Week 3 Timber Creek (N.T) crossing the state boarder to Kununurra (W.A)

J in Keep River N.P and lighting fire (1st and 3rd)

Family at the Ivanhoe crossing of Ord river

L at famous engraved boab tree

Girls near Victoria River in W.A

Hi Everyone

Hope you are all enjoying the blog. We hear that it is quite cold down south at the moment. Some of you have even gone skiing! Hard to believe when the temps here have been between 30 and 40 degrees.

We started off the week visiting Timber Creek where we saw the biggest freshwater crocodile at the caravan park. They feed it every night at 5pm. Timber Creek introduced us to Boab trees. Heaps of these majestic, odd trees around town and we visited the famous tree signed by Augustus Gregory in 1886. He was a pioneer explorer in the area. G would like to state that he found a Boab the day before marked 1894 with AG’s initials on a side road stuff-up. Kids are getting history lessons.

Then we made our way to Keep River National Park. This was spectacular scenery but very hot. We went on an early morning walk in the cool early light. G spotted a rock wallaby hopping around.

We ate up all our fruit and veg and then lined up to cross the W.A boarder. Every car is scrutinised for fruit, veg and nuts. Could not believe the ½ hour line-up and meticulous sort required of our rubbish bag to divide carrot and apple peel from general junk. We had to hand over our Boab nuts (most of them – could not find a few – Quarantine seemingly would have been quite happy for us to keep everyone waiting and pull the whole trailer apart if we showed any doubt).

Grey Nomads – Well what are they? Technically we are grey (V and G). So are most of those on the treadmill. But we now refer to the Grey Nomad more specifically. In our opinion they are the ones to which we are invisible. Those that are willing to chat are far different. For us the Nomad is very specific in their associations – easily recognised today by the geriatric daily washing of the precious caravan ceremony and wine drinking at night. Similar attitude noted to previously spotted at the Smithfield bowling club buffet on pension day – yep first in line for the best site in the best park for the cheapest price!!!! Will include a pictorial dedication page soon (sneak a few sly shots!).

Moving on....... We then stayed in Kununurra for 3 nights and only planned on one. We watched 4WD’s cross the fast flowing Ivanhoe crossing the Ord River. G was transfixed and wanting to give it a try. I was worried! Then went on tourist trail and visited the Sandalwood visitors centre. Sandalwood is a lucrative business – the oil extracted is used as a base for most perfumes around the world. The area is covered in irrigated plantations.

Heading West to Bungle Bungles over next few days.

V and G + kids

Week 2 Cliffs track down the Soligo’s

Two Mums (Upper L) Two little ballet girls (Upper R) Two Dads (Lower R) Six kids playing UNO (Lower L)

Mon 25 and Tues 26/7/10

Well we didn’t think that it would happen. After leaving Bitter Springs near Mataranka we travelled to Katherine. Wow – we haven’t seen a McDonalds for ages. So we stop and eat then pull out the laptop to upload a photo as there is free internet access in Maccas. This was a chance to catch up with what is happening on the Soligo’s blog.

[For those who don’t know the Soligo’s go to school with the kids]

There we see that they have booked a cruise on the Katherine Gorge for Monday morning. So we decide to try and track them down. We drive out to the National Park (Nitmiluk). On our first sweeping loop around the unpowered section - BINGO!

Katherine Gorge was closed that day as there had been a salt-water crocodile spotted! Surprise!!!!! No swimming or canoeing in the Gorge.

We spend the afternoon catching up and swimming in the resort style pool. They even had a restaurant/bar next to the pool , and this is a National Park camp ground.! Glass of wine, kids swimming, great evening – what a life. Kids played card games and chased each other around the campground at night.

In the morning we did the Katherine Gorge Lookout loop walk and chilled out for the rest of the day.

V, G, L, J and S

This page is for Noodles

Ubirr Rock (left) Litchfield NP (below)

Darwin - Pool sitting Darwin - Arafura Sea - Markets

This page is for Noodles. She had such a good time with us in the Top End. She cooked every night for her son on the trip up and bought all the food including lots of yummy toasted sandwiches (we think she is hooked). She didn’t want to drive through outback QLD as she didn’t want to be responsible for wrecking the trip. Always quick with a yarn she entertained many a traveller and saw herself as a younger generation to the grey nomads.

The sunset market in Darwin was a treat, we walked around for hours and stuck our toes into the sea to tempt the salt water crocs of the Arafura. No swimming here.

Noodles swam in the springs at Mataranka homestead and loved the warm weather (big break from the cold). She caught up with her old friend from boarding school in Darwin and stayed up till 2am with her when she stayed overnight. Walking around Kakadu information office Noodles could smell coffee a mile away and met someone that she knows (Mel T.) . Typical of Noodles she was always interested in getting everyone an icecream. Hotdogs and milkshakes don’t go together.

She climbed up Ubirr rock as we tricked her that we had to get over it to get back (she was thrilled to see the classic view of Kakadu). We ate barramundi caught by the camp caretakers for a token price as she got into a big conversation about their fishing. The feast was shared with Mel and Brian. Yum – just happened to have some lime and they had coriander).

When we went crocodile spotting on the East alligator river, Noodles OOOOHed and AAAAHed. She tentatively enjoyed the 40km 4WD track out to Gunlom Falls and then loved the plunge pool when she got there (swam with fresh water crocs).

Litchfield Falls was next and Noodles was wary of the kids jumping off the rocks into the water at Buley Plunge Pools. She went on many a walk with us and chatted away to the kids sometimes singing them a rhyme. Tjyaneria Falls was a hike but the thrill was swimming in the beautiful pool at the bottom of the waterfall, the rock jump from there was amazing.

The road back to Darwin came all too quickly and Noodles had to catch a plane. She is with us in spirit now that she is home safely in the deep cold of winter. I am sure that she still remembers the searing heat of Darwin.

MISS YOU N. Cliff family

Week 2 Darwin to Mataranka

Bitter Springs swimming

G’Day Everyone

We started the second week chilling out in Darwin again (3 nights). N left us on Thursday at 7am to fly back to Sydney - we miss her a lot. Then we went to Breakfast with the Fagnano’s at the Novatel Darwin. They were having a stop-over on their way back from Europe. Had to straighten my hair!!!!

That night we went to Mindil Sunset markets for the second Thursday in a row and ate Laksa on the beach. It was fabulous listening to a group of local aboriginals singing songs as the sun went down over the Arafura Sea.

Big drive to Mataranka on day 3 and camped with the Steven’s at Bitter Springs for 2 nights near Elsey National Park. Bitter Springs is UNREAL. You jump into this warm creek water (34 Degrees) and float down the current for about 150m. It is all natural spring water from the Artesian Basin about 80m down. Then walk up a short track and do it all over again – loop after loop. L did a lot of swimming against the current.

Heard today the Wangi Falls (Litchfield N.P) swimming hole is open for the first time this season – they shot the crocodile. So the Soligo’s may have been there! Have to check their blog site. We heard the rangers shooting at it when we stayed there. Luckily, we are nowhere near salty crocodiles now.

Week 1 - Litchfield National Park - Great swimming!

Again we met up with some friends and stayed at Wangi Falls for 2 nights in Litchfield N.P. Unfortunately Wangi was closed for swimming, (still not proven croc. free yet), falls running strong and we did a walk - saw plenty of flying foxes and large golden orb weaver spiders. The kids had a fantastic time swimming in Buley Rock hole. They jumped into the pool from a rock. Even 5yrold S was jumping!

Next day we did a 4WD trip out to Tjaynera Falls/Sandy Creek. Our first water crossing in the car. Lovely little bushwalk out to the falls and then we came to the very large swimming hole. Amazing waterfall and then plenty of action jumping off the side of the waterfall into the swimming hole. Some jumps were from rocks about 6m above the water. N was very anxious!!!!! Only G and L had the guts to jump from the higher rock.

LOL V and G

Week 1 Camping in Kakadu! Man dies at next campground.

East Alligator River/Armhem Land Ubirr Rock art

East Alligator River Croc - we took this picture!

Yellow Waters at dusk


Gunlom Falls

Hi All,

We have arrived back in Darwin after a week in Kakadu with N (G's mum). She left yesterday to fly back to Sydney. We really enjoyed having her stay with us and share all the fun.

We set up camp in Muirella Park in Kakadu. It was away from crocodiles! Me actually met up with people that N knows from when the kids were young (Mel, Brian, Angus and Nieve) and we camped with them for two 4 nights.

On the first day wen to Gunlom Falls and swam in the big waterhole with Fresh water crocodiles and fish. That afternoon we went to Yellow waters to see the sunset (see picture). The next we week on an Aboriginal Culture Cruise along the East Alligator River and we went into Arnhem Land. So many crocodiles and freakishly close.

Than we climbed Ubirr rock and saw beautiful aboriginal art. Looking at the top of the rock across the wetland almost surreal. It was postcard perfect. We saw a Jabiru standing on another rock minding its nest - silhouetted against the sky. They are really big.

When we got back to camp we heard that an Irish man had died the night before. The campground supervisors were very sad as it was the one up from us 10km away. At first they thought he was taken by a croc as they were all swimming at dusk. But he didn't have any teeth marks on him when they found him. He had drowned after drinking too much.

We then left for Litchfield National Park.

Hi my friends! Glad to see are following GP.

Post soon! V and L

Week 1 Minidil Beach Sunset Markets

On Thursday night, we went to Minidil Beach for the Sunset Markets. It was very multi-cultural -there was a white man playing 4 didgeridoos at once to rap music! We were fasinated by 2 men dancing with fire and doing tricks, N couldn't watch! We're off to Kakadu soon and I've excperienced my first pack-up, which was very, very boring! Last blog for a while! L.