on a beautiful 29deg day, not a bit humid & a light, warm breeze.  We shall miss the climate, but Darwin itself is not a particularly pretty place, at least not at this time of the year.  I imagine that once the wet, hot season begins there will be lots of tropical flowers & everything will be green & lush.  That would be nice to witness, but apparently once that season arrives, half of Darwin's occupants move to Melbourne, a complete reversal of the situation at present.  So tomorrow we head to the Kakadu which I have been looking forward to for a long time.  Do hope I am not disappointed but there's only one way to find out.

13 June 2011 - Litchfield National Park, N.T. Australia



Edith Falls




Jan by termite mound




Cycads after a burnoff

 Sorry to have left Mataranka & it's wonderful thermal springs, but nomads must keep moving so we hit the road again.  The highway is quite busy as far as Katherine which is the turnoff to W.A. so we lose many of the caravans at that stage.  Katherine is a lovely town with a big information centre & many tourist attractions in the area.  We however,  will not be partaking of any of them at present.  Stu visited here about 8 or 9 years ago & loved it, but the weather is a bit windy & cool, & we have to revisit this route on the way back down from Darwin so hope it will be more condusive to kayaking & swimming in the gorges then.  So we stock up our 'pantry' & fill up with fuel which thankfully has become cheaper @ $1.56 per litre.&  head on.  The road conditions have deteriorated slightly but still OK.  There have been some big 'burn offs' on the roadsides which rather spoils the look of the scenery, still it is obviously a necessary detterent during this dry period of their year.  Our next camp spot for one night is at the Edith Falls National Park, basic but clean.  It's a busy little camp, & a day stop for small tour groups.  Once we are settled we head off to view the well known water falls & walk for an hour to the top where there are wonderful swimming holes - it was  quite idyllic but not warm enough for us oldies to join the many young folk who were.   Next morning we're on the road again for anoter 200kms.  We pass some Brahman cattle on the side of the road, again no fences to prevent them wandering.  For the most part the cattle stations are so large & expansive that the cost of fencing their stock is too prohibitive so losing a few to road accidents is the cheaper option though not so good for the poor beasts.   We pass through Pine Creek which was an old gold mining town, then further afield there are lots of historical small airfields from the WWII period.   The roadside scenery changes a little, still burnt, but there are hundreds of small cycads & palms in the regrowth stage - they look soft & feathery in a delicate green.  The plants here are so tough or they wouldn't survive.  It's surprising how many pretty little wildflowers there are here & there.  One thing which is obvious to us now is the lack of rest areas, either daytime ones or overnighters.  There are still roadhouses with fuel stops occasionally.  As we near Adelaide River the small termite mounds change to quite large ones about 2 metres tall.  Unbelievably, there is also lush green grass & waterholes intermittently   Further evidence of WWII is apparent as this was the frontline, & we see a sign to a war cemetary from that period.  Although we have followed the Ghan railway track for most of the Stuart Highway, we have still not witnessed a train.   We enter the Litchfield National Park via the tiny town of Batchelor, gateway to the National Park.  Despite it's size it is known as one of the greenest towns in the Territory & consists of more parks than anything else.  In one there is a blue replica castle - no idea what it represents!  Shortly after we have found our caravan park for the next 3 nights so after a quick bite of lunch we make the most of the afternoon by driving to Tolmer Falls 42kms further on, most impressive & high with a viewing platform at the top.  It is also  home to colonies  of rare & protected bats, but being nocturnal beings we were not honoured by their presence.  Heading back we visited the Buley Rockhole, a very popular attraction with a series of  wonderful swimming holes.  It's a lovely hot afternoon so we take the plunge ourselves with many, many others of all ages.  Very refreshing!   Next stop Florence Falls which has a great lookout at the top but to swim here there are 135 steps to the bottom pool.  Alternatively there is an easy track of 1km to another set of smaller swimming holes.  All of the above are really photographic & in a lovely setting with lots of cascades & wonderful reflections along the still parts of the river.  Last place for the afternoon was to the Magnetic Termite Mounds.  Termite mounds are one of the most distinctive features of the N.T. landscape.  These earthen structures ranges from small domes hidden in the undergrowth to giant monoliths in the Top End.  Some exceed over 6mtrs in height but I must say we haven't witnessed any so large as yet.    There  are several types in Australia.  Termites are tiny pale skinned creatures (3-5mm) & slightly resemble ants & sometimes referred to as white ants.  One variety build at the base of trees & hollow out the trunk causing the tree to eventually die.  These hollowed out branches are those used for didgeridoos.  The magnetic termites build their structures with a flat surface to the north to provide maximum exposure to the morning and afternoon sun & so control the temperature of the inner chambers, especially as nights can be so cold in the north.

Day 2 we have a full day planned, so with picnic hamper & swimmers packed & hiking boots on, we head for the rest of the sights.  First off is to The Bamboo Creek abandoned tin mine.  There are still thousands of tiny pieces of tin on the ground although it was closed in the 1950's.  Interesting little place.



Pool in the Cascades




Curtain falls along the Cascades




Wangi Falls

 On to Walker Creek, with a lovely riverside walk of 4kms with various swimming locations  along the way.  Saltwater crocs are washed up into this area during the wet & have to be cleared out before the tourist season.  A bit offputting but the water is so clear you would see a croc quite clearly, though to be honest, the banks would hide them quite adequately.  The monsoon tropical forest reminds me very much of the 'Crocodile Dundee' movies.  As we venture further there are 8 little tenting campsites about 250 mtrs apart beside the river with their own table & BBQ,  really idyllic and all for $3.30 per person per night.  Of course all your gear has to carried in.   Several of them are occupied, but Stu manages to have a quick 'skinny dip' at the best one.  We continue on to the very top of the walk through burnt out sections which although they are not beautiful are interesting & quite photographic.  There are burnt cycads & palms with their black trunks & now dry golden leaves, some with new growth appearing from the top, some with seedheads as well. 
Next stop is The Cascades,  only recently opened, which has been recommended to us by the receptionist at the caravan park.  She tells us if we like walking it is fabulous at the top as few people are willing to walk that far & requires crossing the river several times by rockhopping or wading -  well worth the trouble.  We reach  'Curtain Falls' which  has a wonderful large pool at the bottom &  two young female backpackers are having the time of their life.  Apart from those two there is not a person in sight, so we venture further up & find a gorgeous sandy bottomed pool in the sun all to ourselves & oh so clear.   How can it be better than that?.  The rocks are beautiful colours, slightly marbled in tones of pink, white, grey & ochre & mostly smooth like granite.  There a lots of tiny pools where the small birds come down to drink & chirrup or chatter.  Wonderful place to open up the picnic hamper & lunch in peace & quiet, before we have to move downriver again through the tropical jungle-like forest.

Last stop for the day is yet another waterfall called Wangi Falls, actually two falls one much larger than the other but both falling from a great height.  The pool here is very large indeed but is now closed for swimming for several reasons.  Mainly I think that it is difficult to clear of crocs, secondly there are apparently a lot of fish & snapping turtles present.  It is very popular with the tour buses so is exceptionally busy so we take snaps & climb the many, many steps to the treetop lookout.  On the way up there is a magnificent spider in it's web on the railings & several people were trying to photograph it, some unsuccessfully including me.  Somehow my camera just would not focus on it.  Looking down from the lookout over the tops of the monsoon forest is lovely with distant ranges in the background.  Everything is so, so green.

Back at camp we relax with a nice glass of wine, & while dinner is cooking I do my usual wander with the camera trying my utmost to snap birds so that I can identify them.  I am surprised at the length of my list of identified species IF  I am correct.  It's not easy as they vary so much in colouring etc from juvenile, female or male.  Great fun though just the same.

Next morning it's off towards Darwin, only 2 hours drive.  Again we are surprised that it is not all flat, in fact quite hilly in places, & the road is so pretty with all the NT wattles clothed in golden bloom.  The outer suburbs of the city begin about 35kms out from the city & it's always great to have the comfort of our GPS to guide us to our caravan park.  That accomplished we can breathe easy in the lovely warm temperature & realise we have finally reached 'The Top End'.

09 June 2011 - Alice Springs to Mataranka, NT, Australia

Heave Ho at Devils Marbles

Sliced like a loaf - Devils Marbles



Inside Daley Waters Pub

 Glad to leave Alice as it was pouring with rain & it was to continue for several days.  Apparently it has a habit of doing so at this time every year as it is a big weekend for the town due to a big race event.  Called 'The Finke Races', it involves cars, motorbikes & offroad buggies all racing on sandy tracks just out of town.  Everyone seemed to be very excited about it but we left them to it.
Not a lot of interest on the drive of 350kms though the scenery was pleasant enough.  Have I mentioned the speed limit in N.T. is 130km on most of the highways.  Not many people seem to drive at that speed, but then again, most are towing caravans.  Everyone seems sensible & courteous about passing etc though we have seen a few cars which have run off the road, more than likely tired drivers late in the day.   We stopped at a free rest area at Taylor Creek with lots of other vans at about 3.30pm & again experienced a cold night.
Next morning it was a break at the 'Devil's Marbles', an impressive area of huge, spherical  granite rocks doing a great balancing act on top of each other.  They were formed by centuries of wind & erosion, & are scattered across a shallow valley south of Tennant Creek on the Stuart Highway.   There was a lovely picnic area there where we had morning tea in the sun, though it was a cold southerly breeze.  Were visited by a lone dingo - he looked in good condition & tame but I didn't test that out but got close enough to take his photo.   Shortly after we turned off to a similar area called 'The Pebbles' similar to the Marbles but a smaller version, thus the name.

The next stop is at Tennant Creek, one of the largest & most isolated townships in the N.T.  It is best remembered as the home of the Overland Telegraph & Australia's last goldrush.  It now serves as the town for the  vast open grass plains, scattered cattle stations, mines & aboriginal communities of the 240,000 square kms of the Barkly Tablelands on the edges of the Tanami Desert.   Fuel is now up to $1.77 & will probably be even higher the further north we go.  Definitely the major cost for this 'expedition'. We ended the day after about 500kms of driving, more than we normally do as it gets pretty boring & tiring for my 'chauffeur'.  Found another free rest area at Newcastle Water at about 4.30pm, luckily still room for us & a few more.  There were about 20+ vans in there by dusk, fairly tightly packed I must say.  It pays to try & arrive about 3pm or you can miss out & it was particularly important this time as the next one was another 95kms further on.

Our first stop next morning was to have been a visit to the old derelict town of Newcastle Waters, but when we arrived at the turnoff we discovered the road was closed due to heavy rain a few days before.  It was disappointing as we thought it would be a great photographic opportunity, but totally out of our control.   Continuing on we called into Daly Waters, just a whistle stop really.  It has the distinction of being Australia's first international airfield from the 1930's through to 1965 when it was closed to commercial traffic.   During WWII  military traffic replaced civilian air traffic.  The main tourist attraction in the area has to be the old historic pub established in 1930 which serviced passengers & crew  arriving at the airfield.   It has also become famous for the memorabilia adorning it's walls, from signed T shirts donated by passing travellers, to foreign bank notes, telephone cards, bras, men's underwear, & other countless things too many to mention.  It really is a quaint & amusing place.  Apparently serves good food as well but we can't vouch for that.  Throughout the dry season there is nightly entertainment & as it has cabins, a motel & camping ground, I imagine it is well patronised.  Also sold diesel at $1.94!  Only a short distance along the road is Stuart's Tree, another memorial to the explorer John McDoull Stuart.  Naturally I had to take my Stuart's photo there.

The landscape now changes to what they call the Savannah.  There are lots of small waterholes at present, attracting lots of white egrets & other birdlife.  There are also lots of birds of prey about, either flying around in circles near the highway, or cleaning up road kill.  We were not sure what the roadkill actually was apart from one wallaby, but the others I thought looked like bilby's which are a little like part hare, part wallaby - strange little creatures.  Also thousands of termite mounds in the bush along the highway, which kept us both amused because some of them looked like the most comical  things from a distance.  One I saw I was sure was King Kong, lots like little gnomes & castles, & Stu thought he saw the Madonna.  We have to do something to ease the boredom of some long stretches, though frankly I don't get bored.  There's always music, & reading up on the next destination, plus I try to keep up a bit of a commentary for Stu who doesn't always have the opportunity to see things while he is concentrating on the driving.  TAnd of course there are my notes for this blog to keep up to date as we travel, otherwise I forget the small details.  The wind has been behind us for the last 2 days, which has been a large bonus as far as fuel consumption goes - we sure need it!  We finally see some stock, a large number of brahman cattle.  The trees have become larger now & there are some beautiful wildflowers along the highway, many yellow flowered shrubs, another beautiful pinky/purple one which I believe is called Turkey Bush, plus lovely mauve ground cover.    It is amazing to see tractors cutting the grass along the sides of the highway way out here in the middle of nowhere, but it is a fire detterent.  At one stage there were 3 in the same area.  Goodness knows how they keep up with it all, but it's possibly a much bigger task this year due to all the rain.  We reach Mataranka, which will be our home for 2 days.  The camp is situated next to a lovely thermal pool amidst large palms which is free to not just those in the camp, but the public as well.  This area was also damaged extensively by the floods & was closed for a period of time.  Luckily for us it is all OK now, so a few hours after our arrival we 'partook of the waters'.  Met another kiwi couple from Takapuna in the pool, so it was nice to compare notes.  We will no doubt encounter them again as they are heading in the same direction.  There is evening entertainment at the restaurant/bar in the camp this evening, but we are happy to stay 'at home'.



Blue Winged  Kookaburra




Bitter Springs thermal stream Mataranka




Jan partaking of the waters

 Second day at Mataranka, lovely & sunny but a cool breeze.  We take a trip to Bitter Springs, the other hot springs nearby & find that  is much nicer than the one in our camp, as this one is in it's natural setting & is really a small stream.  It is so clear & looks a beautiful ice blue.  The temperature is about 30deg I think.  Lots of people take those water 'noodles' with them as it is actually quite hard work with it's current & is quite deep in most places, so unless you can find a big rock underwater to stand on for a rest, you have to keep moving.  Stu & I decided to float downstream to two other platforms where we could enter or exit, but once there it was either fight the current to go back upstream, or walk back up the trail to our original entry point where our clothes, towels etc awaited.  Very relaxing, though I did quite a lot of aquarobics to make up for the lack of exercise lately.  Back to the camp for lunch & then to watch a movie called "We of the Never Never" an old Aussie classic based on the true story of an early woman pioneer in this area.  A very slow movie but I will now buy the book as I am sure it will be much better in more detail.

01 June 2011, - King's Canyon to Alice Springs, N.T. Central Australia.


 





At Temple Bar Campground

 







Fording a river









 Queues of nomads going to & from King's Canyon this morning which is wonderful with a little mist hanging around the ranges, mostly I suspect is a remnant of the burnoff done in the National Park yesterday.  Along the way we are surprised by a small group of Brumbies (wild horses) which appeared from nowhere in our path.  Thankfully Stu was not travelling too fast, especially as there was a small foal which was not quite as fast as the others.  They were beautiful animals, look in really good condition - understandable with the amount of grass on the plains this year.  Also saw another large wedge-tailed eagle feeding on road kill.  Further along we were contacted on our CB radio by a caravan following, just asking where we were headed etc.  It's really quite nice to have a little chat, but also useful if someone wants to pass you & you don't realise they are there or even more important, if there is a problem with your van & you don't realise.   There seems to be an abundance of eagles, hawks, & kites etc in this area.  We also heard more dingos this morning.  Once we leave the Lassiter Highway & are back on the Stuart Highway, the plant life is so pretty, with lots of small wattles (different from those I know) & they are covered in flowers, among other lovely little wildflowers.  We stay in an another rest area for the night, luckily we decided to stop early as it was soon 'no room at the Inn'.   It was pretty rough underfoot & not too far off the road, but nevertheless nothing kept us awake. 

  Reaching the outskirts of Alice , (formerly named Stuart Town), we are surprised by the surroundings, expecting it to be just dry desert.  Once again we are lucky that we are here after the rains.  The entry along the highway is an avenue of lovely ghost gums - they have done a great job. Everywhere we go there seems to be something named Stuart,  so my Stu thinks he owns the place!
The caravan park we have chosen is naturally the cheapest & is about 20 minutes south.  The name was passed onto us by some fellow nomads, along with the name of the owner  (Mona the owner)!  We have a little trouble finding it & do a U turn & almost give up when a vehicle comes alongside us & asks if that is what we are looking for.  He tells us it's not the usual run of parks, but fun & should be renamed 'the asylum'.  That wasn't very encouraging but his wife said 'it's fine - basic but clean'.  At first we couldn't even find anyone to book in.  There was a small shed which was labelled 'Office' with hours 5pm - 6pm!!!  Here we were at about 12 noon.  Finally we find the lady manager's hut & she is very nice & helpful.  Gives us all the lowdown on what to see & where & we are given a lovely big grassed site which gets the morning sun near our door - most important.  I must say it's the first time we have  been lucky enough to do this for some time, & with the very cold mornings, it's great if you can have brekkie outside.  There are plenty of trees for shade too if you need it to sit there in the afternoons which are now pretty hot.  All the other campers are much friendlier than any other camp we have been in,  & it is quiet even though it is a 'dog-friendly' camp.  All the dogs are well behaved but aren't allowed to wander the camp.  After settling in we headed into the town to stock up on 'grub' etc.  Alice is quite a large town, a bit confusing to get around, but it seems to have everything & anything you might require.  It's quite clean & modern, a few areas where some of the inhabitants hang around doing nothing but they seem harmless. 

There is a raft of things to see from Alice, lots of walks in outlying areas, but we ease into the 2nd morning by going to 'The Desert Park' which is only about 15 minutes away.  It is belongs to the Arrernte indigenous people & we found it to be most informative & interesting.  There are birds & small native animals like geckos, lizards etc galore, & a wonderful range of native plants.  It's surprising how many I am sure have been hybridized into our garden at home.  The whole aim of the park is to educate & inform people of how the Arrernte people lived & survived in the desert for thousands of years.  A very nice young Arrernte man gave a talk on the use of certain plants for both food & medicine,  & also what their range of tools were made from & what they were used for.   They were certainly an intelligent & amazing race to survive in their harsh environment - some of what we learnt they were well ahead of modern medicine.  Their social strata & ethics were also amazing.  They had a very good system to prevent interbreeding & although marriages were not arranged, they were limited to only certain tribes (or skins, as they call it).  We were most impressed by it all & by many of the things he explained about the way of life today & what 'their mob' were trying to achieve.  As he explained, his father brought him up not to have a chip on his shoulder, that the past was just that, & that they all needed to move on together, white & black.   It was so emotional that both Stu & I had tears in our eyes.  If only the world could be more tolerant & learn from each other & live as one.

Stu has surprised me with an early birthday present - an early morning balloon flight over the area.  It's something I have always said I would love to do but didn't think I would have the courage.  Believe me, you don't need courage.  It was so neat!  The worst bit was getting up at 4.30am in the freezing cold to be at the collection point at 5.15am.  There were only 10 of us, so it was friendly & nice.  After driving out of the town the first thing was to stop & check the wind direction, which was done with small helium balloons with a red light in them, sent aloft into the sky  After several stops to do this, the pilot then knows the best area from which to take off.  It's then necessary to drive out over dirt tracks to some field to do so.  Then in the dark we all assist to unpack the balloon & basket, after all, we had paid plenty for the priveledge.  The basket was built for 12 + pilot, & it surprised us that it was in sections like an egg carton.  Strangely I was not nervous at all, & after the usual safety talk, we all boarded & very gently left the ground.  There was really no sensation of height at all & apart from the huge gas flame now & again, it was peaceful & lovely.  We had hoped for a sensational sunrise & fabulous views.  Sadly we didn't get either so not many photos & we both felt a little disappointed though the trees & plants below looked quite beautiful with the early morning sun.  The landing was as gentle as the take off, & after assisting to pack up the balloon etc (no mean feat), we were treated to a champagne breakfast.  Despite the disappointment  I will certainly do it again some day (when I have saved up).   Almost forgot to tell you the best part.  The van driver follows our progress & is in radio contact with the pilot all the time, so is told when & where we are going to land, so it is a different road, different paddock.  The track back proved to be a very sandy track which was fine for the van without the passengers, trailer & balloon weight, but not so when they were all combined, so stuck we got, all having to shovel out sand from the tyres with our hands, & finally having to unhook the trailer & leave it behind to be retrieved by a 4WD vehicle.  We then pushed the van  out of the holes, and a good laugh to end the outing.
On return to the caravan park we had a nice rest & a cuppa, then after lunch set out to explore by car.  Heading down the Ross Highway, which turns into a single laned, though sealed road, we headed for a series of  gaps & gorges we had learned of.  The first two, Emily Gap & Jesse Gap were lovely little picnic areas with a short walk at each,  & at Emily a small waterhole & some old aboriginal stone carvings.  Continuing on we came to Corroboree Rock which we walked around, - a amazing structure in that it was more like a very high wall of rocks stacked on top of each other.  Naturally with it's name, it had special ceremonial significance to the indigenous people.  Our last stop was Tryphena Gorge where we had a lovely picnic lunch before the walk over the top of the gorge then down to the river bed which magically had clear,clean water in it.  Was lovely to do the return walk paddling back up the river with shoes over our shoulders.  Pity it wasn't deeper, I'm sure many people would have been swimming.  There were many wonderful ghost gums along the banks & one large one in particular, with many outstretched limbs, I could imagine in the dark of night looking rather ghostly with it's white, white trunk.  Everything you do here is many kms of driving, so that little jaunt was 70kms each way.  We have now done over 10,000 kms, so decided a day of rest was in order not going anywhere at all.   Thus I am able to catch up on this blog - & Stu climbed under the Landcruiser to do it's due oil change.  We are lucky to be in this camping ground as it wouldn't be possible in most places.  They even have a drum for the waste oil, probably because there a quite a number of permanents living here in little cabins, quite common in Oz.  Now I'm off to sit out in the fresh air & shade to read my book which is taking many months to get through, most unusual for me.  Surprise, surprise, we haven't done any painting either.  Lots of them in our heads & photos to guide us, so SOMEDAY!

Another day, oh what to do?  Stu is keen to visit the old Telegraph Station in town which was midway along the Overland Telegraph Line from Darwin to Adelaide & played a key role in Australia's development.  Opened in 1872 the line suddenly reduced the isolation of Australians from the rest of the world & meant that exchanges of both personal & business now only took hours instead of the months it took previously by sea.  By 1900 this very isolated station was home to a cook, blacksmith/stockman, governess, 4 linesmen-telegraph operators plus the Station Master & his family.  Of course it was all morse code in those days, so Stu was able to have a little 'fiddle' on the keys - a real trip down memory lane for him.  Eventually there were many buildings added, & those left today are lovely sandstone in excellent condition.  The other thing which struck me in particular, was that a school was set up here for the children & eventually took in aboriginal children as well, (most 1/2 caste)  who had been taken from their parents by the missionaries to educate them as whites.  A really sad tale when confronted by the details & stories from those who were 'those children'  However, at this school they were well looked after & loved until they were shifted on.

Our other 'cultural/historic' thing  was to visit the local Cultural Centre, very nice & modern & well done.  It has a movie theatre which only shows 'good' movies, art gallery, (mostly aboriginal), & museum.  All very interesting but the highlight for me was to see some of the paintings by Albert Namatjira as I have a print which was given to me in 1962.  He is very famous in Australia as the first aboriginal watercolour artist.  Though now passed on, his family are carrying on the tradition in art & produce some lovely watercolours.

We wake next morning after a wet night to showers.  Our plans were to leave early to visit all the gorges around the close proximity (300km return trip) in the West MacDonnell Ranges!  What to do?  We could travel 150km & find the weather better there, on the other hand it could be worse.  Decision made we took the risk as the weather forecast was for heavier rain for next several days.  So glad we did.  A few light showers on & off throughout the day but nothing to hinder us & I had taken soup to heat up on the gas BBQ's provided in the picnic areas in most places.  Began at the furthest away which is the most well known, Ormiston Gorge.  Towering red cliffs & large waterhole with an abundance of water,  in fact so much that it wasn't possible to walk the long trail without swimming across it & as it is always very cold, we were not about to do that, though we did see some young ones who did & good for them too.  We were able to climb to a lookout  which gave us a wonderful overall view. One thing we did notice was that there were lots of lovely silver fish dying there but we eventually discovered that it is a natural thing which happens each year when the water gets too cold, & it provides food for some of the birdlife there, like a lovely white-faced heron I managed to snap.    The other 'wildlife' which were more than plentiful were mice, tiny little field mice in their hundreds everywhere we have been.  Not pleasant for those in tents as even if they keep them out, they scratch & squeak all night apparently.  Anyway, it would have been gorgeous on a sunny day, but it was quite good light for photographs just the same.  Onto Glen Helen Gorge, also lovely but very different,  lots of water present as the Finke River has forced it's way through flowing towards the Simpson Desert. We had hoped to see black footed wallabies here but no sign today.  There is a resort here also but must admit it didn't look too flash.  Our next stop is at the Ochre Pits, were for generations the local aboriginal people have used it as a mine for the ochre found there.  It is absolutely stunning with it's cliffs of many colours, almost like an abstract painting with the earthy colours of the ochre spilling out in waves & stripes.  Next stop was Serpentine Gorge, which was a 4WD track in & as I was the driver for the afternoon, thorougly enjoyed.  Continuing onto Ellery Creek Big Hole,  where we find again high red cliffs, & a large waterhole with lovely sandy creek fringed by gums.  This is one of the  most picturesque & popular picnicking & swimming spots in the West Mac's & we could see why.  Finally made our way back to camp at about 5pm after a good day's exploring.









Sunrise from Balloon



Shadow of Balloon











Orche Pits



Ormiston Gorge



Glen Helen Gorge



30 May 2011 - King's Canyon, N.T. Central Australia



View from Kings Canyon Camp




Looking into Kings Canyon




View from Rim Track



A really good nights rest for me after our day's walking at The Olgas, so we were up early to head to Kings Canyon.  We haven't had any real information about the camping there apart from the fact that we know there are two options, one about 40km before the Canyon, the other about  6km.  We were a little concerned about getting there early (i.e. around mid-day), & with 304kms to travel it seemed sensible to be up & away.  However, a funny thing happened -  our stock of bread & butter were running low, so Stu suggested I walk the 2kms to the supermarket at Ylara while he was completing the packup.  Fine, says I & set out on the track which we had walked the first day we arrived.  I went at about MY 3/4 pace which is NOT slow,  got the goods, took a couple of photos of plants, then set off on the return journey at FULL pace.  At the end of the track I suddenly thought nothing was familiar, I should just cross the road to another track & a short distance along I would be there.  No, that's not the way it panned out.  Trying several different directions until I was totally disorientated, I finally went into one of the resort shops to ask, & the kind lady said 'just turn right here & the follow the track - it's not far along there'.  OK, so that's what I thought I did - wrong again.  I went down this road & that road, till I came to the residential area of what was obviously staff residences, was almost set upon by a dog, & finally found a kind gentleman to ask where I should go.  Thankfully he gave me a lift to the supposed meeting place where Stu  spitting blood wondering where I had been for an hour.  So much for our early start but I lie not, it is the most confusing place even driving in a car & my good samaritan told me I wasn't the first & wouldn't be the last.    I must admit I was getting to the panicking stage & no cellphone to use.  Oh well, it was a beautiful cloudless day & the rest of the journey went well. 

The drive into King's Canyon was lovely, with my lovely grasses prolific everywhere in all shades from sunbleached white, to cream, to golden yellow, & green.  As you can tell I just love them.  Lots of smaller trees & a distant escarpment of craggy hills.  We did stop once for a late morning cuppa, then nonstop arriving at King's Canyon about 1.15pm.  We passed by the first camp which we thought would be the cheaper of the two, but to do the walks would have meant driving 80km so we figured the savings would be eliminated by fuel, so pressed on to the resort itself hoping we would not be too late for a site.  No worries, though most of the powered sites were taken.  We opted to go unpowered as it was not so crowded in that part of the park & ended up with no 'neighbours' at all - we must have looked like lepers???  After a late lunch we did the canyon floor walk, only 2.4kms which took about an hour.  It was not as beautiful as we had heard, only because there was an absence of water, so no waterfall & only one half dead cycad.  That evening we attended a free show at the restaurant near the camp.  It was performed by a couple of 'grey nomads' who obviously finance part of their travels this way.  Aptly named 'The Roadies'  they were a lot of fun, & much audience participation took  place.  And best of all it was FREE!  Being on a budget we had dinner at 'home', but Stu bought a beer & I had a coffee.

 Next morning we climbed the rim of the canyon, a distance of 6kms.  The initial climb looks daunting, up many, many steep stone steps.  Almost at the top it was a great view of the caravans & cars parked way down in the valley.  Having seen people walking along the rim yesterday, we expected it to be quite flat & just views downward, so it was a pleasant surprise to be transported into another world of rock formations, different again from either Uluru or The Olgas.  This is layered sandstone,  3 million  years of change from huge sand dunes to the formations we see today.  The Australians call it their mini Grand Canyon & it plunges 270 metres to the canyon floor.  Though I have not had the  priveledge  of seeing the real Grand Canyon, from TV etc I would agree with the comparison.  The colours & formations are beautiful, from domed, textured ones (called The lost city), which has had it's edges carved by sand & water erosion over time, to one sheer rock face which looks as if someone has taken a saw & sliced it.  Then the piece de resistance, the aptly named 'Garden of Eden', way down at the bottom of the canyon with huge cycads about 400 years old & several permanent waterholes.  This is accessed by a series of wooden bridges & stairways.  At times there are also waterfalls, but not enough  rain at present for that.  Regardless, it provided a wonderful lunch stop for some of the walkers or just an excuse to linger in the tranquility.  There are  river red gums, bottle brushes, mistletoe grevillea, wattle & fig trees,  indicating that long, long ago there was a much more tropical climate here.  At about the half-way point is a large flat rock platform where it is possible to hear a wonderful echo to the Ozzie 'Cooee' call from way down in the canyon.  I & about 8 other young foreign tourists did it together & it repeated back 3 times - great fun!  This area has played an important role in the aboriginal life over thousands of years.  We would rate this walk as one of the best we have done, not to mention that it is a photographers delight.



Sheer wall of canyon



Domes along Rim Track