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The Long Road Home

June - November 2021
Travelling the Outback with ute and caravan Read more
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  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 42

    To Kakadu

    August 7, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    The plan was to head to Jabiru which is the main town of Kakadu but as we travelled we decided to stop at Bark Hut Inn roadhouse which had a nice camping area. So after a 130km drive we are here for two nights to discover the Mary River National Park. On the way in we saw at least 3 giant crocodile statues so are pretty confident we have entered croc country. The heat is still draining our energy so a little slow today. Humidity has dropped thankfully.

    Once we set up the caravan site we headed out into the Mary River national park. Speed limit of 130km/hr was reached but the road/ suspension of a ute at that speed wasn't that comfortable. Down a few dirt roads so now we are back to dust again. Found a walk called Brian Creek Monsoon forest. Was hard to locate and ended up at Mistake Billabong first (by mistake).

     The monsoon forest was a wide track that ended up as a small loop at the end, except the track got very narrow and was hard to follow . It crossed the creek a couple of times with the obligatory croc danger signs. The track leaf litter was constantly rustling with small lizards darting out of the way so with the various spider webs and spiders on us we were glad to get back to the safety of the ute. Australia sure has a lot of biting animals and by the end of the walk we were convinced that most were watching us.

    A quick detour to Couzens lookout which was named after a ranger who passed away in 1985 . This lookout is over the Mary River area from a high vantage point. It was cool to still see the giant waterlillies around, they must be incredible at the end of the wet season. Very warm but great open views across the wetlands. Back to camp for a swim in the pool (predator free) and chat to neighbours.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 43

    Billabongs

    August 8, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    We checked out two local walks today. The first was Mary River Billabong which was a small loop. A few people had already walked ahead of us so we weren't catching the overnight spider webs. The next walk was around the Bird Billabong. It was a bigger loop of 4.5km. By then it was getting warm and the first half of the walk was exposed on the flat lake bed where water would be during the wet season.

    There were lots of trails into the water through the grasses and we presume these are croc trails as they were wide and well flattened. There were a few roos galloping away as we approached. The roos up here are a lot smaller than down south. No more than 4 feet tall mostly but very fast of course. The Billabong lived up to its name with lots of water birds floating and hunting. We can imagine the view is completely different in the wet season with lots of fresh vegetation, flowering plants and plenty of water.

    Back to camp for a couple of swims in the pool and a book read. Also decided to try the pub meals for our last night at the Bark Hut Inn. The food was pretty standard pub fair although Regan's buffalo sausages were very tasty.

    We copped yet another stone chip on the windscreen yesterday but the heat of today has turned it into a very long crack. Will monitor its progress but we expect we may be heading back to Darwin soon for a replacement.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 44

    Jabiru

    August 9, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    Just a small and easy 140km drive to Jabiru today which is the heart of Kakadu National Park. Another warm one though. Uneventful trip except when I recognised Trev (and Di) at a rest area. We had met these two at a party in Tassy in 2007 then at another party in Bali in 2017. Friends of friends so was great to see them. We decided to set up camp next to each other as well as sharing dinner and a few drinks to catch up with the last few years.

    Julie and I also planned the next week of our travels. This is a new idea for us to plan ahead but as I have to return to Darwin this Saturday for a new windscreen we need to make sure we are camped near Darwin on Friday.

    We did a quick drive to the Jabiru town Plaza to have a look. It was very like Twizel (NZ) and we found it had been built in 1982 to support a Uranium mine which explained the likeness. There was not much there so went to the local supermarket for coffee and milkshake. Back to the camp for a swim in the somewhat cool but refreshing pool and nothing else for the day except lots of conversation over a few refreshments ......    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 45

    Cahills Crossing

    August 10, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    We set off earlier this morning with Di and Trev and headed out about 40km to Ubirr. This is a large area of Aboriginal rock art. The rocky outcrops have a lot of over-hangs where indigenous people would shelter. Just beside this area was a massive flood plain which I'm sure was a great food gathering place. We all climbed up to the lookout and luckily there was some cloud that kept the temperature below 30 degrees.

    The temp hit 36 later. Nearby was Cahills Crossing which is famous for croc viewing. (check out YouTube). This ford across to Arnhem Land has been around for a long time. We were told the best time to view is on the incoming tide where the water rushes in across the ford and the crocs wait for the fish to get washed into their mouths.

    For a start all was quiet but once the tidal surge got bigger the crocs all lined up in their respective areas ready to feed. There were the two largest crocs at the front with the smaller ones behind. We think there were at least a dozen large crocs with the biggest easily 3metres long. We also had some entertainment watching the tourists getting too close to the water.

    The signs are very clear stating that people have died here from croc attacks. There were parents with kids getting photos, people fishing and one photographer who was determined to get as close as possible to the oldest croc, not good for the heart rate. There were also multiple 4wd vehicles going across the ford then returning putting up a few waves over the crocs. Arnhem land across the ford is a permit only area which I doubt these drivers would have permission to enter. Oh well, all part of the entertainment.

    By now the heat of the day was on us so back to the only store in Jabiru for cold drinks then a swim at the camp pool and a few drinks.
    Di and Trevor head off tomorrow and we have a very early start for a sunrise boat trip.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 46

    Sunrise over Kakadu

    August 11, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 34 °C

    Julie booked a Yellow Water sunrise cruise. Sounded good at the time until we worked out that we needed to leave the caravan at 5.30am and drive in the dark for 50km of national park road. And the overnight low was 23 degrees so our sleep was far from restful. But the cruise itself was well worth the early start.

    The cruise was aimed at people wanting to see the wildlife and there was so much birdlife, fish life and of course crocs. We saw so many different types of birds and the birdwatchers on board were quite excited at some of the more rare feathered friends. The best story was about the Whistling kite which is also referred to as the "burning stick kite". When the locals do burn-offs of undergrowth the kite picks up a burning stick and flys to a new patch of undergrowth and drops the stick to set the grass on fire. Then it waits for all the small animals to race out of the fire and catches them. Very bright bird.

    We managed to get close to a lot of crocs too. Not as big as the ones yesterday at Cahills but the safety talk on the boat did mention that these ones are big enough to kill a human. The last death in this area was 4 years back when a guy was taken off the back of his tinny. So we of course kept our arms well inside our boat.

    We stopped for breakfast at the Cooinda resort then decided we really needed to burn off that food by climbing 1km up a hill to a lookout. Temperature was close on 30 by then so we really struggled as the track was in direct sun. After getting safely back to the car we went and checked out the local aboriginal rock art area as well. This was pretty good and was shaded which helped. We always take extra water as we drink so much of it in this heat.

    A heap of green ants decided to choose our car to feed off. These ants are quite large and bite. They also have the ability to stay on the windscreen during 110km/hr winds! They did finally leave by the time we got back to camp.

    On the way back to the caravan it was the 3rd milkshake and frappe in 3 days from the supermarket. The lady at the checkout also commented that the heat in the last few days is even hard on the locals. She said the weather was like it is in the lead up to the first rain of the season. So October and November they all wait eagerly for the first rain in December when the humidity drops and it gets better for them. Back to camp for a swim and relax after such an early start.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 47

    Onward to Litchfield

    August 12, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    Well the heat is still slowing us a bit. 36 degrees for most of the day is quite draining. We left Jabiru by 8.30am and the sun was behind us for a change. Just under 300km to drive so we shared the task today. Drove with few stops to the Lichfield National Park and set up camp in a lovely shaded site. Someone had amazing forethought to plant palms and other trees around each camp-site to create a giant canopy.

    After a break we headed up to Florence Falls which is a very shaded swimming hole that we visited 4 years ago. Being down in the valley under a lot of trees was the best. There were quite a few people there also hiding from the intense sun. Even in the wet season the waterfalls run. After an hour or so just lazing in the water with fish nibbling now and again we walked back via the shady track and were almost dry by the time we got to the ute.

    Back to the camp for a leisurely drink and dinner with little respite from the heat. Lucky that the camp pool doesn't close so after dinner we had another quick dip.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    1
    Day 48

    Full Day Litchfield

    August 13, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    For a change we planned our day around the increasing temperatures. We headed out quite early and took the 4wd track into The Lost City. This is an area of large layered rocks surrounded by bush. The walk through the area was warm but still not quite 30 degrees. We were first to the area and by the time we left there were more people and a few on the single lane dirt track.

    Next place we headed to was Tolmer Falls. There was a loop track to the top of the Falls then we viewed the falls from the very well built platform. No swimming allowed here due to the bats that live down around the pool. It would also be a hard climb down.

    As the temperature was into the 30's it was time for a swim so we walked into the Cascades which is a large stream with a lot of rock pools. The track was flat to start with but then got a bit tricky with hard rock and angled jagged steps. We got most if the way in and met a couple who was struggling to get back to the car park. Fred from SA had slipped and broken or badly sprained his ankle. He had managed to get a bandage and a stick to use as a crutch but the heat and the terrain was almost impossible for him.

    I helped him over some very jagged rocks and he and his wife Maggie were happy to go on their own. I went for a swim then we walked back out and caught up with Fred who hadn't got too far. So I helped him for a while longer until the track became easier. They were insistent that we leave them so we hope they made it back to their campervan.

    Next pool for a swim was Wangi Falls. This is an easy access pool with a lot of people but was really big with a split waterfall at one end. The fresh water in the pools was cool enough to be refreshing but not too cool. We then attempted another 4wd track to the Blyth homestead which is abandoned house. Unfortunately about 1km in there was a long water crossing which was dirty water and an unknown depth. Usually to test water the passenger would wade in and test the water but in NT this is a risk, as there are croc warnings at all waterways. So we backed out and went to the final stop at Buley Rockhole.

    Buley has approximately 7 beautiful separate swimming holes cascading down a hill. It was fun climbing between the pools and cooling off as the car temperature gauge hit 39.5 degrees. We made it back to the camp for a shower. We had happy hour and a meal with Di and Trev who we have caught up to again in Lichfield. They head to WA tomorrow and we have decided to do the same!

    Tomorrow is a maintenance day. New windscreen for the ute and dentist for Regan.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 49

    Housekeeping day

    August 14, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    This morning we headed to Darwin early. The ute was booked in for a new windscreen at 9am. While we waited for the job to be finished we had breakfast, collected my new debit card from the post office and picked up some more reading material (thanks Vinnies). Next was the dentist for Regan, he had been struggling with some nerve pain for a few days and was thankful to get an appointment today. Once again the day was warm and the walk to and from the car was hot.

    Luckily it was just some nerve sensitivity and the dentist managed to place a protective coating over the sore spot. He will need to be a bit softer when he cleans his teeth and a relief to know it was nothing more serious. While I waited I treated myself to a pedicure (my feet were far from pretty after 6 weeks in jandals) and stocked up the groceries.

    We also completed our WA border application while we had consistent internet, they came back immediately as approved. I then started to book some caravan sites assuming we get to cross the border. We think the accomodation is going to be the challenge as plenty of our fellow travellers are extending their trips to avoid heading home to NSW.

    No photos today so have loaded up some more from our adventures in Litchfield. Tomorrow we are leaving early to try and secure a camp site at Edith Falls. We suspect the internet could be sporadic for the next few days so if your breakfast routine is to read our blog please don't be too disappointed. Haha.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 50

    Heading West

    August 15, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Our travel today took us south backtracking down to Katherine. The Stuart highway is wide and undulating with quite a few roadtrains. Our plan was to have a night at Edith Falls which are said to be spectacular . We were also aware that to get a campsite was first-in basis from 10am. We arrived at 11.30am to no vacancies. Temperature in early 30's again so we parked up as close as possible as the carpark was overflowing and walked in for a swim.

    Edith falls was pretty and the pool was really big but the previous few days has spoilt us as we have seen and swum some amazing rock pools. We dipped in for a swim for 30 mins. Water was cooler but very refreshing all the same. Stopped for lunch then headed to Katherine about 50km further on.

    As we had already stayed there we decided to push on and head west towards the WA border. Another 200km on and we made it to Victoria River roadhouse with a few minutes to spare before the 5pm drinks. Such a hot day still and after 400+ km it was nice to relax in the shade. The Victoria River is beautiful with a wide river, lush vegetation and spectacular hills which were glowing red in the late afternoon sun.

    Tomorrow is the border crossing into WA. Not only are there restrictions on fresh fruit and vegetables coming across the border, we also both had to apply to enter due to covid restrictions. We also have to prove we have been in NT for more than 15 days which thankfully I had kept some receipts from our first days in NT.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    1
    Day 51

    Leaving NT

    August 16, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 30 °C

    We were up early as we knew there could be long queues at the border. We did a quick stop at Timber Creek and a beautiful loaf of wholemeal bread just out of the oven. The smell teased us all the way to the border. The drive to the border was beautiful as it winds through the Judbarra/Gregory National Park. Amazing red rock ranges, our first Boab trees and sandy creeks. We tried to take photos of the Boab trees initially but soon saw hundreds of these. The Boab trees have huge trunks which they use to store water in the wet and use in the dry season and are very special to this region..

    We had had no mobile reception once we left Katherine yesterday afternoon until we reached the border this morning. We were very surprised to receive messages while waiting in the border queue about the lockdown in the NT. Talk about increasing the heart rate. It took around 50 minutes to get to the front of the queue ( there were 4 other vans in front of us). We were processed first by the police asking to see our border permit, drivers licences and proof we had been in the NT for more than 14 days. All of that was fine for us both and then the quarantine officer asked to see any fruit and vegetables. We lost some lettuce and onions leaving just the carrots. We were then free to leave and I finally started to breathe again. We suspect it could be a different story for people trying to enter tomorrow as WA is by far the most strict for border closures.

    It is only 55km from the border to Kununurra and we did have a time zone change. We are now on WA time so 2 hours behind the East Coast and 4 hours behind NZ. It will be strange with sunset at 5:15pm. As we were not sure if we would be able to enter WA we had not booked any accomodation, luckily we found a powered site pretty easy.

    After setting up camp it was into town to get some vegetables and fruit to top up. It is hot here but feels much drier. The usual swim at the hottest part of the day. I suspect it will be an early night tonight with the time change. We have now been travelling for 50 days and driven more than 10000km.

    The NT has been amazing with some incredible treasures if you are willing to hunt for them. From the incredible rock formations rising from the desert glowing in the sun to amazing waterfalls and rock pools in the north. Not to mention the hot springs and blue sunny days every day. Everyone needs to add Darwin to their travel destinations when we can all move freely again.    Read more

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