Mataranka - Katherine - Edith Falls - Mary River Roadhouse - Kakadu
Today's route. About 300km.
Good Friday: We need to be in Katherine (100 km's away) by 9:00 for the kind man at Hobbit Auto Electrics to have a look at the rooftop tent on his day off. A closer inspection reveals that the wood of the base is mostly rotted away and several of the retaining screws are missing or loose. In short, it is quite likely that one of us will fall right through the base the next time we get in. Mr Hobbit Auto Electrical kindly did what he could to make it safe.
In the tourist info centre we book our places for the Yellow River Billabong Dawn Cruise tomorrow. Cast off is at 6:25 in the AM!
On our way to Kakadu we stop at Edith Falls for a quick dip in this massive, waterfall fed rock pool. Stunning place. Our only look at the Katherine River Gorge National Park.
Palms and Pandanus everywhere around Edith Falls.
We head on and reach Mary River Roadhouse for a late lunch with complimentary coffee for the driver. It is stupid warm and very humid. At least there are no flies. We find a table in the shade where we make a lunch of salad leaves, salami, bread, mayo, olives, tomatoes and cucumber.
This guy, a Blue Faced Honeyeater, sang for us while we were having lunch.
At 3.00 we are on the road again and pass into Kakadu park. Our cruise is based at Cooimba, which is our first stop. This is a commercial resort. We have look around, but decide against staying there. Too commercial and too loud.
We find an excellent spot 2km further on. Sub-tropical forest with palm trees and ferns. Good facilities within walking distance. We have neighbours, but they are only just visible through the forest. We set up camp and drink beers, very happy with ourselves.
A termite mound. We thought this one was quite big, at 2.5m. A few days later we saw several that were 4.5-5m high. It is thought that, gram for gram, there are more termites under Australia than all the surface animals combined.
A Galah. They are everywere.
At sundown we head for the showers and see an Azure Kookaburra. Quite a 'Wow!' moment. As big as a small chicken and completely unbothered by us. Back at the site we start a fire with some wood stacked next to the barbecue.
At this stage things start going pear shaped. Our idyllic campsite, (which in retrospect was surrounded by sheets of water) seems to be equally attractive to mosquitoes. There are fucking millions of them. The Aerogard we have sprayed on seems to have no effect whatsoever and the mosquito coils we burn acts like navigation beacons for them. Even though it is dark, it is still bloody warm. We are sweating just from sitting still. While we are being sucked dry, I realise that the wood is gum-wood: absolutely useless as far as making coals are concerned. At this stage I have not yet realised how the Aussies do their barbecue's and trying to do it SA style with Aussie wood and facilities is an exercise in frustration. I try to get some coals going, but they are just as crap as the previous time. Back to the gas stove and frying pan. We are very hungry and being eaten alive, so the potatoes that were supposed to go onto the coals stay raw and we eat a t-bone steak each for dinner.
Our ground tent is a piece of gauze, to keep the mosquitoes out. We did not bother to put the flysheets out. With great relief and a certain amount of disgust we get into the tent to sleep.
Sleep proves elusive, since it is so hot and humid that I just lie on my back in a pool of sweat. There is not a breeze to cool us down. The full moon on our faces just adds to the frustration. After a while I am awakened by dingos howling a few metres from me. For defence, between the two of us, we have one sat of PJ's and an alarm clock. I lie awake, and quite still, for a long time listening to them sniffing and rummaging through our camp and wondering whether they will take an interest in us humans.
After a seeming eternity, sleep takes me. Into Day 9...
Today's route. About 300km. Good Friday: We need to be in Katherine (100 km's away) by 9:00 for the kind man at Hobbit Auto Electrics to have a look at the rooftop tent on his day off. A closer inspection reveals that the wood of the base is mostly rotted away and several of the retaining screws are missing or loose. In short, it is quite likely that one of us will fall right through the base the next time we get in. Mr Hobbit Auto Electrical kindly did what he could to make it safe.
In the tourist info centre we book our places for the Yellow River Billabong Dawn Cruise tomorrow. Cast off is at 6:25 in the AM!
On our way to Kakadu we stop at Edith Falls for a quick dip in this massive, waterfall fed rock pool. Stunning place. Our only look at the Katherine River Gorge National Park.
Palms and Pandanus everywhere around Edith Falls. We head on and reach Mary River Roadhouse for a late lunch with complimentary coffee for the driver. It is stupid warm and very humid. At least there are no flies. We find a table in the shade where we make a lunch of salad leaves, salami, bread, mayo, olives, tomatoes and cucumber.
This guy, a Blue Faced Honeyeater, sang for us while we were having lunch.At 3.00 we are on the road again and pass into Kakadu park. Our cruise is based at Cooimba, which is our first stop. This is a commercial resort. We have look around, but decide against staying there. Too commercial and too loud.
We find an excellent spot 2km further on. Sub-tropical forest with palm trees and ferns. Good facilities within walking distance. We have neighbours, but they are only just visible through the forest. We set up camp and drink beers, very happy with ourselves.
A termite mound. We thought this one was quite big, at 2.5m. A few days later we saw several that were 4.5-5m high. It is thought that, gram for gram, there are more termites under Australia than all the surface animals combined. A Galah. They are everywere. At this stage things start going pear shaped. Our idyllic campsite, (which in retrospect was surrounded by sheets of water) seems to be equally attractive to mosquitoes. There are fucking millions of them. The Aerogard we have sprayed on seems to have no effect whatsoever and the mosquito coils we burn acts like navigation beacons for them. Even though it is dark, it is still bloody warm. We are sweating just from sitting still. While we are being sucked dry, I realise that the wood is gum-wood: absolutely useless as far as making coals are concerned. At this stage I have not yet realised how the Aussies do their barbecue's and trying to do it SA style with Aussie wood and facilities is an exercise in frustration. I try to get some coals going, but they are just as crap as the previous time. Back to the gas stove and frying pan. We are very hungry and being eaten alive, so the potatoes that were supposed to go onto the coals stay raw and we eat a t-bone steak each for dinner.
Our ground tent is a piece of gauze, to keep the mosquitoes out. We did not bother to put the flysheets out. With great relief and a certain amount of disgust we get into the tent to sleep.
Sleep proves elusive, since it is so hot and humid that I just lie on my back in a pool of sweat. There is not a breeze to cool us down. The full moon on our faces just adds to the frustration. After a while I am awakened by dingos howling a few metres from me. For defence, between the two of us, we have one sat of PJ's and an alarm clock. I lie awake, and quite still, for a long time listening to them sniffing and rummaging through our camp and wondering whether they will take an interest in us humans.
After a seeming eternity, sleep takes me. Into Day 9...
Did you see any "flaming galah's"?? hehehhe. Ru
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