Kodak moments 1

I like to move it, move it.....


On the road again...


The glove obsession seems to run in the family!


This is my best angle...

Katherine Gorge - at last!

We arrived in Katherine for our third and last time on our way through NT. Our timing was perfect, finally all the gorges were open - the moment Michael had been waiting for! Unfortunately the Sydney weather also arrived - freezing cold and raining! Not exactly the perfect swimming and canoeing weather....Between rain showers we managed to head out on a cruise of the first two gorges. It is beautiful and impressive even in the bad weather. We had an Aboriginal guide who filled us in about the Jaowyn people, the Dreaming and the Tribal Laws - this was particularly fascinating as the tribal laws are still legal in NT and are incredibly tough. The boys were enthralled by the stories of spear throwing at guilty parties for punishment.


Looking back at the first gorge.


Entering the second gorge.


Time to put your feet up and relax - life is tough when you are 3!


Mastering the art of the didgeridoo...not sure if the sound that came out could be classified as music!

Kakadu - Gunlom Falls

We headed down to Gunlom Falls in the southern end of Kakadu with the hope of swimming in the freshwater plunge pool - this is one of the only places in the park that is relatively safe to swim. It is of course swim at your own risk!!!




View from the top of Gunlom Falls - you can vaguely see Ollie, Will and I at the waters edge. Some of us were not feeling particularly athletic and declined the steep climb to the top in favour of hanging around the beautiful plunge pool.



Harry at the top of the falls where there was a series of beautiful rock pools - obviously it was worth the climb!



On top of the world...




Will and Ollie frolicking in the plunge pool as featured in Crocodile Dundee... not the one where the croc attacked!

Kakadu - Yellow Waters

Sunrise on the Yellow Waters - We were up early for the sunrise cruise which was definitely worth setting the alarm for! Beautiful morning with a great sunrise and the light was fantastic. An abundance of wildlife and and incredibly beautiful setting - a definite must on the Kakadu itinerary! We saw so many different birds and the boys have become experts in spotting and naming them all. As a bonus we also cruised alongside a huge saltwater croc which then tried to snap up one of the egrets - no luck for the croc!

Kakadu

Kakadu was an emotional journey as very sadly my gorgeous Granny passed away and I made a quick trip home to Sydney. Michael and the boys filled in a couple of days in Darwin before we all returned to Kakadu. Memories of Granny have become intertwined with Kakadu landmarks and Kakadu filled with "All Things Bright and Beautiful" brought back all the happy childhood memories. Yellow Waters was incredibly beautiful and peaceful and a place to reflect on a wonderful person. Kakadu will always remind me of Granny.




Amazing rock art at Ubirr.



View of the Kakadu floodplains from the lookout at Ubirr.



One of the many warning signs in abundance at Kakadu....

Fogg Dam

Heading out of Darwin on the Arnhem Highway towards Kakadu we stopped at Fogg Dam - our first experience of the incredibly beautiful wetlands which dominate this area. The water lilies were stunning and the bird life amazing. This is a bird lovers paradise and the boys loved spotting all the different varieties of birds - particularly the Jabiru.



This was also our first major saltwater croc spotting in the wild...



Egrets and Magpie geese galore - apparently more tasty than turkey or chicken!!



Mary River National Park was next on our list of places to visit before reaching Kakadu. We really didn't know much about this National Park but were particularly influenced by the promise of great barramundi fishing - Michael and Harry still desperate for the elusive barra! This will not make our top 10 list of best places to go! We set off with grand expectations of a great campsite with croc viewing platforms and plenty of barra. We were greeted by strange stares from seasoned fishermen and a warning from one old crusty fisherman "Have you been warned about the mossies? You know you can't go outside after dark the mossies are so bad." "Crocs - no you can't see any from here" There didn't seem to be much on offer for the amateur family fishermen. The mossie warning was enough to turn me off with the thoughts of Ross River Fever running through my mind, particularly as 20 mins down the road was a campground which according to the girl at reception had no mossies! So we headed back down the road to Point Stuart Wilderness Camp and set up just in time for the mossie onslaught - I have never seen so many mossies - 100s and 100s hovering all around us. So much for no mossies - more thoughts of Ross River Fever! Nothing else to do but head to the Saloon Bar. Well this was real mens territory - hard core fishing and pig shooting country - beer, bundy rum and the State of Origin! Just felt slightly out of place with the 3 kids - what an experience! Needless to say no barra was caught the next morning when Michael and the boys faced the mossies and headed back up to the river to fish. No one is going to rest until at least one barra is caught!

Darwin

We spent a couple of days taking in the sights of Darwin and spending as little time as possible in the caravan park - it was a bit like staying a long way out on Parramatta Road surrounded by industrial warehouses and factories! Caravan parks are a world of their own in general but the capital city ones seem to be a whole new ballgame....there was a guy living in a tent with a TV bigger than the one we have at home. He had dedicated a whole room in his tent to the TV and then had to sit outside to watch it!!



Quick visit to the Aviation Heritage Museum to see the B-52 bomber and other assorted aircraft - this is what you do when you have a family of boys!



Lunch down at the Trailer Boat Club - cold beer, cheap food and an amazing view! Thanks for the tip Jen Cole!



Highlight of the Darwin itinerary for the boys was the free water playground in one of the local parks! It was a great set up with water playground and huge pool and totally empty as being June it was too cold for the locals at only 32 degrees!

Darwin - Mindil Beach Sunset Markets

First stop on the Darwin itinerary was the Mindil Beach Sunset Markets- great atmosphere, great food and of course a beautiful sunset! Very excited to eat Asian food again....BBQ menu becoming a bit tedious after 2 months!

Harry and Ollie very pleased with their new purchases - Harry sporting a croc tooth necklace and Ollie a shark tooth one - of course totally genuine as guaranteed by the stall owner!

Dining on the beach to watch the sunset with a great band playing in the background at the markets.

Buley Rockhole - Litchfield NP

Ollie perfecting the bomb in one of the deeper rock holes!



Harry - always keen to show off his jumping skills!



Family fun in the waterholes....

Litchfield NP

Litchfield National Park was always one we were looking forward to as we had heard so much about it both before we left and on the road. It did not disappoint.
We encountered a number of bushfires on our way in and these are all over the top end at this time of year (early dry). For thousands of years the aboriginals have been burning off the bush every year to prevent a build up of fuel which could cause more major fires to flare up. The authorities have only just recognised this as a good idea and are now following the same practice. It can be a little hairy on the roads at it frightens much of the wildlife into your path however, it does provide for some great sunsets.


Giant termite mounds and inhabitants



Wangi Falls - Litchfield NP
Litchfield (like Kakadu) covers areas of vast sandstone tablelands which act as a giant sponge and absorb all the wet season rains and release it again during the dry so there is a lot of permanent rivers and water holes. This makes for spectacular views and great swimming.





Preparations for the corroberee and initiation ceremony. The event was called off as the MC passed out after two light beers and a handful of pretzels. The initiatees were very glad of this as they are getting tired of the Vinters dreamtime story.



Florence Falls - Litchfield NP

Back to NT

After Purnalulu we headed back into NT, first stop was to be Katherine however, many gorges are still closed and canoeing still suspended as there is still too much water around. We decided to stock up on supplies and head north and catch Katherine on our third (and last) time through on our way home.


Road Trains!!!
The roads are now crowded with these mothers as it is droving season with much of the cattle being rounded up and road trained to the ports (Broome, Wymdham, Derby, Darwin) as live export to Asia. You really have your heart in your mouth when overtaking these things and if they are coming towards you on some of the narrower back roads ....look out..they don't move over.



A calm moment in our sporadic attempts at "school on the road". The writing of journals has been a somewhat tortured task as the distractions are many. However, Miss Jenny is keeping her pupils in line...most of the time.

Above are below are at Edith Falls just north of Katherine. This was on of the most beautiful campsites with nice water falls and good walks, swimming holes etc. Another hidden treasure. Less attractive was our first encounter with the Cane Toad....foul beastie.



The goggles get a good workout in these holes. There is so much to see under the water..some things you would rather not see...this is now croc country. Oliver is attempting to attract one in the foreground by swimming like a dead chicken.