The last of the Top End

After waving goodbye to the folks we booked into another van park - Discovery Darwin – as we needed to get Brucie serviced the next day and this gave us another great opportunity to return to Mindil Beach Markets. We once again watched Emdee and the fire show, however this time is was a more zany approach with a different fellow running the show. We snapped up a couple of bargains, a bit of food and had a great time, just as we were about to leave I saw a stall that did all sorts of kooky things with hair and I decided that I could not live without feathers in my hair. This meant waiting in line, however as a result of waiting around we managed to run into Geoff and Jen who had just popped into the markets. Turns out they were even staying at the same van park as us, so we decided to return back to the park and play catch ups. We spent the rest of the evening chatting about where we had been and what we’d been doing.

Sunset at Mindil Beach

Check out the entertainment!

The next morning was spent at Palmerston while we waited for the car to be serviced. We got to the shops before they were all open but managed to while away the morning at the shops and the library – time to catch up on our writing (sort of). Michael also received a phone call about a phone interview for a job application, which confirmed the van park was the best place to be tonight. With one chore complete, it was then time to take the car to  another mechanic for some minor welding, which meant a quick drive across town, then a taxi back to the van park where we could chill out in our chairs for a bit and relax in/around the stunning pool. Eventually it was time to pick the car back up, which was about the same time as Geoff was leaving to pick his up from the mechanic too. With us all committed to the park another night, we decided a cook up was in order to catch up some more and find out about future plans (and enjoy some of their air-con cabin luxury, apparently a break from swags are in order every couple of months).  What a great way to spend the evening!

After Michael had a quick phone interview the next morning, we were packed up and were ready to go. We said farewell once more to Geoff and Jen, but like always we were sure we would cross paths eventually. We did the boring stocking up of the camper, then had a little more enjoyment than normal when getting diesel - we met the resident rooster of the Shell Servo. This fine specimen had been living there the last two years, and even makes it into the news every now and again (good old NT News and their stories). We made sure we paid promptly, it looked as though he considers himself the boss, bouncer and enforcer of the servo. 

Noones getting past this guy!

We had grand plans to make it into Litchfield for the afternoon, then realised how close it actually was, and since we had actually managed an early start we were able to meander our way there. The first stop was Berry Springs once more, where we relaxed in the refreshing water and had archer fish swimming all around us. A quick lunch on the beautiful green grass was just the ticket, and then we made our way on, not too disappointed as we knew swimming would be on the agenda again soon.

Look at how thin the magnetic termite mounds are.

We had heard a few good stories about the Reynolds River 4x4 track in the southern end of Litchfield NP. Making it sound like a must do. Considering the GPS told us the dirt road from Berry Springs to Wangi Falls would be quicker than the Stuart Highway, we jumped at the chance to get off the beaten track instead of that boring highway we have already seen too much of. There were a couple of points of interest along the way, including a massive collection of magnetic termite mounds, and with only a few hundred corrugations we fared well. Before we knew it we had reached The Cascades, one of the newer attractions in the park and one we didn’t make it to with my folks. We chose to hike to the Lower Cascades as it promised a shorter walk to reach water. A swim was definitely in order as the heat was stifling and before too long we found ourselves a plunge pool that was perfect. We spotted a few fish in the pool but it wasn’t until I felt a gentle nip at my foot that we discovered the pool was full of tiny yabbies! These guys were great fun as they seemed very eager to come and get us, and were no trouble catching. Getting them out of the water was near on impossible though as they would suddenly jump out of our hand near the surface, only to float down defenceless as we (Michael) grabbed them up again.

Yabby.

Figuring we were here, and the Upper Cascades would be “just over there”, we ventured up the river in our swimmers climbing over rocks and wading through pools. Yes, we had decided we would do the loop walk and find the Upper Cascades then follow the walk back to the exit. After a ridiculous amount of time and energy, the cascades were no longer and the river began weaving through ever-thickening bush...  We decided this wasn’t going to work out well with 5 o’clock approaching and turned back around, figuring we had either missed the track altogether, or would simply retrace our steps out. Overhead the clouds were getting thicker and then all of a sudden, there was RAIN!!! We basked in the glory of the rain we hadn’t seen in months and were drenched after a few minutes. Not really being build-up season, the rain didn’t last long and soon we were looking for some new entertainment, namely a way out. I spotted a sign on the side of the river (almost overgrown), saying no swimming beyond this point (where we had passed 20 minutes or so earlier), and realised we had passed the Upper Cascades a while ago. Another 100 metres or so downstream we saw a sign indicating the car park was just 1.7 kms away, so off we went in thongs, swimmers and drenched hats and backpacks as the heat began to return. By the time we were at the car park we were absolutely exhausted and decided Wangi Falls would be our best choice to set up camp for the night.

The rain is amazing - no way could it dampen our spirits.

Once again Wangi Falls delivered the goods, with a great campsite (although nowhere near as good as last week – at least there were still a couple to choose from) and stunning showers to freshen ourselves up for the night. The next morning we went straight down to the falls for a swim. If we thought last week was great, this was unbelievable – we had the plunge pool all to ourselves – seems we’ve finally become “early risers”. After another beautiful swim it was time to begin our 4x4 adventure, hitting up a number of attractions over the day.

The Reynolds Track proved to be a wonderful journey! We first called in at Blythe Homestead, where we were transported into the days of yesteryear. The original timber homestead still stands where the Blythe family would battle the elements to make a living on cattle and a tin mine in the backyard (literally within 50 metres of the back door). It was fun going through the old relics and seeing what life was like, of particular interest was the youngest son who decided to take a crocodile as a pet, apparently this actually worked although the logistics of how is somewhat unclear.  Not so keen on having one as a pet myself.

We then moved onto Sandy Creek Falls, where a few kms walk following a goat track rewarded us with a spectacular swimming hole and waterfall – another hidden beauty. We had the place to ourselves for a while, but were eventually joined by a group taking underwater photos for an exhibition. With still a couple more things to do that day, we decided to wind our way back through the bush, have a quick lunch and continue along the 4wd track, which was increasingly getting interesting.  We passed field upon field of magnetic termite mounds, crossed several small creeks and eventually came to the Reynolds River, which involved a deep water crossing where you enter the water, start to cross, then need to turn in the river to then navigate around some trees and sand banks, then eventually exit on the steep bank on the other side. Something new, different and great fun! 

Sandy creek falls

Our final stop of the day was Surprise Creek Falls. The campground at Surprise Creek Falls was your typical outback campground – lots of dust, some yellow grass, a sprinkle of gum trees and Dunnies with a view (a drop loo with a small amount of corrugated iron around, literally just enough to cover you when sitting, but anyone could look over the top). Of course a swim was in order and the plunge pool provided just what we needed, it seemed as if the waters had hot springs running into them as it was lovely and warm. Initially we couldn’t see any falls, but with some rock climbing a couple more plunge pools were revealed with some simple yet beautiful falls separating them. We braved the climb to the top pool, splashing around in the water until all of a sudden the sky opened up and another downpour was upon us.  It was clear that this one was going to last longer than the last, so we picked our way back down the rocks to the lower pools before the rocks were too slippery. The swim here was cut short by a sudden encounter with a snake! Michael had just gone to grab hold of a ledge for a break when the snake leapt into the water - I swear I have never seen Michael or I swim so fast! We decided we had done enough swimming for the day and returned to camp. With this tropical weather the rain didn’t interfere with us at all and made for a nice cool evening.

One of the waterholes at surprise creek - the one we found the snake in.

As the sun rose we decided we needed one more swim to wake us up before our long drive to Kakadu. Once more the water was divine, and snake free an added bonus (at least we didn’t see any this time!) The rest of the 4x4 track saw us do a couple more creek crossings, go through some sandy patches and come out on the highway just near Daly Waters. We then spent the rest of the day tackling the long drive back to the southern end of Kakadu.  This time our eyes were set on Gunlom campground, complete with plunge pool, waterfall and upper pools. Along the way was a sneaky stop-off at Southern Rockhole, somewhere not on the maps that the caretaker at Gunamarr campground recommended. We were almost certain there were no crocs, but with no one else around and the shade limiting visibility, we were only brave enough to go for a quick dip at the edge (one at a time) before continuing on our way. Once again, the road into Gunlom was dirt, but the best spots around here always are. The road was in good condition up to the last kilometre or so, where large puddles and potholes had formed – apparently the rain the day before had been enough to soak the campground and access road, which meant the Hulk was once again rust-bucket red by the time we reached camp. We set up, and then decided we had time for a swim before dinner – starting to see a pattern?

Safe or not? surely the shallows were ok?

The short walk to the plunge pool was well worth the effort, with a huge swimming area you’re always going to find space to yourself (especially at the end of the tourist season when you are almost on your own). While working up our courage to hop in we watched numerous fish swimming in the shallows, we could point out some archer fish and catfish, but there was still 2 or 3 other species enjoying the warmth of the shallows that mystified us. Once we hopped in we made our usual decision to swim out to the waterfall before meandering back to the shore to chill out for a bit.

Gunlom lower pool.

We returned back to camp in time to see a rather large bush curlew stealing a packet of nuts from some backpackers, run extremely fast and then lay down in an interesting attempt to hide from the somewhat disgruntled tourists. You never know what you’ll see in outback Australia. We cooked up a feast that evening and got talking to the ranger who confirmed that Southern Rockhole should be croc free – there was a trap set down stream and it’s unlikely a croc has gotten in. Great reassurance, we’ll have to go for another dip there! We knew we had another big day planned for tomorrow, so decided to have an early bed after a smashing game of Skipbo. That evening the curlews sure wanted to announce their presence with their eerie screams haunting our surrounds for much of the night.

With the temperature sure to soar by the afternoon, we were lacing up our hiking boots and filling up the water bottles first thing in the morning.  We had an epic climb ahead. The upper falls at Gunlom were said to be one of the most beautiful places to visit in Kakadu, but you had to earn your swim. We climbed a staggering amount of what could loosely be titled ‘stairs’. We scaled rocks and twisted around trees. If we weren’t out of breath from the climb to the top, the view of the upper pools and surrounding valley finished us off. This place looked like it was straight out of a story book. We took several hundred photos hoping to capture that “infinity pool” look over the valley, then jumped in the pool to cool down, constantly looking back at the amazing vista.

Check out that vista!

After exploring the pools we initially had sighted we noticed some tracks and rocks that looked like they needed to be climbed. With a trail of small pools leading up through the rocks we had another little swimming adventure, easing our way through cracks in the rock walls to find more pools. At one stage we found ourselves almost surrounded by towering sandstone walls with a small waterfall dancing in front of us. Lacking some serious rock-climbing equipment, this was the end of the line for us, once more pleased with our exploration finds. We returned for one last swim in paradise and then descended the mighty mountain. The day had started to really heat up, so we packed up, went for a final swim in the plunge pool –one last swim and look around, this place will always be a special memory.

One of the hidden treasures we found.

We fired up the Hulk and returned via the rough red road to Southern Rockhole, arriving in time for lunch and once again had a quick dip here. Despite the tranquility and beauty of the area, there was still something about this place that meant we did not feel quite confident crossing the deep dark water to the waterfall. We swam in the shallows with the fish and then dried off on some of the rocks. Its weird how as soon as we were off the “tourist tracks” and all alone we were far less comfortable/confident than being all alone but at one of the main attractions…

Feeling quite cool and relaxed, we hit the road and headed south. It was too hard to resist the temptation of yet another place to swim in this heat, so we once again visited Umbrawarra Gorge, a quiet and cheap campground conveniently located along our route – except for the 15km of rocky road to get to the site – complete with a swimming area. We found the place completely empty and set up near a big fire place - camp oven casserole for dinner! With an hour or so to spare before we needed to play house we decided to have happy hour in the gorge, enjoying the sun, sand and cool water. We then headed back to the deserted campground to have an evening by the fire, enjoying casserole and damper.  What a way to end the day. 

Lesson of the week: There is no such thing as too much swimming!