Litchfield National Park

We stocked up on supplies at the Batchelor supermarket and had lunch at the pub. Then headed into the park. Litchfield is only 90km or so from Darwin so it can get very busy. Certainly at some of the more popular spots it was pretty crowded and not as nice. We learned to wait until later in the day after 4pm because the day trip tours had to leave by then to get back to Darwin in time which thinned the numbers a quite bit. There were still lots of backpackers in whizzbangs (Apollo campers with sliding doors that are forever being opened and closed - whizz-bang!)

Litchfield is absolutely beautiful. We decided to stay just outside the national park at the Litchfield Safari Camp. The owners there were very pleasant and the sites were nice and grassy whilst still close to everything in the park. We decided to base ourselves here rather than move around to different parts of the park which in the end worked better for us.

After setting up we visited the Cascades which was only a few kms from camp. Again we were spoilt as there was no-one there when we arrived after the 2km walk in. We had a very cleansing swim. While the kids explored Maria and I just sat under the waterfall getting a good massage. Very therapeutic!

The Cascades

The next day was exploring the park. First stop was Tolmer falls which is a lookout through one of the gorges cut through the bush. It would be really spectacular in the wet season I would expect. Next was the Buley Rockholes for a swim. It was packed but is over a large area so we still had a nice time there. It's basically a series of cascading small waterfalls into various swimming holes of varying depths.

We then drove to the carpark near Florence Falls and had lunch by the creek which was nice. Florence Falls is amazing however it was just too busy for us to enjoy it. We tried but it was too full of people. Some were taking crazy risks leaping off the top of the falls as well. We'd had enough quickly and drove back to camp. We waited till about 4.30 then drove out to Wangi falls which is probably the most famous. It was great as the majority of the crowds had left and we could enjoy it much more. It was really peaceful and beautiful but again, the falls were only a trickle. Some of the photos on the noticeboard of the wet season were pretty awesome though.

The next day was very exciting as it was Caitlin's birthday!!! Yay. We had organised ourselves for a day of adventure tackling the famous Reynolds River Track. With Cinnamon Tea birthday cake, lunch and drinks we were off!

Entrance to the track

First stop was Blyth Homestead. This was the home of the Seargent family who worked in the Mt Tolmer tin mine. It is really well preserved with a scrapbook about the families history which is really fascinating. From the hardships they endured to Max the 10 year olds pet crocodile.

This is how you build a house son…

Giant termite mound opposite the homestead

From there we went to Shady Creek. It was really pretty here with a lovely walk through peach scented woodland on white sand to a beautiful waterhole with a small waterfall. The kids really enjoyed jumping off a small ledge into the deep water. We had Caitlin's birthday cake here.

The birthday girl! 10 OMG!

Next stop was Surprise Creek Falls which we were really excited about for a few reasons. The drive there was amazing. Sandy track, open plains with incredible magnetic termite mounds and lots of creek crossings including the Reynolds River which was challenging.

One of the tricky water crossings. A bit hard to tell how deep!

All the mounds point to magnetic north. There are giant fields of them. It looks like an ancient cemetery with creepy headstones as far as the eye can see. When we arrived at Surprise Creek it was really hot so we pulled out the awning and ate a quick lunch as we were all eager for a swim. Surprise Creek Falls are really the hidden gem of Litchfield. They are relatively free of backpackers as it's a serious 4WD track however as we came out of crossing the Reynolds River a French family was on the other side drying out their Britz hire 4WD. They'd been stuck in the middle of the creek for 2 hours and had just been towed out by another car.

Magnetic termite mounds

At Surprise creek we only had 2 other couples there. Incredibly one of which I knew from my Everyday Hero days. Madeline used to work at CARE Australia and the Mater Foundation. I'd hate to think of the odds. There were two large crystal clear pools above the main waterhole. You could swim and climb into both. It was so refreshing and we spent a great afternoon there. The kids just had a ball and Caitlin couldn't think of a better way to spend her birthday.

The drive back up the track seemed more peaceful and easier somehow but no less striking. And it was even a little quicker. The french family was gone so we only assume they made it back across the river.

Cannonball!!!

We finished the day back at camp with Caitlins' favourite, Butter chicken with papadams for dinner made in the Thermomick. Just a great day. Tarnished a little bit by the French couple having a D&M right out the front of our camper till I finally chased them off at 1am only to be followed by someone outside the park blaring out really bad country music till about 7am!!! Aarrgh!

Litchfield is certainly an amazing place with some truly wonderful spots to see. If you're smart you can avoid the crowds to some degree and still enjoy the peaceful beauty of the place. The Reynolds River Track is a fun 4WD adventure and great way to see some of the more unspoilt areas of the park. Next stop is Darwin for a few days to recharge while Maria heads to Sydney for her mom's 80th birthday.

Kakadu National Park

Our first stop was Edith Falls. We weren't quite prepared for how beautiful it was. There is an amazing waterhole and gorge walk but we had planned to stay our first night at Gunlom Falls campground which was still some way away so had to keep moving. We all agreed however that we'd stop here for a night on our way back. The Kakadu, Darwin, Litchfield part of the trip is one big loop. We decided to go anti-clockwise from Katherine, north through the bottom of Kakadu, onto Darwin, then back through Litchfield to Katherine again.

We arrived at the Gunlom turnoff quickly but realised the trip down to the falls would not be so quick. We pulled over to lower the tyre pressures. The track in was quite corrugated with the last 10kms being slow going with a lot of washouts, drop offs and soft sand. The campground down there is fantastic with showers, toilets and fresh water if you need it and big open spaces. I couldn't believe how many 2wd rental cars full of backpackers there were. That track was not easy and would have dome some major damage. But nothing drives like a hire car I guess…

Bottom of Gunlom falls. Only a trickle over the falls!

After setting up we did some exploring to get a feel for the area. The water hole at the foot of the falls is just beautiful. We also saw there was a steep track leading up to the top of the falls where you can also swim. It was a warm day so we waited till after lunch to tackle the track. We reached the top and were quite hot so a swim in the cool water was a welcome relief. We spent about an hour exploring around the top of the falls before heading back down in the cool of the afternoon. We then went for a swim in the water hole at the bottom.

View out from the top of the falls

We met another family from Brisbane here. We chatted for a while and exchanged information. They coincidentally had come through outback North Western Qld along the track we were headed so some of the information they gave us was invaluable. We invited them over for a drink that night. They brought some scones so whilst we chatted the kids played board games in the camper together. It was a lovely evening. This is what I really love about travelling. Everyone, whilst very different, are all kindred spirits on the road. Seeking out new experiences, having adventures and helping each other on the way.

We only stayed the one night at Gunlom. The next day we headed back out to Cooinda in the middle of the park. It was a fairly short trip in so we were setup before lunch in shady site with power. Cooinda has a caravan park attached to a resort. Nice big pool, dining facilities and day trips out to various sites. Cooinda is right on the famous Yellow Water Billabong.

On our first afternoon we drove up to Nourlangie to attend several free ranger talks. There are six rangers in the park who travel around giving talks about the significance of various cultural sites in the park. Our guide Joel was excellent, providing a deeper insight into the culture of the aborigines. We attended 3 talks one after the other. The first was in an ancient cave/home. The second was on some rock art with the third being on an escarpment overlooking the woodland plains right up to Arnhem Land. All the talks were fascinating which we all really enjoyed. On our way back to camp we popped into the Angbangbang Billabong to try and catch a glimpse of the local large saltie. We didn't see him but the birdlife was amazing.

Ancient rock art

Angbangbang Billabong

The next day we were up early for the sunrise cruise on Yellow Water. The morning was surprisingly cool. The billabong was shrouded in fog hanging low on the water which didn't clear until the sun rose higher in the sky. It gave a real sense of mystery and drama to the cruise. Everyone in the boat was quiet just taking in the eerie silence until it was shattered by an angry bird we disturbed or a 4m saltwater crocodile cruising beside the boat trying to work out who they'd like to eat for breakfast!

We saw heaps of birds, crocodiles, wild brumbies and a huge water buffalo. The cruise went for a couple of hours and was well worth it. We arrived back at the resort around 9am and lined up for the buffet breakfast which was part of the cruise. We were all starving and stuffed ourselves.

Lachie and I went fishing that afternoon back on Yellow Water without success. I thought it was pretty rich of the resort taking our money with virtually no chance of catching a barra. The guide said basically if you catch one it will be a miracle! That afternoon we had a swim in the resort pool and a chat platter for dinner. Unfortunately some french backpackers decided to have a party till 2am which got a bit annoying. Not the first time we'd experience this unfortunately whilst in the NT.

Our time at Cooinda was over so we next headed to Garnamarr campground which is the entry to Twin Falls and Jim Jim Falls. The campground was fairly empty when we arrived however there were a few telltale signs of recent feral human activity. A few cans of JD and coke on the ground with a JD and coke carton turned into a makeshift flag on the campsite indicated we may be in for a rough night. More on that later. We setup our camp as far away form them as possible.

After setting up we met the ranger and had a chat about the drive into the 2 falls. She said there was only one deep creek crossing and the track was a bit rough in parts. On her recommendation we drove to Twin Falls first. The track was beautiful and as expected the creek crossing was about 900mm and a lot of fun. We arrived at the carpark and then took the short walk to the river. From here you catch a boat driven by a ranger who drops you at a point a kilometre short of the falls for a walk up. We had timed our run perfectly as there was no-one with us and a large pack of people waiting to catch the boat back so we had the falls to ourselves which made us feel quite privileged. You can't swim here as there is a risk of crocs. To say the falls are beautiful is an understatement. Easily the most beautiful we had seen so far. The water is so clear and the sand so white against the ochre cliffs.

A Barramundi mocks me as I point it out to Grace. No fishing

Cruising up the gorge

Arriving at Twin Falls

We then drove to Jim Jim Falls. The walk in was easy at first then turned to a scramble over huge boulders. It makes you realise the amazing power of the gorge in flood. It looks like the water has just tossed these massive boulders like pebbles around the place. We finally arrived quite puffed but strangely no-one felt like swimming so we just had a snack and a drink listening to the trickle of water. The falls were only small and there was a nice sandy beach as well.

View into Jim Jim Falls

We didn't arrive back at camp until after 5pm and we were all pretty shattered. We had a nice fresh shower and a nice bbq dinner. The campground had filled up a lot and as expected unfortunately the bogans we'd spied were in full voice to late until the ranger was called to shut them up. Many campers let them know about it in the morning as well.

The next morning we had a quick pack and an easy drive up to Jabiru at the top of Kakadu park. Unfortunately I hadn't locked the side draw properly, so on the bumpy track we lost our broom, clothes pegs and Marias water shoes on the trip back up the rough track. Oops!

We had decided to stay at the Kakadu Lodge to recharge batteries and stock up on water instead of camping down at Ubirr or Merl camp. We'd heard from too many people that the mozzies were terrible and the drive there was easy on bitumen.

Yet again we bumped into Paul and Sue which was amazing. We caught up with them for a while then planned our next move. Instead of going to Darwin we decided to go straight to Litchfield the next day as Maria was heading to Sydney for her mum's 80th in a week or so. That afternoon we headed out to Ubirr for some more ranger talks, rock art and of course the famous sunset over the wetlands. Once again the talks were interesting and very informative. We then climbed to the top of the escarpment to watch the sunset. Wow, just spectacular and easily the most picturesque. Even better than some of the Kimberley sunsets I think. We stayed until dark (and the mozzies) then drove back to Kakadu Lodge where we decided to have dinner at the restaurant with Paul and Sue. They came with small gifts for the kids which was really sweet. Our Kakadu adventure had come to an end and what a glorious one. We packed up early the next morning and headed to Batchelor on the edge of Litchfield NP.

Katherine - Part 1

The trip from Lake Argyle was an easy drive, stopping at Timber Creek and the Victoria River Roadhouse on the way. We also had some mobile reception and heard the outstanding news that Bianca Grace Kearney had arrived for my brother Dave and Chanel. Very exciting and our Grace was very excited as she picked the name and also had naming rights as well. We arrived at the Shady Lane caravan Park in the mid afternoon after losing an hour and a half for the new central timezone. I was also becoming increasingly concerned with the fridge/battery in the car as it was losing charge too fast. A trip next day to the mechanic confirmed my fears. Battery dead. hmmm

We could keep the fridge on power whilst at the caravan park but we were about to head into Kakadu so needed a new one asap. Unfortunately with the new shaped Prados the extra battery space is very small and the mechanic didn't have a spare the right shape so needed to order one in from Darwin which he assured me would be there by 8am the next morning. In the meantime he leant us a small regular car battery which we could just keep charged up.

So off we went to Woollies to restock on supplies, then off the the Katherine Hot Springs in the arvo for a swim. The springs were warm and clear with lots of local kids swinging on the giant rope swim and hurling themselves in to the water. It didn't take long for our kids to join them.

We then got organised and went for a day trip up to Katherine Gorge which is 22kms from town in the Nitmiluk National Park. We had booked a 3pm 'Two Gorge' cruise, so having some time to kill we went down to the river for a swim. We stayed pretty close to the bank albeit I was a little nervous. Even though there were no salties at the time, they can't guarantee it as they have traps all up and down the river.

The cruise is very pretty. Lots of freshwater crocs and really peaceful feeling. You could get a real sense of how ancient the place was. Only about 1.6 Billion years old. Our trip was called the Two Gorge cruise given the low levels of water in the dry season. You take a boat to the end of one section, get out, walk 400m to the next deeper water section and get in another boat.

The next day I was back at the mechanic for the battery. Unfortunately (as expected) it hadn't arrived. We learnt about 'NT' time. Not Today, Not Tomorrow, Not on Tuesday, Not on Thursday!! The guy at the battery place was nice enough to let us keep the battery until we came back through in a couple of weeks time. He didn't even take my name or phone number. We were now on our way to Kakadu! We were all really excited as this one be on of the trip highlights.

The Kimberley Week 4 (Bungle Bungles and Lake Argyle)

It took us about 5 hours to the Bungles straight from ELQ, including the infamous drive into the Bungles itself. Many people with vans and even campers leave them at the Bungles caravan park for fear of the poor road into the area however we were determined to take ours in and found the road while a bit corrugated in patches and VERY narrow and windy to be not too bad at all. The 50km single lane track took us about an hour. The bungles have a bit of mystery about them with many people preferring them to Ayres Rock as something quintessentially Australian, so I couldn't wait to see them for myself.

Sunset over the ranges

We stayed at Kurrajong Camp which is centrally situated. It's about 7km from the information centre and about 15km to Echidna Chasm at one end of the park and about 20km to the Domes and Cathedral Gorge at the other. We took it easy and just watched the sunset from the lookout behind camp on our first night. The next day we were up early. We'd decided to visit Echidna Chasm and some walks around there in the morning, come back for lunch then visit the Domes and Cathedral Gorge in the afternoon.

Start of the walk into Echidna Chasm

Echidna Chasm was was really interesting. It reminded me of walking up a lost track in an Indiana Jones movie. Round rocks, palm trees and incredibly orange limestone formations lined the way up the ever narrowing track. The chasm was eerie and as has been the case for many of the sites we saw we pretty much had it to ourselves. The kids enjoyed the echoes as well!

Echidna Chasm

On our way back to camp we passed 2 cars. The first was Pete and Annie which was great as they had popped into our camp to invite us to see sunset with them at the Walardi Lookout. As we were talking a car pulled up to ask if everything was ok and incredibly it was the Pleszkun family which we hadn't seen in 2 months. They were our friends we met at Warroora Station. The universe works in mysterious ways. Anyhow as it turned out they were camped next to us so we agreed to catch up for drinks after dinner.

In the afternoon we were off to the famous Domes and Cathedral Gorge. Look they are really spectacular and incredible how they have formed but I don't know, I guess I was expecting a little more as they had been really talked up. This is probably unfair. The walk around the Domes is really interesting and goes for about a kilometre. Then you join up to the trail into Cathedral Gorge. Again, it's a perfect amphitheatre with a lonely deep green pool in the middle. Apparently in the wet it turns into a massive whirlpool before it charges out through the gorge.

View back out through Cathedral Gorge

We then headed off to meet up with our friends for sunset over the escarpment. So the cars were backed up, out came the wine and cheese and we had a lovely afternoon watching the dramatic colours change as the sun went down. It was really nice and sad to say farewell to Pete and Annie for now. Hopefully we'll catch up in Sydney in the new year.

A local Kununurra resident 

That night we had a great catchup with the Pleszkuns as well so overall the Bungles was well worth the trip in. The next day we headed back into Kununurra and stayed for the night at Kimberleyland Caravan Park to wash a bit of the dirt off, pick up supplies and get some minor electrical work done on the camper. We were then off to Lake Argyle which is the largest man made freshwater lake in the world. It is truly an enormous body of water holding up to 21 Sydney Harbours!

We were originally only going to stay here a night or two but the park was so nice and I think we all needed a bit of a rest so stayed for 3 nights in the end. The caravan park overlooks the lake and grassy, shady sites and a famous plunge pool.

Not a bad backdrop for a photo!

We used the time here to clean up some of the red dust, wash the car and recharge the batteries. We arranged to go on a cruise on the lake. We again caught up with the Pleskuns as they had some car troubles and had to detour there for repairs instead of heading straight to Darwin. Which was great as they have a satellite tv so we got to watch a Broncos game and an Ashes test. Saturday morning at the park is the famous all you can eat pancake brekky. So after stuffing ourselves we headed off on the cruise in the afternoon.


Pancakes mmmmm

The lake is massive and it felt as though you were on the ocean as some parts were quite choppy. We saw heaps of freshwater crocs and quite a few rock wallabies which the boat driver throws pellets to as we cruised past. The wallabies are there waiting each day for an easy feed.

Captain Gracie

We anchored the boat in the best spot to watch the sunset and enjoyed a drink and a swim in the chilly water. It was pretty funny watching some people with the 'free' nibblies. Basically parking themselves and eating half the plate with no care for the other 40 passengers who may want something as well. One lady in particular was a disgrace. We had a very pleasant stop at Lake Argyle. The facilities there are excellent. It's a great spot to chill out after a big Kimberley adventure. Sadly we were leaving WA and entering the NT leg of the big lap. What a wonderful time. WA is so massive and so spectacular. We will treasure our time there forever. Next stop - Katherine.

The Kimberley Week 3 (El Questro Station)

The trip from Home Valley is only about 50km. We'd heard the state of the track was pretty corrugated and for about 15km it was pretty bad until we reached the famous Pentecost River Crossing. The water was pretty low but it is still a great experience crossing such a big river with a saltwater crocodile lurking behind every rock! We had another minor mishap. If you look closely on the side of the camper you'll notice the slide-out bbq has in fact slid out! We lost the toaster/grill plate somewhere on the Gibb or in the river! Lachie wouldn't go in swimming to look for it though...

Crossing the mighty Pentecost

Ok, not so mighty at the moment:-)

Soon after the crossing there were some major roadworks and the drive into El Questro was smooth and actually a little muddy from the trucks trying to water the dust down.

The 16km drive in was a little corrugated and windy with a couple of cool creek crossings. We were also able to get an idea of some of the main sites including El Questro Gorge and Zebedee Springs. We'd booked a private campsite called Wren which was about 3.5km from the main township. It was actually recommended to us a by a family we met at Manning Gorge who'd just come from there. It is by far the most beautiful campsite of the trip. We set up under huge paperbarks with the Pentecost River flowing over rocks onto a sandy beach below us, The steep cliffs of Saddleback Ridge behind us and no-one else for a couple of hundred metres either side. Coupled with that, the drop toilet servicing our site and 2 others, was only a 30m walk.

We spent 5 nights here and could easily have stayed another 5. There is so much to see and do from beautiful gorges, hot springs, some challenging 4WD tracks, horse riding, well you get the picture. There's a bar and good restaurant as well and every Saturday night they put on a BBQ with entertainment which was tasty and lots of fun. The kids also went to a junior ranger clinic one evening. On our first arvo however we were in desperate need of supplies. i.e. we had no food of note, no beer, no wine, no cheese or crackers it was dire indeed so we drove into Kununurra which is only an hour up the road. Unfortunately as we had internet we tried to catch up on a few banking things and Lachie's US trip so we didn't get back until after nightfall. The drive up the Gibb then into the station in pitch black was not fun and driving through deep creeks at night is even more disconcerting as you pass the crocodile warning signs!

Our first morning we went to Zebedee Hot Springs. It's an oasis in the desert amidst livistona palms and rock pools, this is a shangri-la type moment as you take the short walk from the car park. It's very popular and all guests not staying at the exclusive ELQ Homestead have to be out by midday but it didn't really matter. We stayed there about an hour and a half and literally could have stayed all day. The water is 28 - 32 degrees all year round and crystal clear.

In the springs

We also visited El Questro Gorge on another day. We arrived early in the morning and spent most of the day in the gorge. The drive to the gorge carpark is fun to with a quite deep water crossing which nearly brought a few cars undone. The walk up the gorge was easy for half of the walk along a babbling stream under palms. Then you get to midway pool. Many people stop here as you have to spider your way up a boulder. We all made it up in the end, even mum who had a few issues but with some encouragement and instruction, scrambled her way up.

The back packs were already passed up overhead!

The walk the remainder of the way was up, over and around large rocks up through the chasm. We were all getting hot and tired when we finally arrived at our destination. The waterfall and pool are only narrow at the top of El Questro gorge and the water is freezing as it never receives sunlight however it's an incredibly peaceful place particularly when you have it all to ourselves as we did. It was a lovely spot for lunch and another swim before the hike down.

El Questro Gorge top pool

One afternoon we visited Chamberlain Gorge which you can only do through a boat tour. We drove from our campsite down to the jetty on the Chamberlain River and boarded the flat bottomed boat for a 1.5hr tour up the gorge and back. It was magnificent. The gorge is incredible geologically, as it is over 1.8 billion years old. It's the oldest of it's kind on the planet. So old in fact there are no fossils as it was formed about 1.4 billion years before life on the planet! It's quite humbling as you punt up the at times shallow water. It was a poor wet season in Kimberley terms with only about 400mm (a good season is 600mm) There were 40 people on board and at one very shallow point 20 people had to get off and walk the rest of the way which was only 100m or so. At the top of the gorge drinks and nibblies were put on where the guide Jim sang Tenterfield Saddler.

The kids all got to feed one of the local Barramundi which was a hoot. The sound it makes as it sucks the fish out of their hands is startling, a big WHUMP! We also held out marron pellets so the Archerfish could spit water and practice their aim. It simulates the wild when they shoot jets of water at insects on low hanging trees and leaves knocking them into the water. It was funny as quite a few people sitting on the edge of the boat had the backs of their shirts squirted so often they had to move. The archer fish weren't taking no for an answer! We had a nice roast dinner back at camp that night and a fire under the stars. It was a very magical day.

The most famous gorge on ELQ's million acre property is Emma Gorge. It is actually a further 27km down the Gibb on another part of the station where it has safari tent style accommodation and a restaurant/homestead. The walk into the gorge was typically beautiful and not too challenging but took us a touch over half an hour. The gorge is spectacular where the water in the wet season creates a perfect whirlpool in the amphitheatre type setting. We had a great swim and there is even a hot spring feeding the pool so you can get some respite from the icy cold water.

Emma Gorge

We became friendly with another family, The Jansen's (Michael and Sandy) who we met at Home Valley so arranged to have dinner together so the kids could play at the Saturday night BBQ. The food was really tasty and we all got our monies worth. It was nice as the kids got to play with their boys who were around the same age and we also had some adult conversation as well over several bottles of red!

On Sunday the kids had a ride on horses around a paddock (their first time solo) with a very funny character called Christian. He was VERY country and announced to all parents that they were not to give any advice to their kids. He had a 3 strike policy. Unfortunately Maria failed and I was up for a carton of beer...Just couldn't help herself. Actually she would have failed a five strike policy! That evening as the kids did Junior Rangers we also bumped into our friends Pete and Annie and had a drink with them before dinner which was nice. We hopefully arranged to try and catch up with them in the Bungles.

Sadly our time at ELQ was over. What a beautiful station. This place is a destination in itself. I'll say it again, we will be back. On a positive we were off directly to the Bungle Bungles for a couple of nights.