Kakadu. Nourlangie

Another walking day, unfortunately the humidity increased and made the day very uncomfortable. Never the less we had the best walk around Angangbang billabong. A fantastic wet lands walk and teeming with birds.

Cut short my walk around the rock art the humidity was just a bit too much.

Kakadu. Maguk and Yellow Water

Long drive to these places but worth the effort.

Maguk had water falls and above the falls wonderful pools to swim in.

The wetlands another first for me and something on my bucket list. The little pigs came as a total surprise, not too sure about mummy and daddy. The human piggies were OK.

Week 33. Kakadu. Ubirr

Geoff and family travelled with us to Kakadu for an outback break. It is fun having some other people to talk to and join in the walks.

Off to Ubirr on day 1 for rock paintings and crocodiles. On the East Alligator River we saw some beauties.

Darwin Botanical Gardens, Mindil Market

We met Geoff, Gill, Alison and Helen, Trev's brother and family in Dawin and spent a lovely evening in the markets and watching the sunset, the beach was packed. Spent the day in the Botanical Gardens, some really lovely plants.

Darwin

I have never been to the Northern Territory and this is their capital. Very impressed a beautiful city. I could spend a long time here. Good thing I am on a travel plan, such a civilized place.

We walked the heritage trail around the town then dropped into the Governor's Residence in the afternoon as it was open day. Very kind of them to organise it for our visit. Scones and cream fit for a Queen.

1. Veranda around Governors Residence
2. Darwin Cathederal
3. Parliament House
4. Governor's Residence
5. Corner of the carpet in GR
6. NT flag

Flora River Nature Park

Lovely camp ground, our first in crocodile country. Needless to say I spent every night expecting a crocodile to visit. First time I have loved to be wrong. The falls here were very pretty but difficult to photograph as there was so much undergrowth around the river, great for crocs to hide in. I can honestly say we didn't hang around.

Lake Argyle

Much as I would have loved to go to the Diamond mine they do not allow you to casually drive in. Sooooo I have ordered diamonds for everyone and I can pick them up when I have won Lotto to pay for them.

In contrast I could look around the dam and the lake, the dam looks far to small to keep back that amount of water and it has the odd crocodile so no kayaks. A visit to Durack homestead was interesting as we met some descendants who were looking up their heritage. The homestead was moved when the dam flooded.

1. Ord River
2. Dam wall
3. Durack homestead
4 camp site swimming pool

Bungle Bungles- Purnululu. Week 31

Purnululu is the new name to be politically correct for the Bungle Bungles.

This place is something else, the rock formations, the colours the sheer size of everything and last the 53 mongrel kilometers of road to get to it. 9 water crossings in and 9 out. We survived.

We walked the Domes, Cathedral Gorge and Echidna Gorge. Really the best of walks and Echidna was awesome.

And to cap it all off, back on the bitumen on the way back to Kununarra another stone on the windscreen. We now have a crack and a hole. Still holding together though.

1. Cathedral Gorge
2. Pickaninny Creek
3. Echidna Gorge
4. We think this is a dingo near the camp ground
5. Echidna Gorge
6. The Domes

Wyndham - Kununarra

Nice caravan park, very hot showers and lots of noise. Amazing how we got used to the quite of the bush.

Quick trip out to Wyndham to the 5 rivers lookout. In the dry they all look very peaceful, I am sure in the wet they look completely different.

Pentecost, King, Durack, Ord and Forest rivers, makes an amazing waterway when they all meet.

The end of the Gibb River Road

The end of a very exciting part of the trip, we had no idea if we would be capable of the 4WD road, the car behaved perfectly and the only damage was a stone chip in the windscreen right at the end of the road, the resultant crack creeping across the windscreen keeps us entertained for hours, speculation on when we will have to replace the screen please.

Emma Gorge

This was a bit hard on the knees and hips, lots of rock paths and climbing. Wonderful walk though. The pool at the end looked far to cold to swim but standing under the droplets waterfall was enough.

El Questro-Zebedee Springs and Amalia Gorge

El Questro might be a tourist trap in some ways but there was lots to do without going on booked trips. Zebedee Springs was the best ever, I have never been in thermal pools so this was a first. I really did not want to
get out but I went a bit pruney so had to move, not too far to walk either.

Amalia Gorge was quite a tough walk a fair bit of rock climbing but worth it when you got there.

1. Thermal Springs for me
2. Amalia Gorge
3. Around the springs
4. For the well off, helicopter into the gorges.
5. Path into Amalia Gorge