Australia North, Part II (photos)

Drive Back to Australia's East Coast

There is not much along the road here from Kakudu National Park to the East Coast except too many miles (or kilometers for everyone else). The scenery is fabulous, and we enjoyed the peacefulness of the Outback.

We stopped the first night in Daly Waters. It was the first place that airplanes would land when they crossed from Asia. It is more popularly known for the colorful local pub. We decided to camp near the pub and treat ourselves to a little dinner. Little is not quite the right word. There was so much food, and we were sharing a burger and potato wedges. After a couple of beers and too much dinner, we went back to enjoy an evening under the Southern sky.

As we were walking back, an excited German man met us on the path. He found a snake near his camper. Of course, his camper is right next to our tent. When we neared the campsite, we saw his German wife and three blonde kids freaking out inside the camper.

I would like to think of myself as not a girly girl. But honestly, I was not in for hanging out and going on a snake hunt of all things. Jim, on the other hand, joined in the fun. Instead, I decided to hang out with Betty.

After a few misses and losing our friend Mr. Snake for 15 minutes, the snake was found in the engine. The locals were excited, because the python was larger than usual. The locals took him out to the nearby field - and let him go FREE.

Yes ... free ... even though I realize that pythons are not poisonous, I still did not sleep well that night.


More of the Outback

These are some great photos depicting the Outback. It is a great experience to drive and drive for miles with this scenery. I love the endless sky. The sunrises and sunsets are fabulous too. It is so peaceful.

State border crossing
The Outback
Clouds
Sunset
More sunset
A little more sunset

Overall, our longest day on the road was from Barkly Homestead up to Normanton. We could not find a campsite in town. The town seemed deserted. Instead, we decided to check out another nearby campsite. Before leaving though, Jim was pictured with the 28 foot Normanton crocodile. The crocodile was found near the town in the 1950's. It was killed, and later, displayed in the town center. Crazy, huh?

Anyway, we continued out of town past Normanton. Here I am driving and dodging toads on the road. I was never quite good at Frogger though.

Australia North, Part I (photos)

March 23-31

Jim & I made a decision to head towards Darwin, which may have not been the best idea. We got there between the rainy season and the humid season, so when it wasn't raining, it was really hot and humid. I feel as if we gave the place a little bit of a chance though.

First of all, Darwin has a lovely location on the ocean. Unfortunately though, you cannot swim in the ocean for fear of being stung by these giant jellyfish. Their tentacles alone reach 9 feet, and they are invisible. If stung, death is possible for the weak hearted, but the scars are permanent and painful. They look like burn marks. We saw a picture of these red lashes on a woman's thigh. Could you imagine living on an ocean where you could not swim during the hottest times of the year? Why live on the ocean?

Then, there are the crocodiles. We thankfully did not see any of these. People die from being eaten by those. Most are found in the saltwater rivers along the estuaries. And according to one of the campsite owners, the crocs are fast. You would not be able to outrun them.

Aside from these minor nuisances, we were there during the end of rain season, and the temperatures were outrageously hot and humid. It was not our ideal weather for sleeping outdoors in a tent. We would either swim or shower before going to bed and immediately get out of the tent in the morning. We also found ourselves hanging out in the shopping malls and movie theaters to cool down. Sad, but true ... but then, we realized that we could leave ... we can hop in our car and get out of here. Of course, it takes a good three to four days. But, it was possible.

All was not lost though. There were a couple of good highlights for this region.


Katherine Gorge National Park

We would have missed out on one of the coolest animal moments. We camped in Katherine Gorge National Park, and there were wallabies (smaller version of a kangaroo) everywhere. Take a close look.

Mother and child
There is a little baby bulge in the pouch of the mother.
More mother and child
A little head is peaking out of the second photo.
A little more
It is starting to get dark, but there is a head outside of mom's pouch.


Litchfield National Park

A unique attraction in Litchfield National Park is the magnetic termite mounds. It was pretty interesting. Here is an explanation of the termite mounds. Check out the size of these termite mounds in comparison with Rover.

However, Litchfield National Park is better known for their beautiful clear natural swimming holes. Our favorite one was the Buley Rockhole, a clear creek with deep swimming holes. We would sit on the rocks and the water would flow over us. Or we could jump in the deeper clear swimming holes to cool down. This was one of our favorite places to relax and enjoy the day.

When we were leaving Buley Rockhole, we saw a good sized goanna. Jim was able to get a couple of great photos of him. Later, the same day, we had another goanna visiting our campsite. This one is hanging out under the table, and he continues towards our tent.

After a day of relaxing in the swimming holes, we did a little bit of the usual. We cooked a little grub and enjoyed a couple of beers, while watching this fabulous sunset. We also played another vicious game of scrabble. Jim probably won this game. That is the only reason that we have a picture of it. :)

Kakadu National Park

This is the biggest and the best of national parks in the Northern Territory of Australia. Unfortunately, for us, the major roads were closed due to flooding, and we only saw a few exhibits in the visitor center. We did get a picture of a sea eagle in a nearby parking lot. From here, we decided to get out of dodge and head for the East Coast.