Preparing to Depart

After arriving back from the Bungles, we moved into the house to feed the new dog and clean the pool for the next 3 weeks. We managed to sell out car for 60 % more than we bought it for which makes a change from sending it to the wreckers. Amanda filled her time in productively when not provisioning the boat.

We leave in 10 days and our rough plan at this stage subject to large changes is as follows.

Fresh fish, here we come.

Bungling North

Possum took the wheel and in double quick time we were once again sitting around our campfire planning and burning the allocated firewood. It appeared an unpleasant odor had also followed us and an all out investigation revealed Amanda’s shoes to be the Culprit. We had no choice. Chris’s chair also had given unsatisfactory service and was sacrificed for the comfort of all.


The following morning we broke camp, resisting the urge to burn Chris and Jane’s tent. They did however use an unconventional method to remove their stuff and headed to the north end of the park. Mini Palms.

This walk was short only 5kms return and half in the shade. Well within the range of Amanda’s thongs.

From here we headed over to the planned lunch time viewing of Echidna Chasm which as I pointed out to the tourists resembled a giant vi _ _ na. I’ll let you be the judge.

After a little monkeying around waiting for the sun to get overhead it was time to leave the bungles.

Possum managed to leave the park almost uneventfully only having a mirror clipped once by on coming traffic. Damn tourists!!!

To the Elbow?!?!

At about 11am approaching the full heat of the day we set of for the Trek up to the elbow.

Things started off well and we thought it should take 2-3 hours to reach our destination

Further and further we went, walking, walking, walking deeper into the Bungles.

Eventually something had to give. My thong came apart, Amanda’s too small shoes were giving her blisters (and didn’t smell too flash) and Jane’s heel was giving her grief. It was time to turn back. Did we make it to the elbow? Our bungle was we had no map but we did walk around plenty of elbows.

The scent of cold beer at camp guided us back to the car.

As the pace back was a little slower we decided to send Amanda ahead to crank up the air con in the car, with strict instructions not to touch the lollies.

The burning question for us all was did we actually make it the elbow? Google Earth research indicates not quite.

Simons Bungle Bit

After waiting for Chris and Jane to load Tones of Nickel and a few thousand cows onto ships our calendar was finally free for the Bungle trip.
We hauled ourselves out of the princess bed at the rude time of around 8 after another intensive night of planning over an ale or two and hit the road.


250 km later we left the highway to start of the remaining 70 kms of which is 4 wheel drive country. We only had a Holden however it comes fitted with an Isuzu engine so with the help of refreshments to keep the dust down we continued on.

After almost being run off the road by a tourist filming the drive in without watching the road we finally got to our campsite.
It was really only a site, with a rather pleasant long drop (if there is such a thing) and a shared fireplace.
Chris and Jane were faced with the problem of seized zips on their tent that had to be overcome with a small incision. This created the illusion of a tent giving birth during the exit procedure.

We planned deep into the night and awoke to near freezing conditions (13.5 degrees) the next morning to a bacon and eggs breakfast before embarking for the south end of the Purnululu National Park, Western Australia also known as the Bungle Bungles.

Our plan was to do the shorter walks first and have lunch before tackling the mother of the parks treks, Piccaninny Gorge!! First up were the Domes

Followed by the Cathedral track and the moment I had been waiting for… lunch.

Burning the candle...

Poor Chris and Jane worked long days at the wharf, followed by long nights of drinking, BBQ’s and laughter. For our first night they took us to a neighbours house where we watched him risk life and limb riding a motor bike around a ring of death. This involves riding a motor bike around a tight cylinder while making your way higher and higher. It was crazy to watch – if you ever see him at a show it is an adrenaline rush you cannot miss!


Early one morning we dragged ourselves out of bed hours after the workers had departed and headed for El Questro. With a friend in tow we headed for Emma Gorge where we heard swimming was to be had. Swimming was available but you had to be either brave or stupid to get in. Lucky we were…brave, and without checking the temperature we dove straight in for a breath taking, spine chilling cold dip.

Next stop was ElQuestro homestead for a picnic lunch followed by El Questro gorge for another chilling dip. The scenery was spectacular and you can see why it’s so popular.

Wyndham

After weeks of preparing the boat for our upcoming trip, we figured we deserved some time out and planned a driving trip to WA to visit our friends Chris & Jane at Wyndham and explore inland. We set off early Tuesday morning with nearly 1,000km’s ahead of us.

The drive was awesome. Beautiful scenery, stunning red cliffs and ranges, dry riverbeds, eucalyptus, wattle and Boab’s lining the highway. Wyndham is usually overlooked on the tourist trail for the more commercial Kununurra, but we were glad we made it to the end of the road.



From the Grotto, Three mile Valley, Five Rivers lookout, the local museum and the amazing Parrys Lagoon there was no shortage of attractions to occupy our time. At Parry Lagoon I finally saw some Jacana’s walking across the water lilies. Parry’s lagoon was a hidden treasure – the best bird watching spot I’ve seen in the entire top end!

From 5 Rivers lookout we spied some sand flats in the distance and headed down to explore. It was like being in the middle of a desert – we later found out we were lucky not to have got bogged!

Tomorrow we’re planning on heading to El Questro for a spot of swimming and gorge hiking – can it get any better than this?

Cane Toad Busting

We’ve undertaken a few projects for conservation volunteers up here and now regularly get their emails re events when one caught Simon's attention – toad busting. With images of golf clubs and mass carnage (sorry greenies), he insited we sign up. Along we trundled with our torches and mozzie spray to do our part in minimizing the destruction caused by Cane Toads.

To his disappointment instead of whacking them we needed to pick them up, bag them and the count them at the end! Ugh! On the bright side, we did get 19 of the slimy suckers and came third place receiving a wine cooler for our trouble.

Here’s a picture of the little critters in the bag for your viewing pleasure.

It’s cooling down

While I hear reports of wind, rain and freezing weather from our friends down south and from NZ – thought we should let you know we share your pain… we used the duvet last night for the first time on what feels like… forever. Just so you’d believe me how freezing it is I photographed Simon and Sloop under the covers with the alarm clock showing a chilly 24 Dec C! Brrr Brrr!




Yes it is also 8am and they are very lazy!

The Long Walk.. final installment

We followed the bottom of the ridge, finding some aboriginal sites along the way. The amazing rock formations made for great exploring… after scaring out a big pig that is! When we made it to camp we were all dying to get our wet clothes off and soak our weary bodies in the stream. After some relaxing I found the energy to explore up the gully that forms the start of Waterfall Creek. There was huge boulders to climb, followed by shady swimming holes… over and over again.



The next day we powered our of camp, keen to hit the sandstone and make camp early. The heat of the day made us finally appreciate the clouds and rain of the previous days – man it was sticky! We made it to the sandstone in record time and had set up camp by our own private pool and spa on a sandy bank. This left plenty of time to explore the amazing rocks high above camp before sunset. We saw some great cave drawings and views from above.



We enjoyed a great camp that night with Kristin sharing the last of her cocktail treats – an “Orgasm” for all! We had a campfire in the sand, relaxed in the spa, swam laps in our private pool and enjoyed a fantastic nights sleep minus the fly watching the stars.

The last walk out was not too far and we managed to enjoy a lazy lunch and swim en route. Once we descended Gunlom falls at the end we were all on such a high! Go the girls team!!

Simon has been calling me Wilma Smith for the last week as I’ve made these posts of our Kakadu National Park hiking adventure in referenced to how long and drawn out Wilbur Smiths writing is. While my photos can never capture the amazing surroundings, the spirit of camaraderie amongst us and the fun and sheer freedom we experienced – hopefully I’ve not bored you too much in wanting to share a taste of our trip.

The Long Walk continued...

Instead of following Barramundi Creek, Kristin’s google earth images suggested we might find an easier route if we cut over the top of the sandstone, crossed a tributary, rather than following it down to the lowlands and descending into Buff Pools down (hopefully) a gentle gully.

Despite being steep the first part of the day couldn’t have run smoother. We climbed the ridge behind camp, passed our sunset bar and headed uphill to a beautiful Alison Carpia forest for morning tea. We then ummed and ahhed a bit and trudged through a rain storm before finding the most spectacular lunch spot. A beautiful swimming hole, with an underwater entrance to a cavern in the rock dug out by a gorgeous massaging waterfall. Ahh bliss!



Luckily we found flat ground most of the afternoon, even a paddock of green grass and flowers to lay in. While breaking for afternoon tea we spied a cave in the distance. Curious, we all headed up hill and were amazed to find an aboriginal site – complete with a mortar and pestle at the entrance in a big old stone. On the rock ledge we saw worked spear tips and tools, with some rock art adorning the walls.

After descending our last slope of the day we arrived at Buff Pools, our Camp for Day 3. We were all relieved to remove our wet clothes and boots and relax out by the waterfall. Mum even braved swimming out to the falls on her own – twice!

This was a lovely camp and I only wish we had more time to explore the creek upstream of the falls. But given tomorrow we needed to cross over to the Gunlom valley – via a damn steep ridge we had better preserve our energy.

Early the next morning despite donning wet gear and another shower overnight, the girls team were in good spirits and looking forward to the big day ahead.

The day did not let us down… it was hard! At times I’m sure we were only running on adrenalin as Kristin and I took turns climbing the creek bed to what we hoped would be the top of the ridge, doubling back to take mums pack and help her ascend. It was rocky and steep and took all morning to get there, with a thunder storm hitting us on the way!

It was like being on top of the world with the only concern being how to get down? While contemplating our options, we enjoyed lunch and a quick dip in a spring at the top. We were unsure if we’d get cliffed out, but as luck was on our side we found a steep hill and zig zagged down… very slowly.

I’ll sign off en route to Camp Day 4.

Maguk to Gunlom, Barramundi Gorge to Waterfall Creek

Well we survived! I'll post some tales of our trip over the next few days.

Mum arrived Monday afternoon, just in time to stuff her pack full of goodies for the next 6 days. Despite her brave face, secretly I think it was heavier than she expected… An early night and we hit the road the following morning. As we were walking from one creek and gorge system, over a ridge to the next before coming out at Gunlom we did a bit of running around dropping cars off, before finally setting up camp by the side of the road for night one. Mum seemed a little shocked at the mud underfoot, “are we camping here?” We managed to set up a 5 star camp and have a bit of shut eye before farewelling the car and civilization for the next 5 days.


As it was still the wet season the road was closed so we started our hike on the road. It’s been a good wet season, the end of May and we had the boots off for a crossing before we even hit the bush! Not wanting to risk crocs, we had a steep climb before breaking for lunch and a swim. Our swimming pool was a cliff top pool looking back over the waterfall and gully we had just ascended. It was just like the horizon pools you see in 5 star resorts only so much better! You could swim further on, flanked either side by steep red walls and more pools. I’ve got a great feeling about this trip.

We dragged ourselves away from the pools and continued following Barramundi Gorge. It was pretty rough going so mum and Kristin had donned some gators. Just skirting a ledge before arriving at camp we had a near miss. Mum slipped and almost plunged down the bank. Needless to say, we all slept with visions of the moment skirting our dreams. Camp Day 1 was a perfect spot by the side of the creek with a waterfall spa on one side and a large swimming pool on the other. After setting up camp, Kristin and I headed up stream exploring some caves with aboriginal art.

Day 2 started with a relatively steep climb, before we followed the creek upstream. At times the going was so rough we left the creek and headed to higher ground. Unfortunately there was no escaping the long grass, pushing through this was like bending into gale force wind, and with a heavy pack your legs soon start to burn. This day was filled with long grass. At one point a helicopter dropped some incendiaries to burn it out but unfortunately for us this was too late.

Camp Day 2 was a small sandy strip beside a beautiful crystal clear pool fed by two falls. A scramble up a scree hill behind camp led to the most beautiful horizon pool where we enjoyed our precious store of cocktails watching the sun set.

What a top start – we are all getting along brilliantly, enjoying the countryside. Stay tuned for the rest of the hike.

Girl Power

Mum and I had been planning a walk on the Jatbula trail for weeks now – just us girls, hiking and camping for 66km’s over 5 nights. The plane trip was booked, we had bought borrowed and begged all the gear we needed when disaster struck. Katherine had the highest April rainfall in decades and the trail was going to be closed! After days of investigating alternatives, I finally plucked up the courage to tell mum. Luckily, when one door closes, plenty more always open and we were now embarking on plan B with a Darwin friend Kristin.

A 6 day hike between Barramundi Gorge and Waterfall Creek (Maguk to Gunlom) in Kakadu. An umarked trail, we set to brushing up on our navigation skills, buying topographical maps, seeking permits, asking locals for advice, downloading Google Earth images, dehydrating food, hiking around town with our loaded packs and questioning if we were doing the right thing. Just as we were experiencing doubts, Jessica Watson came to our rescue – us 3 girls were going to give it our best shot and who knows, we might just have a lot of fun along the way!

Only 2 sleeps to go, lists have been written and re-written, maps checked and re-checked, meals cooked, bags packed and re-packed and provisions reviewed over and over again. Mum arrives tomorrow and we head off on Tuesday, returning next Monday after 6 nights in the bush! Wish us luck and I’ll keep you posted on our adventures…

Careening at Darwin

After watching the careening poles for a few days, and reading an idiots guide to careening on the web, we decided we were ready to give it a go. For those uninitiated, careening is beaching your boat, or tying it to poles on a high tide, then waiting for the tide to go out so you can clean the bottom.

Despite a good SE’ly blowing we managed to tie up without any hiccups, then sat back with an early morning coffee to watch the falling tide. We calculated we had to leave the poles on the following mornings high, or remain there for 2 weeks so without delay we started wading around the bottom of the boat in thigh high water scraping barnacles. Not the best feeling in croc territory!




We scraped, sanded and anti-fouled ourselves into a frenzy and were able to sit back with a cold beer at the end of the day and watch the tide roll in. All in all a great haul out for the princely sum of $11 to use the poles!

Farewell Unlimited Water & 240 Volts

With the final storm clouds rolling out and a hint of a southeasterly breeze, we decided it was time to drop the dock lines and head out to the bay. We rushed around for the last 2 weeks in the marina finishing off some last minute jobs requiring 240V power, before shedding the air-con and enjoying a last long shower. I now have a nice timber floor in the cockpit meaning I no longer need to stand on tippy toes while at the helm!

Shortly after leaving the marina I also finished up at Perkins Shipping, where I’ve been working for the last 5 months. Freedom again – what adventures will this year bring? It’s just business as usual for Si who managed to dodge the call to work again this year, insisting a full time maintenance man is much more useful.