Work before play 31/7/15

 Another day in paradise , hot again - 16 degrees at 7am , 22 at 8am , 26 at 9am etc , etc , 33 at 3pm , hot , hot , damn hot !!

 This morning was spent doing some maintenance , cooking & cleaning . Not really exciting , but had to done . 

 We had a cooked lunch so as to get out of cooking when its really hotter and the wind has dropped . Cleaned up after lunch and got ready to head into Palmerston to pick some stuff , hopefully our mail will have arrived , nope - ah well it’ll have to wait till Tuesday now as Monday is Darwin Cup Day :- a public holiday !! 

We checked out the shopping centre to see whether I could get a hair cut , which I could , and we did a bit of shopping as well .

 We drive along Channel Island road to go home , so we decided to see what’s there , apart from Channel Island . There were several buses behind us , and we passed 4 going the other way , the plot thickens - must be a lot of school kids living out this way !! 

 Out a bit further , round a few bends and there is a turnoff to the right , there are two Liquified Natural Gas Plants - one in operation and a second under construction , that will make the first look miniature !!! All of the buses were turning here , and there were still more coming out , must have been a shift change - not many school kids on those buses !!! 

 Down the road we came to a power station , further out we arrived at the bridge to Channel Island , and crossed over to find another large power station , an aquaculture business and another small gas plant . 

 The drive out was pretty much through mangroves the whole way out , and Channel Island wasn’t much better . We turned and headed back , finding an immigration centre on the other side of the road to the LNG plants , we were too busy checking them out to see this - amazing what happens on the other side of the road !!

 Back to camp and it was definitely time for a beer & cheese & bickies , we missed the swim today , but will catch up tomorrow , sometime after the tyres get fitted !! 

  Just a little retrospective look at some where we have visited in 2008 and the same location 2015 -Waterpark Creek Byfield 

 Top photo is prior to the cyclone , bottom photo is after the cyclone - check out the differences !!!

Todays map link :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.kceMfnWGjdkg&usp=sharing

Frustration , Annoyed and a Result

Quieter day today , you cant just keep going like an energiser battery in this heat . 

 We woke early , but ignored it , getting up at 7:30 , breakfast outside under the awning . It was a little cooler last night , getting down to 16 degrees , today was promising to be in the low to mid 30’s . 

 Today there was frustration , annoyance and a good result  - we need some new tyres - good old Toyota put Dunlop tyres on the ute as standard - must get them cheap !!! 

 We drove into Palmerston an a back road , avoiding the Stuart Hwy , and it was 5 mins quicker as well . First stop was Beaurepaires , who said the only tyre they had in the same size was the same as we had on , they tried to get us to get a bigger size tyre if we wanted to change brands - that’s great when you have 8 tyres , and at least 2 off them still have about 18,000 klms left , another couple about 10,000 !! Well that was confusing and annoying !!! 

 Across the road to Bunnings to get some bits & pieces , that’s if you can find them !!! After some frustration time , we paid for what we had and left . 

 Next stop , Coolalinga to Supercheap Auto to get a grease gun & grease - they had the first part , but not the grease cartridges , so we left there and headed back to Palmerston empty handed . Finding Marlow Lagoon Recreation Area for lunch was next , easy , even found a bench seat in the shade beside the lagoon . The area is looked after very well , green grass mowed to within an inch of it’s life , Bbq’s , tables & chairs & a lagoon with 2 islands , water lillies flowering and bird life everywhere . 

 Decided to ring a Bridgestone outlet further in toward Darwin , and see what they could do for us - he was full of information and had a solution !!! He wasn’t terribly complimentary about the Dunlop tyres , saying that he’d seen some that only lasted 7,000 klms !!!! and was amazed ours had lasted for 28,000 klms . Anyway , we will have 4 Bridgestones on the ute on Saturday morning , the same size as our existing tyres !! and the problem will be solved - at least till the others wear out , then we will know what we have to do !!

 With that we headed to Berry Springs Nature Park - about 5 klms from where we are staying . There is a natural spring that pumps out an awful lot of water from deep underground , giving it a beautiful bluey green colour and crystal clear - as usual ! The water was warmish - about 30 degrees in parts , cooler further down the creek as the depth and width increased . There is a waterfall near the start , a main pool and a lower pool - all had people swimming or relaxing in them . This is a very popular area for the local population and Darwinians , not to mention all the tourists as well . There is a sign as you come in saying , that if the car park is full , keep driving and come back later , as there will be too many people there already !!

 We floated down , swam around a bit , cooled off , chatted to a couple from South Australia for a while before getting out and heading for the park , it was time for a beer & salsa again!!

 Todays map :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.kIVl-6OoGzt8&usp=sharing

Down Under Darwin

 Decisions made early , we'll head to Darwin via Palmerston , we are getting the ute serviced next Tuesday at 7:30 , so we need to know how long it takes to get there - 25 mins as it happens . There is also some mail there waiting to be picked up .
 After finding where we need to go , we drive back out toward Darwin , there was a sign further out pointing to the left for Darwin , so we took it - presuming we were on the Stuart Hwy ! Another 10 mins and we found ourselves in Darwin - right in the middle !!! , we found the information centre and parked - $2.50 for an hour . We wandered down The Mall , thinking that this isn't as busy as Wollongong is on a quiet day !!
 Walking around the block , there is the Old Town Hall ruins , Supreme Court , Parliament House and NT Library , Administration Buildings and across the road , Government House .

Parliament House & Library

Unbeknown to us , there is also something below us .
 We walked past Government House and up to a covered walkway , on the way , there is a covered monument to the fallen - all about those who lost their lives in the bombing of Darwin . Darwin had 64 separate air raids by the Japanese in 1942 - more bombs were dropped on Darwin , than on Pearl Harbour !!!!! Ships , wharves , fuel tanks & buildings were all damaged or totally ruined . Civilians & armed forces were killed in the 1st two air raids .
 As a result of the air raids , a decision was made to build tunnels under the escarpment above the harbour to store fuel in , they built 11 tunnels with concrete outer and steel lined inner . You can walk through into one of them , and see into another , there are story boards on the walls informing you of all the relevant facts , and a time line section about Darwin .

 Back to the ute and tried to drive down the Esplanade - road works - they were digging up one lane , so it was one way traffic only - not our way of course !! Driving on , we found Cullen Bay - with multi storey living & a marina - not for your average income !! We kept going around to Mindil Beach and found a seat in the shade to sit and have some lunch , we were between the beach and the grass area where they have the markets on Thursday night and Sundays . 

  We kept driving after lunch finding the Museum and Art Gallery of NT , the Darwin Ski Club and Darwin Trailer Boat Club at Vesteys Beach .

Vesteys Beach looking at East Point

 We continued around to East Point , where the Military Museum is . There are bike tracks that travel the full length of Fannie Bay , from east Point to Cullen Bay - that will be for another day . Stopping at Dudley Point , the rock formations were different , with white crumbly sandstone - chalk white !! The views back toward Darwin were great .

 It was hot again with the temperature hitting 33 degrees , so we headed for the hills - at least Palmerston to get our mail , well half of it anyway , as the other letter hadn't arrived yet . Then we did some shopping for some things we couldn't get yesterday or forgot to get , before heading back to the park for a swim & a cold drink .

  Todays map link :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.ksj4hS-hmCLQ&usp=sharing

Moving day again Tues 28/7/15

Todays been a bit of a cruise down the road , not far , only 70 klms .
The day starts at 7am , with small tour buses leaving and many of the rental motorhomes starting to get organised for the day , we however , just cruised through the morning , not rushing , just dawdling about !
 We packed up & hitched up , feeling like it would be about 9:30 , we pulled onto the highway at 9am which was okay , as we were in front of most of the traffic coming from Kakadu . The traffic increased as we got closer to Humpty Doo , luckily for us we found the supermarket and pulled off the highway to do some shopping , getting us off the road for a while .
 We talked to a couple from Coffs Harbour last night , Ken & Judy , and then the world got smaller - he was a teacher at Renwick with Graham Phillips from Moss Vale , he also taught at Anglewood in Burradoo, if that's not enough , he knows my brother Gordon from the Mid North Coast Wood Turners Association , when he ( Ken ) was president !! Judy was also a teachers assistant Moss Vale Primary and both know Dennis Mudd ( School Principal at MVP )
 Shopping done , I wheel the trolley across the road to where we parked , through the gutter , up through the soft dusty sections and finally to the RV . Unloaded , we sort it & pack it away , before heading off again - Ken & Judy were doing the same thing .
 Reaching the Stuart Hwy , we turn left and head south for  9klms before turning of to Berry Springs , we managed to get a spot at Lakeside Caravan Park for a week . We arrived and set up after emptying the tanks , it was getting hotter and also windy . We'd packed , driven , shopped , sorted , driven and set up again , all before lunch !!
  Lyn did some cooking , while I did some minor fixes after lunch , before we went to the pool to cool off again . Next to the park are two man made lagoons , one of which is used to water ski on - they do slalom skiing there .
 So , not a real exciting day , but stay tuned , more to come !! Here are a couple of random photos - from Corney Point and the other Big Bend on the Murray River .

Todays map link :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.ksNBy4vrOxi0&usp=sharing

Dam Crocs Mon 27/7/15

 Same old , same old - awake before the suns up again !! It was a hot night , no quilt required , forecast for 36 today !!
 Todays visit is to the Window on the Wetlands , it's run by NT Parks and gives you an insight into the comings & goings of the wetlands , wildlife & the effect the weather has on it all . It is an imposing building perched up on a hill overlooking the wetlands & Adelaide River . There are interactive displays , a continuous movie of all the seasons of Kakadu , and an outside viewing deck .

 The wind was picking up, so was the temperature , but it was pleasant on the outside viewing deck . You get views nearly all the way round the building - to the east we have an artificial lake bathed in green , bordered by the highway , to the south & west there is wetland that isn't terribly wet at the moment , and is also a bit charred & black from burning operations , to the north there is more wetland , but hidden by trees & a hill . 

 It was decided to do a trial on growing rice here many years ago , it didn't do too well , so the result is a lot of flat area that is now all wetlands . Some of those areas are close by :- Fogg Dam & Harrison Dam . Now our idea of a dam isn't what we found , here the Fogg Dam is more of a levee bank separating water , about a metre difference in the levels . As would be expected , there is prolific birdlife here and all the different species coexist quite happily - there is enough room for everyone .

 There are rainforest & wetland walks that can be done , we had lunch in the rainforest - quite dry at the moment , so we decided to keep looking around . School zones are interesting here - they run from 7am to 5 pm - all day !!! no breaks !!! 

 Driving back , we stopped at Adelaide River where they do jumping croc cruises , you couldn't look at the river as it was all overgrown and no access , apart from the pontoon & floating platforms for you to get on the cruise boats , so we thought no , we'll head back to the RV - the idea of feeding the crocs from a boat is probably not in the best interest of fisherman or anyone else out in a boat !! 

There were crocs resting on the muddy banks of the river - they know they don't have to go far for a feed !!!

 Back to the RV , it was hot , so it was swim time , & cool off before having cheese & bickies & a nice cold beer . We watched as an influx of camper vans & hire motorhomes arrived late in the day & jockeyed for a position to get power & water . Most were foreign tourists who had picked up their vehicles today from the look of things - not knowing how to operate all the bits & pieces of their vehicles . Hope they're prepared for the rest of their adventures - me thinks they don't know what's about to hit them !!!

Todays map link :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.kK3xefTiA74Y&usp=sharing

Fond Farewell Sun 26/7/15

 Up before the sun again , 21.7 degrees at 7am ; 27.9 degrees at 9am , today was a hot one , and got to 36 degrees !!!
 It was pack up day , there was a feeling of the holiday ending today , that was just how we felt leaving Kakadu , ecstatic that we'd be able to see it , not sadness , but a fond farewell to somewhere we will definitely be back to in the future !!
 On the road by 9am again , a couple of photos for Garry , with a Kakadu sign at the front and away we went , off to the west towards Darwin , unsure where we will be tonight , that will pan out as the day goes on .

 Trundling down the Arnhem Hwy , our first stop was Aurora Kakadu Hotel for a toilet stop . Back on the road again and Lyn was driving like she was late for an appointment - the ute just wanted to go today - must have been all that red dust we washed off yesterday - Ute & RV would be a good 10 kg lighter !!!
We missed a rather large python that decided to warm up on the bitumen . The vegetation was changing as we went , we were entering wetland country and found ourselves moving from timbered areas to just pandanus palms & grass , then into a vast area of grass & native rice in a floodplain . We crossed the West Alligator River - a rather murky river , with sloping muddy banks , and you guessed it , salt water crocs lying in the sun - within 100m of the highway !!!
 Deciding to continue toward Darwin we passed a few rest stops and Mary River Roadhouse , Corroboree Roadhouse , Window on the Wetlands , then stopped at Beatrice Hill rest area for lunch . We thought we'd better ring somewhere to stay , so we knew where we were heading to . Well, after ringing 5 parks and an irate lady who I'd rung twice - oops the number 4 & 7 are a bit close and got mixed up , ah well can't win them all !! We realised the rumours about Darwin were correct - it's booked out , there's a horse racing carnival and a lot of other events on for the winter season !!!
 The decision was then made to back track 20 klms to Corroboree Roadhouse , stay there for 2 nights and head to Berry Springs for a week - where we managed to book into from Tuesday !!
 We checked in & set up , bought a carton of beer , sat down for a while before it was swim time , the water was cool but a welcome distraction from the heat . Sufficiently cooled , it was back to the RV for one of those chilled beers & salsa .
 Here are some more photos from yesterday .

 After spending a week in Kakadu , we have come to the conclusion to not always listen to the detractors and make up your own mind . Kakadu has won our hearts , and is a very special place, to have been able to see it , & share some of it's culture , it has been one of the best experiences we have had . Being on country and gaining an appreciation of the indigenous culture and their use of the land is incredible and changed the way we think .

 In our minds Kakadu has won hands down !!!

Todays map link :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.kIKV5yoJTQl4&usp=sharing

Beauty , Splendour & Shock

Up before the sun again , this is starting to be a habit . We are heading north today , only 38 kms , to another art site - Ubirr - the pronunciation of which you'll love :- Ooo,beer - I thought it was pretty good !!!
 Headed down to the bakery for some bread & bread rolls , as we had run out , the pantry is starting to look a bit light on .
  Driving toward Darwin , we turned off a few kilometres down the road and headed north . The road taking us down lower , and the pandanus getting more prolific , trees now getting taller . We passed by dry sandy creeks , and many views of rocky outcrops , the views were amazing , we'd only gone 20 kms and we were in a completely different area . It was difficult to know which side of the road to look at , large billabongs & vast grassy areas were emerging from the trees & pandanus .
 Before long we'd arrived at the Border Store , apparently they sell the best Thai food - pity they're a long way away from everywhere . Ubirr was only a couple of kms down the road and we arrived at 10 am , the temperature was already hot 28 degrees and forecast to get to 36 today - bloody hot !!!
 There are guided walks with rangers - they leave at 11am , we decided to go now before it got any hotter . The area had a lot of pandanus , spear grass and paperbarks , and a rather large amount of mosquito's , with rocky outcrops around each corner of the track . Whilst walking in I spotted a plant which had flowered , but looked good with the rocks in the background .

 Continuing on we came to the first section with rock art , there were fences to keep you from getting too close . The top rails were branches and it was difficult to see the joins , they were very well done .

  Now comes the art , there is so much of it here , they let you see about 5 different sites , all in overhangs and reasonably protected from the weather . 

The trouble we found , the pictures have been done over many thousands of years and a lot have been covered with newer ones , now they are looking a bit blurred . The more you look at them , the more you can see , a lot of them are fish - the dominant food source presumably , and how they are treated to be best eaten - mullet have their heads cut off to remove the blood . The colours in the rocks were also amazing .

 There are also newer pictures that depict rifles & guns , whether it is white man or not , we don't know .

 Inside several shelters were the table rocks , where food was prepared , ground & processed .

Moving from the flat areas , we started to climb to Nadab Lookout , passing the pictures & shelter of the Namarrkan Sisters - 2 rebellious sisters who turned into crocodiles , so they could grab and eat anyone or anything they wanted . The shelter where their pictures are has a great view out to the west over wetlands .

Views to die for !!!

More art.

 Climbing further to the top of the rocks let us have 360 degree views of the area , we stood in awe at the view that opened up . Wetland swamp areas with green grass & native rice to the north & west , to the east & south we had rocky outcrops & escarpments & tree lines near waterways . There aren't enough superlatives to describe this - it's fan bloody tastic !!!!!!

 Then we had the supervising Jabiru overlooking the site , making sure everyone was behaving .

                                                               Some rock formations 
 We headed back to the ute and drove down to the East Alligator River for lunch , on one side of the causeway was a murky brown coloured river . This river is tidal , and on the other side of the causeway is the tidal section - they both merge as the tide comes back in .

 This is what awaits you if you decide to go for a swim - 3 resident crocs - 2 on the mud flats and one just floating around after catching a fish . Although it didn't seem to worry the local indigenous family who came down to fish with a throw net and several kids who had hand lines .

 With that we headed back to Jabiru , some of the photo opportunities from this morning had reappeared , so it was a slower trip back in . There were the rocky outcrops & escarpments , also the dry sandy creek bed .

 Now back to the title of todays post , we drove back toward Jabiru and went past the turnoff out to the airport and the Uranium Mine - yes you read that correctly !!! We have had the best day in Kakadu today of the whole week we've been here , pity about this bit though - the picture will show you what we found , so you can make up you're own minds about it !!!

Big open cut pit - apparently over 400m deep !!! next there is the processing plant , then you have the amazing escarpments in the distance - talk about a contradiction !!!! There are 2 huge piles of rock & excess material that they can't use to make money .

 Back to the RV , it was bloody hot , so it was swim time . We cooled down and headed straight back to the ute and washed it while we dripped dry , then we attacked the RV , washing it down as well , hosing each other down as we dried out - would have been funny to watch !!! With that done we went for another swim to cool off again - a quick dip , soaking wet , then round to the bar for a quiet beer - I had run out and you can't buy it in Kakadu !! 

 That's your lot for today , here's a map link :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.kvqmsrM9Wpyc&usp=sharing

Anbangbang Art Show Friday 24/7/15

 Up before the sun today , we have a plan !! Get out there & get going before the sun comes & fries us to a crisp - forecast to be 34 degrees - and it got there !!
 Today was rock art - no not Guns & Roses or the Rolling Stones , we were off to Anbangbang ( thats the aboriginal name ) or Nourlangie - Europeans name . The rangers do a tour explaining lots about everything , for 2 hours on Mondays , Wednesdays & Fridays in tourist season . The ranger from last nights talk ( Christian ) was the guide for today also - he is awesome - he's been working up here for 15 years and knows a bit about aboriginal culture & law , he reckons about 0.025 % of it , but highly knowledgable !! More of that later .
 We drove down to Anbangbang , about 21 kms from our park , turning off the highway for another 12 kms to the site . The road in is all bitumen , an easy drive . As you go in you can see an imposing rock appear in front of you , rising 100m in the air , the air smoky this morning from yesterdays burns. Arriving with time for a loo stop , and a bit of a look around , we waited for Christian to arrive with about 40 other people who were also there to listen to the tour .

 We started the tour , walking to the first spot , which was a lookout . The terrain is almost completely solid rock , trees & shrubs clinging to life in cracks & crevices .

 Up to the lookout and listened to Christians talk about how the aborigines listen & learn from the country . There are 6 seasons up here in Kakadu , at the moment we are in the dry season , and Kapok trees are flowering , so are Bloodwoods - that tells them it's time to burn , which in turn removes the danger of wildfires , and helps with next generation of pants & food , gives animals a chance to move out of the burning area safely . Knowledge of this has been passed down from generation to generation over the past 20,000 years !! They have been here for longer than any other race on earth!!!
 The lookout overlooks Anbangbang , an imposing rock escarpment , that has been used for shelter for periods of 1month , up to 6 months , depending on the time period that they were here in .

  The colours in the rock faces were amazing , and in the rocks in the lower areas , you can see all the layers in the rocks , as well as all the quartz rocks that are all mixed in with it .

 We continued on down a track to the next spot - 5 mins down the track , we passed a cave used for shelter , then down a little further to one of the most photographed pieces of rock art .

 The paintings were explained to us , with depictions of the lightning man , another man & sister who had a relationship - something that is against aboriginal law - no incest allowed . With their law , there are rules regarding who can marry who & who you can & can't look at - it's an amazing way of life , the laws help perpetuate the race & relationships - pretty complex stuff !! 

 Christian was trying to get us to understand the complexities of it all , not understand everything , just an appreciation . He told a story about the junior ranger program , where school kids get to go out into the park with the rangers , to learn what happens in the park - Christian has actually learned a lot more from the kids . He was taking them out one day in two troop carriers , they all jumped in , except 2 boys , who made excuses and said they couldn't go out as they were sick , the real reason was student A , already in the troop carrier , the two boys - B & C were prohibited by law to make eye contact or have any contact with student A ! Student D , told Christian what was going on , so he went for a walk while the problem was sorted without causing embarrassment to any of the students from a white fella . This is part of aboriginal law . 

 From there we headed around to a shelter under a huge rock shelf , protected by another huge rock in front of it and to the side . 

  

 We learnt about an archaeological dig here , they calculated things they'd found had been for 20,000+ years . While they were digging , the local aborigines would call in and have a look , and ask them what they'd found . The people digging would show them all the bits & pieces , and tell them what they were - they already knew naturally , and told the archaeologists where they could get that stone , it wasn't from here , it is 2 days walk into stone country from here . All this information that has been passed down over all those years !!!! You can see in the photo , the flat rock that was used as a work table to grind up seeds & other food stuff , there are depressions in the rock from the grinding. 

 Our talk was over and was one of the most informative 2 hours we have ever had - we learnt more about the culture & country & law , than we ever knew before !!! quite enlightening .

 It was lunchtime , so we went down the road a little to Anbangbang Billabong .

 On the way back out , we got a better picture of Nourlangie / Anbangbang .

 From here we drove south a bit and went into Djarradjin / Muirella Park Campground and then onto Sandy Billabong . This was impressive , the billabong was huge , stretching into the distance , we had it to ourselves , apart from the birds and a couple of feral pigs . There are water lillies everywhere , pandanus & paperbarks and some bloodwood trees , a really pleasant place to be .

 The sun was pumping out a lot of heat , so we headed back to the park . Time for a cold swim to reduce our core temperature - it was running pretty high , only took about 10 mins to cool down again!!! The beer was even nicer sitting beside the van .

 Well , so far Kakadu is scoring very well , we've been here for 6 days so far , and looks like we might be here for a few more yet . Kakadu 6 , detractors nil !!!

  Todays map link :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.k1gc-krdA6mM&usp=sharing