Each day as we hit the road we pull out the maps and books and have a look to see where we are going. Sometimes we do this the night before, but mostly once we get going on the road. This includes figuring out what we’ll see and do and also where we’ll stay. We’ve not booked ahead for accommodation in most cases, and we’ve not been ‘on the side of the road’ unless it was our plan at a rest stop area that we intended as our overnight place. When we left Katherine we’d been talking to some other folk who mentioned they were going to Darwin for the Darwin Cup. We soon realised accommodation may be an issue, so as we hit the road a quick ring around found there wasn’t much available however as usual we found somewhere suitable called Aurora Shady Glen CP.
We allowed half a day for washing etc. while Dan took the car for a 100K service that we’d booked in for a few days earlier. We’d been told this would take 2 to 2.5 hrs so Dan planned to either wait or walk into Darwin proper. Long story short, we got messed around wasting a heap of time and the best part of our day. Had we been told the right things we could have made much better use of the time while the car was being serviced. After all this, we visited Dan’s great uncle and auntie, Albert and June and had a lovely afternoon tea and catch up with them. June is Dan’s Pa’s sister (Pa is Heather’s Dad). Also cousin Felicity (Lissy) dropped in. They adorned us with fresh produce from the garden and scorned us for not staying with them! It was a good catch up for Dan and introduction of the rest of the family.
From our family catch up we drove to Mindil Beach Market and watched the sun set over the ocean (along with thousands of others), then wandered around checking out the stalls, music, and other live performances that were there. Dan even became a participant in the climatic finish of one performer who juggled fire sticks from a pole held up by four ‘strong’ men from the audience. The market was the jewel in a day that could only get better, and it truly did.
Friday 29th of July saw us head to a local Adventure Water Park which was free, provided as a NT Government initiative. We all had a great time playing, swimming and riding the waterslides (Dan and Liz only on the slides). After some shopping at BCF (camping store) for a few supplies the kids fell asleep, then Liz followed. Dan had ‘man time’ at the local aviation museum discovering interesting facts about the Japanese bombings and seeing the B-52 that is on display there. The only B-52 outside of the US. That evening we had an explorative drive around Darwin and saw a number of things to do ‘next time’.
Our relative short stay in Darwin ended with us chasing The Ghan (train) until we finally saw it! We then visited the Crocodylus Park which is a working crocodile farm, and also home to a range of other animals both native and exotic including big cats, monkeys, ostriches, brolgas, dingos and other lizards and snakes. The tour was excellent and we learnt lots about both fresh and salt water crocs as we had opportunity to feed them from a platform above their enclosures. Very cool! At the end Dan, Liz and Missy held a baby salty but Aidan decided against it.
We then headed south again, for Litchfield National Park. Again, time being against us we didn’t even plan to visit Kakadu NP. That’s added to the ‘next time’ list. Two days in Litchfield NP, only 160kms from Darwin provided enough time for us to cover most of the things we wanted to see however you can easily spend more time in this beautiful place. Four wheel drive access to many areas opens up some treasures that would otherwise be missed. We especially loved Surprise Creek Falls that had multiple swimming holes, with waterfalls spilling onto the next pool. Each pool so deep that even in the clear water with the sun shining behind you, there seemed to be no bottom to them! There were various places to jump in from, ranging from the water’s edge to ten or more metres if you dared. We spent a couple of hours here swimming and exploring before making our way back along the track over the various river crossings, open wood land, termite mounds and finally back to the blacktop.
Returning to Katherine for a what was to be a single night, became two when Dan’s back which had been giving trouble for a week or so, got much worse. Not able to see a chiropractor, one was tracked down and booked in Kununurra later in the week. In the mean time we took it a little easy with a massage, swimming in the local Katherine Hot Springs, a picnic by the river and an attempt at fishing. We also celebrated Missy’s 3rd birthday with a delicious chocolate cake and Missy enjoyed her present of Barbie and Ken’s Wedding dolls. Funnily, the next morning when we woke Missy asked if it was still her birthday hoping to do it all again! As we left town we visited the historic Springvale Homestead, one of the earliest homesteads established in the NT and the oldest remaining intact. A beautiful spot made especially so by a number of huge ‘Rain Trees’ that cast shade over the area around the buildings.
Progressing west, we drove to around 170kms east of Kununurra to a rest stop for the night where we cooked dinner and dessert on the campfire (yum!). The next day as we drove toward the WA border and Kununurra we surrendered our honey to border control (pest and disease quarantine) that was the only thing we hadn’t managed to use up before getting there. The landscape became increasingly more interesting until there was no doubt we’d reached the East Kimberley.
First stop was the information centre where we discovered accommodation was tight, and all we managed was an unpowered site. Kununurra is a nice town being clean and tidy and catering to tourism in a huge way. So far this place rocks the record for most caravan parks and tourist population that we can tell!
Dan’s birthday and yet another warm sunny day, we set out to find more waterfalls, swimming waterholes and other natural wonders that make you ‘oooo’ and ‘aaaah’. Taking a four-wheel drive access only route we visited a couple of springs, a dried up waterfall and the most amazing billabong area in flood plain near Wyndham. In Wyndham we drove to the five rivers lookout that very nearly takes your breath away with the views. Wyndham is known as the ‘Top town of the West’ being the highest main accessible town in Western Australia. It has also played a role in history as this is where Charles Kingsford Smith landed on his flight from England to Australia in 1933. Wyndham was then bombed in 1942 by the Japanese.
Our return to Kununurra was much quicker down the sealed highway. On dusk Dan dropped a fishing line in at Ivanhoe crossing hoping for some Barra for dinner, however it seemed they weren’t biting as all there went without a catch. Next blog will tell of the spectacular wonders along the Gibb River Road…
