Katherine to Darwin

Katherine to Darwin

After a bit of reorganizing and posting another blog we headed off the next day. We took a photo of the Katherine River Bridge, noting that in 1999 the flood was 2 metres over the bridge and we encountered our first very big large road trains . We were headed for Litchfield National Park via Pine Creek stopping at Adelaide River and had lunch at The Roadhouse famous for many things, including filming of Crocodile Dundee. There were a lot of souvenirs with this theme. This town and many of the towns in the Northern Territory had large defence involvements in World War 11. The Roadhouse also boasts “the best Barramundi and Chips” so of course had to try them, and they were great. It is also a very popular lunch stop for tourists.

On our way again we drove up the highway until we reached the Litchfield National Park turnoff where we had booked a safari tent for the night near Wangi Falls. The park is a very popular spot as it is a comfortable 90 minute drive from Darwin. We were still in school holidays so many people about. The drive takes you through the historic township of Batchelor, near Rum Jungle, and then past numerous natural and cultural heritage areas such as the Magnetic Termite Mounds, Tolmer and Wangi Falls. and other attractions we didn’t get time to visit.

We called into the Magnetic Termite Mounds some of which stand up to two metres in height and unique in that they are formed in a North-South orientation. This configuration acts as a built-in temperature control mechanism, allowing only the least possible surface area to be exposed to the heat of the sun. They are different from a lot of others we have seen and the area looks like a graveyard.

From there we drove on to the car park for the Tolmer Falls and walked out to the lookout. The Tolmer Falls is one of the most spectacular, cascading over two high escarpments into a deep pool. As with a lot of the falls, there are long walks you can undertake to get to the top but we opted for the lookout walk, which I was able to manage with the help of my hiking stick. As we have said before, all the areas are different in their own way and it is interesting to see so many different aspects of falls in the same general area.

We then went on to the Wangi Falls, which I thought were the best we have seen yet. They were very close to the car park and fall into a pool in which many people were swimming. There are two falls, one tall and narrow and the other with tons of water cascading over into a beautiful pool surrounded by pandanus palms and other monsoon forest plants. The water was quite clear and we saw several large fish swimming around the lookout platform.

The Litchfield Safari Park was quite close by and we settled in very quickly in our safari tent in very peaceful surroundings. It was very comfortable accommodation and the ensuite was something else! The canvas walls came up to about chest height and then were open to the elements. The roof only covered part of the ensuite with the rest covered by shade cloth. The fittings were modern moulded plastic and the shower cubicle had mirrors, shelves, seats and when you pressed the right button, water jets! All this under the moon and stars, which I have to say were beautiful. We were also able to appreciate the beautiful sunset and had a short drive around the park, encountering many wallabies, before having an alfresco meal on the verandah. Unfortunately we had only booked for one night. We could have stayed for a week (as in many cases).

The next morning we decided to drive the gravel road through to Berry Springs, on our way to Darwin, which saved us many kilometers going back through the Park to the Highway and was much more interesting. We passed many army vehicles and troops on our way and it appeared there was some form of operation going on. The vegetation had changed and we drove through many areas with pandanus palms and cicads beside the road.

On arrival we checked into the Big 4 Caravan Park at Howard Springs, some 25 km from Darwin. Accommodation was very scarce in Darwin due to many reasons, school holidays, troops returning from Iraq, country football and hockey competitions, and the many businesses who are enjoying the mining boom. We couldn’t get a cabin so decided to pitch our tent for a week. The weather was now getting to 30 deg + and very humid. By the time the tent was up we were both dripping with perspiration and found this occurred whenever we did any work, even just the washing. I now appreciate why indigenous people spend the heat of the day under a tree! Fortunately the park had a couple of swimming pools which were quite a relief, and we enjoyed the peacocks visiting every afternoon. On the way in we saw a car at a traffic light with a large dog hanging out the side. When the car went past, we saw there were two other dogs in the car as well.

In Darwin we planned to do a bit of shopping, get the car serviced and just regroup, which is very important when you have been on the road for over three months and everything is in the car. We had an extra trip into the city of Darwin after Heinz dropped his mobile into the washing up water and found it didn’t work after that! Luckily he got a replacement so was quickly back on the air.

Darwin was first settled in 1864 but grew slowly until the 1940’s when 10,000 allied troups moved in to defend the coastline and in February 1942 the Japanese bombed Darwin. On Christmas Eve 1974 Darwin was devastated by Cyclone Tracy, Australia’s worst recorded natural disaster. The city was virtually evacuated for a time and had to be rebuilt from scratch. With its close proximity to South East Asia, Darwin is influenced by its northern neighbours and by the more than 50 different cultures that live harmoniously

We enjoyed the tropical feel of Darwin, especially around the harbour and beaches. A visit to the Mindil Beach Markets was a must and we were able to get a shuttle bus from the caravan park. We watched a most beautiful sunset on the beach with hundreds of others and then strolled along through the markets. Mostly food stalls of all different cultures and the usual souvenirs and trinkets found in markets. There was a group of musicians who performed, one playing several didgeridoos – very talented.

Also enjoyed lunches down on the Wharf precinct where there are lots of seafood and Asian food stalls and a good seafood restaurant. Some navy ships arrived one day and they added to the interest. There are some joint Australian/American defence operations going on at the moment so good to see the troops are practicing

We met so many interesting people while in the caravan park in Darwin, including a paraplegic woman who was originally travelling on her own but had teemed up with a couple of other travellers. She was so interesting, and independent, that again we felt quite humbled. She was interested in what we were doing and liked our awning set up and felt she could organize something similar. She still takes place in the Masters Paraplegic Swimming Events. Another couple camped next to us were going on to do volunteer management of stations. They had a very comfortable looking camper trailer rig.