23 July 2013

Touring the Top End

Our camping and touring the Top End of the Northern Territory is nearly finished. We have stayed in several national parks for two or three nights at a time so that we don't have to set up camp too frequently. Putting up the tent and then finally packing everything back in the car are the two time consuming tasks.

Setting up is a lot quicker if you don't need the fly on the tent


At Katherine Gorge and Edith Falls (both in Nitmiluk National Park) we spent time walking to spots on the river to have a swim. The weather is so warm that you don't need a towel when you get out of the water. In fact, it's best to stay wet for the walk back to camp to keep cool in the hot sun.

Sweet water Pool above Edith falls

In Kakadu National Park we did the same at a place called Gunlom where we could climb to the top of the waterfall and swim in numerous pools at the top as well as the pool at the bottom.

But in the north of Kakadu, you are not allowed to swim in the rivers at all - it's crocodile country. So we took a cruise in a flat bottom boat to view the crocs and spot other wildlife, mainly birds that you don't see in the south of Australia.




We also paid for a day tour in Arnhem land - this is Aboriginal country and you have to apply for a permit to go there and usually pay for a guide there to show you around. Iseriah was our guide and he showed us around a hill where there are secret rock art sites and even a burial site (we saw human remains which are kept secret so that people don't steal them).

Iseriah explains the body painting for dancing

Have you googled any of the new words that I used in the previous post? I hope you can tell me some information about places or animals I mentioned when I return!

Finally, what does this sign mean? Can you correct the English?


16 July 2013

Eight days' driving to Mataranka in the Northern Territory

Well, it's not always that long, but we decided to take the route through western New South Wales and Queensland.

Day 2 - at Griffith, we bought oranges and broccoli from a Sicilian roadside merchant who arrived in Moonee Ponds in 1964. Along the roadside, we started noticing lots of white litter which turned out to be balls of cotton- for 100 kms perhaps.

We spotted emus frequently but whenever we pulled over to take a photo, they would move off quite quickly.

Day 3: Cobar to Charleville (619kms) Goats and more goats


Back o' Bourke - there are dead roos (red and greys) at least every half a kilometre. In town, whistling kites circling overhead. Street trees: ficus and boabs along with other eucalypts.

At the Port of Bourke the river banks are high and steep - with levy banks beyond them - an indication of regular if infrequent huge floods though houses have been built right near the banks.

In Charleville the sulphur smell is obvious when you turn a tap on - the sign on the bench in the motel room assured us that the water is fine to drink.

Day 4: Charleville to Longreach (515 kms) No place for Old roos

The road trains are 50 metres long with as many as 3 trailers. I noticed several stock transports actually carrying goats! Maybe all those goats we saw on the road here were not feral! 

The rest of the vehicles are caravans and camper vans pulled by Grey Nomads touring the country. 

We didn't see inside the Workers' Heritage centre at Barcaldine but the timber sculpture over the Tree of Knowledge was impressive and the heritage streetscape of old hotels was well preserved.


Day 5: Longreach to Cloncurry (545kms)- Brolgas in the desert

Every town around here (Longreach, Charleville and Winton) claims the birth of Qantas (Queensland and Northern Territory Airways). But Winton owns the famous song, Waltzing Matilda. Here is a great 'Queensland' version of Waltzing Matilda on Youtube. And here are the words to the song (the lyrics).


The landscape is empty of stock and even the roo carcasses are fewer here too.

Whilst we ate a sandwich prepared on the tailgate at a roadside servo called Kynuna we were entertained by Apostlebirds scrounging Crumbs. I tried to ignore the cattle in the road train shuffling around impatiently and occasionally moo-ing sadly. Then as we accelerated out on to the highway we watched a pair of brolgas wandering along in the gravel. Where's the water? 

Day 6: Cloncurry to Camooweal


This country is starting to look hot, even when it's not- red anthills, ghost gums, broad sandy riverbeds and whistling kites overhead.

Day 7  - From rural outback Queensland to the Northern Territory via the Barkly Tablelands and the Stuart highways.


There was a whole lot of nothing between Camooweal, Barkly homestead and the Stuart highway.

The days are getting longer- this is what we observed at 6 pm whilst preparing dinner outside our rustic motel room at Renner. However, the mozzies drove us inside at dusk.

Days 8 and 9 - Mataranka Hot Springs - delightfully warm, mild weather - Time to stretch and relax!

The whole springs area has been cleverly arranged (back in 1999) so that everyone steps into the clear blue water of the Little Roper River at one point and floats down on the current to another entry about 70 metres downstream and then you all walk back to the start and go in again, as often as you like. This was so pleasant and relaxing that we decided to spend the next day doing the same, to stretch our sore back muscles from the constant and long days spent driving.