Channel 40... kkkeeer... Copy That

Armed with Jaime’s walkie talkies that she got from Santa one Christmas when she was in grade 5, we tested them out with Andrew and Anne’s CB radio and they work a treat. So now we can communicate across cars whilst travelling on the road. You ripper...

So Andrew, what channel mate... try Channel 40, it’s the truckie channel advises Andrew. Ok mate, no worries I reply. Give it a go then...

Helo Walshies, do you copy?

“Copy that.”

Now that we are connected, we set off early and leave Timber Creek heading on the Victoria Hwy and towards Keep River National Park.

DRIVE: Timber Creek to Keep River National Park (212km).

A little down the road we hear kkkkerrrrrr... It’s Anne, “Jenny and Steve do you copy, can you hear me?”

Jen grabs the walkie talkie and replies in her best Aussie voice “yeah, right back at ya”.

The next minute, we get a hint or a request from Andrew to maybe change from channel 40 as a truckie is listening in and doesn’t appreciate the banter. It’s serious stuff this channel 40 so we switch to channel 28 instead and continue on in our larrikan ways.

Our first stop of the day is a slight dirt road detour to the banks of Victoria River. It’s an amazing expanse of water and being tidal, it flows deep into the top end of Australia, home to the mighty salt water crocodile. I venture down to the river bank for a photo but stay clear of the edge.

It’s not a long drive today and soon we cross Keep River which is completely dry. Reaching the turn off for Keep River National Park, it’s 30km of red dirt road to Jarmen Campground, our resting place for tonight.

The Ranger Station is about a third of the way in so we have a quick pit stop. I find the toilet, it’s a rarity, a flushing one, and open the lid to find a large bright green frog bathing inside. Well a man’s got to pee and I was taught to always flush! Suddenly another darker frog appears from the u bend and both frogs are swimming against the tide. It’s that hot and dry that the frogs find refuge in any place with water.

We navigate the remaining 20km to Jarmen leaving a trail of dust in our wake. On the way, we gather wood for a camp fire but it’s so hot, the idea of roasting marshmallows over hot coals soon becomes a distant thought.

CAMP: Jarmen Campground, Keep River National Park / 1 Night.
The campsite is a pretty spot protected by a large hill of red fiery rock on one side. There’s a couple of walks you can do from the campground, a 7km loop taking in Jarmen lookout or a 5.2km return journey to Aboriginal rock art at Nigli Gap.

We hold off on a hike until 3.00pm and let it cool a little. Even then, when the sun appears from the clouds it’s oppressively hot as we start the hike to Nigli Gap. Following a red sandy track which was difficult to walk on, red dirt soon becomes darker grey on foot. At first the escarpment is clear with a few trees, but it’s soon replaced with giant wheat grasses, 8 foot high in places forming a guard of honour meandering through the landscape.

Heading West, The Nigli Gap hike crosses a black soiled flood plain, then follows soft sedimentary sandstone honeycomb domes, conglomerate rock 300 million years in the making.

Keep River National Park is known as The Mini Bungle Bungles as they form part of the same geological structure. The formations are the result of compressed sediment laid down from a primordial sea that once filled Australia’s inland basins. Impressive.

Surrounded by tall lush Livistona palms, the vivid ocre honeycomb rocks are stunning and their depth and mood changes from the intensity of the sun as it lowers in the sky creating ever increasing shadows amongst the rocks.

We finally reach Nigli Gap and view the aboriginal rock art at the base of an overhang, a snake, serpent, boomerang and an emu. There’s a little creek near the rock art so a few thousand years ago, this site was obviously selected as a seasonal oasis for an Aboriginal tribe. Just like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the aboriginals sought food, water, shelter and safety first and adapted to the seasons and the land.

Finding shade, it’s welcome relief from the heat of the day. We are all pretty sweaty by now and drinking our water fast so we trudge back to camp for a well earned cold soda water and ginger beer.

It’s another hot and humid night and our 12v fan is worth its weight in gold.

What a magnificent day.Read more