Around Oz the First Time - Chapter 25 - Darwin Day 4

Three days staying in Darwin, what else could there be to see. We had been to the city a number of times, exploring and eating, we had been fishing and explored sights in close proximity. So staying another day what else could we do?

We had thought of breaking up the next leg, staying at Litchfield before heading into Katherine from there, but Katherine is really only three hours away, and it means packing everything up, unpacking in Litchfield and repacking again the next day. Cut Litchfield out, make it a day trip and “Bob’s your Uncle”. So we blasted off in the direction of the Litchfield National Park which has a number of attractions to see as well as a number of swimming holes to endure. We stuck our furthest point in the GPS, Wangi Falls and proceeded to drive.

I had been looking to opening up the Cruiser on the semi-unrestricted roads of the NT but alas the traffic (and the speed limits for that matter) kept me to no more than 130kph. Before we left however, there was the matter of the glitter encrusted bird droppings on Forbsy’s Cruiser from last night that needed investigation and Robyn’s insistence the drop point for the toilet be employed prior to departure, as well as ensuring no one was injured by the whip cracking (or attempting to crack) children with their purchases form last evenings markets

First stop ant hills, both Cathedral and Magnetic. By the road is a magnificent specimen of a Cathedral Ant Hill, over 5 metres high. The termites and another species of any live here. The termites inhabit the lower levels and their symbiotic neighbours the top. It is those who are working at breakneck speed around the mound when we investigate.

Down a short track the bush opens up into a plane of Magnetic Ant Hills. These look-like gravestones stretching as far as the cleared bush allows you to see. They are evidently all oriented north to south so there is a warm side and a cool side, so the colony does not get cooked. Silver Leader gets in line with one and declares the north to south is a load of twaddle as the one in question is out by 45 degrees according to his compass. “Tear it down and rebuild it” he demands of the ants, which is caught on video. Giggling and guffawing aside we wander back to the Cruiser. The sun is starting to heat right up and we pause for a drink from the fridge.

Next Sign which catches our eye is Buley Rockhole. These pools rounded by rocks and pebbles caught in the flood times tumbling around and around the holes has made the perfect swimming spot. There are many people here but they seem to be teenage and above. Here Forbsy is almost lost as he investigates the upper reaches of the pools to see the source of the water pouring in and does not notice everyone else has returned to the vehicle. He wanders along in a few minutes having tagged along behind a group and talking to them as he finds he does with ease.

Packed back in, and it is noted that its getting towards the peak of the suns movement. We will do the next ones then lunch at Wangi prior to a final swim, having said that no one has done anything greater than dip toes in any water as yet. Before we get to Wangi Falls we are taken off the road by a sign to Florence Falls. In the car park Silver Leader and Forbsy are enthused by a custom made Land Cruiser truck. The Cruiser has been cut behind the read doors and an extra 175cm added to convert the Cruiser into a holidaying masterpiece with sleeping accommodations on the top and loads of storage space. The owner is more than happy to discuss his baby with the two tourists but the rest of us are hot and we need to cool off.

The sign at the top of the car park says it all – Plunge pool this way, 30 minute return walk. What it doesn’t say is there are something like 180+ stairs to negotiate down, and then back up again, reminding me of Gumlom. But there is no rock climbing required here, the walk is easy. We make the trek down the stair case (130 odd stairs) in what Forbsy suggests is around 2 minutes, and I must agree the stairs made it very easy. Unfortunately the ground just off them was not as flat and I stumble over my ankle, not spraining it but giving me a fright.

About half way down there is a viewing platform for the falls. Snaps are taken but these are nothing on the sights that await us at the bottom. At all the sights in the Park there are lots of sign boards talking about the generation of them or the flora and fauna you may encounter.

At the bottom of the walk there is a sign suggesting the Old 4WD Camping Ground is in one direction and the plunge pool is adjacent, perhaps the plunge pool today. Here two water falls fill a large pool. Dipping the feet in reveals the water is very crisp and this little black duck is not that hot as to want to endure freezing water. I play with the Super Slow Motion option on my phone trapping the cascading water as if falls into the pool. An amazing effect. Again this area is packed and the stairway into the water always seems to be filled.

On our way out we start a conversation with a tour guide, musing about the suitability of her office. She concurs whole heartedly, having been in Kakadu with the people for the last three days. We talk about where we have been particularly Gumlom where here people would not have survived the climb, but they had done the Yellow River cruises as we did and were similarly impressed.

The stairs back up are not as easy as the walk down, but there are a number of stopping points with seating for the weary traveller, I think we all give them a go at one stage or another, the girls using all of them on their ascent. At one stage I stop to take a photograph of a tree which appears to have been growing out of a rock. It is several metres high and has started life form what appears to have been the rock and has simply grown towards the light, now being in excess of three metres tall. I also snap a weird looking mass of leaves which I imaging might be a beehive, they are strange as we have not seen many insects, except of course for flies (lots of them) but these, what I can only suggests are nests of some variety make me wonder as to their purpose.

Again water from the fridge in the Cruiser is the order of the day, then on to Wangi Falls. The area adjacent to the car park here is nicely grassed, well appointed with seating and barbeques. We find a table like spot on the ground, pull out the premade sandwiches and drinks from the fridge and how down. I notice a falcon in an adjacent tree and I snap a picture, wow one that close, it will be a good shot. Then the fun starts as the falcon starts swooping us in search of our lunches. We break formation and head to the nearest roofed table. As luck would have it some of the people are leaving and they allow us their spot, safely away from the falcon’s gaze let alone its attacks.

Lunch means discussions, and discussions at this lunch turn to a South Australian and his wife here in Litchfield, on holidays, but he is also working. He complains that as a bridge engineer he ash submitted a tender to inspect many of the bridges in the Territory and is 1/3rd of the cost of the next bidder but because he is a sole trader Able to do the work on hi9s own, he does not have scope in his tender for the employment of indigenous staff as such is nowhere near successful. He muses that if he doubled his tender and had an assistant to hold the cameras and one to keep and eye out for crocodiles, he may have won the tender. Unperturbed there is another tender coming up for culver inspection, he believes he has the idea and will tender accordingly.

Over lunch his wife shows us pictures of Jim Jim Falls she took as they ventured into that location. We thought about it as an after thought, but ran out of time, worried about losing time to happy hour on the way back from other sights, more fool us, although it was a very long walk in after a long dirt road drive. Oh the stresses of being a grey nomad.

Wangi Falls are as magnificent as any we have seen today. I use the Super Slow Motion to capture them again. The water cascades into a very large pool. Although Robyn and I only paddle, Silver Leader and Forbsy go the whole hog and swim in the less than warm pool. Pictures of Forbsy although seemingly comfortable, do show him with arms folded against the cold.

I get talking to a local about the economy of the region. Unlike Peter of the fishing charter this bloke cannot wait to get away from the NT. He believes the government (no matter which side you vote for) have no idea citing the building of a new grandstand at the Darwin Racecourse as a perfect example of the maddens of their thinking. Although the cry broke to the Federal Government, here they intend to spend $12M on a new grandstand for Darwin Racecourse which holds only three or so race meetings a year on the basis it will attract tourists. In his opinion these are not the tourists the top end needs, they should do more for the grey nomads rather than the pseudo rich elite.

Add to that the loss of the workers from the various fly in fly out monies which are now operational, these sites are now empty. Why not convert these into the new university rather than build a brand new facility. The infrastructure is there, the busses used to service the area. Surely less money would be required to refurbish the site rather that build something ne. It appears to him everything has to be new and they spend money accordingly. My straw poll is very strong, 100% of those spoken to agree.

The shrivelled prunes in the water are coaxed out and we hit the road back to town. We need to top up with provisions for tomorrow we head to Katherine for the Gorge evening dinner. Back at the caravan park I drop Robyn and Forbsy and I head to the local Woolworths (Silver Leader and Rosalie head off on their own as their Jeep also needs a fuel top up) via the servo which had the cheapest fuel we have seen in the area, a measly 140.3 cents per litre. That was another thing my grouchy friend at Wangi was riled about, until recently the price of fuel was 178+ per litre until an independent came in and created a price war. The guys we purchased fuel from this evening were a saviour as far as my friend was concerned.

Tonight, being our last in Darwin, was designated fish night. All the fish we had caught on Wednesday was filleted by Forbsy. I provided the egg and breadcrumbs, spiced with lemon pepper, the girls did salads and Silver Leader cooked on the barbeque. There was way too much but we ate it all. You cant beat fresh fish on the barbeque.

Tomorrow, we don’t need a ridiculously early start, but we do need to be boarding the cruiser in Katherine at 4.00pm. We don’t want to be tardy in our leaving so we set for 9.00am. Its only 3 hours to Katherine but there might be places to see on the way, although we would have thought we have covered many in our day trips from here.