Category: Northern Territory

  • Katherine – 2nd time (Wk 20)

    Edith Falls Upper Pool

    We are back in Katherine before we start heading towards Queensland, taking the opportunity to have some downtime and to visit Edith Falls.

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  • Nitmiluk (Katherine) National Park (NP) (WK 19)

    Katherine Gorge

    I know what you think, another National Park but Nitmiluk NP, that is dissected by the Katherine River and Katherine gorges (13 in all, has been a fantastic experience. Nitmiluk NP is on Jawoyn land, handed back in the 1989 to the First Nations people that together with the NT government, created a NP to share with all people. Very nicely done.

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  • Litchfield National Park (NP) (WK 18)

    Wangi Falls

    Lichfield NP is approx 130km from Darwin so locals as well as visitors use this great NP. The positive is that the park has great accessibility and facilities to the walks and sights. I guess the negative is lots of people, but as we always get up early we were not bothered.

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  • Katherine – 1st time (WK 18)

    Savannah Way (Highway 1) over Katherine River

    So we are back in Northern Territory (and getting used to losing 1.5 hours).

    On 19/07/2021 before we headed off to Timber Creek on Highway 1, we managed to get our spare tyre fixed (no mean feat as all tyre fitters are flat out (no pun intended!) at this time of year). FYI: Highway 1 is the ring road around Australia and the longest in the world.

    Timber Creek is a roadhouse with a lovely shady grassy caravan park behind it. The creek has a colony of flying foxes (big bats…..yuk…) and a resident fresh water croc (who seemed oblivious to us photographing him/her). A very pleasant overnighter.

    On 20/07/2021 we continued along Highway 1 to Katherine (to get 4 new tyres πŸ˜„). There are lots of caravan parks but again we have chosen well (Katherine Holiday Park). After setup we went into town to the visitors centre to get a list of things to do. In the evening we ate at the caravan park restaurant. Not our best meal out unfortunately (and of course, expensive…., getting a tad fed up of the prices up here).

    On 21/07/2021 we went for a walk along Katherine River and it’s crossings. In the afternoon we watched the Tom Curtin Outback Experience. Great family entertainment with a huge variety of animals (horses, dogs, donkeys, fowl, water buffalo to name but a few). They had demonstrations of horse breaking and dog training along with a cowboy singing whilst riding and standing on a horse.

    On 23/07/2021 we drove out to Cutta Cutta (aboriginal for Caves) Caves. I took along a lightweight fleece as I usually find it cold in caves. Not these ones! There is no air flow because there is only one entrance. Not only were they warm but the further we went in, the humidity went up as there is water at the end (which is not open to the public). Very unpleasant. But interesting formations all the same. We didn’t get to see any bats as they stay at the end away from our light. We did, however, get to see a Banded Tree Snake (poisonous but not known to harm….we were told!).

    On 24/07/2021 we start travelling towards Lichfield National Park (NP) and the 13th degree of latitude which will be the most northerly point of our trip. When we arrive in Lichfield NP we will have been through the 43rd degree to the 13th degree of latitude which is 3,300km as the crow flies (although we have actually travelled approx 33,000km between these latitudes).

    Highway 1
    Fresh Water Croc at Timber Creek
    Flying Foxes at Timber Creek
    Old railway bridge over Katherine RIver
    Horse breaking at the Tom Curtin Outback Experience.
    Cutta Cutta Caves
    Banded Tree Snake (poisonous but not known to harm….honest!)
    Our next destination
    Our current location
  • Uluru (WK 3)

    Uluru from Uluru – Kata Tjuta Caravan Park

    We arrived in Uluru on 13/04/2021 for 1 night on our way to WA. We have been here twice before visiting both the Rock and the Olgas and this time visited the Field of Lights.

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  • Kings Canyon (WK 3)

    Kings Canyon

    I had missed out on walking Kings Canyon in October 2015 due to illness but this time I walked the 6km Rim Walk that starts with 100m climb upstairs known as heart attack hill (Trish and Pete will remember it well πŸ˜„). What an amazing experience.

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  • Ormiston Gorge, West MacDonnell Ranges (WK 3)

    Ormiston Gorge

    We travelled briefly through the West MacDonnell Ranges in October 2015 with our good friends Trish and Pete who were visiting from the UK. The countryside was so amazing we decided to put it on the Big Lap route. We have not been disappointed.

    We arrived at Ormiston Gorge campground on 08/04/2021 for 3 nights to walk and swim in Ormiston and the surrounding area.

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  • Gemtree Outback Wilderness Retreat (WK 2)

    We’ve made it (along with the flies)

    We cannot believe our luck, the NT borders have reopened to QLD, so new plans to get back on track. Leaving Winton on 03/04/2021 we headed further west on the Donohue Highway for a night in Boulia (03/04/20121) followed by our first night in NT at Tombermorey Station on 04/04/2021. We arrived at Gemtree for some downtime, a whole 3 nights 😊, on 05/04/2021.

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