Northern Territory Journal

Darwin and Litchfield NP

Monday 5/22

Picked up van. Jo says it's too small to live in. Jack says its too big to drive.

Drove to Palmerston shopping center. Tried to shop. Poor stores.

Tried to find way back to Stuart Highway but got lost in a maze of traffic circles and traffic. Good practice but a pain.

Drove to Litchfield National Park (100 Km).

Magnetic Termite Mounds - Lots....big....boring. Oriented N-S so ants can keep cool morning on one side, afternoon on other side.

3 kinds of termite mounds....magnetic, alongside a tree and regular out and about.

On to Florence Falls Campsite...about 1/2 empty. Nice john & shower. No envelopes to pay. About a 2 1/2 foot long goanna walks across campsite.

Walked about 200 meters to Florence Falls...beautiful 40 foot cascade into a nice plunge pool. A path leads down to the swimming hole at the base.

Ate dinner.....lot's of flies then mozzies and we're very tired so we turn in. It's VERY HOT. Bed is essentially a twin bed.....very close after living cushy in a King size. Only way to sleep is head to toe, that way can at least turn over.

Note: I am on the driver's side. The black tube that looks like a smokestack, is the snorkel for air intake to the engine. This is useful when one drives in the water crossing rivers and to keep road dust out of the engine. There is a black screen in front of the lower half of the windshield to stop bugs (there are dragonflies with a 1 foot wingspread) and rocks (this part doesn't work). The bar in front of the front bumper is called a "bull bar", and this does work.

Tuesday 5/23

Got up. Visited a bunch of Litchfield landmarks. Buley Rockholes...a series of swimming holes separates by short cascades.

Tolmer Falls.... a 50 -70 foot cascade into a pool. Also a tour bus. Saw first Turkey Bush

Wangi Falls, probably the most popular attraction. An idyllic tropical pool with 2 large (40 foot) falls.

Then did a 40 kilometer 4WD road. A couple of small river crossings. Nothing much. Saw a frilled lizard but it vamoosed before we got the camera.

Went to Tumbling Waters Caravan Park in Barry Springs. Setup, then went to Territory Wildlife Park to get a preview of the wildlife. We saw a Jabiru, dingoes, pelicans, water lillies, a jacana or lotus bird or leaf hopper or .... They have an incredible set of aviaries 1 each for about 10-12 different habitats.

Back to Tumbling Waters...loved their pool bacause again it is hot, Hot, HOT! The also have "pet" kangaroos, peacocks, "freshies". They also had beer.

Wednesday 5/24

Up in the morning and off to Darwin to restock, get maps and emergency supplies. We let the 4WD lady talk us out of renting their emergency kit. But we haven't been able to get tire pump, snatch strap or zooosssssh. We let another lady talk us into buying the wrong thing for a snatch strap, but at least we finally get the right tire pump and zoooosssssh. So, off to Kakadu.

Kakadu

Wednesday 5/24

Drove to S. Alligator River. Note that Kakadu's most famous animal is the crocodile. It's most famous rivers are all called the alligator river...go figure. Anyway, we couldn't find the walk we wanted, so we asked at the motel....after they stopped laughing, they told us our walk was under water and closed. It seems the wet season extended very late this year and things are only beginning to dry out. We'll find lots of things closed.

Into the car and onto the next stop, a wetlands overlook. It's open and looks out over some magnificent wetlands, but it's midday and not much is moving.

This is a poor example of what are typically magnificent wetlands. But it does also show the sandstone outcrops in the distance and also, in the foreground, the annual burning conducted by aboriginals that are typical of the Kakadu ecosystem.

On to Jabiru and into the Caravan park there. Again it has a pool. Did I say it was hot? Hot? HOT? Well, it was HOT. And humid, Humid, HUMID! When will we adapt?

Thursday 5/25

Bowalie Visitor's Center in Morning Saw video about Bill Neidje, Kakadu Ecology exhibit. then Ubirr etc. in the afternoon. Bardedjilidjie Sandstone Walk (partly closed) Manngarre Monsoon Rainforest Walk (partly closed) Ubirr gallery walk (all open) Climb to Lookout for panorama cool breeze, gorgeous view.

The rockart at Ubirr is quite spectacular. Above is an ochre figure but there are also many other colors. There are many styles representing many different time periods. This is one of our favorites.

Friday 5/26

Down Day Morning laundry, photos, repacking reading 4WD manuals, etc. Nourlangie Gallery in afternoon...walk to lookout...got lost. Hot.

Saturday 5/27

Yellow River Cruise in morning (6:45 start, so up at 5:30) crocodiles, lotus lilly, water lillies, anhingha (darter) forest kingfisher, sea eagle, sunrise on the water. (2 hr) Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Center - tour by daughter of local custodians Nanguluwur Gallery Walk in the afternoon.

Sunday 5/28

Tour to Arnhem Land (all day good lunch) Wallabie, crocs, jabiru, rock art, snake, croc nest, whistling kite, sacred kingfisher

This is a typical Kakadu landscape with the Arnhem plateau sandstone outcrops in the rear.

Monday 5/29

Drove to Mary River - Koolpin Gorge. ONLY 44 km from main road but took 1-3/4 hours to get there - understand why the Toyota has a bull bar. Crossed Koolpin Creek three times - one time was deep enough to be slightly worrisome. But gorgeous and quiet when got there. And the cool snap came in. Tried to walk to falls but water too high to get there so stopped on the way and swam in plunge pools. Very refreshing. Saw two rainbow beeaters swooping over the water and sitting in a tree right near us.

Tuesday 5/30

160 km to Katherine through Pine Creek. Burning of the land by aboriginals continues along the way and in the land nearby. Sky overcast with smokey haze for miles. Smoke smell strong enough to irritate the throat. Katherine is a well-stocked tourist town. Lots of people mid-day. Out to gorge for camping at the Katherine Gorge Camping area. Took the 3.7 km Lookout Walk - steep climb but park nice enough to provide a railing on the way up so could pull myself up. After first km, walk leveled out and breeze came up. Very pleasant. Campgrounds about 2/3 full - a much younger and foreign crowd than we had seen before. Cool sleeping and no mosquitoes or flies. Fruit bats, however, were plentiful and noisy. Very friendly Wallaby. Saw a black-chinned honeyeater or maybe a blue faced honeyeater (have to work on our bird identification skills).

Wednesday 5/31

Canoeing in Katherine Gorge. Wind stiff against us as was the current. Canoes heavy and wide so not great for paddling upwind. Portgages were a bitch - over rocks and canoe impossibly heavy and awkward. Second Gorge, however, narrower and quieter and worth the three "rock hop" portgages to get there. Went out at 8:30 and back at 4:00. Was easier when I was younger. Evening again pleasant. Slept under the sleeping bag for the first time. Got a spider bite - ouch!!

Our campsites, while frequently secluded, are not always peaceful. This is a treeful of fruit bats near our campsite. It is one of many and they all make a racket all night long. A typical flying fox has a 3 foot wingspan.

Thursday 6/1

Left Katherine Gorge at 8:30 for 500 km trip to Keep River. Cows in the fields next to the road and no fences to keep them off the road. They have right of way and are reluctant to leave the road. Good roads all the way to the park and adequate at best to the campground. Keep River only a little bit open because of late dry season but the part we saw and the campground were fabulous. Tons of birds, gorgeous sandstone hoodoos and a 2 km walk up the ridges and around back to the campground. Campranger talk was fun cause got to talk to four Australian couples.

Note the clothes. We have gone from tropics to coolness overnight.