5 days in the Northern Territory outback

So we are back in civilization after a almost 5 days in the Northern Territory outback.
This last week has been really nice and here is what I have been doing.

Day one. Monday

I started out from Darwin at 1300 on the Monday. Meeting up with my fellow travelers outside the office of Gondwana

Those people are. from left to right. On top: Lisa, Annika, Patricia. Below:Christoph, Me, Jon, Matt, Timo, James and our excellent guide Paul.

We packed all our stuff into the trailer and headed off, stopping to put our big backpacks into storage and picking up supplies before we headed of into the wilderness. Our first stop was at Wangji Falls in Litchfield National park. There we had our first swim of many during this 5 days.

Then we moved on deeper into the park, stopping only to collect fire wood before we came to Tjaynera. We camped there that night, but first we walked to the waterfall for yet another swim in nice surrounding. From the small lake we climbed up to the top of the cliffs for a nice sunset. Then walking back through the semi darkness to the camp site.

Back at the campsite we started preparing for the first night. Putting up mozzie domes to sleep in. These are tents with with walls of mosquito net so you can lie down inside and watch the stars. Then it was time to start on the dinner. On the menu that day: Crocodile, kangaroo, burgers, sausages and baked potatoes.

After this delicious meal we sat for a while around the campfire having a few beers before we decided to crawl to bed. I had a hard time sleeping the first night because of the heat and the bright glowing, almost full moon.

Day 2. Tuesday

The days start early in the bush and we were up at dawn. Eating breakfast before we packed everything into the car and headed off. The first stop of the day was Tolma Falls, here we only had a short stop and a look intothe gorge from the lookout. There used to be a trail down to the lake but it has been sealed off because of some endangered bats living in the caves at the bottom. The next stop was Buliy Rock Holes. A nice stream with some nice rock holes that we can splash around in.

Our last swim that day and for one to come was in Florence falls. After that we headed out of Litchfield and toward the Mary river. On the way we stopped again to pick up some more fire wood and I had my first scratches, falling on my knee while trying to break a dead branch into to.

At the Mary rive we stayed at Shady camp, named so because of the big threes making it a nice place to get out of the sun. After a bit to and from to organize boats we finally got to go out on the river, Well river isn’t the right word. Shady camp lies in the delta of the Mary river. From our boats we cruised around the river looking at all the crocodiles lying around on the river bank. It was amassing to see theses big crocodiles just lying there sunbathing in the afternoon sun.

Paul told us a lot about the life in the delta while we were watching the sun go down behind a cows ass. ( Paul. you never finished the things about the the nesting and stuff like that 🙂 )

Then again it was time to cruise home in the dusk to set up the camp again.

That night we had baked fish with coconut curry stir fry and rice. Another masterpiece to be remembered. Later Paul had this idea that watching the crocodiles at night might be cool. And he was right. After the moon came up we walked down to the dike that keeps the salt water from the see from going to high up into the floodplains. By shining our torches over the water we could see the eyes of the crocodiles glowing in the dark.

We walked to the boats and started paddling onto the river looking at the crocodiles. At the closest our boat was no further that a few meters away from one of the huge things just floating in the water. Another big one was resting on the bank, but after a while it probably got tired of all the flashlights and splashed off into the water.

Then on returning to the shore we found that one of the crocodiles thought the shore where we were getting off was a nice place to rest.But it went of when we paddled the boats at it.

Day 3. Wednesday

We broke camp early as always and headed of towards Kakadu National Park. Driving all the way north to Ubirr. There we visited a old Aboriginal art site.Looking at all the rock paintings. A bit south of Ubirr we stopped for lunch. While eating we saw a big crocodile in the river catching a fish and eating it.Was quite a impressive site.

After lunch we headed further south into the Jim Jim Falls area, and camping at Jim Jim falls. There were not to much of a fall because we are at the end of the dry season. But the plunge pool at the end of the gorge was beautiful and we were the only people in there at that time. You can lay on your back in the water and look up on the 150m high cliffs.

Back at the camp we started making ready for the evening again. Me and Timo was making the fire and Paul handed us to sheets of newspaper to get it going, I guess he didn’t quite trust us, so we just made the fire and handed the newspaper back 🙂

On the menu that day was pasta with our own made pastas sauce. Another success.After dinner Paul went of to talk to some of the other tour guides, while he was away Stu (another tour guide) asked us if we wanted to see something cool and he brought us to the beach. There he place a hollow log upright in the sand and put it on fire on the inside. Resulting in a jet of lames shooting out the top after a while and burning until the log broke up.

Back at the campsite me, Timo and Jon was sitting around talking, the rest was already in bed. Two girls from another camp came over because the people there had gone to bed to. We were sitting there talking until Paul, Stu and …hmmm what was his name again .. anyone ?? (The guide with the dreads) came and scared them away 🙂

Then it was off to bed.

Day 4. Thursday.

Today we didn’t pack up the tents. Paul decided that it would be nice to stay there another night.

After breakfast we detached the trailer from the truck and headed towards Twin Falls.

In the morning we climbed on to the top off the falls. The fall doesn’t have much water in it so it’s possible to climb down to the edge and look down into the plunge pool below. But to climb down there they have to be at least two tour guides, so we waited on top until Stu came with his group. Then we descended through a small crack in the rock. It was quite narrow and took some effort to get down. And even more to get up again. But it was worth it. We splashed around in a rock pool for a while and got the view down the gorge.

After climbing out we headed for the shade to have lunch. The place we at at must have been an old camp site because the walls had paintings on them.

After coming back down we left our stuff in the truck and went in to see the falls from the other side. This meant swimming in to the plunge pool, approximately 400 meters each way it was said, but it seemed much more :)But it was definitely worth it.

Back at the campsite we walked up a small hill to watch the sunset. When we came back down Paul was already into the cooking that night we had chicken stir fry for dinner and then another log burning on the beach. I think the first one was the better, but it’s always cool to look at the fire roaring out of the top of the log.

I was tired that day (strange 🙂 ) so I didn’t stay up to late.

Day 5. Friday

I woke up to another nice day. Paul had a nasty limp and we found out he had hit his foot quite bad on a log the night before while walking back from the beach.

This was the last day, so we packed everything into the truck and started on the way back. But first we stopped at Warradjan Aboriginal Culture Center. While we were walking around there Paul got to do some work on the truck and got his foot looked at I suspect.

We had a quick look at the Yellow water billabong and got the term billabong explained.

Our last stop (or so we thought ) was further south in Maguk. There we had our last swim in a plunge pool for this time.

On the way back toward Darwin we were taking the back roads instead of the main roads which was quite fun.

Then Paul turn of into this side road and we passed an area with a huge amount of wild life, there were loads of different birds, lots of wallaroos and wallabies. And we saw crocodiles in the billabong. Suddenly Pauls magic struck again and he came up with at bottle of bubbly and crackers.. The fun never stops:)

That was out last stop before we came to Darwin.

Back here we picked up our luggage. Christoph and Annika was dropped of at a camp site, Pat at one hostel and the rest of us at the YHA hostel in the center of Darwin.

After a very good shower and change into clean clothing we went out together and got some food. Pat was leaving early today so I followed here home and then I went to bed to. I was just to tired to do anything 🙂
Today

Today I’ve been cleaning my clothes and most of it seems to have come out clean. But not all 🙂

Then I’ve been writing all off this now using almost 2 hours. Guess it’s time to stop now

Cya all later.