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Our First Big Aussie Adventure

Agustus - September 2017
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  • Our Australian AdventuresOur First Big Aussie Adventure
    Hari 21

    Driving to Kakadu

    31 Agustus 2017, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    The boys spent most of the morning fixing a problem with Jon's camper van so we didn't head off till about 11am. We started in the same direction the Litchfield tour did so we spent some time filling Jon in on some of the things we had learned as we went. As we got close to Kakadu we stopped at a Cathedral Termite mound for another look and quizzed the girls on what they could remember about the termites.

    The landscape here is basically palms and trees. In places you can see where the cold fires have been, if not the ground is thick with grasses. All the trees are bent and twisted. You rarely see a straight branch.

    As we got close to Jibru we turned off onto the Kakadu Highway and went to the Bowali Visitors Centre. It has a lot of potential and was clearly very good when it first opened but it is quite run down with some buildings and displays closed for repairs and appear to have been that way for a long time. What was open was interesting and informative. We got our Kakadu Park Pass ($100 per family, $40 per adult) and kept heading towards Cooinda.

    After one more stop, we arrived at Cooinda around 4pm and set up in the 37 degree heat. It didn't take long for the girls to find the pool! Dinner ended up being cheese and biscuits while we tried to decide what to do over the next three days. Through the evening we've seen a Dingo, birds, hopping mouse and a snake which Paige saw on the road then Jon saw someone drive up, pick it up and drive away so we're assuming it wasn't dangerous!

    Kakadu is somewhere I've always wanted to see but assumed I never would. Just being here is amazing!!    Baca selengkapnya

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    Hari 22

    Kakadu - Gunlom Falls

    1 September 2017, Australia ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    Today we went to the Infinity Pools at the top of Gunlom Falls. Absolutely stunning!

    We left around 10.30 for the hour and a half trip there from Cooinda. The first 90+ kms are on the highway to the turn of is a nice easy drive then you turn onto the 37km dirt road to the falls. The road is rated for 2WD cars but the first 10+kms were heavily corrugated and very slippery in spots. We're in a land cruiser and really felt it. I'm not sure how some of the smaller cars we saw managed! It shook the light bar loose on the bull bar. We also noticed the odd mirror and licence plate on the ground as we went. We also spotted a few brumbies which excited the girls no end! The road did improve as we got closer. It was worth it!!

    To get to the infinity pools you take the steep trip towards the lookout. The plunge pools at the bottom of the falls is known for the odd fresh water croc so we headed for higher ground. In some spots the rocky hillside is like steps but for the most part you're climbing a very rocky hillside and looking to see where to put your foot. I had read people generally make it up in 20mins. We were more like 30 and I was the slowest.

    Water bottles are an absolute must as is sunscreen and hats for the trip there and back. As you go over the crest and head down towards the pools you can feel the temperature drop about 5+ degrees which is very welcome on a 37 degree day!

    The pools and little waterfalls were simply stunning and definitely worth all the effort getting there! Some people had noodles but I personally wouldn't have wanted to carry one up there!! The pools were cold (to me) but I still managed to get in so not too cold. The pools all had submerged rocks which were very slippery but weren't sharp although you knew it if you kicked one!

    We spent about 2 hours swimming and looking around. It was beautiful!

    The trip back down was a little faster but definitely more slippery with both girls slipping on rocks several times. It probably took about 20 minutes to get to the bottom where we sat at a picnic table and had lunch before getting changed and preparing for the rough trip back! It didn't seem too bad although we were starting at the good end this time. By the time we got to the last 10kms we were back to watching for anything falling off! But we got to the end in one piece!!

    Back at the van and we did a quick tidy up and BBQ dinner while the girls went to the pool....again!

    An early night planned for all and we should see some crocs in the wild tomorrow!    Baca selengkapnya

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  • Our Australian AdventuresOur First Big Aussie Adventure
    Hari 23

    Kakadu - Cahills Crossing

    2 September 2017, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Today we took a drive to the famous Cahills Crossing. This is a crossing over/through the East Alligator River into Arnhem Land. The area is renown for Saltwater Crocs and didn't disappoint! We were there at low tide. We went down a boat ramp where we could see a couple of people fishing but not too close to the water! We could see a couple of Crocodiles there.

    We headed to the crossing itself which was being driven across regularly. You could see a car that had been washed off at some point and a few more Crocodiles further up so we headed to the lookout area beside the road for a better look. We could see a couple of crocs laying around. A large one appeared from under the water but disappeared before I could snap a photo. It was amazing how quickly they can disappear without a sign they were there at all.

    A walking track took us to a tour boat ramp with 2 large crocs on the opposite side of the river. As we watched another croc further up caught a large fish and was eating it on the edge of the water. This quickly attracted several others including the two across from us. It's really something else seeing them without fences just doing what they do. I think we saw about 15 while we were there.

    We headed back to the car and drove across into Arnhem Land, then turned around and came back. Permits are required to travel into Arnhem Land but we can say we've been there even if it was just a few meters in. We drove around the corner to a little takeaway/Thai restaurant we had heard of and stopped for lunch before heading back to the van. Cahills crossing was an easy 1 hour drive from Cooinda.

    In the afternoon we did our first Yellow Waters Cruise. It was stunning. There is so much to see out there. We probably saw another 15 crocs and countless birds. Our God grew up in the area and was able to tell us a lot about the changes that have gone on over the years. We took a lot of photos of the wildlife and stunning sunset. It was a wonderful end to the day.

    An early night is in order. We'll be up at 5.30am to be ready for the breakfast Yellow Waters Cruise in the morning!    Baca selengkapnya

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    Hari 24

    Kakadu - Yellow Water Dawn Cruise

    3 September 2017, Australia ⋅ 🌙 27 °C

    We were up just after 5.30am to get ready to our Sunrise Yellow Waters Cruise and had just enough time before we left for the bus stop to give Joey his Father's Day cards and gift. The shuttle bus was leaving at 6.20 for the 6.45 cruise.

    The way the mist hung jus above the water was spectacular, and as the sun rose you could see where the name Yellow Waters comes from. There was so much more wildlife than we had seen yesterday. It's amazing how the guides can spot even the smallest bird. We were lucky enough to see a highly endangered King Fisher several times. With numbers estimated at less then 6000 world wide it was a special treat to capture a few photos.

    The girls were in awe of the setting, Joe had a nap and Jon was taking a few photos while I wandered around the boat looking for photo opportunities. It was a lovely morning! With the breakfast cruise only costing $9 more than the others we were expecting a Kellogg's breakfast box and milk for breakfast but we were thrilled to find out there was a buffet breakfast waiting for us when we got back! And by the time we got back we were all famished!

    With a forecast 38 degrees we decided to keep the rest of the Father's day low key and get a few things done before we head off to Nitmaluk tomorrow. We got a few things done at the van then spent a good hour or so in the pool. We came back and discussed our plans for the next couple of days before we got ready to go to the on site restaurant for a Father's Day dinner.

    The starter we chose for the grown ups was called the Kakadu Tasting Plate. It consisted of

    Buffalo terrine, pickled crocodile, emu pate, smoked kangaroo, buffalo mozzarella, Davidson plum pickle, Muntries chutney and a damper!

    It was definitely different and we enjoyed most of it although we unanimously agreed the emu pate was not a favourite.

    After dinner it was back to the van for some packing up, blog writing time for the girls and ready for bed early before another travelling day tomorrow.    Baca selengkapnya

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    Hari 25

    Driving to Nitmiluk

    4 September 2017, Australia ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    Today marks the half way point in our trip and I am nothing short of amazed at the things we have seen and done. From here we get closer to home. Someone are all looking forward to but we still have a lot to experience on the there!

    Today we left Cooinda in Kakadu and headed for Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge). We left around 10am with the temperature and humidity rising rapidly. It was 30 degrees by 10.30. It didn't take long for the landscape to start changing with the Cathedral Termite Mounds disappearing and the landscape changing to more mountainous and rocky areas. We drove towards what look a flock of crows on the edge of the road but as they took flight we could see there was about 20 Red Tailed Black Cockatoos! (No time to grab the camera 😕)

    We decided take the opportunity to stop and see Edith Falls on the way. It is a 20km drive from the Stuart Hwy, on a sealed road, to the car park for the area. The Upper Pools we went to were a very hot 1km trek up the hill. The trail is marked and had more stairs (I've never been a fan of stairs but after Kings Canyon and Gunlom Falls I've developed a serious problem with them!) but this trail is not nearly as steep. I definitely would not recommend doing it in the heat of the day like we did. It was 35 degrees when we parked and the temperature rose with the heat from the sun and rocks as we went along. But we all knew it would be worth it and Edith Falls did not disappoint.

    Once we got down to the pools and in the water cooling off it was lovely. The pools were mostly rocks in the water with very little sand and were extremely slippery. We swam and climbed over rocks to get to the main pool with under the waterfall. On the way Lara nearly inadvertently grabbed a goanna sunning itself on a rock she was going to grab onto. It would've been almost 3ft long. Very glad Joey caught her first.

    The waterfall pool was too deep to find the bottom and the current was really strong. Joe tried to get me to swim to the base of the waterfall but the current was jut too strong. It was the first time I really wished I had a waterproof camera of some sort. It was breathtaking. There was a tree growing out of a crack in the rocks, which we've seen before, but this one had its roots exposed, attaching itself to the rock. Different aspects of the falls from different positions were beautiful.

    The trip back was better than the hike up but we were still completely stuffed! Definitely the wrong time of day for a hike! We grabbed a snack and got changed and continued on towards Nitmiluk. We made a quick supply stop in Katherine before travelling the last 20 minutes to the Nitmiluk Caravan Park.

    Our plans were to stay two nights but with the heat preventing us from doing a few activities, we have decided to head to Mataranka after our Gorge Cruise in the morning. A fantastic spot which Jon missed on the way up and we are really looking forward to being able to see twice!    Baca selengkapnya

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    Hari 26

    Nitmiluk to Mataranka

    5 September 2017, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We headed to the 9am 2 Gorge Dreaming Cruise we booked into around 8.30am. The whole park was blacked out for some reason so everything was running a bit behind. The cruise location is only a 900m easy walk from the campground (almost no stairs!). The park have recently had a large influx of bats which had us feeling right at home, unfortunately the walk took us through their roosting area which wasn't pleasant.

    After a late start the cruise took us through the first Gorge which was lush and green and incredibly calm. Although we saw a crocodile trap we didn't see any of the anticipated fresh water crocs we were expecting. They are not considered dangerous to people at all according to our guide. The last person injured by one was trying to move it to get a better photo.

    Half an hour in and we stopped and had to walk about 400m to the boat taking us to the next Gorge. On the walk we were able to see a few rock paintings and and take in the beautiful landscape. Apparently I took a little too long taking it all in and held up the boat. The second Gorge was also stunning as we saw more of the expected cliff walls we were expecting. It was amazing seeing so many trees growing on an angle due to the pressure of the water during the wet season. We also saw an area that turns into an enormous whirlpool during the wet season and has created depths of up to 55m in that area. It was wonderful.

    On the way back to the van we stopped at the visitors centre and got the girls their Nitmiluk pins. The girls have been collecting pins from all the places we've stayed. They're earning quite a collection! As we packed up we noticed several red tailed black cockatoos in a nearby tree. It was really something else seeing them in the wild. And that restarted the girls talking about all the birds they want us to get as pets for the rest of the day!

    We stopped at Katherine again for bread and milk then we were nonstop to Mataranka! It took us about 10mins to check in and get changed ready for a swim. Jon missed out the first time we were here so it was great that he got to experience it here before he headed home. We swam for about 45 minutes before saying our goodbyes to Jon, then stayed in nearly an hour longer before deciding we needed to dry off and and head back to the van.

    We've had a lovely relaxing afternoon just chilling out and seeing some of the local wildlife. With the next few days being predominantly driving as we head towards the Daintree, this afternoon was just what we needed!    Baca selengkapnya

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    Hari 27

    Mataranka to Banka Banka Station

    6 September 2017, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We got up this morning, had breakfast and headed down to the springs for one last swim. Mataranka has definitely been a favourite on the trip so far. After we dried off we jumped in the car and headed off about 10am towards Banka Banka Station. The girls got started on some homework early which was good although Paige didn't last long.

    We stopped at The Daly Waters Pub for lunch on the way. It's such a nice place to stop and a little surreal given how many times we've seen it on TV and online. I had hoped to take a few photos of the Wild red tailed black cockatoos that frequent the area but they were off somewhere else and we weren't waiting around.

    Apart from a couple of toilet breaks and a fuel stop at Renner Creek we made pretty good time, arriving at Banka Banka at about 4.30. No pool here but the girls didn't take long to go see their camel and donkey friends. Joe had a good chat to a guy from Mildura and the girls got their cat fix patting his cat Mo who travels with them happily on a lead.

    Sausages and salad for dinner then toasting marshmallows by the camp fire will be in order. An early night with a big day of driving tomorrow and the next day as we head towards the Daintree.    Baca selengkapnya

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    Hari 28

    Driving Mt Isa

    7 September 2017, Australia ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    We were up at 6am, put the girls in the car in their PJ's and headed towards Mt Isa. We stopped at the Barkly Roadhouse for some pricey fuel and some breakfast in the van. We also spotted an Aviary with a couple of Red Tailed Black Cockatoos which the girls got a kick out of.

    We continued on. A lot of long straight roads with some changes in the landscape but not changing as quickly as other part of the trip. One thing we did notice was that we were on a slow but steady assent from the Lake Eyre Basin. We crossed the Queensland boarder around 1pm then made a quick stop in Camooweal for lunch. The girls caught up on some homework and reading and begrudgingly took a break from their much loved DVD players.

    Between the slow climb and strong head winds we discovered the car was going through fuel much faster and we just made it to Mt Isa as the fuel light came on!

    We filled up and went to the Big 4 (after google maps sent us to the wrong caravan park). We arrived about 4.30 and had enough daylight left to get some washing done before dinner.

    Early to bed, ready for another big driving day tomorrow.    Baca selengkapnya

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    Hari 29

    Driving to Croydon

    8 September 2017, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    We left Mt Isa a little late at 7.40 and headed out of town through rocky hills and winding road. Once we turned North we were faced with more headwinds and a very long straight road. The landscape became much more grassy and didn't change as often as it seemed earlier in the trip.

    We stopped at the Burke and Wills Roadhouse for fuel and a stretch. The girls had spent the last hour and a half doing homework so they got a treat and a new DVD for the next stint.

    The road went from good to only one lane of sealed road in long sections. There isn't much traffic up here and we only needed to move off to let people past twice. The landscape was mostly grassy grazing land for the braman cattle. We also saw fields of termite mounds, and I mean by the hundreds. It's really something to see.

    We took a small detour to Normington around 1.30 to check out the Purple Pub Jon had told us about. The plan was to stop for lunch but the kitchen had closed early so it was back in the car and drove down the road to stop and have a bite in the van. Normington is a quiet little town. So very isolated. If you ever wanted to disappear for a while, that's the place to go!

    As we continued on you could see the areas that would be most affected by the wet season. We've crossed countless large, deep river beds completely dry. But with the flood area signs everywhere I can only imagine what this area is like during the wet season.

    We reached Croydon and enjoyed our site by the pool while the girls swam. We've made a few changes to our final weeks, fitting in a caravan park / water park on our way past the Whitsundays!

    Looking forward to a nice quiet evening and a much shorter trip in the car tomorrow.    Baca selengkapnya

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    Hari 30

    Driving to Undara

    9 September 2017, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    The short driving day turned out to be more than we bargained for!

    We left Croydon just after 9 after we searched the few shops for pins to add to the girls growing collection. The landscape had a lot more trees as we headed towards the east coast we crossed some really huge dry river beds. The Gilbert River was at least 60m across. The Etheridge river was at least 100m across of dry sand which got us talking about the volume of water that must go through these areas in the wet season.

    Again the road chopped and changed between two lane and single lane which reduces the road to the width of a driveway. Not a problem unless someone is coming the other way. We had this a little more often today compared to yesterday. We also had a near miss with a Wedge Tailed Eagle. We've seen a few but they usually fly away long before the car gets close. This one skimmed across the windscreen before flying away. It gave us one hell of a fright.

    As we drove along the wind picked up a few times which kept us on our toes keeping an eye on the caravan for any sign of sway. At one point we could feel a worrying amount of movement but the van seemed steady. Then I saw the tyre. By the time we stopped the rear passenger side tyre was pretty much shredded and all the shoulder areas were slopped. Not the best place to stop. We got the kids out of the car and Joe got to work. About 2 minutes later we had a tour bus stop to make sure we were ok. About 10 minutes later a lovely couple travelling with their caravan pulled over to lend a hand. Rob and Cheryl were great help and made the job much quicker. As it turned out they were also heading to Undara so we looked forward to catching up with them later.

    Once we were all done we made our way 10 minutes down the road to a little town called Mt Surprise. We found where we could get a new tire on the rim but the guy had finished up for the day and wasn't home. So we continued to Undara. Thankfully duel highway the rest of the way. We suspect it was going on and off the edge of the road that brought about our predicament.

    We got to Undara and set up. It's a very unique caravan park with train carriages turned into cabins, reception and restaurant. We found two Tawny Frog Mouth owls just outside the caravan door and red tailed black Cockatoos and rainbow lorikeets flying around.

    We soon spotted Rob and Cheryl not far away and went to say thank you again. They said they had been helped out the night before after blowing a very unusual fuse and were just paying it forward. And so will we.

    After missing out on a couple of activities we had planned for the day we decided to have dinner at the restaurant. It was a great spot! We had dinner inside one of the converted train carriages which the girls got a huge kick out of. The meals were good although it was all a bit pricey but we expected that.

    We hope to make it back here one day and do the Lava tube tour and see the extinct volcano in the national park. For now the plan is to get to Kuranda tomorrow as planned and get our spare tyre fixed first thing Monday.

    They say you haven't seen outback Australia if you haven't blown a tyre. I guess we did it right!    Baca selengkapnya

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