Darwin

We have spent 6 nights in Darwin. We’ve seen and done so much in the 5 days we have been here. Tonight I feel utterly exhausted and I know that the kids and Clayton feel the same. Campgrounds on the outskirts of cities are interesting places. The Caravan Park we have been staying in is a mix of tourists and permanent residents. When we first arrived, the whole place was pretty much at capacity and the toilets and showers in demountable buildings are not a pleasant place to be. The plus side is that we don’t hang around the caravan park much, we head off straight after breakfast and then only come back in time for dinner in the evening.

Our first port of call in Darwin was one of the free water parks. There are two of them here and of course we needed to try both. The Northern Territory government runs the water parks and I must say that we thought they were great. So good in fact, that we there everyday for a part of the day except one.

We enjoyed the history here in Darwin. We visited the remains of Fannie Bay Gaol.

Clayton really wanted to go to the Military History Museum. I wasn’t overly excited about it, but happy to trail along. I am now so glad that I went, it was very interesting and moving. Well worth a visit if you are ever in Darwin.

Another day we visited the Territory Wildlife Park (another thing run by the N.T. government). This is also worth a visit, heaps to look at and very well maintained and run.

Graham the croc

I got to feed a whip ray. A fresh water ray found on the sand bars in Northern Australia.

A black buzzard cracking an emu egg with a rock.

Mindil Beach Sunset Markets and Beer Can Regatta.

Amazingly the beer can regatta was being held the same day we planned to visit the Mindil Beach Markets. The kids enjoyed looking around the stalls and eating dinner on the grass. We then watched the sun set over the ocean – just beautiful!

Litchfield National Park

Today was our last day here in Darwin and we spent it at the beautiful Litchfield National Park. We drove in through Berry Springs along the unsealed road. First stop – Wangi Falls. We did the tree top walk and then headed back down for a swim. The water was very ‘refreshing’ when first getting in, but lovely if you kept moving.

Wangi Falls

We then drove out to an old homestead, with some deep creek crossings on the way. The homestead was a small tin shack for the older children of the station owners to live at while they mined tin out the back. Dad would come check on them every few weeks and to bring supplies.

We then continued on and stopped at Florence Falls. Another lovely swimming hole at the bottom of a water fall.

Florence Falls

Last stop at the national park was the magnetic termite mounds. The only termites in the world to build their nests with a north-south orientation. This is so that one side of the nest is always in the shade. They are amazing to look at, eerie almost and reminded me of standing stones in the found in Scotland.

Off to Kakadu in the morning!!

Mataranka–Bitter Springs

After leaving Lorella Springs we headed north. There were some lovely places to visit on the to Mataranka. First stop was the Southern Lost City. This is amazing rock formations caused by weathering over a very long period.

We then stopped at Butterfly Springs. A very pretty waterhole with a small waterfall. The most amazing bit though was the thousands of butterflies making a fluttering curtain on one of the cliff walls. As you approach they take flight and flutter all around.

The rest of the drive to Mataranka was long, but some interesting things to spot of the side of the road.

A lovely little fresh water croc sunning himself on the river crossing.

Bitter Springs – thermal pool. Lovely place to swim. Let the current pull you down and around the corner through the over hanging palms. Then climb back out the ladder and walk along the path back to the entry. Looking under the water with goggles was amazing – like an underwater garden.

Lorella Springs

Lorella Springs is a million acre working cattle property. They have a camp ground on the property with amenities, hot springs and fresh bread baked daily (if you order by lunchtime, your loaf of bread is ready at 5pm). We spent 3 nights here and really enjoyed the hot springs and four wheel driving on the tracks around the property. The springs were full of little fish and the kids had a great time checking them out with their goggles. There are lots of fresh water crocs on the property, and we went searching but weren’t lucky enough to spot any. We took advantage of the fresh bread (even at $8). But it was a lovely treat as we had bought a loaf of frozen white bread at the Hell’s Gate roadhouse for $6.50!

There were some very pretty spots on the property.

After a long scramble up a dry creek we found the waterslide. A natural slide down some very slippery rocks into a rock pool. Clayton enjoyed this as much, if not more than the kids. Here he is getting some air doing a ‘bum jump’!

Felix had to have a turn at opening some gates too.

Belle had her 9th birthday here. We were prepared with a small gift for her to open and a frozen cake.

Swimming in one of hot springs. This one is the Nudie Springs (in case you wanted to get nude). It was much warmer than the one at the camp ground and we had it to ourselves for about an hour. Utterly delightful.

National Territory Day is the first of July, the one day that Territorians can buy and use fireworks. We were treated to a great fireworks show at the campground.

Robinson’s River Crossing

We spent out first night free camping beside a river – just over the border in the Northern Territory. It was a big day driving from Adel’s Grove to Robinson’s River. The road was pretty rough and corrugated and it was a relief to stop for the night. Some ‘brave’ people had decided to camp right down beside the river, despite the croc warning signs! We chose to camp up high on the bank. It was lovely, just us and one other bloke and his dog (but he was a fair way from us).

 Crossing the N.T. border.

Our set up at Robinson River

Harry opening gates

A few river crossings.

Adel’s Grove

After our two nights in Mount Isa we drove up to Adel’s Grove – next to Lawn Hill Gorge (Boodjamulla National Park). We had enjoyed our very short visit here 9 years ago when we lived in Mount Isa and were looking forward to spending a little more time here. We found the camp site very dusty and it was difficult keeping everyone clean. It was also incredibly somky at night, so much so that it was hard to breathe in the camper and we kept waking up from the smoke in our lungs. We were camped in the Grove part of the park and the smoke from everyone’s fires would stay trapped under the trees as the air cooled each night. Other than that, the gorge itself was delightful and everyone loved swimming out to the pontoon and using the rope swing.

Collecting fire wood

Comparing their heights to all the ant hills.

On the way to Lawn Hill, we stopped at the Riversleigh Fossil Fields. There are fossils in the rocks that you can touch and information signs to tell you the animal they belong to.

Looking awesome from the lookout at Riversleigh.

Swimming at the pontoon at Adel’s Grove.

We hired a canoe for a couple of hours and canoed right up the gorge. It was amazing! And we saw a very well fed freshwater croc sunning himself on the bank. It was a little tense in the canoe at times as the kids moving would cause the canoe to wobble quite a bit, and knowing that if we all went in there was only gorge walls (no edge to climb out).

Mount Isa

The next leg of our journey was from Winton to Mount Isa. We had to stop at the Blue Heeler Hotel at Kynuna to get a stubby cooler for Dad. When we stopped the wind was strong and icy cold. The pub had just opened and we bought a lemonade and stood beside the lovely open fire they had going.

Blue Heeler Hotel, Kynuna

We also stopped in at the ‘ghost’ town of Mary Kathleen on the way. The town was thriving when the Uranium mine was operating in the late 70’s and early 80’s. Now there is just remnants left and nature has taken over.

 

We spent two days in Mount Isa. Caught up with a friend, did some grocery shopping and washing. Harry and Belle enjoyed the Hard Times Mine Tour. We had a great tour guide, a bloke named Steve. He had some great stories of his times working in the mines. I really enjoyed learning about underground mining and experiencing what it is like for the miners to work in the dark all day.

Mount Isa