KAKADU

DAY 33 – KAKADU                                                                     Thursday, 4 August

You begin to really appreciate the days when you don’t have to move on…. Just lying in bed a little longer, cuddles from my babies, the more-than-occasional-unwanted-attention from my husband!

Off for a visit to the Bowali Visitor Centre this morning which was just so interesting and very well done.  It was great to learn just a little bit more each day about the Aboriginal culture and the importance they place on their responsibility for caring for the land.  There are over 200 Aboriginal languages, and about 100 of these are still used regularly. 40 languages are spoken by a significant number of people.

One interesting story was about a crocodile which was tracked and observed by one woman for a period of two weeks.  It had chosen a water hole that unfortunately had dried up during the dry season and it was now thrashing around in a pile of mud about 4 metres by 4 metres.  It had tried to put mud on its badly sunburned back and even went so far as to put a mud wrap around its head to protect its brain.  Eventually it crawled out, and whether it survived she did not know.  But with that amazing sense of survival it is no wonder they are one of the only animals to survive unchanged for almost 100 million years. 

We decided against driving into Twin Falls (much to my husband’s disgust) because they had only just opened it up to vehicles without snorkels and the water was still 65cm deep.   I am a bit protective of my Prado – it still has a long way to go to get us back home!  Anyway, still went 4WD driving into Jim Jim Falls which was great.  Everyone loves a bit of being thrown around the car!!! At the end there was still a 1km walk in to see the falls.  This was a bit of a challenging walk, climbing over boulders.  But the kids are amazing – just racing ahead and clambering over rocks much taller than they are.  Much better than their Mum!!  The plunge pool at the end was beautiful.  David took a dip and said the water was very cold.  If DAVID thought it was cold I cannot even imagine the words I would have used to describe it!!  But it is just so crystal clear and the sandy beaches – yes, sandy beaches in the middle of nowhere – have just the whitest sand!  Just that excursion was a 5 hour venture.

We came home for a quick sausage-in-bread dinner (which is unusual, we have been having very healthy meals generally), before heading out to Ubirr Rock in the north-eastern corner of the park.  David says that it is definitely the place to be at sunset.  There is a substantial amount of rock art on the walls there which the kids loved looking at and tried to understand what the paintings were trying to say.  There was even a painting of a Tasmanian Tiger which are thought to have been extinct on the mainland now for 2000 to 3000 years.  It is amazing to think these paintings are so old.

Climbing over enormous boulders to Jim Jim Falls

Jim Jim Falls

Tess and Mummy trekking together

Beth does it easily and waits for the rest of us

Together on a top of a rock at Jim Jim Falls

Watching Daddy in the plunge pool at Jim Jim Falls

The leader of the pack - always searching for the easy path for Mum!

A picture of innocence on top of Ubirr at sunset

David at sunset

Watching the world from the top of Ubirr

Just so special

Spectacular

Up to the top of the rock for sunset, which was absolutely stunning.  Words cannot adequately describe how it is to sit up there overlooking the green floodplains as wallaroos bound beneath you and an amazing number of birds fly overhead and the sun sets in the distance.  There is total silence up there, despite the number of tourists.  Everyone, it appears, is there for a peaceful, spiritual experience. I can only echo Tessie’s words:  “Dad, this is most beautiful place in the world”.

DARWIN TO KAKADU

At the Jumping Crocs cruise

We didn't even have to throw her in!

Truly amazing

DAY 32 – DARWIN – KAKADU                                                   Wednesday, 3^rd August

And so begins our second month of our trip … can’t believe how quickly that time has gone.  David keeps saying that it feels like we have just started.  But we have seen so much in that time.

Off early today to what Mummy thought was going to be SUCH a great place – Humpty Doo.  With a name like that, it HAD to be interesting.  Well, apparently not.  Anyway, onwards and upwards.  Stopped about 30 minutes down the road for the Jumping Crocodile Cruise.  The kids just loved it – and we didn’t even get around to throwing any of them overboard!!  We saw maybe 10 crocodiles and to see them jumping out of the water to eat from the pole was amazing (albeit a bit circus like).  But they are in the wild, and the captain was able to give a detailed description of each of the crocodiles.  Because they are so territorial, it is easy to know who is who because of their place along the river.  It was fascinating to see how they launch themselves out of the water and what their bodies look like.  There are about 20 crocodiles for each 1km of water in the Adelaide River – mainly one dominant male, probably a secondary male and up to 20 females.  They can live up to 80 or more years and several of the crocodiles we saw were very old.  But, as I said they are very territorial and also can be cannibalistic.  So the crocodiles do have extensive injuries sustained in fights.  One we saw only has one leg left!

We went to the Window on the Wetlands exhibition which was very interesting, showing all the native flora and fauna around the area.  Then off to Kakadu.  It is only about 220 kms from Darwin, so not a long trip.  The Jabiru caravan park is just gorgeous.  You can pick your site and we have a lovely shady site near to the pool.  AND the cheapest caravan park we have stayed in to date!  Although I did feel sorry for the people behind us, a middle-aged couple, as they sat outside their van in the cool afternoon with their Crownies and champagne cocktails (yes, she had a real champagne flute and strawberry at the bottom!) and saw us rock up with FOUR children!!  Poor loves!  A beautiful star-filled night, sitting outside with a wine – just perfect.

DARWIN

With a 5.5m croc at the NT Museum

DAY 31 – DARWIN                                                                          Tuesday, 2^nd August

First up – off to sort out the problem of our fridge that will not cool down properly!!  Pain in the neck, in the tropics.  Apparently, nothing can be done but to put a fan near the fridge to try to cool it down.  I am sure it is not helping that we are trying to put food in there for six people!!  Poor thing is working overtime.  Anyway, my clever husband (having completed his electrician’s apprenticeship some years ago) is “hard at it” as I type, installing a new fan system!!   Such a clever man!!  I am just providing coffee, chocolate and moral support – being an expert in the humanities!!!!

We started off at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (it is constantly amazing me how many of these things are free) which was so interesting.  There is a great deal on Cyclone Tracy in the museum and I learnt lots that I did not know.  There was a volunteer there giving a talk generally on the cyclone and also on his personal experiences.  It was really interesting to find out that of a population of around 50,000, around 35,000 were evacuated from the city by the end of the week and of those 35,000 people only 10,000 people actually returned to Darwin.  It is an extremely itinerant population with most people only staying for a few years, because of the high cost of living or because of the weather.  There was a special sound room you can go into to hear the sounds of the cyclone, recorded by Bishop Collins at St. Mary’s cathedral as midnight Mass was starting.  It really was quite frightening and the kids were all clinging to me!!

We went off into the city for a wander around the mall. (And a McDonald’s ice-cream.  We have become so poor that our kids can’t have nice ice-creams.  We have even downgraded from the boxes of ice-creams at the supermarket! The soft serve 50c cones are about it now!!)  We then went home for a swim and a delicious hamburger dinner provided by Daddy.  As with home, jobs are very delineated here.  Mummy is in charge of washing and communications.  Daddy is in charge of cooking!!  Mummy is VERY happy with that!

DARWIN

Loving brother and sister at the Old Town Hall, Darwin

Poking their heads of the Cell Block B at Fannie Bay Gaol

DAY 30 – DARWIN                                                                           Monday, 1^st August

Woke up to a stunningly gorgeous day in Darwin!!  A casual morning walking around the heritage sites of old Darwin.  It was interesting to see the Anglican church and old Museum which had been so extensively damaged during Cyclone Tracy.  Then off to see the WWII oil storage tunnels which were used to store fuel for aircraft and ships underground so that they could not be bombed.  The kids were really interested.  It is so great to see your children develop and to have enormously important discussions with them about war and its futility.  Beth is so beautifully and innocently idealistic, just explaining to me how easy it is to avoid war and you “just walk away”. 

With the Endeavour at Stokes Hill Wharf

From there we went to Myilly Point Heritage Precinct to have a look at some houses built in the 30s for government officials.  They so reminded me of holiday houses down at the Gold Coast, especially “Waverney”, where I spent so many childhood holidays.  Louvres and open plan, with the breeze blowing through, no fly screens and timber floors.  Just beautiful.  The kids were very excited to find the bullet holes in the upstairs louvres and the bullet holes in the front fence.   I had no idea that Darwin and the whole Top End was bombed so extensively by the Japanese for 18 months from February 1942.  I think more than 60 raids.

We had lunch in the Darwin Botanic Gardens before heading to Fannie Bay Gaol for a look at how prisoners lived between 1883 and 1979.  It was enormously primitive with the maximum security section, being the first building built in the 1880’s, still used until the end.  It showed mattresses made of straw and an amazing set of Aboriginal paintings which had been painted onto the cell walls.  In the infirmary was a great explanation of the last two men (incidentally the ONLY white men) to be hanged in the Northern Territory in 1952.  It was pretty confronting to explain to my babies what it meant to be hanged and show them what the gallows looked like.

We discovered by chance that The Endeavour (the replica of Captain Cook’s ship) was going to be docking today at Stokes Hill Wharf.  As Beth had been learning all about his voyages, we decided to go down to take a look. We couldn’t get on board until Wednesday (when we will be going to Kakadu) but it was great to see it up closely.  It will be in Melbourne in March and Beth would love to go on board and have a good look around then. 

Home for a swim before Daddy’s famous chicken and avocado fettucine and bed!!

DARWIN

How romantic!

DAY 29 – DARWIN                                                                                   Sunday, 31^st July

What a big day!

Started off with Mass at the cathedral which was fantastic.  The Bishop was so down to earth and spoke so well (such a change from the Bishops I am familiar with!).  He even came up to me after Mass and welcomed me and invited me over to the hall for a cuppa!  The Darwin Cup is tomorrow so it was the official blessing of the racing season at Mass today and the Darwin Cup and other assorted whips, helmets, saddles and even a bookies’ bag was there.  The kids were even able to have their photo taken with it all!

After cordial and cake at the hall, David took us on a drive around the city and we stopped at the wharf to have a look around.  There appeared to be some naval exercises taking place so, using my trusty iPhone, we googled the naval base and found out that HMAS Darwin was in port and was open to the public.  What a scoop!  So we popped aboard and had a look around a Guided Missile Frigate.  The kids loved it and there was a fair bit of eye candy for me too!!!

From there we headed to the Leanyer Recreation Park which is a fantastic park with BBQs, playground, skate parks, pools and waterslides all for free run by Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife!!  The kids had a ball (as did “big kid David”) on all the waterslides!  Great afternoon.

Then off to the Mindil Beach markets for some serious retail therapy and dinner on the beach watching the sunset.  Just simply gorgeous.  Chilli squid and dahl, honey chicken, crocodile kebabs, dim sims, spring rolls, fish and chips!!  And a sunset to die for!!  And guess what?  The temperature doesn’t drop when the sun goes down!!!!  The photos won’t do it justice but I will give it a try.  Met up with our “new best friends” from the Batchelor caravan park on the beach believe it or not.  But then again, I think the whole of Darwin was there.  As David says, you would think it was the last sunset on earth!!  But absolutely stunning.

BATCHELOR TO DARWIN (VIA BERRY SPRINGS)

Getting a kiss from a Blue Tongue Lizard

Sarah feeding a whipray at the Territory Wildlife Park

Beth with Ruby the Rufous Owl

Tess with Ruby, the Rufous Owl

Bridget sailing down Berry Springs

DAY 28 – BATCHELOR TO DARWIN (VIA BERRY SPRINGS)               Saturday, 30^th July

Up early this morning – left Batchelor at 7:30 in order to get to the Territory Wildlife Park for the first talk at 9am.  However, because of a “little” kilometre and time calculation error by the wife, we managed to get there at 8:15am!!  Oh well, always better to be early than late!  So the Hansen clan and caravan were the first lined up outside the gate.

The Territory Wildlife Park was fantastic!  We had a talk at the Billabong where we learnt how many of their freshwater crocodiles and barramundi swam right out of the park and out to sea during Cyclone Carlos in February because the water level was so high!  There were two Pelican chicks there which grow to full adult size in three months!!  Beth liked hearing how the babies throw a tantrum and scream for their parents when the parents eventually leave them.

Then off to the Oolloo Sandbar for a talk on Whiprays, Barramundi and Archer Fish.  I was lucky enough to be one of the people able to feed the Whiprays which was amazing!  They are so soft underneath their disk and beautiful to be up close and personal with these animals.  We then saw the Birds of Prey exhibition which was a favourite with us all.  We saw a Buzzard, Suflur Crested and Black Cockatoo, and Rainbow Lorikeets, a Brown Kite, and an Osprey.  We then saw the Barn Owl, Ruby, the Rufous Owl (which all the children got to hold) and the Barking Owl (which believe it or not barks like a dog).  The Peregrine Falcon was beautiful but my favourite was the Wedge-Tailed eagle which are just stunning birds – so strong.

We had a talk at the Noctural House about the Fruit Bat and then went through the Aquarium which was really interesting.  Well worth going to!

We popped into Berry Springs for a dip on the way into Darwin.  Beautiful warm water and we swam all the way down, with the current, from Berry Springs past the Main Waterhole to the end and then back, Tess being a dolphin and pulling her Mum on the boogie board all the way!  The kids have been amazing with their stamina.  We were so impressed with how they were able to swim all the way back against the current.

We did not get into Darwin until later than normal but we are so looking forward to exploring the capital city tomorrow.  Can’t believe we have finally reached the north of Australia having traversed the Stuart Highway all the way from Port Augusta to Darwin, a distance of 2,834 kilometres!!  I am in awe of John McDouall Stuart which did it 150 years ago without roads, cars, lovely caravan parks on the way …  We have now travelled over 7000 kilometres on our little journey!!  We are so fortunate to have seen so much of this beautiful country of ours.  And so much left to see!!

BATCHELOR (LITCHFIELD NATIONAL PARK)

Had to put this in ... this kind of sibling loving doesn't happen all the time!!

Beth with a paperbark

Tess swimming at the Cascades

Washing their hair in the warm water at the Cascades

The family at Wangi Falls

DAY 27 – BATCHELOR (LITCHFIELD NATIONAL PARK)                      Friday, 29^th July

Great day today.  Headed off around 9:30am further into the National Park and got to Walker Creek which is about 85 kms away.  The most interesting thing about Litchfield so far has been how big it is!  And everything seems to be on the other side of the park to Batchelor.  Walker Creek has about eight campsites which each have a waterhole or creek beside them so we walked to each of them and then the kids and David had a swim at the last one which was lovely.  So secluded and for part of the time, we were the only ones there. 

We then drove to the Cascades which are a series of waterfalls which you can only get to by walking through the “forest” and then conducting several creek crossings which are interesting with four small children!  Daddy was a real legend – helping us all over the big rocks!!  The rockpool was just beautiful and we had it all to ourselves.  David put the kids on a ledge under the waterfall and they all pretended, for Mum’s sake, that they were washing themselves and their hair so that they didn’t have to have a shower tonight.  The water was so warm coming off the hot rocks it was almost like being in a shower!!

We checked out Wangi Falls on the way home, which had previously been closed because of the croc season but which, we didn’t know, had been opened as of today.  Anyway, no time for a swim but did have a stroll around.  It is very beautiful.  No wonder David brings the kids from Padua here.  Of course, he was devastated because that was one of his “dreams” – to bring the family here and swim all day.  Nevermind, we are fulfilling so many dreams – we are very blessed. 

Once home the kids got into a game of mini golf with the kids next door so we ended up having a drink … and dinner… and another drink.  Time for bed.  Off to Darwin tomorrow and I am very excited about seeing it!!  Have wanted to visit Darwin, ever since you worked there, Jo, back in ….. oh, too long ago!

BACHELOR (LITCHFIELD NATIONAL PARK)

50 year old termite mound

Ben at the Lost City - climbing as usual!

Tess and Beth at the Lost City, Litchfield

Bridget holding up the Lost City

An angel asleep at Buley Rockholes

Having fun in the water at Buley Rockholes

Even Mummy in the water at Buley

Tessie having a splash

DAY 26 – BATCHELOR (LITCHFIELD NATIONAL PARK)                                       Thursday, 28^th July

Today we were a bit slow off the mark but managed to see the Termite Mounds, one of which was over five metres tall and probably more than 50 years old!  Astonishing!  Then off to “The Lost City” which is a group of sedimentary and metamorphic rocks which really do look like old ruins of a city.  It really is quite eerie!  The kids loved exploring all the nooks and crannies and Ben just loves climbing as far as he possibly can.

We had lunch on the road before getting to Buley Rockhole which is a series of rockholes then waterfalls into the next rockhole, down through a gorge.  Just absolutely stunning.  Each rockhole was slightly different and the kids loved exploring each and sliding down some of the smaller waterfalls.  The weather was just beautiful and the rockholes have water so clear you can see to the bottom, except when the rockhole is incredibly deep.  Some are more than 4 metres deep!

After a couple of hours there we came home for some journal writing and R & R!  Very quiet until the kids went off scootering and the boy next door came off his and split open his chin.  Three stitches needed.  Unbelievably good service.  Down to the medical centre in Batchelor, three minutes away, pick up a phone at the door which automatically rings the nurse who arrives at the medical centre within 5 minutes.  She opened up the medical centre which looked exactly like a casualty department in the manner in which it was fitted out.  Three stitches, two injections, antibiotics and panadol later and he was back – all free of charge!!  If we had been at home, we would have sat in Frankston emergency for four hours with that!

Just going to bed when I realise I think my watch fell out at Buley Rockhole.  Easy to lose things when you are packing up and unpacking so often.  But just a great day which the kids really loved.