We have thoroughly enjoyed three days at the lovely Edith Falls, which is at the northern end of Nitmiluk National Park. The Falls, which are a series of cascading waterfalls and pools on the Edith River, are approximately 60kms north of Katherine. For the very adventurous and fit, you can enjoy a 66km walk from here back to Katherine Gorge, where we were previously. The falls descend from an elevation of 577 feet above sea level, with the highest of the falls just 39 feet. The camp ground is very well designed, so that unlike most commercial camp grounds, campers are well spaced out, and each looks onto an almost private grassed area, and most importantly it is just a few hundred metres to the biggest of the pools, which would have to be 100m in diameter. And even at this time of year there is water flowing down the falls into the pool. It is soooo welcoming! Fish life is abundant, and apparently the fresh water crocodiles like to feed between 7pm and 7am…. We really aren’t sure if there were any, and it certainly didn’t stop us or any other campers from the compulsory frequent daily dips. Day time temperatures were hovering around 35/36 degrees.

There are two walks in the Park, and on Thursday, the four of us (Jane, Steve, Dearne and Rod) had an early start, setting off to conquer both the Leliyn Trail, a 2 hour circuit to the upper pool above the camp based falls, and the Sweetwater Pool Walk, which is 8.6km to a beautiful swimming pool further up the river.

Looking across at the Upper Pool, Leliyn. That’s Steve in the foreground.

Both of these walks are relatively easy ascending alongside the river and various falls and pools, passing through grasslands, bush, and boulders, and crossing over dry river beds. We were hanging out for the rewarding swim at Sweetwater pool, and again back at the camp at the end of the walk. We would recommend both these walks and the rewarding swim to be enjoyed with each.

Steve and Dearne at Sweetwater Pool before a cooling swim

We enjoyed a relaxing afternoon dipping in and out of the freshwater pool close to the camp. Evenings were spent with the obligatory 5.30 to 6pm drinks before an evening meal outside, followed by relaxing under the stars until the night time temps were cool enough for sleep.

On Friday we had a relaxing day, split between chores, swimming and reading before pre-dinner drinks with fellow campers, hearing travel adventures from both here and around the world. Last night we and the Berry’s combined cooking duties and enjoyed a hot evening meal under the bright night sky, plotting and planning the next few weeks of our travels.

This morning we left Edith Falls, fully intending to make today’s stop at Adelaide River, just south of Litchfield National Park. However it’s horse races today in Adelaide River and as a small town, this is a big event, resulting in every spare camp spot and more formal accommodation being snapped up. So we only ventured 40kms north to Pine Creek, a little town of around 600 residents, renowned for its early gold mining history, with its first discovery in 1871. Several mines have re-opened in recent years along with a new iron ore mine. Its most famous event is that it hosts the annual Goldrush Festival, featuring the NT Gold Panning Championships and Didgeridoo Jam. Sadly we will miss the Gold Panning Championships which take place on June 27th!

Old mining equipment on display in Pine Creek

There is an excellent display of old mining equipment in the town, however like many outback towns, it isn’t well maintained and is likely to deteriorate in coming years unless there is major investment in the town and the region. Normally we would pass through a town like this, stopping only to refuel or enjoy a spot of coffee at morning tea.

Tomorrow, instead of following our original plan to head to Adelaide River, we’ll head straight for Litchfield National Park, our last port of call before Darwin.

On Friday we had a fabulous day at Nitmiluk National Park. Our first activity was the ‘Baruwei Loop Walk’ which is a 3.7km walk that takes in a key lookout down to the Katherine River. On our journey, very close to the river we encountered many thousands of flying foxes in the trees, and very much out of tune and enjoying their late morning concerto. We were amazed, as there are said to be some 50,000 of them here. The walk was very enjoyable, however, it was 35 degrees and with the heat off the rocks, it was probably closer to 40 degrees.

Looking down on the gorge from the lookout

On our return to the National Park office and café, we had thought to jump in the river for a swim. However hearing it was ‘a bit cool still’, we elected instead to enjoy a few hours in the park pool, cooling off before freshening up for our afternoon/evening cruise.

We didn’t know quite what to expect and probably hadn’t set our expectations too high. What a fantastic and well run cruise this was. There are 13 gorges over 12kms in the national park, each running into the next, separated by rocks and drops that can make it particularly difficult to move from one to the next. Our cruise was to the first two gorges, really highlighting the stunning beauty of the towering sandstone cliffs, which change to various shades of orange as the sun sets.

Sunset shadows and brilliant colours in the gorge

To get from the first to the second gorge there is a 300m walk and a new boat awaiting the cast of some 60 odd guests. What we didn’t know when we first came to the park was that there is a season when kayaking and swimming are declared safe. This occurred on Saturday. The rangers track and trap salt water crocs that come up the river during the wet season. This part of the river has been declared safe. This means there are only fresh water crocs in the 13 gorges, so theoretically swimming is on the cards. Given that we saw a 2.5m freshwater croc basking in the sun, and another in the water, much to my disappointment a decision was made that kayaking was out for Sunday.

The cruise, food and company were sensational, and you can only say that mother nature has made a wonderful job of forming Nitmiluk Gorge. Oh, and watching 50,000 flying foxes dominate the dusk skyline was quite something.

Flying foxes dominate the skyline….those are the little specs!

Saturday was a combination of relaxation (well I did ride my bike 20kms until the heat got the better of me), shopping and chores. Because there was no pool in this camp we enjoyed an hour or two at the natural springs in Katherine. Of course we weren’t the only ones to think of this on a hot sunny afternoon!

We made a decision to move parks to Nitmiluk camp ground, in the national park so that we could enjoy the walks and the swimming pool, which has become quite a sanctuary in this heat. So on Sunday off we (and friends Dearne and Rod in their motorhome) headed. Brian hasn’t joined us here due to mechanical problems, so he has remained in Katherine, awaiting his new spare parts.

Much time has been spent in the pool, which is a very pleasant temperature. And other than the occasional group of youngsters having fun, very quiet. Yesterday I made the decision that not enough exercise was happening here, so at first light this morning, armed with water bottles and backpack, I embarked on a 10km hike, trekking the Loop walk again and then another walk of 6km or so, to a different lookout  and to a beautiful waterfall that wasn’t quite cascading into a large waterhole (minus crocs) ideal for swimming. The water was very refreshing, as was the camp pool on my return. Steve enjoyed time in town to catch-up with Brian and to have a haircut.

Our time at this beautiful spot comes to an end tomorrow morning, when we move north 50kms to Edith Falls, another national park area with swimming holes and excellent walks.

We enjoyed a very relaxing evening in Tennant Creek. The competitive spirit was in abundance throughout the smite championship (well you would have thought it was, in between the laughing and chatter) and we’re definitely looking forward to the next round in a few days time.

The journey from Tennant Creek to Daly Waters was a mixed one, with the first 100kms far more interesting than the prior 500kms. The roads were windy rather than straight and boring and the landscape hilly, with the flora becoming much greener the further north we came. Throughout this area, termite nests are in great abundance, and I’m not sure why, the further north we came, the bigger they became. The last 300kms for the day settled back to more mundane landscape, very little wildlife, with large cattle stations that are thousands of square kilometres in size along the roadside.

We very much looked forward to our arrival at Daly Waters having heard so much about it, but we couldn’t quite believe what greeted us when we got there. Being out in the middle of this vast country we don’t see lots of travellers, so of course we didn’t expect to be met with a caravan park that was almost full and cars and vans parked on the roadside when Daly Waters is a very small township that basially focuses around a historical pub. The town (if you can call it this) was founded and named in 1861, for the series of natural springs discovered by John McDouall Stuart. Its other claims to fame are that there was a World War II airforce base here, and it was a refuelling stop in the early days for the Qantas to Singapore flight. In fact this was the first international airport in the country. I don’t think any passengers would have been embarking here! However the pub is quite something. It’s the old drovers watering hole, where thirsts were quenched and news was exchanged and today much of the pub is original.

Thongs on the wall – Leonie this is for you!

The walls are adorned with memorabilia, business cards, notes, thongs (for the kiwis this means jandals) and much more. And the food is fantastic. So naturally the pub played host to the Beaumont’s and the Berry’s for the evening, where we enjoyed good food and a drink or two whilst being entertained by a couple of old timers, one country and western and the other with 50’s and 60’s rock ‘n roll.

Steve relaxing at Daly Waters Pub

The camp ground is simple, with not a blade of grass in sight, but this is the outback and all about the outback experience with wonderful hospitality.

On Thursday we left Daly Waters to head north for Katherine, with a plan to stay for three or four days so we can enjoy the many sights and attractions and also relax just a little. Pleasantly there was far more wildlife to see on the trip north, with kangaroos, wallabies, black cockatoos, guanas, eagles and much more. And let’s not forget those termite mounds which increased in size the further north we traveled. Just look at the Mataranka town symbol, the giant termite mound.

Mataranka Termite Mound – Deanne is dwarfed by its scale

Mataranka is about 80kms south of Katherine. Maybe there was a little human intervention with this one! Mataranka is known for its rather stunning natural thermal pools, the Bitter and the Rainbow Springs. Because Katherine also has thermal springs we decided to move on and set up base for the day.

Brian caught up with us again once we arrived in Katherine, so we are now a group of 5. We’ve based ourselves about 12kms from town in a leafy and grassy park beside the stunning Katherine River. And it was soooo tempting to take a dip, given it is warm and still quite humid (despite being the onset of the dry season), but alas with both both fresh and salt crocodiles we could only look and lust.

Katherine River – quite magical but we cannot swim here

However today (we leave shortly) we are spending the day at the Nitmiluk National Park (Katherine Gorge), which has natural rock pools we can enjoy without any risk. And to cap off our day we are taking a sunset dinner cruise through two of the gorges, which should be quite something.

On Saturday evening we joined kiwi friends Dearne and Rod and their Uluru and Kings Canyon traveling companions for a thoroughly enjoyable meal in Alice Springs. There isn’t a big selection of dining choices, however I had read in the Australian about a new tapas bar having opened in town, and this is certainly the happening place on a Saturday night. Called Epilogue (for anyone interested), it is a great outdoor eating spot with live entertainment, so a good evening was enjoyed by all.

We originally planned on Sunday to travel to Barrow Creek, however took advice from Dearne and Rod and made a detour 70kms north of Alice, along the Plenty Highway, a one lane sealed road to a little spot called Gemtree. It does seem like the road is going east forever….in fact it does, converting to a dirt track and going all the way to the middle of Queensland! Gemtree is a little oasis in the midst of wilderness, and is run by a kiwi from Masterton, his wife and her family. We wondered what we had taken on when we got there, however it is a large open park with vast space between campers, and great facilities. You can go gem fossicking, enjoy scones and cream in the garden (Devonshire tea for the posh ones), enjoy nature walks or just relax. And in the evening they provide meals if you choose. There’s a big movie screen, a bar and an excellent outdoor social gathering spot. We enjoyed fish and chips (okay, Jane ate the fish without batter and bought her own salad), had a few drinks and talked to fellow campers about their adventures and experiences, which is the best way to learn where to go to enjoy the best spots off the beaten track.

Yesterday we planned to journey north to Barrow Creek to join up again with friends Rod and Dearne. We aren’t quite sure why we picked Barrow Creek, however it looked good on the map and was about 280kms which is about what we like to do in a day. Now we have been on some boring roads, but yesterday was ‘really boring’. Our highlight was stopping in Aileron, which is a roadhouse, with several fantastic aborigine statues.

Aboriginal Female with child and serpent in Aileron

Of course, along with lots of others, we had to stop to see these and take a few snaps. You can see just how small Steve is when standing beside this great piece of sculpture.

Now, Barrow Creek. Well, it comprises a roadhouse/pub that is ancient, a very old telegraph station you cannot get into and a dirt road in and out. So, as is often the case, the plans were changed and on we went to Wycliffe Well, another 70kms up the highway. There isn’t much there either! This is apparently the most prolific UFO spotting place in the country. Mmmm we say, how many red wines have they consumed! The only real attraction is a rather run down camp ground that was a secure spot for the night. It was all about the company, not the place. Dearne and Rod joined us mid afternoon, and we enjoyed sunset drinks at the end of the day.

Today did go to plan, which was for a very short drive up the road to Tennant Creek, stopping off at the Devils Marbles on the way.

Here we are looking fab in our usual garb for warm weather (sorry KIWIs) in front of a very small section of the Devils Marbles

These are a very large number of naturally formed granite boulders that are a bit like marbles. They were formed through erosion over millions of years and some are up to six metres in width. They sit one on another, appearing to defy gravity. The reserve is well managed by four different groups of aborigines. This was definitely today’s highlight although I do have to mention one thing. Steve cleaned the front windows on ‘The Tent’ this morning, making them very sparkly. We always make a point of making it easy for road trains to pass us, given most drive at 100kms per hour and we are around 90 to 95kms. Graciously, Steve allowed one to pass us this morning…..it was a cattle truck. And, yes you have guessed it. Those beautiful clean windows changed colour very quickly. Some of us had a good laugh and a few choice words were uttered. So at the Devils Marbles it was round two of cleaning. Thankfully the funny side was enjoyed by all.

We are now in Tennant Creek, a town of some 3000, which made its name for producing over five and half million ounces of gold, making it one of the most productive gold fields in the country. Truly, there isn’t a lot to see here, however it is a very handy stop for a quick food top up and chores (washing and cleaning). Later we will play a Cornish game, called smite with Dearne and Rod to close out the day.

Tomorrow we head north to Daly Creek, getting ever close to Darwin that elusive city on the northern coast.

After a rest day and evening at Erldunda (corner of Stuart and Lasseter Highways), we headed north to our next stop, Alice Springs. On recommendation we elected to stay at the Big 4, which is a sizeable and very well set up facility. Even with the Ulysses bike crew in town, which has been excellent for local business, we haven’t felt crowded anywhere.

Alice Springs is a colourful town of 28,000, set between the east and the west Macdonnell Ranges. There is a strong indigenous population, however unfortunately there is multi-generational unemployment, which is a major challenge for government and other agencies to manage.There is a surprising range of services and industry, which benefitted us, given it was time for hair cuts,  and service of the Suzuki, as we had no functioning headlights and the lock on the spare wheel  was frozen in place. We have found the locals very helpful and capable.

We have amused ourselves for four and half enjoyable days. Alice Springs is the home of the Royal Flying Doctors, which was founded in 1934 by John Flynn, a minister with the Presbyterian Church. There is a very good museum and school here in town, where we enjoyed learning about the tremendous work this organisation provides many hundreds of thousands of Australians and travellers. On recommendation we also visited the Desert Park, home of the desert wildlife. It is an excellent park on a number of acres at the bottom of the ranges. Steve particularly wanted to see the birds of prey being fed. This is a very engaging session with a range of birds, but unfortunately not the wedge tail eagle. We did though get close and personal with one in a separate one on one session with a 5 year old male and one of his keepers. I have to say they are special birds, very commanding and regal. I have included a photo of one of the falcons on the wing, and a shot of the eagle.

Falcon in flight

On Thursday, we enjoyed drive through the East Macdonnell ranges, as far as the end of the sealed road, to the Ross River Resort. Now this was not what most would call a resort! Camp maybe, but full of character and history, with a great little pub and basic meal service. We attempted the N’Dhala Gorge, a 4 wheel track, however 1km in fell foul of the recent rains. Not wanting to swim, we elected to abort and enjoy a cup of tea at the hospitable resort. A photo is included at the end of this blog.

We visited scenic Trephina Gorge on our way back. This is a valley oasis between the ranges, playing host to many different trees, plants and elusive animals. There are a number of spots like this throughout the ranges. The West Macdonnell ranges are probably more scenic than the east. Yesterday we ventured west, spending time at Simpsons Gap, Standley Chasm and Ellery Creek Bighole.

Simpsons Gap is only 25km from Alice Springs and is quite a magical spot, with varied plant and animal life, being the home of the black footed rock wallaby….no we didn’t see any!

Steve at Simpsons Gap

Standley Chasm is in aboriginal land, 50 kms into the ranges, and is a picturesque natural chasm that has been formed over thousands of years by surging floodwaters. It is a short and stunning walk into the chasm. It was rather busy, with Ulysses bikers and travellers all enjoying the beauty. Probably our favourite though was Ellery Creek, where we enjoyed a peaceful lunch sitting beside a natural water hole where the brave can swim, set between magnificent cliffs of red rock. We decided that the water was just too cool to venture in (photos below).

This morning we watched the Ulysses final parade, which was their way of saying thankyou to the townspeople for their wonderful hospitality. Seeing some thousand or so bikes pass by was quite a spectacle.

After a long bike ride (the second in a few days) we are venturing out tonight with fellow kiwi travellers for a meal ‘in town’. It might just be some time until we reach Darwin, which is were we will hopefully get to enjoy dining out again. Tomorrow we head north towards Tennant Creek, stopping at Barrow Creek on the way.

Ellery Creek water hole

Standley Chasm

N’Dhala track with recent addition of swimming pool

We left Uluru early Friday morning to make the 300km trek across to Kings Canyon. When traveling on narrow roads as we knew this one would partially be, we like to get an early start to avoid other travellers and road trains, although being off the main highway there are less of the latter in this area. Because our motorhome is large we take up a lot of road! For those who haven’t seen ‘The Tent’ here she is.

The Tent, plus 4 wheel drive Suzuki under tow

Kings Canyon Resort and camping area is very well patronised, despite a quiet trip largely free from other traffic. We elected to have a relaxing afternoon and later in the day joined other travellers in the bar to listen to very good live country and western music. The camp ground is adjacent to the Watarrka National Park area, and despite tales of plentiful wildlife we didn’t see any (other than a lone camel on our way back out again), however we certainly heard the nightly chorus of dingoes which for those who haven’t experienced it, is quite something.

On Saturday we kicked off with an early start to do the rim walk at the canyon. This is a 6km walk meant for the fit and healthy because the first 10 minutes is a climb of about 500 steps straight up. Great kick-start for the lungs first thing in the morning. The walk is spectacular, featuring ancient sandstone towering vertical walls up to 270m tall, sculptured domes, amazing plant life where you wouldn’t expect it, and a natural spring waterhole in the aptly named ‘Garden of Eden’. The garden is the habitat for breeding birds and is surrounded by local and exotic plants and trees, including massive prehistoric ferns. There was lots of evidence of kangaroo life, but alas none for us to spot. We couldn’t believe the numbers of people doing the walk. Thankfully because we were early and probably faster than most, we were able to enjoy the splendour in relative peace and quiet. For those thinking of doing this walk, I would recommend getting into it first thing or risk being caught up in the bottlenecks that occur.  Sorry I can’t share any photos, as Steve was the official photographer on this excursion (I didn’t want to carry my ipad) and he hasn’t gotten around to downloading them.

We also did the short walk into the canyon at ground level, however for us,it really didn’t compare with the rim walk. There are several other walks in the area, but not in the canyon, which is what we had specifically come to see.

On Saturday we started on our way to Alice Springs and have stopped at a little park on the corner of the Stuart and Lassiter Highways, called Erldunda, where we met up with our good friend Brian who  bypassed the canyon.

We are looking forward to Alice Springs where we plan to use the motorhome as a base and go off in the Suzuki and do some real camping for a few nights in the MacDonnell ranges. Mmm, I wonder how Miss Jane will fear without all her mod cons, this should be interesting!

On Wednesday morning (7th May) we arrived at Uluru (Ayers Rock) where we were booked into the Ayers Resort Campground for two nights. The resort is in Yulara and is some 30kms from Uluru. It is a very impressive set up, with a wide range of offerings, from catering for holiday makers looking for 5 star accommodation flying in direct to the local airport through to campers wanting to relax and still enjoy many of the services and facilities on offer. After setting up and completing the usual local familiarisation, we were joined by our traveling buddy Brian in his motorhome, so that we could venture off to Uluru in the Suzuki. Uluru is located in a national park so we purchased a 3 day pass that would allow us to enjoy sunsets and sunrises and also visit Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) which is about 50kms away. And yes it is wow when you start getting closer to Uluru. On Wednesday we had our first close-up, and visited the very informative Uluru Aboriginal Centre, which takes you on a walk through local aboriginal history. We also joined other visitors at the main village green at the resort for local aboriginal dancing, which was really colourful and we learned a lot about what each different dance means. It was well worth the time.

Along with many other visitors, later in the day we drove half way back into the park to the Sunset Watching Carpark, and along with a very pleasant bottle of red, the three of us watched the many faces of Uluru as the sun set. And she is really quite stunning. Steve battled the flies, however his fly hat/net adornment is pretty good. Getting the wine glass up inside the net is an art he is having to master whilst in central Australia.

Steve and fly-net enjoying Uluru sunset

It was another early rising on Thursday, to both watch a spectacular sunrise on The Rock, and to do the around-Uluru walk before it got too warm and before the many hundreds of tourists arrived for the day. The walk is well worth it, with many points of aboriginal history including rock art, caves and waterholes. The walk is 9.4kms with a very interesting side walk of 850m. For those that walk quickly that means around 2 hours (that’s us, although we were less), and for others, between 3 and 4. You can also cycle.

One thing we have noticed on this leg of the trip, from Port Augusta, is that when compared with inland QLD and NSW, there is a real lack of visible wildlife. We are always on the look out, and finally it was our turn. On the way to the Olgas we spotted four very large wild camels enjoying a forage in the grass about 300m from the roadside. Steve raced across the grass and managed to get a few good shots. The Olgas are a majestic set of 36 domed rocks that are believed to have originated at about the same time as Uluru, and just as stunning as Uluru. There used to be a number of walks, but there are now just two, the Walpa Gorge walk of 2.6kms and the Valley of the Winds which is longer, around 3 hours. We did the Walpa Gorge one which takes you into a gully where you truly appreciate the scale of the domes. We did intend to do the 2nd however it was like central Sydney so it wasn’t going to be enjoyable. We recommend this as an early in the day walk to avoid the crowds!

The Olgas

On Thursday evening we joined about 100 others on the Sounds of Silence dinner. This is quite a logistical masterpiece. We were picked up at 5pm by bus and transported a short distance into the desert to a prime ‘Uluru watching’ spot. On arrival we were greeted with champagne and didgeridoo player. The adventurous few came by camel. Dinner was a fine three course meal with a great range of foods, and a constant supply of wines and beers for those who wanted it. We enjoyed the evening at a table with a group of Ulysses club riders, who have their AGM in Alice Springs from Monday. We were entertained with aboriginal dancers and an astronomer who gave us a wonderful insight into the night sky. We thoroughly recommend this evening, it is well organised and everyone has a wonderful time. We were delivered safely back home at 10pm.

On Friday morning we left Uluru for the 304km drive to Kings Canyon. I will provide the Kings Canyon update tomorrow.