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Darwin to Kakadu National Park
Luckily, it's not rainy season yet |
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It's a relatively civilised posting
in the campground |
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| Jabiru Aboriginal sites in Kakadu park |
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Sure, ancient Abbo paintings
Relatively well preserved |
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| It's a really hot and sticky day |
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The ranger gives us lots of
insights into the paintings
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Abbo's of course found all manner of animals
and god like stuff into any and all rock anomalies
Just take a guided tour of Uluru |
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Luckily it'd a mid afternoon tour, so eventually
it cools down and we head for the breezes |
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We're all glad of the sunset, but the mossie's are
just beginning to laugh at us |
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We go on another tour, this to Gunbalanya,
an Aboriginal territory butting up against
Kakadu
I have no idea how they can wear
pants in this heat |
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Looks like the PR department has been
called in to counter various stereotypes |
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Lust in case you forgot
Lots of salties around here. Instant slow death |
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Last night was by common agreement, the
worst ever night camping (still is 15 years later!)
Here. local swamp producing about 10,000,000,000,000
mosquitoes to bug us all night |
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Can you believe that here, at one of the ends
of the world, there's a French bakery? |
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Cooinda Lodge campsite, Kakadu
Very busy, packed in fact
The trouble with a rooftop tent is that you
can't steak a place until you completely
stop for the day |
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| The trek to Jim Jim Falls |
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Just in case you were wondering, yes this trek
was closed until the salties were extracted
from the river. The sea is about 500Km's away |
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| I found it pretty challenging |
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The missus needs new knees soon,
so this was quite the trek for her
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Yo! Falls yonder is the goal
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It was probably only about 3Km
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A real hike, and probably
in the low 30's |
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| Each way |
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Yes, somehow, we navigated this
boulder filled delight
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| Ilge sits the dip out, but |
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Yep, just in my drawers, but it was
such a wonderful dip
No salties!
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It's quite the hike, and we're hot, dirty and
sweaty when we get back to the campsite |
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| But we make it out on the sunset crocodile spotting cruise |
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Luckily, the mozzy's are less intense here
Sunrise next day |
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Apparently, this lake can rise 5 metres
during the rains |
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| Yes, there's lots of these around |
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And back on the typical
outback road to Katherine |
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| Aboriginal problem, or problem for Aboriginals? |
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Not here, but you do need to prove that you
do not have any previous alcohol related
convictions before you can buy booze at the store |
Yes, it sounds like you are having northern Australia weather. One unbearable night in Kakadu National Park at a bush camp site I was just about thinking that this 'grey nomad' was never going to camp again. It was hot+, it is humid+, the breeze had totally disappeared, the mosquitoes (did you know there are dozens of different varieties here?) came out in full force at dusk so we jumped up into our roof top tent and there was obviously an undetected entrance because they continued to buzz around me until the wee hours when I found the entrance. Then trying to sleep on synthetic fibred sleeping bags, sweating and slipping around trying to not to come into contact with anything...you get the picture. Jim just headed out to check to see if the car is ready; we stopped in Katherine yesterday and discovered a fuel leak so were forced to take a break. Fortunately, it was in a motel so now: I am clean, my clothes are clean, my bites are healing, a great restaurant just next door where we had Barra (barramundi) last night. The barramundi is a fish which is quite important to the Aussie's; not only do they prepare it in many forms (including burgers), it is an important fishing attraction and even an attraction (not sure where exactly) where they feed these fish. It is high season for the Northern Territories so places are quite packed here. One park, Litchfield, we had just walked to this waterfall; I turned around and there was a horde (2 bus loads) of people heading towards me which I had to pick my way through. Fortunately, we do have a 4WD so we managed to cut down on some of the crowds by taking the 4WD only routes when possible. I better start to pack as Jim just came back; the fellow is working on the car but the motel management wants us out by 10 so we'll just sit outside with our stuff (generally though found
nice people). Chat soon love me |
The cruiser has developed a large fuel
leak which I need to fix urgently
There's only one 4 x 4 in town and they screw up
the fuel gauge when they put the tank back in
Fuck Wits refuse to fix it!
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It's often said that there's
no shortage of water in Oz |
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It's just that it all arrives in a few weeks, then
is gone in a rampaging flood |
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Solo of course
There's rainwater cisterns located
around the loop. Just as well. It's way over 30 |
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| I hike the Katherine river loop |
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I meet a group of ladies who have been for a swim
They tell me that there's a "brown snake" just up ahead
Hah! Brown!? What sort of a useless snake is brown?
Of course, it's the 3rd most deadly in the world |
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Actually, it says it's up to 45 today
But I'm tough and made it back in one sweaty piece |
Family stuff: great times!No, not really quickly, sometimes 500+K a day, sometimes 70, depends. You should know theres a lot of Oz out here.
Giving the old gal a real work out now. Kakadu has good roads, but also some crap dirt and real 4x4. Great stuff! Several winscreen chips, a brake or 2 and a bit of a fuel tank so far :)
God, it was both really hot, mozzy infested (like we have never seen anywhere before), and WET! Yes, it poured 2 afternoons, in Kakadu, but had some really great adventures.
The 900 metres walk to Jim Jim falls took 2 hours there and 1.5 hours back, and several litres of water, 2 of which we did not have.....
anticipate Sydney? who knows.... going to Uluru by plane really saved a pile of time, so we are now comfortably ahead of schedule aslong as the ole gal is up for it, and are even contemplating Nulabor to Adelaide... Nothing fixed with us mate, but she'll be right!
Will probably 4x4 across Kununurra to Derby, Broome, then it looks as if Tom Price is the only back route to the ocean. Nulabar, then maybe a wander down to Perth????
depends what goodies we find on the way.
I think the best bits were the festival with Melanie, and the overland via the river crossings on the Savannah Way..... great 4WD stuff, totally lacking in many other folks
It is obvious that Oz has so little water, and people tend to flock to it with reverence boardering on religious extreemism. I guess coming from Cananda, where there's fresh water everywhere, it stands out.
Wildly touristed (there were no rooms or powered camping at all the resorts), even the outback camping is crowded, but hey, we're tourist too, probably why we like getting off the beaten track so much, but the grey nomads are certainly beating one hell of a path up here at the moment.
OK, as threatened, careful what you wishfor etc etc.
Have taken our day off to clean up my emails, AND burn some DVD's
Will send you the family pix, totally all over the place, but far and away the most "organised" they have ever been...... Lots of dups, lots of crap, some fun, some ??
It's burning now, so, lets hope I find a mail box and enough stamps during the next month.
Chat some time.
Of to some of the best Barra & chips I've had in Oz
Love,
Moi, Ugh!
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It's late when we head off towards the Gibb
Here at Gregory on the Victoria River |
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| Tared roads |
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And baobabs accompany us
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Hi again. You can text me at this site and I can actually use Jim's gphone to reply. Well we just finished doing Darwin and a couple of National Parks and saw quite a lot of birdlife, diverse ecosystems and some insight into some aboriginal culture so generally good though one eve/night was too hot, too humid, too mosquito infested, not a breeze to be found and trying to sleep on synthetic fibred sleeping bags!! It was just time for this grey nomad to give up camping permanently. I did survive to camp another day. We are heading to Broome next. It is the tourist season here so we get away from crowds as fast as possible. I'll try to send some photos but these are from Jim's camera phone so...love me
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Then we turn off the main road onto The Gibb Trail
The most amazing adventure |
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This is the test for entry to El Questro Gorge
camping ground on the Gibb
Don't get stuck here, too
embarrassing
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About 40Km down the road
Without a doubt, the most supercilious place
in Australia
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You most definitely need a 4 x 4 here, but there's such an air
of superiority with the local campers it's palpable
Here's the river we camped next to
| I think this was recommended by a friend of a friend |
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The pools are actually a drive away
on the way out |
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| The fresh water pools are certainly welcome |
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| Ah yes. The challenges of the Gibb begin |
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| Looks easier on this side |
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| For driver and muse |
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This is our technology. There's hardly much in
the way of real road now |
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My driving standard is just
making sure that I don't drive
over sharp, pointy rocks |
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We see signs for a camp site
It's all very civilised |
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Ellenbrae Station.
We are in no particular hurry, so off to the Billabong
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| We dine in. Hey! I'm on expenses |
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| What's life on the Gibb if it doesn't involve a G'n'T as the sun sets? |
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Washrooms, food, billabong
What a life?
We meet a tourist who's hired a 4 x 4 fully equipped luxury truck. He's lost a spring or something essential, but as the hire agreement stipulates no 4 x 4 tracks, he can't even contact the hire company |
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| We leave him to his fate and pursue ours |
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| For such a dry place, there's a lot of rivers |
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When you're swimming in rivers in Oz,
just make sure that there's someone else between
you and the crocs |
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And it even rained, luckily, just for a few minutes
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We see a tiny "Camping" sign on the side of the road
Delundi (Silent Grove) camp ground. There's a shower here. It's totally packed
We are up after 8 and we are the only ones left here
Leopold Range, Gibb River
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Complete with those bloody tourist
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Mid July. It's the equivalent of mid January Canada style
Breakfast at the Bell Gorge gateway |
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| Somewhere over there |
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And past these rocks
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| And over the next rise, or so I'm told |
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| Is Bell Gorge |
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| A well known (to Gibb River travellers) beauty spot |
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| Hopefully, without Salties |
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| After such a dry outback adventure |
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Well, this is exactly why we're here
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These places are always a great
discovery, especially for my muse |
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| Heading out, through the Leopold Range |
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Deserted outback, except for a few 'Roo's and a road train or two
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The road is not your friend
It is also not your enemy
It just doesn't give a shit about you, one way or the other |
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| The Outback is beautiful in its austerity |
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We took the 4 x 4 route, and thank Yarwey, didn't have to deal with
too much strife |
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| Spot the (almost) endless outback |
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And the toad that takes
you there |
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This is the end of the line, or Gibb road
Believe it or not, this is an ice cream stand |
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Pretty much in the middle of nowhere,
unless that is, that's where you have just come from
There wasn't much choice, but hey! An ice cream seemed extremely appropriate ands exceedingly welcome after the Gibb
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| The proprietor was obviously a cancer survivor (his tracheotomy was very obvious as he needed to talk through the hole in his throat) and I assume, still needed to make a living somehow |
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And that's all f f f folks
Well done old gal!
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We usually us the local tourist offices
in towns to find accommodation
This is Birdwood Downs,
a bird sanctuary near Derby, WA |
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One guy literally ran away screaming
because there was a snake in his room |
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Mans inhumanity to Aboriginals: Baobab prison where up to 30
Aborigines were housed for various colonial reasons |
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| Here's the only access |
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The Derby Jetty
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We're in luck! A local cultural centre is having
a "Coroboree" night. Lot's of native stuff
On a Wednesday. This is not a tourist centre |
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Our contact has recommended this
cafe to us. We stop in for breakfast
We reference the owner to our
contact and she replies "never heard of him". Oh well
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We head out to Broome
It's crazy busy here, full of holiday makers and
Grey adventurers |
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Only tourists may apply
The world famous camel trek along the Broome
beach at sunset. Definitely fully subscribed |
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This is the famous Broome movie theatre, open
air and deckchairs for all. I seem to remember getting wet |
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| Downtown Broome on a busy day |
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| View from our camp site in Broome |
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The cafe attached to our camp site
A lot of the campers seem to live here, at least
for a significant part of the year |
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| A lot of Australia looks like this. Broome |
Jim went off tool shopping so I have a few moments. Grey nomads are a term given to the numerous and visible presence of old farts who are travelling en masse in this country. They usually are our age or older and usually have a camper van, a recreational vehicle or are pulling a trailer. You see them on the road everywhere and often you'll run into the same travellers at the next tourist site down the road. We've chatted to a few and they are on the road from a few weeks to a few years. I originally thought I was o.k. being lumped into this visible majority but ...also heard the term grey tsunami which doesn't seem as kind? We are still doing it in more rugged a style but I guess its better than "old fart" who's travelling? Love me. Off to do the sunset on the beach with wine and hors d'oeuvres ; all the grey nomads do this in Broome. Love me
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There's not much happening in Broome, but this
is one of the main attractions |
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| Watching this spectacle |
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| Over a period of time |
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Just make sure you have your comestibles
A bottle of wine, oysters and an oyster shucker |
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| As the evening begins |
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| And sunset continues |
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| Etc, etc |
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| a 4 x 4, a glass of wine, a few raw oysters |
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And thou, well, give or take
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As you can see, I'm a chicken shit at this 4 x 4 on
the beach stuff, but we had lots of company here
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| And the more gullible tourists sink into the sunset |
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| Another 4 x 4 test, this into our Broome bird sanctuary as we leave for our next port of call |
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Yep, absolutely nowhere. Near Sandfire Roadhouse
on the Great North Highway |
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Truly, one of the most dreadful of our camping
sites, 80 mile beach. Really, just dirt and a shower block |
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Heading to here: Port Headland
At the tourist centre:
Me, "I'm a tourist, what have you got for me?"
Tourist centre: "Well today, weve got 80,000 tons loading today
Tomorrow, there's a 60,000 ton loading and
Thursday, we have A 50,000 ton loading"
We depart
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| And take a side road towards the Pilbara |
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| Dales Gorge, Karijini National Park |
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| So far, we are fly and bug free out here |
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| A truly strange hole in the ground |
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| There's nothing to indicate this place |
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| All the requisite fresh watew |
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| That just disappears under a rock |
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| Somehow formed by surface cracking |
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With aeons of time and water to wear out
this place |
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It does extend a few
kilometres
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| Follow the trees |
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There's pretty much nothing here
Typical outback
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Even tours for the tourists
It's hot and really dusty. I wonder why |
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Tom Price, a big mountain of iron ore
There's lot's of really high grade stuff here
Up to 80% iron apparently, and it's all over there |
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At the city centre, there's a
functioning movie house |
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We head out, this Nanutara Roadhouse
Our camp ground |
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And breakfast with the stars
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| Note life sustaining bottle of Gin and willing recipient |
