Monday 4th July – Happy Birthday (again) America
After the refreshing swim and Di's seal/sniff of approval we set off Northwards in MM.
Morning tea today was at Pine Creek, doesn't look much on the map but it was notable by the (literally) hundred caravans parked around what is quite a small town. Closer inspection of the map reveals that Pine Creek is at the junction of the main Stuart Highway and the road into / out of Kakadu. Looks like everyone stocks up here either side of their Kakadu adventures.
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| Underneath this water is an abandoned gold mine 135 metres below this water That's a deep pond |
With nearly 300 km's to do today it's two pit stop strategy (that's a gratuitous motor racing reference for those of you following at home). So lunch was in a little park just by the Adelaide River, which coincidentally (or not) is the name of the little town the park is in. Not much to report here, but fear not the day gets more interesting if you read on.
Arrived into Litchfield National Park and the Wangi Falls camping area at what we thought was a reasonable time, but after two laps of the camping area we squeezed into the only available area. It was right next to what looked like an abandoned car but still gave us room to set-up. After 8 series of NCIS Di was able to use her newly acquired detective skills and worked out that the permit on the windscreen indicated that the car was supposed to have left the park two days before. Mmmm. Wonder what the crocodile situation is around here?
Just when we thought we had done well find a spot a young German couple (who didn't know the Aldi brothers) managed to find a spot to pitch their tent, in the trees behind MM in the photo above.
Again this National Park campsite amazes, and delights. $6.60 per person per night, flushing toilets and hot water showers. Unfortunately we have to deduct stars because the pool is closed – BECAUSE OF CROCODILES BEING IN IT. Mmm maybe that car isn't abandoned so much as the driver is just not coming back.
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| Now that's a proper waterfall |
If the swimming hole was open this place would definitely rival Edith Falls. In fact the falls here are much more impressive. Amazingly, I was here in exactly this week of the year when I visited Mum and Dad. I'm pretty sure the pools was closed because of croc's that time as well.
Editors note: The actual year I was here has provoked hours of, circuitous, discussion with Di as we try and work it out. All I remember is while Di and Elke were eating out on the Champs Elysees in Paris I was sitting eating a take away curry perched on my lap, bought from a caravan at the Mindil market in Darwin.
Another beautiful day in paradise though, temperature in the 30's. In a slight Alexander (downer that is), there are a lot of flies and bugs about. Somewhere along the line they have taken a shine to (and quite a bit of blood out of) me. Ti tree oil to the rescue to ease the itching.
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| Anybody know what this is? Anybody? OK, no suspense this time: It's a bower bird nest. well bower actually. |
Tuesday 5th July
A touristy day today in the Litchfield National Park, before heading in to Darwin. Once we got started of course, because we were a bit late starting after another lay in this morning.
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| View from the window of MM this morning |
The park is just chock full of waterfalls and rock pools so our first stop is Tolmer Falls. No direct access to the falls or pool below but a spectacular view from the lookout.
No access to the falls because they don't want people disturbing the bats. No problem for us, we don't want the bats disturbing us either.
Next stop the Buley Rockholes. A beautiful little swimming spot where the river cascades through a series of pools as it works it's way downhill. No photo's from here as Di didn't want me disturbing the young backpackers in bikinis.
Likewise no photo's from the next stop, Florence Falls. Another spectacular waterfall, dropping into a large pool. You could even swim behind the fall here, just like in the movies. I didn't quite make it across there so I can neither confirm nor deny that there is a secret cavern behind the water. But to be honest none of the people in the pool looked remotely Super hero/ super villain like.
The final stop in the Park was the amazing magnetic termite mounds. Each of the mounds has the thin side of the mound lined up on the North / South access. Apparently termites have the same strong beliefs as Di about having a North facing back garden.
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| this mound is something like 6 metres high given a termite is only a couple of cms long in human terms this an EXTREMELY tall building |
Travelling out of the park through Batchelor we came across this Disney like castle, sitting in a park for no apparent reason.
A sign explained that the castle was built by an ex council gardener, Bernie Havlik, who for years had struggled with keeping the rocky outcrop, that the castle is built on, neat and tidy. When he retired he built this replica of a castle from his homeland in Czechoslovakia to make it easier for the gardeners that followed him. This is where Bernie and I differ somewhat. I would have:
a: Said good luck guys, but this bit is a bitch to mow
b: Invested in a small amount of high explosives. Probably several years before retiring.
Sadly, Bernie is no longer with us, but good on you Bernie, it is a very impressive piece of work
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