The Big Wet is here

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Bowling Green Bay National Park is about 50 km north of Ayr on the westward side. It forms part of the Leichhardt range that makes the east wet and tropical and west dry and hot! Although I had not noticed it before (being a passenger makes a huge difference to a journey) there are some scrawny looking cows on both sides of the highway, and now having had a bit more rain the foliage is looking very green and lush. The rain is not maligned but restorative for this area!

One Saturday we headed up to Alligator Creek, part of the national park and in the vicinity of which is the Mount Elliot climb. But with 66.6% of us being be-jandal’ed a taxing walk in the afternoon sun was off and instead we opted to wander to Cuckatoo creek, 4km return walk from the car park. There were a few rises and falls, but mainly the path ran alongside the stunning creek section up from the park and camping area. Kate reckoned it was a slice of the NT gorge scenery and “gorge’eous” it was! We maendered back down, and spent the evening lazing in the warm water (free from crocodiles being 30km inland and elevated), chomping on sushi/ snacks, listening to the cooing of the kookaburra, and entertaining (not feeding!) curious wallabies and kangaroos.

The sunset of ‘Red at night Shepherds delight’ was a good omen, so I thought, so to see and feel heavy rain overnight in my fairly solid unit was testament to the wet season beginning! Another friend being equally keen to knock off the Alligator Creek falls meant and early 6am rise followed by a 45 minute drive back again to our new favourite spot the next day.

What began as a nice dry hike soon became interspersed with torrential rain, five river crossings, mossies galore, more torrential rain and subsequent high humidity until the huge falls that we could barely see but feel the power of from a distance. And throughout this, our spirits remained jolly (oh those conversations get so profound when hiking…) and our rain jackets were rendered useless. But it could not have been better and to have the clean creek at the end almost to myself (post hike bathing ritual), a gem in itself.

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Photos

What Alligators?
View over the creek, a slice of the NT so kate reckoned

Cuckatoo creek
Perhaps more aptly names mossie creek, soon followed by 'camera creek' (site of impromptu camera bathing!!!!)