Waterfalls, Stations & Gorges, NT

Monday the 12th of November... We began the pack up and by around 9:30 we were leaving Free Spirit Resort and Darwin.

I wasn't very excited about visiting Darwin at first, my room being ransacked in Darwin 3 years earlier, hadn't helped the situation.... but we take with us some great memories of Darwin after  this visit.
We thank the Ambrose-Pearce family for their hospitality and for making us feel at home and the visit from Mark & Lisa felt like we had a piece of home in Darwin - it was priceless!

Anyway, Darwin behind us... we headed towards Litchfield National Park.
We had been told along the way that it was a great spot, some even telling us it was better than Kakadu.

We had no plans but to visit the falls throughout the Park and then play it by ear....

Here we come....

It has been nice to be a month or so behind the Grey Nomads and the peak tourist season. That was evident heading into Litchfield because we passed very few cars.... 

Our first stop was Florence Falls, a short walk from the car park and we were overlooking the falls which run all year round...

Florence Falls from above

Florence Falls lookout

We continued down the stairs until we reached the waterhole where we all took the plunge into the cool waters. It was beautiful! Again, there was only a handful of people. I think the experience would be much different if it was full of people, which is the case in peak season...

Cooling off at Florence Falls

135 steps back up to the car park and we all felt like we needed to head back down for another dip but instead, we continued on.

The next stop was Tolmer Falls Lookout, again another beautiful spot but this waterhole was inaccessible to swimmers....

Tolmer Falls

 

The last stop was Wangi Falls, where we had a picnic lunch. It was another beautiful spot and again we all couldn't resist a swim.

The kids and I, Wangi Falls

Jack, Nina & Harry at Wangi Falls

It was about 37 degrees and the humidity was stifling so again, we were all dry before we got back to the car.

We also stopped to have one last look at the amazing termite mounds...

Magnetic termite mounds

A massive cathedral termite mound

The next step was where to go next.
Richard was keen to get to Dundee Beach back on the coast, south-west of Darwin but a ranger had told us the gravel road was fairly rough, so instead we headed back out of Litchfield and onto the Stuart Highway towards Katherine.

It had been a full day so by about 5, Richard was ready to give the driving away for the day. 

We ended up staying just out of Adelaide River, a small but historic town which was bombed by the Japanese during the second world war.

We set up camp on a station called Mt Bundy. The boys then went for a fish in the Adelaide River, Jack still keen to catch that elusive Barra, while  Nina and I went for a swim in the station pool... It was an early dinner and an early night after a big day.

Tuesday the 13th of November and we were up bright and early so the kids could go for a horse ride with the station owners.

They were each given instructions before they were on their way.

The kids get some horse riding lessons before heading off

On their way

Nina on Chairman

Jack on Donny

Harry on Ben

An hour later they were back all pleading for a horse of their own. I suppose it's payback for me. I remember doing the same pleading to my mum and dad when I was their age. They all took turns at hosing down their own horses, just to prove how serious they are about having their own (what con artists:-)....

Jack washes Donny down

Harry washes Ben down

Nina washes Chairman down

We then started chatting to the lady who owns the station, she told us about her Kelpie Rosie,  who had just had a litter of 6. When she went to check on them under the house she found an olive python with 6 big lumps in it.... Eeeeiiiioooowwww! The story turned me right off my brekky.

Rosie the Kelpie, she lost her 6 puppies to an Olive Python

The rest of the day was fairly quiet. The kids did some school work while Richard did some handyman jobs around the van.

By late afternoon Richard & I took  a horse ride with Sue, the station owner and her daughter Casey around the station. 

Richard and I take a ride

It's been a while since either of us has ridden a horse but it was lots of fun.
The station was a base for the Americans during WWII so there was lots of history and Sue gave a running commentary along the way.

We helped take off saddles and wash the horses down when  we returned back to the homestead and yes, the thought crossed my mind again about having a horse on the farm, but only for a very fleeting moment.

It was late by the time we got back to the van. Jack cooked dinner, steak on the BBQ, while Harry and Nina made a salad. Perfect!

Wednesday the 14th of November, we packed up camp at Mt Bundy Station and headed off in an easterly direction back along the Stuart Highway towards Katherine.

There wasn't a lot to see along the way, we did stop in Pine Creek again for a cuppa. We passed through the town a couple of weeks ago when we headed towards Kakadu. Two highways lead out of Pine Creek, the Kakadu and the Stuart. 

This time we took the Stuart and continued on to Katherine.

Once we reached Katherine we headed towards the famous Katherine Gorge.  Richard had seen it before but he was keen for us to see it as well. We arrived at the Tourist Information Centre in time to catch the 2 o'clock tour of 2 gorges. It was definately worth doing.
Our tour guide was an Aboriginal boy by the name of Robbie, not only was he a wealth of knowledge but he mixed  it with some wit and humour and did a great job....

Getting on the boat to see the Katherine Gorge

A croc trap in the Gorge

Heading down the Gorge

Some aboriginal rock art

A family snapshot with the Gorge behind us

The Gorge at the end of the dry season will be full in a month or two

The second part of the Katherine Gorge

Nina, Jack & Harry

Richard and I

Two hours later we found the nearest watering hole and had a swim....

Chook cools down in the Katherine Gorge

.... before heading back to the car and setting up camp at the Nitmiluk tourist park for the night. 

The kids had a swim in the pool and then played a game of cricket, while Richard and I cracked open a bottle of champas. 

I then organized dinner which was packed with mounds of fruit and veg... All of which we have to consume  before we reach the WA border in the next day or two.