Darwin to Alice Springs 23rd - 31st August

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Darwin

We arrived in Darwin at 4.45am on Saturday 23rd August and had several hours to kill before we could check into our hostel at 12pm. However we managed to fill the time with breakfast, a long walk along the esplanade and a visit to Aquascene where we got to feed wild fish in the sea. After checking in to our dorm room which took some getting used to after being spoilt in Thailand with a private double and ensuite, we headed to the botanic gardens. They were a bit disappointing to say the least as there was not a lot growing in them - very barren due to the dry climate. The following day we walked to Cullen Bay. It looked nice from the outset, but the box jellyfish warnings put us off so we enjoyed it from a distance. We had a cultured day on Monday, we went to the Historical Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory where we got to see a lot of aboriginal art and artefacts plus lots of stuffed native animals. One of the highlights was seeing 'Sweetheart' a 5m long saltwater crocodile who used to attack fishing boats in 1979. He was eventually caught and an attempt was made to re-locate him, but he ended up drowning whilst sedated. In the afternoon we went to the Pearl Museum where we learnt how pearls were formed and the process involved in their collection. We didn't actually plan on going to this particular museum, we just stumbled upon it, but we both enjoyed our visit and learnt a few interesting things.

Adventure Tour No. 1. 6 Day Darwin to Alice Springs Including Kakadu

We woke up early on Tuesday 26th August in anticipation of our 6 day tour which we had booked 7 months previously! This tour took in all the best bits of the 'Top End' including several national parks.

Day 1: Darwin to Mary River

A middle aged Australian tour guide called Yvonne in a 4WD truck/minibus picked us up. We left Darwin at 7am and travelled 115km south to Litchfield National Park. The park is 400km2 and is maintained for people's enjoyment. Our first stop was to admire some rather large termite mounds. Yvonne explained how the termites cleverly maintain the temperature inside the mound to optimise conditions for the 'Queen' to breed.

Our next stop was Buley Rock Holes - natural springs which bubbled up in several rocky holes. We took a refreshing dip, but the current was too strong for a proper swim.

We then had a short drive to Florence Falls. There was a 1km walk down to the falls. On the way we stopped at a lookout point and saw a baby wallaby. The plunge pool was beautiful - crystal clear water which was not too cold and perfect for swimming.

After a hot lunch we drove 21/2 hours to the Mary River Wetlands. We then boarded a boat and took a 2 hour cruise admiring the views and the abundance of wildlife. Along the way we saw freshwater and saltwater crocodiles which differ in size, shape, jaw structure and temperament.

We stopped at a permanent campsite at Point Stuart Wilderness Lodge in the Mary River National Park. I got a shock when I went for a shower - a large wolf spider was at work in the ladies. However I managed to be brave with Mike's assistance and the lack of reaction from Yvonne when I told her made me realize I had nothing to worry about.

For dinner we enjoyed kangaroo steaks and buffalo sausages. Later we went to the on-site pub for a drink and to watch a cane toad race. Cane toads were introduced some years ago into Queensland to kill off a beetle which was attacking the sugar cane, however they failed to have an effect on the beetles (they live in the top of the sugar cane and the toads hover around the bottom) and have since become a pest.

Day 2: Mary River to Kakadu National Park

We left camp at around 7am and set off to Kakadu National Park, the largest national park at 20,000km2 in the Northern Territory. Kakadu is different to Litchfield because its main purpose is to provide a variety of habitats for various animals. Much is Aboriginal Land leased to the government for use as a national park and is home to an array of aboriginal rock art. After about 31/2 hours of driving we stopped at Maguk or Barramundi Gorge. On the way we got to see wild horses amongst the barren landscape. We had a 2km hike over sand and rocks to a lovely plunge pool. We saw signs warning of saltwater crocodiles in the river leading to the gorge which was a bit unnerving after learning that they will eat everything even humans! Fortunately large rocks blocked off the gorge in the dry season from June to September when river levels are lowest so 'salties' as they are known, cannot climb into the gorge. Also park rangers scour the pool after the wet season and relocate any salties further downstream. We thus ensured that it was perfectly safe for swimming - the only crocodiles present were freshwater or 'freshies' which are small, timid and only eat prey that they can swallow whole.

After lunch we got to see some Ancient Aboriginal Rock Art and walk up to an amazing 360 degree lookout. Much of the art we looked at was 2000-6000 years old and was done only by men - the subject matter depended upon his knowledge.

Day 3: Kakadu National Park to Darwin

It was an early start today as we left camp at 6am. We drove for about 2 hours into Kakadu and then drove in 4WD for the next hour to reach Twin Falls. The journey in 4WD was very bumpy over sand, stones and through water. When we got to Twin Falls we caught a boat for about 1km down the river and then it was about another 1km walk to get to the falls. The falls were beautiful - two cascading waterfalls from the same source filling a large plunge pool below next to a nice sandy beach. Unfortunately it was not possible to swim in the gorge due to the presence of salties.

After Twin Falls, we drove in 4WD for about 30 minutes to Jim Jim Falls. We had a hike of 0.9km to reach the large plunge pool. In some parts of the hike we had to jump from rock to rock which was a bit scary. We were rewarded for our efforts by a lovely large plunge pool which was 150m wide and 18m deep. The water was very cold because it was very high up and high cliffs surrounded its perimeter shielding it from the sun. The falls were not flowing because it was the dry season, but it was still very impressive.

After lunch we had a long 4 hour drive back to Darwin where we were staying in dorm accommodation. One of the girls on our tour, Erin was 23 today so a few of us met up in the evening for dinner and cocktails which was fun. It was amusing watching the local talent contest take place in the pub.

Day 4:Darwin to Katherine Gorge

We left Darwin at 5.40am today and were picked up by a new, young tour guide called Natalie. Our group had also changed apart from a handful of us who were doing the 6 day trip. Natalie warned us that the next 3 days were going to be like one big 'road trip' covering a distance of 1600km!

We had a few small stops on the way to our campsite at Katherine, the 3rd largest town in the Northern Territory after Alice Springs and Darwin and arrived there around midday to settle in and have lunch. We then made our way to Katherine Gorge, a short drive away. At the gorge, Mike and I hired canoes for the afternoon which was lots of fun. We got to canoe to one end of the gorge and pitch up at a beach area for a swim. There were freshies present in the gorge and some of the beach areas were inaccessible because they acted as breeding grounds for them. We were told salites were not present in the gorge, but if they accidentally were found there was a trap consisting of a large metal cage with a pig's head inside. Back at the camp we had dinner then lit a campfire.

Day 5: Katherine Gorge to Banka Banka

We left camp at 6.30am and travelled for 11/2 hours to Bitter Springs - thermal pools surrounded by a lush tropical forest. We had a reviving swim in the pools which were as warm as bath water. The gentle current guided us down stream, but we had to watch out for large slippery tree roots and trunks beneath the surface!

We then drove further south for about 3 hours to Daly Waters, the Territory's oldest pub. We had tasty burgers there for lunch. Apparently only 18 people live in this sleepy town!

After lunch it was more driving for 4 hours until we reached Banka Banka (Farm, Farm), a small farm set up as a tourist stopover. We stayed at a permanent campsite on the farm and enjoyed the comfort of a real bed to sleep on.

Day 6: Banka Banka to Alice Springs

Yet another early start today, leaving camp at 6am. We drove south for an hour to Tennent Creek for a rest stop, once famous as a gold mining town. We then had a further 3 hours drive before we reached the sacred site of the Devil's Marbles. These large round boulders were formed around 1700 million years ago by molten magma squeezing up through ancient sandstones of the earth's crust and cooling to hard granite rock. As the rock cooled it shrunk and weathering and erosion transformed the rock into round boulders that can be seen today. We learnt that the orange colour is due to iron oxidation.

After that we travelled about 2 hours to Barrow Creek, home to the historic telegraph repeater station used in the late 19th century to connect Australia to the rest of the world. After a further 2 hours we crossed the Tropic of Capricorn and entered the semi-arid zone. It was then only another 30 minutes until we reached Alice Springs. In the evening a few of us met up for tea and to chat about our experiences of the tour.

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Photos

Lisa and the giant termite mound
Litchfield National Park

Buley Rock Holes
Litchfield National Park

Florence Falls
Litchfield National Park

A 'Saltie'
Mary River Cruise

A 'Freshie'
Mary River Cruise

Maguk
Kakadu National Park

Twin Falls
Kakadu National Park

Jim Jim Falls
Kakadu National Park