Katherine to Darwin

Katherine - Darwin  9^th -  19^th July

Finally into Darwin - I've added place names of where we stayed

Douglas Hot Springs

Arrived at Douglas Hot Springs (part of the National Parks system) after a brief stop at Pine Creek where we again met up with Len and Margaret (who’s stalking who)!

We had originally paid for two nights here but decided we liked it enough for five nights. When we arrived, mid–afternoon, there were LOTS of other vans, motorhomes and tents filling the camp area. It’s bush camping (with flush toilets and water on tap), but without designated campsites, so it’s choose where you want to be and just park there – trying to avoid being too close to others if possible. We picked a spot and set our selves up before heading down to the water.

Douglas Hot Springs is a great place. Hot water seeps out of the ground and mixes with the river flowing by to form pools of lovely warm water. The temperature depends on how close to the source the water is – There is a large pool that is the main source (a pleasant spot to be where the cold and hot mix), other places where it just seeps out of the soil to form small rivulets that flow into the main body of cold water and others where it just bubbles out of the sand in the shallow cold water stream (making other very pleasant places to just lie down and relax).

Nice spot to relax

Just after sunrise - lots of mist rising off the hot water flowing in.

A hard way to start the morning!

The temperature has increased considerably since we arrived (around 35º) which was quite pleasant when there was somewhere to relax and cool off, but the Engel (running off the second battery in the car) was having difficulties as we are using it as a freezer rather than as a fridge. We had to run the car a few times to keep the battery charged up (even though we had the solar panels on and chasing the sun all day) as the fridge motor was running almost all the time. For some of the time we ran the Engel from the 12volt fitting on the van. This worked reasonably well during the day as it took the pressure off the second (dedicated) battery in the car and both the van and the car were able to make use of the available sunshine to charge up the batteries via the solar panels. It was also very warm over night – no need for a doona up here! All in all, for those coming up this way, it’s well worth the trip out for a few days.

The colour of the water weed was just brilliant green due to the nutrients in the water

More colours and a dragon fly

Daly River

We spent a couple of days at the Mango Farm on the Daly River. We had to cross the causeway across the crocodile infested Daly River – Sonja wasn’t too happy about it and decided she would prefer to WALK across rather than be driven – thought it didn’t look too safe to drive over (David thought it was MUCH safer)! 

Daley River Crossing

Crossing the Daly River - after Sonja had walked across the crocodile-infested river!

Our site under the mango trees, palms and coconut palms

Sonja under the mosquito netting - very effective - note the coconuts used to hold it down!

David tried his hand at fishing – no luck, as you really need to be in a boat to be able to catch an elusive Barramundi (minimum size of 55cms). He saw quite a few fish swimming around, a turtle and a 1½ metre freshwater crocodile that decided to park itself about 50 metres away from him.

Daley River

David's fishing companion in an idyllic spot

Davis's friend in close-up - just a freshwater crocodile, so no worries????

It was VERY hot whilst staying here – both during the day and at night. To stay outside during the day and later into the night we made use of the double-bed mosquito netting Sonja bought in Alice Springs. This enabled us to enjoy a bit of reading and our meals without having to be in the van because of the mosquitoes that are quite prolific and fairly vicious here. We cooled ourselves off a couple of times at Daly River by having a dip in the relatively (compared to what we had been used to for the previous five days) cold pool at the van park.

Rainbow Bee-eater 

Another cool, pleasant-looking billabong (with four estuarine crocs in it!)

Adelaide River

Spent a couple of nights at Bundy Station at Adelaide River before heading into Litchfield National Park. While at Adelaide River we did a drive around the township, visiting the War Cemetery (National War Cemetery) and Snake River (built in 1943 as a munitions storage site firstly by the Army and then by the RAN and finally the RAAF [From 1960 – 67] before it was abandoned). 

Sunrise at Bundy Station

Washing Day with our washing machine

Litchfield National Park

At Litchfield National Park we stayed at the Litchfield Safari Park – more expensive than staying in the National Park campground, but we had power to use the air-conditioner when needed!

Sonja at one of the larger termite mounds

Magnetic termite mounds on the way into the Park - Aligned North/South  to allow them to keep cool

We did a number of trips/walks around the park over three days – The Cascades (VERY hot, but a great place for a dip in the larger pools in the Upper Cascades – If you ever get to the area, DON’T do the longer walk to the Upper Cascades, go to the Lower Cascades and follow the much shorter track following along the creek – much easier and a lot less heat involved!) 

On the track from the Lower to the Upper Cascades

The Cascades 

Also a 4x4 track to Blyth Homestead (outstation set up in 1928) and Tjaynera Falls where we swam after a 1.3km walk in – VERY pleasant way to spend a bit of time. 

Another important sign

Just beside each of the day's river crossings!

Croc spotting - not in the photo, but there was a small estuarine crocodile  on the left of the track

Sonja swimming at Tjaynera Falls (designated croc-free swimming area)

We had wanted to continue on to Surprise Falls along the 4x4 track, but when we reached the Reynold’s River (after spotting a very small croc on a previous crossing) we didn’t have a snorkel on the car, and weren’t sure of the depth – (Sonja wouldn’t walk out to test it!), so we turned around and went swimming at Wangi Falls (also very pleasant, but very crowded).

Wangi Falls

It was on this track we discovered we’d forgotten to take off one of the mirrors we use for the caravan…when it fell off and broke after being knocked by a couple of branches along one of the narrow track sections. 

On our third day in Litchfield we visited the Lost City (lots of fascinating sandstone formations), Florence Falls (good swim around the falls in a deep pool) and had lunch at Buley Rockhole (lots of plunge pools – just right for a good, cool, relaxing dip!)

Sonja at the Lost City

Lost City formations

More formations

Sonja at Florence Falls

David at Buley Rockhole

We have just arrived in Darwin after a short stop at Berry Springs for a dip before arriving at the Caravan Park. Darwin is obviously a popular spot and it is necessary to book well ahead to get a site – as it is, we are on one site for 3 days and then have to move to another for the rest of our time here. We have set up, had lunch and are relaxing in the shade of the awning before we go for a swim ahead of a trip out to one of the famed markets.