 |
| Arriving in the Territory - whoop whoop! |
Border to Litchfield National Park...
We arrived in the Northern Territory on the 22nd June, amidst much excitement. Then we drove about 3km down the road, hung a lefty into the Keep River National Park, and chilled out for 3 days after a busy few days on the road. The landscape here was beautiful, with Bungle Bungle-like escarpements alongside the Keep River. Here we fell asleep to, and woke to, the sound of dingoes howling - a sound I will always remember!
Just before Timber Creek we pulled into Gregory's Tree, a huge boab inscribed with the date and initials of the explorer Augustus Gregory, who explored the area with his party from 1855-56. We camped on the banks of the huge Victoria River, which is tidal, and saw a huge saltwater croc basking on the bank, and later heard them snapping at their prey at dark. Driving through the towns of Timber Creek and Victoria River, we were surrounded by huge, red, rocky escarpements - awesome countryside!
We stayed in Katherine at Springvale Homestead for 3 nights. While here we visited the impressive Katherine Museum, home to Doc Clyde Fenton's plane and memorabilia - the original and very eccentric, Flying Doctor of the NT. We also swam in the hot springs (Ollie was very proud - he learnt to go underwater!), the kids danced to a reggae band at Katherine Country Club, fed 'Elvis' the resident freshwater croc and his harem of turtles, visited Knott's crossing at Katherine River and crossed the 18m high bridge (the '98 Katherine River floods peaked at 20m!). Katherine is a nice town, built on the river and creeks, with mango farms and loads of cattle properties. It has moved twice before settling here, trying to establish on higher grounds, and the establishment of the Overland Telegraph line saw a huge influx of settlers to this area.
We visited Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk) National Park, where we walked to the lookout on the bend in the river, seeing thousands of flying foxes hanging in the trees that lined the river along the way. The kids loved the interactive discovery centre here too.
On our way to the Douglas-Daly Tourist Park, we drove through Edith River, Pine Creek, and Emerald Springs (where we camped on one of the many old WWII airstrips in this area - Tys was very proud to have a drive of the car, towing the caravan too!). The Douglas Daly Park was lovely on the banks of the Douglas River. While here Ollie was stung by a wasp on the eyelid, but was pretty brave! We enjoyed listening to an awesome guitarist, who is travelling around Oz with his partner and 2 kids. We then drove on to Adelaide River where we visited Charlie the water buffalo (from Crocodile Dundee fame), who now stands taxidermied on the bar of the Hotel.
On the 29th June we rolled into Litchfield National Park. This was another absolute highlight of our trip. We stayed the first night at the safari park and then camped at the stunning Wangi Falls campground, where we could hear the cascading falls all the time. During our time here we walked along the tracks of Walker Creek, Tolmer Falls, Table Top Swamp, Florence Falls, Buley Rockhole and Greenant Creek. We swam in gorgeous rockholes, clambered up stunning waterfalls and and clambered over fern and pandanas palm-lined tracks and escarpments. While we loved this area, we were definitely spoilt on the Gibb as we often had falls and swimming holes to ourselves, while Litchfield is accessible to many tour buses! One highlight we will never forget is swimming with Water Monitor's at the top of Greenant Creek Falls! Priceless!
 |
| Painting Boab nuts at Keep River National Park |
 |
| Bradshaw Bridge overlooking Victoria River |
 |
| Our view from our campsite on the Victoria River |
 |
| Our firebugs on the banks of Victoria River! |
 |
| Stoke it up Nat! |
 |
| Knott's Crossing, Katherine River |
 |
Nat serving up some good ol' country
hospitality at Katherine Museum |
 |
| Enjoying Katherine Hot Springs |
 |
| Trav enjoying the view at Katherine Gorge |
 |
| Stunning Katherine Gorge |
 |
| Flying Foxes along the river at Katherine Gorge |
 |
| Ollie boy at Douglas Daly Tourist Park, sporting a swollen eye-lid! |
 |
| Another water baby/kid! |
 |
| Gappy enjoying the pool too! |
 |
| Douglas River |
 |
Trav still waiting for me to fill up the canteen
beside the river... |
 |
Charlie the Crocodile Dundee Water
Buffalo, Adelaide River |
 |
| Walking into Walker Creek, Litchfield National Park |
 |
The warm waters of the rock pools of
Walker Creek |
 |
| Tolmer Falls, the highest falls in Litchfield |
 |
| Amazing Florence Falls |
 |
| Nat enjoying Florence Falls |
 |
| Oliver ready to take the plunge at Florence Falls |
 |
| Tys loved exploring Florence Falls too! |
 |
| Our family shot! |
 |
Good to know - although I wonder if some
could read this at all! |
 |
Buley Rockhole - the best swimming holes
in Litchfield! |
 |
| Go Tys! |
 |
| Tys with his new crazy NT mates! |
 |
| Wangi Falls - speak for themselves |
 |
Nat taking the plunge into a rock pool at the top
of Greenant Creek Falls, a 30m drop |
 |
| Tyson loving the rockpools! |
 |
| Trav, always the showoff! |
 |
One of the water monitors we were swimming with at
Greenant Creek |
 |
| Enjoying the views at Wangi Falls |
 |
Our first 'rainforest' style country at the
base of Wangi Falls |
Darwin...
We arrived in the unique, bizarre and exciting city of Darwin on the 2nd July - it was to become our home for the next 3 weeks. Darwin is like no other city I have ever been to. It has everything you need and all of the normal conveniences, mixed with the laid back feel of the people that fish amongst the mangrove-lined, croc-infested waterways, and the balmy 30 degree winter days, with the open-air louvred window buildings. It is such a cruisy place!
During our time here we caught up with our awesome friends Brad, Sacha, Paige and Eva Cooke, when we met them at a NT Thunder v Greater Western Sydney QAFL match. Was awesome to see them again!
The kids loved the amazing (free) waterpark that has 3 different waterslides, the waterfront wave lagoon, the Lions Club Beer Can Regatta, the Territory Wildlife Park and Berry Springs (where we inadvertantly swam with a saltwater croc!). The highlight while in Darwin was having Trav's Mum and Dad, Nan and Tom, arrive, much to the surprise of the kids!! We spent three amazing weeks catching up with them (amidst cars blowing up, plane flights home to pick up a spare car, and blown tyres!). We were so lucky to have them come and visit and be able to share some of our amazing adventures with them! We also spent a wonderful week with Kevin and Gayle Corken visiting from Port Macquarie, while in Darwin - thanks so much for taking the time to meet up and put up with us!
We made some great friends while in the park (Deb and Tony, Anthea and Rupert, and Jess and Mark and children, just to name a few) who we will always remember! Trav was lucky enough to have Tony take him out in his boat on the Buffalo Creek near Lee Point, then out to sea, and bring home some scrumptious mudcrabs (Ollie ate 3/4 of them!). Trav sat anxiously in the middle of the 12ft tinnie, 3m away from a 6m croc trap!
I also had an amazing experience working with NT Medic Nursing agency while here, getting all of my shifts in Royal Darwin ICU. 99% of the patients there were from the far reaches of Arnhem Land, most speaking only their native Aboriginal Language. It was fantastic to work with such a hard-working, dedicated team.
We also celebrated Oliver's 5th birthday! He was one happy camper to have so many family and friends there to share it with him!
We were also lucky enough to catch up with my cousin Tara Vietch, and Aunty and Uncle Carmel and Lance Farnsworth who were holidaying in Darwin all the way from Avoca!
 |
| Nat and Paige enjoying the footy |
 |
| Tys giving Sheeds some pointers |
 |
| Tys and Ollie loved the waterpark at Leanyer |
 |
| The waterslides were a hit! |
 |
| Trav with our first mudcrabs! |
 |
| Tys catching a wave at Wave Lagoon |
 |
| Rippin' it up at Wave Lagoon |
 |
Tys checking out the competition at the
beer can regatta, Mindil Beach |
 |
| Soaking up the sun at Mindil Beach |
 |
| Tug-o-war! |
 |
| Nat got a birds-eye-view at the regatta |
 |
| Tys tried his hand at rock-wall climbing! |
 |
| Nat had a go too! |
 |
| Ollie was brave too! |
 |
Ollie checking out the waterfront near Lee Point,
at the mouth of Buffalo Creek. |
 |
| The huge tidal flats of Lee Point |
 |
| The mangrove-lined mouth of Buffalo Creek |
 |
| Working girl! |
 |
| Ollie - ready for anything! |
 |
| Nan and Pop surprise the kids!! |
 |
| Happy 5th Birthday Ollie! |
 |
| All the kids joining in on Ollie's birthday! |
 |
| "Happy Birthday to Ollie..." |
 |
| Cuddles with Nan after so long!! |
 |
| Nat at the monsoon display at the Territory Wildlife Park |
 |
At the Wildlife Park Aquarium beneath
giant sawfish and barramundi |
 |
| Tyson up close and personal with a black-headed python! |
 |
| Ollie was one smooth snake-handler! |
 |
| Trav overcame his biggest fear! |
 |
| Nat braved a feel - good on you Nat! |
 |
| Tub time in Nan's bucket! |
 |
| "It's squeezing along the back of my neck!!!" |
 |
| Ollie chatting to Lance and Carmel Farny at Berry Springs |
 |
The whole crew enjoying the warm falls of Berry Springs, where
a salty was shot three days after we were here! |
 |
Tom lapping up a cuddle with his
childhood friend Gayle! He he! |
 |
| Happy 60th Kevin!! |
 |
| Our pergola area! |
Kakadu...
The locals call it 'Kakadon't', but we loved (almost) every minute of it, apart from the time without a vehicle for Nan and Tom!
We left Darwin on the 23rd July, and headed out via the Arnhem Highway. Our first stop here was the wetlands of Fogg Dam, then we went out to the massive Adelaide River where we loved the croc-jumping tour. It was absolutely breath-taking to see these 6m long beasts launch themselves out of the water right next to the boat we were in. They were incredible to see up so close. We would highly recommend this, although we can see why local fishermen aren't happy about training crocs to jump when you hang a pole over the edge of a boat! If you go there, see Morgan and his team at Adelaide River Cruises as they are a smaller group tour, and he was fantastic! See
http://www.adelaiderivercruises.com.au/ for more photos and info!
We called in to see the great outback pub of Bark Hut Inn on the way to Jabiru, then hit bad luck when Nan and Tom's car completely packed it in. It was an awful time for them, but luckily everyone was safe. They were able to continue their trip when Trav flew home and drove their fairlane up, doing 3000km in 48 hours. The poor Patrol was put on the back of a truck (which later passed us when we were stopped on the side of the Stuart Highway in the middle of nowhere in Central Australia!) and we spent the week in Jabiru, the main town in the middle of Kakadu.
During the rest of our time in Kakadu we stayed in various campgrounds and visited the amazing wetlands and rock art sites of Ubirr, Marmukala and Yellow Waters, the stunning falls and escarpments of Jim Jim, Twin Falls, and Maguk Gorge, and our highlight was climbing the face of the escarpment beside Gunlom falls and swimming in the warm (croc-free) waters of the rock pools at the top. The view of the southern end of Kakadu was absolutely breathtaking - I felt like I was looking over the Earth at the dawn of time. It was such a peaceful place, one I will never forget.
 |
| Trav overlooking the wetlands of Fogg Dam |
 |
'The Dominator' - the intimidating 6m long
croc on the Adelaide River! |
 |
| The Dominator following the boat - an unsettling sight! |
 |
It was amazing how he could launch out
of the water! |
 |
A kite swooping in for a piece of Buffalo meat - their
accuracy is pin-point! |
 |
This smaller female croc could get
so high that her back legs were
out of the water too! |
 |
| Cruising the Adelaide River |
 |
| Tys was proud to drive the tour boat back! |
 |
| Ollie had a drive too! |
 |
| Nat visiting the very cool outback pub of the Bark Hut Inn |
 |
| The Nissan hitches a ride home |
 |
Nat beside the East Alligator River; Cahill's crossing
in the background is the gateway to Arnhem land |
 |
| Tyson checking out the ancient rock art at Ubirr |
 |
Tys looks out over the wetlands of Ubirr
at the top of the escarpment |
 |
| Nan and Pop enjoying the view with the kids! |
 |
| X-ray style rock art of barramundi at Ubirr |
 |
| Trav and Nan relaxing poolside at Jabiru! |
 |
| Ollie and his Pop checking out the Marmukala Wetlands |
 |
The amazing wetlands of Yellow Water -
choccas with saltwater crocs! |
 |
| Pop enjoying flicking a lure around at Yellow Water |
 |
Jim Jim Creek crossing to get into Twin Falls -
our deepest yet at 700mm |
 |
The stunning Twin Falls -
we took a boat up the river, then walked
along the rocks to the base of the falls |
 |
| The Bathy crew at the base of Twin Falls |
 |
Nan and Trav meander along the creek
to Twin Falls |
 |
| Jim Jim Falls |
 |
| Hanging out in Maguk Gorge |
 |
Maguk Falls - apparently you can swim right behind them!
We spotted a 5 foot water python at the bottom of the pool here. |
 |
| Crossing the creek coming out of Maguk Gorge |
 |
| BIG termite mounds here! |
 |
| Tys at the top of the Gunlom Falls - magic! |
 |
| Exploring the rock pools at Gunlom |
 |
| The view at the top of the falls over the southern end of Kakadu |
 |
| Nan and Tom at the base of Gunlom Falls |
Going down the Red Centre...
We tore ourselves away from Kakadu on the 1st August to start our descent down the long, straight Stuart Highway. Although, we must say that despite all of the burning off the NT do, there were so many wildflowers and a lot of greenery - you can hardly believe it is desert country! Our first stop was at Edith Falls, just above Katherine. The falls here were amazing, and we enjoyed a swim there too. Next stop - Mataranka thermal springs and the Elsey homestead, home to Jeannie Elsey author of 'We of the Never Never'. The kids loved the crystal clear, warm waters. That night we pulled into the Daly Waters Pub for a real treat. People flock here in droves for the good old country hospitality and atmosphere of this unique, outback pub. The pub is laden with all sorts of souvenirs left by travellers from all over the world - every beam, wall and post is covered in bras, jox, t-shirts, ties, clogs, coins and ID's. We loved listening to the live entertainment of bush-poet, singer and yarn-teller, Chilli - it made us feel very patriotic!
We drove through the small towns of Elliott, Renner Springs and several Aboriginal Communities and made it into Tennant Creek. Here Tys joined in on the bush tucker talk at the caravan park. He tried bardi grubs, water grubs, snot grubs and misteltoe seeds, and came back with many bush remedies for mosquitoes, head colds, and a local anaesthetic. He loved sharing his new found knowledge, scaling trees the next day to pick certain berries, and even found us another water grub inside a bush coconut.
We travelled further on past the Devil's Marbles, Wauchope, Wycliffe Well (UFO spotting capital of Oz), Barrow Creek and Ti-Tree. Nan and Tom blew a tyre the day before, and today was our turn! We crept into Alice Springs on our dodgy original tyre with a nail in it (it was the spare that blew the tread off!), and breathed a sigh of relief.
While in Alice Springs we enjoyed our last week with Nan and Tom, celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary, visiting the markets and Anzac Hill. Alice Springs is about the same size as Mildura, nestled at the base of the red, rocky Macdonell Ranges. The (usually) dry, sandy river bed of the Todd River weaves its way through town. We said a very sad goodbye to Nan and Tom - it was lovely to have so much time with them!
 |
| Edith Falls, near Katherine |
 |
| Having a dip in the rock pools at the top of the falls |
 |
| Mataranka thermal springs |
 |
| Tys having a shot of pool at Daly Waters Pub |
 |
| Trav loved the atmosphere of Daly Waters! |
 |
Taking a cold dip in Tennant Creek - we were freezing
compared with the tropical weather of Darwin! |
 |
| Overlooking the Alice and 'the Gap' from the top of Anzac Hill |
Ayers Rock...
We left Alice Springs on the 8th August, and made our way towards Ayers Rock/Uluru. We stopped at a fantastic roadhouse that provides free camping at Curtin Springs on the way.
The next day we headed off with butterflies in our stomachs in anticipation of spotting 'the rock', and we were not disappointed. We were still about 50km away when we spotted her - this imposing, sunburnt-orange figure rose from the horizon, reaching into the clear blue sky. No pictures and no words will ever do it justice. I am just so glad to say that we went to see it for ourselves. We stayed in the self-sufficient resort-town of Yulara in the Ayers Rock Resort. We headed straight out to Ayers Rock and drove around it. It has so many cracks, crevaces and wash-aways, so different from any pictures or perceptions of it I had. We then drove out to the Olgas, or Kata Tjuta, a group of dome shaped formations, some 200m higher than Ayers Rock. We wandered through the Walpa Gorge beside the 540m high rock wall of one of the domes, feeling like ants! We stopped on the way back to see a herd of about 70 wild camels wandering through the bush, then caught a stunning sunset (along with about 500 others!) at the viewing area of Ayers Rock.
Our highlight came the next day when we got our opportunity to climb Ayers Rock! It was our toughest climb yet, and the whipping wind was freezing, but we made it!! Trav had to carry Oliver for part of it across the top, but the kids did a fantastic job - we were very proud of them!
 |
| Camping at Curtin Springs |
 |
| Our first day at Ayers Rock - what an incredible sight! |
 |
| Walpa Gorge, the Olgas |
 |
| The Olgas |
 |
| A massive herd of camels |
 |
| Ayers Rock at sunset |
 |
| At the base of the climb, ready to go! |
 |
| The steepest part of the climb |
 |
We did it! It was utterly exhilerating and exhausting!
Great view of the Olgas in the background too! |
 |
| Trav and Ollie make their way back down |
 |
The water cascades down giant furrows
in the rock when it rains |
 |
| Nat and Tys make their way down |
 |
| Our view coming down the side - it took us 3 hours all up |
Kings Canyon and the West Macdonell Ranges...
We said a sad farewell to Ayers Rock and made our way some 300km into Kings Canyon. This was the longest walk our kids have done yet, around the rim of the canyon, and they did very well. The scenery was again so impressive! At the top of the canyon were bungle-bungle like domes, with cycads growing out of the rock in the shade. The sheared rock faces plummeted to the bottom of the canyon. Spectacular stuff!
On our way to the West Macdonnell Ranges, we stopped to check out Gosse Bluff, where a huge meteorite hit the earth thousands of years ago, pushing it up to form a giant crater. We also enjoyed our time at Redbank and Orminston Gorges. The kids particularly loved the ranger talk we attended where they got to handle different fossils, skeletons and scats (animal poo) from the area.
 |
| Trav taking in the view of Kings Canyon |
 |
| The kids don't mind heights! |
 |
| Feeding Spinifex Pigeons at the top of the canyon |
 |
| Gosse Bluff, meteorite crater |
 |
| Redbank Gorge |
 |
| Orminston Gorge |
Heading up the guts...
We spent a few days cleaning up and stocking up in Alice before our ascent out of the Territory. After 2 months and 7000km in the NT, we have seen a lot and loved it all!
 |
| Ollie and Nat at the Tropic of Capricorn |
 |
| The giant statues at Aileron |
 |
| Our two little aliens at Wycliffe Well |
 |
| Nat and Tys explore Devil's Marbles |
 |
| Camping at the base of Devil's Marbles |
Goodbye to the Territory! Can't wait to see what Queensland has in store for us!
