Friday, June 03, 2005

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.

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