We flew into Darwin from Singapore, on a disgusting overnight Jetstar flight that tipped us out in Dawrin about 4.30 am. Didn't see much of the following day except to make it to an excellent restaurant for dinner, under a balmy sky. Four nights of R&R after the Thailand program was very welcome. We did put in a couple of events, hiring a car to drive to a wildlife park and also an evening dinner cruise on the harbour, enjoying seafood dinning on a nice vessel, with sunset over the East Timor sea thrown in. Darwin a town rather than a city, visitors in evidence, tourist shopping a la Queenstown, but plenty of distinctive locals also including what looked like station hands etc in the big smoke for a bit of a session. Pubs with extensive covered courtyards, beer flowing any time of day. Here we also did our first pool lounging of the trip, 'so now it feels like a holiday'remarked Shanti.
We flew Darwin to Kununurra and settled in for several nights there. The flight was a reminder of the desert expanses of Australia, being mostly over arid and uninhabited flatland. Kununnurra itself is on the edge of the Eastern Kimberleys, the uplifted NW corner of the Continent with it's distinctive sandstone plateaus, escarpments and hill country. Kununnurra itself is a small town of just a few thousand, but with a big future given the water resources they have tapped (Lake Argyle,the Ord River and Lake Kununnurra) and the extent of the irrigible floodplains - a food bowl of the future. There is a lot of emphasis in the local tourist industry in showing off those developments as the reason for the town itself (and an impressive it is), but for us it was the Kimberley landforms that mostly attracted. The sandstones are some of the oldest rocks on the planet surface and have stayed remarkably flat as they were uplifted by earlier tectonic activity, but also folded and faulted in places then eroded over the ages to produce a distinctive landscape, typified by cliffed escarpments, plateaus, red walled gorges and some surprising landforms like the Bungle Bungles.
Before we even started to look around we were taken by the Baobab trees, with their swollen trunks. Dotted over the region rather than in stands, they are impressive sentinels and incredible against the dry landscape. We started our explorations with a sunset cruise on L Kununnurra, murky, with small freshies (fresh waters crocs) in evidence, plus water skiers!('trolling for crocs' said the captain.) Pu
shing into the backwaters was fun, with more birdlife and still, reflective water. With the rise and fall of the lake the backwaters have drowned trees, poking out of the waters singly or in stands, making a spectacular reflective foreground to the weather hills.
The next day we bused to where the ords river issued from lake Aryle, and boated down the river back to Kununurra. A beautiful flat bottommed craft with thre V8 outboards, and a canvass canopy to sit under - a whole busload of us. Then drifting or powering down the river, stopping at times to look more closely at the gorge cliffs, a sunning croc, bat colony or jsut the general view. ASbout 50 kms on the water - lovely way to spend some hours. Auusies love their gorges - give a town a gorge nearby and they are pumping it up with billbords, visitor centres, tour operators, boats and maybe even a chopper or two. All reasonably similar, say a couple of hundred feet of steep sided, reddish, weathered rock, with a muddy river beneath. 'Spekkie'claim the locals (spectacular).
The next day, much anticipated, we flew, very early, into the Bungle Bungles, an island of weathered sandstone in a sea of flat plains, south of Kununurra. Starting from an already remote town, the hours flight south takes you further and further into the largely uninhabited interior, over a beautiful terrain of plains and crumpled ridges, flat topped blocks and steep, cliffed escarpments, all in sandstone red, yellow and black. After crossing the massive Lake Argyle,the Bungles came slowly into view, a 45x35km table of raised sandstone, s
tanding alone in a desert plain backed by an endless horizon. The plateau is exceptional because its strikingly and uniquely weathered at it's margins. We flew over it then landed at its SW corner for a days exploring on the ground, with a chopper flight and then evening return.
The day made a tremendous impression on us - its sense of remoteness and just the sheer beauty of the place, with its flat upper plateau, deep faulted narrow valleys, and the way it is weathered on its margins into a sea of beehive, dome and ridge shapes, all in striking horizontal red, yellow and black banding. The Bungles are also an icon of indigenous prehistory, with something like 20,000 years of confirmed Aboriginal occupation. Most of the region remains a wilderness area with no entry permitted - suddenly the dreamng became a reality because there it is in front of you; a place of mystery and imagination.
For our first trip we drove to an entry point and walked into a publically open section of the beehived margins. Hard to really capture it with the camera I think it would take time and lighting opportunities to catch the impact of the place. Not totally comfortable in the beating sun and heat, even if we were seeing it at a cooler time of year. A highlight was walking into one of the faulted, steep sided valleys that split the escarpement, to Cathedral Cave, where it opens to a large amphitheatre with a curved, sloping overhung roof, and a pool of water. A spectacle, with awesome accoustics where a whisper just carries. Hard to not be thinking most of the time about early aboriginal use of the site - cooler in the shade, with water and shelter. What a place to camp. What a though to imagine the sound of chanting and singing, 10 thousand years ago.
The nect visit was to another area of the Bungles where the plateau had fractured into larger blocks so had weathered into more massive cliffs and deep cut gullies. We walked up one, Emu Creek, until we were dots at the base of a narrow passage, soaring either side of us. This area in particular had a species of Palm growing from shelves and cracks on the cliff faces, and on the debris fans at the base. Lower down the flatland vegetation of Eucalyptus took over. The effect of landform and vegetation was like some window on the apst - Pteridactyls might well have been soaring overhead and collosal dragonflies buzzing in the heat.
We returned to the airstrip for big thrill #1 a 48 minute flight in a small chopper (Robson 500)? with seats for two in the back and no side doors. Apocolyse now, held in by waist belt only, foot on the door edge, skid immediately below then nothing! We flew up the margin briefly then cut over the plateau, deviating to visit landmarks and bending the chopper sideways and around for the best photos. We also flew to the furthest northern end to the most remote and forbidden parts of the plateau, then wove our way home, low and slow, trying to take it all in. Not really possible we decided: glad I have photos and videos of a place I might wonder if I really saw, or not. Finally a magic flight back out to Kununurra, light low, golden and throwing shadows - even the forested flatlands were a mosaic of shadows. We arrived at dusk and it was over, a days glimpse of a strange and wonderful place.
The next day we collected a rental car and started a drive, ultimately back to Darwin, via Kakadu National Park. Long straight roads, occassional lines of hills, and stopping to photograph the ever diminishing sight of a Baobab. Quite mesmerising driing for so many hours through this relatively unchanging terrain. Stopping occasionally to stand beside the road, to watch and listen to whatever is going on. Most creeks with the standard crocodile warning signs - just as well they look like tempting places to walk.
I am also completely over the desire to drive the ring road around Australia, despite the love of driving these long stretches. They are clogged, and im not exagerating, with 'grey beards' - retired aussies and their missuses, in 4WD or campervans, roof stacked with belongings like the beverley hillbilles, often towing a caravan or trailer, tinnie (aluminium dingle) often topping the whole show off. The rise early from their camping grounds, and grind out the next 300km at 90km an hour, sometimes in columns. Both direction. Communal spirited, they congregate in picnic spots and stopovers, in droves, and by mid afternoon, not too late, are settled into camping grounds, steak and chip and beer dispensaries, in towns dotted along the route. We discovered, talking to some, that its every aussie working mans dream to head off on retirement, missus in tow, to free lance it round the perimeter road and inland arterial roads. The blokes seem to stop shaving as a badge of being on the road, and what fascination in the long discourses on where they've been and the merits of the Z450 Campervan etc. Reminiscent of the hippy 'on the road again'lifestyle, minus the sex, drugs and rock and roll. Anyway where im going with this is the roads are not empty they are surprisingly busy, until you turn of the beaten track. And if you go on a bus tour such as we did in Kununurra for a day, stand by to do it in the company of the above.
The other shock was the French tourists. Very evident in Thailand, and easily spotted because they are all leaning into each other, talking and gesticulating like a truckload of non swimmers emptied into a pond. Bloody hell they were also there in force in Oz. Busloads, van loads, restaurant loads. Not sure why it made such an impression - maybe any clan en masses is not so attractive? Plus they all huddle amongst their own, with very limited external interaction. One thing i really noticed with the french groups however - very inclusive of and affectionate towards their children.
On day 1 of the drive we finished in Katherine, and stayed in a grubby room somewhere. Very fussy, that Shanti! But it was a crash to bed then up for day 2, which would take us to Pine Creek then on to Kakadu. Pine Creek boasted a water garden, which i suppose it was in the strictest sense (some grubby ponds in a dry park with a few trees). But we needed a break and followed the noise of some birds, Shanti under umbrella in the beating sun. Rainbow lorrikeets were bathing under a garden sprinkler, and we could walk in quite close and enjoy one of the most colorful and engaging of the parokeets. Life is a lark, with shreeks, squabbles, acrobatics and full on action, with the lorrikeets. They entertained us for some time, plus the Corellas that were around - more sober but also an intelligent and enquiring bird. Thoughtfully there was a pub nearby, as there often seems to be, so a cold one and on our way.
The turn off to Kakadu, along the Kakadu highway was immediately noticed as non grey beard trail country. Vanished. Why? Steak and chip outlets limited? Camp fees too high? Who knows but the traffic thinned out. We were in national prk but to our surprise most of it was either on fore or recently burned. We figured at least 50% of th drive was through blackened scrubland, and we drove through several fore fronts and areas where the roqdside was smoking or visibly burning. In the first instnce we thought we shoiuld turn back but other trffic was not so we proceeded. The fire thing is facinating and source of strong debate in the Northern Territories. The bush is fire adapted, but the idea is it should be controlled. Opinions vary on whether it is controlled or uncontrolsled, sensible or madnss. Personlly i cant believe that burning everything every year i a good idea, or is what the lnd is adapted to. Anyway our Lodge, at Cooinda, was in a wetland area so not burning although I smelt smoke at night.
First morning at the lodge was a dawn trip on Yellow waters, a nearby wetland. We had no idea what an exceptional place it was. A short drive to the waters edge, then into a boat with maybe 20 others to cruise the waterways. Croc warnings including not trailing arms over the side. And large slties there were, everywhere. These drowned wetlnds, with islands of trees an other taller vegetaion run as far as the eye can see. As the sun rose the plce teemed with birdlife - we agreed we had seen as much there, in a short period of time, as anywhere. Wildfowl on the wing and calling, bitterns lurking under cover on the waters edge, white heron and vsrients literqlly everywhere, kingfishers, ibises, Jabaru storks and even the Brolga Crane. The shrubberies also with birds calling and moving about - flycatchers, Bee eaters, and more. In the air Kites and ospreys, and other raptors.
The salties impressed, formidable and sizeable crocoddiles, lurking with nose out and sometimes gliding through the water. We saw many bank margins with 'slides' where they enter and exit the water, and the captian regaled us with tales of seeing them take pigs and buffola. We also saw wild horses, which persist in the area. Quite a special experience to see dawn break over that very luxurient waterway and it was over too soon. But later that day we reWurned to the jetty and followed a short boardwalk, seeing some more of the area. we got close to a Satin?? Kingfisher, other new birds, and even found a snake, one of four snakes we saw in the wild in the NT. The second expedition in Kakadu was to visit two of their renowned water attractions, the twin falls and the Jim Jim Falls, which come off the escarpment on the edge of the Arman plteau. (Armanland). A long day over bumpy gravel roads and FMD the driver and guide was French, giving long commentaries in French and less comprtehensible one in English. But she was a darling and as the day continued eased into a wonderful day. The Jim Jim falls in particular, involving a Km or so of rough walkingh up a gorge, then into a series of pools finished by a 2,000ft cirque, from which the falls arose. Again a very cherished aboriginal site, so very careful management of the area to ensure ongoing cooperation of the indigenous landowners. For example no light aircraft overhead. This was definitely a gorge of merit, we swam in an upper pool (lower down they are a croc hazard) and lay back nd watched the fine strands of water fall 2000 ft, which they did most beautifully. Below the cirque the valey floor was a jumble of large roks shed from the surrounding cliffs, rather like being in the steep terrain of the Darrens, except 32 degrees in midwinter. Photos will hopefully surpass the words but its one of those places you walk into and have the feeling you are somewhere very special.
Day 3 Kakadu we visited the nearby town of Jabiru, for an hours flight over Armanland. We had heard many references to the place but never a proper explanation or any real understanding what the place was. The aircraft was an Aussie made single engined workhorse, same as flown into the Bungles. We only had one other passenger who went up front beside the pilot so we had the small cabin to ourselves. Arms land is a raised plateau with spectacular escarpment bordering Kakadu, which we had already seen in the form of the Jim Jim falls. We flew along the escarpment, steep, cliffed and eroded, then onto the plateau itself a wilderness area, largely uninhabited, and an aboriginal homeland. Cut up by faults, ranges of hills and magnificently eroded wild country, dotted with dry forests. A large river system, the Alligator river drains from it, forming massive wetlands on the seaward side of the plateau, again being aboriginal homeland although largely uninhabited. So from extremely rough hilly country the flight took us over these seemingly endless wetlands, beautiful but eeirie to fly low over marshes, billabongs, channels and islands of taller vegetation, as far as the eye could see. Almost a relief to finally exit this area over solid ground where you could at least consider eating foot compared to the croc infested wetlands. Returning to Jabiru we finished with a bypass, at a respectable distance, from the aboriginal site known as the white cliffs (????). Here, the winged creature who shaped the world during the dreamtime, finished, exhausted, and laid to rest in a depression above and behind the cliffs, it's blood staining the walls and remaining there till today. It's a sacred site that no person aboriginal or otherwise may visit, and a spectacular landmark of vertical, light colored cliffs on the plateau edge, stained with vertical streaks. There is something about any place people don't go, given there are so few such places, and the barren Armenland and these cliffs exemplify that. We sat and watched them later from Jabiru, contemplating our now over holiday, and what we might take back by way of memories, to home and work. These sight of these cliffs - yes.
We enjoyed a final night at the Gagaju lodge in Cooinda, with the smell of wood smoke creeping into the room in the cool of night, and the sound of the barking Owl.
Our final drive was to Darwin, via the Armandland highway. A final few hours on the road to enjoy, including crossing griots branches of the Alligator river as it headed to the coast. Croc signs on all of them and yes crocs to see on the riverbank, when we stopped to look. It was a crocodile sort of days as we had arranged to stop nearer Darwin and go on a 1 hour trip where they feed the crocs on the river, from your boat. We were not long putting up the wide, brown channel when the first saltie he'd us, gliding through the water with a waving action. The boat hand dangled a lump of red meet from a long pole and the croc lunged up at it, lifting probably two thirds of it's body out of the water. So don't bother sitting even several metros above the water, they can still get ya! Now we could understand why leaning over a boat, dangling arms or being in too small a craft may not be a good idea. Regaled with tales of who got attacked, where and when etc , how fast they can swim, run, how long stay under water and all the rest we watched respectfully while several other crocs he'd us and whacked targets metros out of the water. On the bird front we also saw an Osprey fly past the boat and Black Kites were feed by throwing scraps into the air as they rocketed past the boat. A wild python lounging near the boat ramp and some great birdlife in the vicinity completed there'll but we had to push on to Darwin, drop off the car, organize ourselves and prepare for the travel home.
END
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