{"id":102,"date":"2010-08-06T18:29:25","date_gmt":"2010-08-06T10:29:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mayl.id.au\/?page_id=102"},"modified":"2017-08-16T01:15:02","modified_gmt":"2017-08-15T17:15:02","slug":"darwin-pg-7","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mayl.id.au\/?page_id=102","title":{"rendered":"Darwin Pg 7"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wednesday 11th<\/sup> The phone made a noise which awoke us both, assuming that it was the alarm.\u00a0 Upon investigation it turned out to be a message that had come through from Daniel, and it was 4am!!\u00a0 He had sent it at about 9pm Perth time – 10:30 for us, so where it had been hanging out in the mean-time is anyone\u2019s guess.\u00a0 Probably because of the bad reception, we could only presume that the signal had not been strong enough until that point to find us.\u00a0 Now we were both wide awake an hour and a half early, so we did the shower\/toast routine at a very relaxed pace and went downstairs for 2 cuppas before waiting for the coach.<\/p>\n

We got talking to another younger couple while waiting and were quite making friends.\u00a0 Then the coach arrived, and for once we got excellent seats on the coach – directly behind the driver and next to our new friends, and off we went for more hotel pickups.\u00a0 At the next stop, along comes a guy with 2 walking sticks so David said \u201cCome on\u201d and we both scarpered up the back to allow the man the front seat.\u00a0 Bother!\u00a0 Then the next surprise, when we got to the coach office to pick up some folk from there we were told that everyone going to Katherine had to get off of this coach and on to another one because this one was going to Kakadu.\u00a0 Because we were at the back, we were the last off and ended up very close to the back of the next coach.\u00a0 Oh well.\u00a0 It did add a little frustration to the day really, because every time we stopped – having been warned well in advance that we were approaching a \u2018get off\u2019 – everyone in front idly got up and messed with everything on the luggage racks and stood around talking before getting off.\u00a0 One stop was only for 10 minutes so by the time we got to the front to get off we asked the driver if we should turn around and sit down again!\u00a0 He said no, it was 10 minutes after the last one got off.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know why these coaches don\u2019t have a back door as well like the city buses do.<\/p>\n

Anyway, that\u2019s beside the point and a small grumble on what was a lovely holiday.\u00a0 Of the 3 tours, if we were to do it all again, this is the one that we would not bother to do again.\u00a0 It\u2019s not really a reflection on the tour so much as the fact that we had so little time in Darwin itself.\u00a0 We never once saw the main shops open, because our only \u2018day off\u2019 was the Sunday.<\/p>\n

We travelled 750 kms that day, with only a few stops. We just drove and drove… and drove.\u00a0 Finally we reached a place called Adelaide River.\u00a0 This was the home of \u2018Charlie\u2019 the water buffalo out of Crocodile Dundee, so we said Hi to him and his mates and bought some junk food and drinks from the roadhouse.\u00a0 I loved the roadhouse.\u00a0 Inside, as well as the normal car what-nots and emergency food supplies for the locals was the \u2018bottle shop\u2019.<\/p>\n

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Bottle Shop Corner Closed<\/p><\/div>\n

One end of the little store was allocated to the bottle shop; there were a few shelves with the spirits on and 2 fridges for the beer – ordinary enough.\u00a0 But we couldn\u2019t get into it because it was sectioned off behind a lovely ornate, but dangerous looking, wrought iron fence and gate.\u00a0 It was not bottle shop opening hours!\u00a0 It was so cute.\u00a0 Behind the roadhouse was the local pub where some folk bought some real food for their breakfasts, and the staff loaded 2 huge eskies onto the coach which was our picnic lunches.<\/p>\n

As we were going out of the town site [if I dare call it that.\u00a0 We did see a couple of houses up a side street], we went across a bridge over the Adelaide River.\u00a0 The driver stopped \u00bd way across and showed us the \u2018wet season\u2019 bridge on our right.\u00a0 Anyone not stopping at the town site, at any time of the year, would use it, but in the wet season everyone must.\u00a0 This was only built 1 or 2 years ago, so before that the town was always cut off in the wet.\u00a0 He showed us the watermark on the bridge pylons from last season.\u00a0 If there had been another coach parked on our roof and we were standing on its roof we would probably still have been knee deep in water.\u00a0 It\u2019s more than I can imagine.\u00a0 Even with us being there at the end of the Dry, we were very surprised at how much water there was around.\u00a0 Far more than in Perth in Summer.<\/p>\n

Onwards, and quite a lot more miles, and we entered the boundaries of the Nitmiluk National Park.\u00a0 Since a lot of the land has been given back to the Traditional Owners, the Aboriginal names have been restored to the places instead of the Western names.\u00a0 Soon, we stopped at a caravan park in the back of beyond for our lunch break.\u00a0 It was around 1 o\u2019clock and we\u2019d been travelling fairly well the whole time since about 7 am.\u00a0 Speed limits are all \u2018open\u2019 [do what you like] up there on the outback roads, but the coaches are limited to doing 100 kph.<\/p>\n

This was Edith Falls.\u00a0 There was a bit of grass and some trees to sit in the shade of, although the best bit of grass\/shade had a sprinkler going on it so we couldn\u2019t sit there.\u00a0 We were hungry, so ate our picnic before going to look at the falls.\u00a0 This lunch had boiled egg and some sliced cold meat with coleslaw and green salad, followed by a box drink and some home made cake which was quite nice.\u00a0 Then we went down a short path to see the Falls.\u00a0 There was a pretty large water hole, probably 200m across, and roughly square.\u00a0 The Falls were at the other side and, although wide, were very short.\u00a0 Probably only 5m high for a guess.\u00a0 We watched some of the others swim, and then it was time to go back to the coach again.<\/p>\n

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ABOB (A Bloody Orange Bike)<\/p><\/div>\n

On the way, we saw a bright orange Harley Davidson bike, complete with trailer and sidecar.\u00a0 David stopped to admire it and we noticed the number plate.\u00a0 It said ABOB.\u00a0 Underneath in tiny writing it said \u2018A Bloody Orange Bike\u2019.<\/p>\n

More driving, but eventually we arrived at Katherine Gorge.\u00a0 Everybody off again, and a short wait for the cruise to be ready for us.\u00a0 We had a low, flat bottomed boat with ye olde orange or blue plastic chairs bolted to the floor, and a canopy overhead to keep the sun off.\u00a0 Our tour guide for the cruise was a part Aboriginal chap who was really gorgeous.\u00a0 Good looking, and a ready sense of humour, what more could you want?<\/p>\n

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Katherine Gorge Cruise<\/p><\/div>\n

He told us to watch out for crocodiles and bet a bottle of beer that no-one could see one before he did.\u00a0 He did not have to pay out.\u00a0 After a very few minutes, he stopped the boat and said that he\u2019d found us one.\u00a0 Don\u2019t ask me how – even after him pointing and describing the exact branch that was hanging into the water next to the crocodile, it still took me a few minutes to realise what I was looking at.\u00a0 David and I [sceptics] began to wonder if it was stuffed and he\u2019d nailed it to the branch, but as the boat began to move on, I saw it slip silently into the water.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s funny that it seems to be the supplementary things that are more story-worthy than the main attractions.\u00a0 It is very hard to describe the gorge itself.\u00a0 As the ad on the telly says \u2018You\u2019ll never never know if you never never go\u2019.\u00a0 The gorge walls were quite sheer and had some beautiful colours.\u00a0 There were some places that looked like caves and some places where you could see water running down.\u00a0 The bushes growing there had visible roots clinging to cracks in the rocks.\u00a0 Goodness knows what happens to them in the wet season.\u00a0 I took some photos, but they don\u2019t do it justice.\u00a0 We were told that there were 7[?] gorges, but didn\u2019t realise that these are all one; in our opinion.\u00a0 It\u2019s just that it takes a sharp turn and has a layer of rocks across between each.\u00a0 To us this would be just a turn, but to them it\u2019s another gorge.\u00a0 After a while, we came to the turn and had to get out of the boat because the rocks were too high in the water for the boat to cross.\u00a0 We then saw some Aboriginal rock art dating back about 30,000 years.\u00a0 Some of it was very high and the guide asked for ideas on how it got to be there.\u00a0 Some said that the river was higher then, some that the painter had climbed, and another that he\u2019d bungy jumped – very droll.\u00a0 No, surprise surprise, it wasn\u2019t David.<\/p>\n

Then we walked on, across more rocks, for about 100m, and got into another boat for the 2nd gorge.\u00a0 Last Wet Season had been the wettest on record, and at one point of the gorge, the water had been 30m higher than it was the day we were there.\u00a0 It was all very picturesque and tranquil.<\/p>\n

Now, I must say that the crocs in these waters were \u2018only\u2019 fresh water crocs and deemed safe.\u00a0 There had also been canoes for hire had one wanted – one did not!\u00a0 However, there were quite a few who were obviously happy to enjoy a gamble, and were not only in canoes, but out of them too.\u00a0 ie swimming around in the water!\u00a0 I am told that if you want to stop a freshie from biting, it is quite easy to hold its mouth shut, but if you want to stop a salty from biting, you put a stick in its mouth to hold it open.\u00a0 Their strengths lie in the opposite action.\u00a0 But wait… was it the other way around?<\/p>\n

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Katherine Gorge Cliffs<\/p><\/div>\n

The boat slowed, did a Uey [a U turn] and we were on the way back again.\u00a0 I wonder what it\u2019s like being a tour director???\u00a0 Then we had to get out of that boat, back across the rocks, into the first boat, back to the dock, and back into the coach without time for a toilet trip.\u00a0 We tried to give them up actually!\u00a0 It would certainly make life easier.\u00a0 The coach drove 10 metres, no I am NOT joking, and we all got off again to look in the \u2018tourists please buy this junk made in China\u2019 shop.\u00a0 I went to the loo with the other 5,000 people instead, to find no toilet roll and I didn\u2019t have a tissue.\u00a0 I wriggled frantically trying to \u2018shake\u2019 but it\u2019s not so effective for a girl!\u00a0 I had asked David to see if there was anything good in the shop while I was gone, but he said no.\u00a0 I bought a cold drink and we got back on the coach.<\/p>\n

We drove into a side street of Katherine Township to drop off a couple of passengers, and then we drove and drove… and drove.\u00a0 Back to Adelaide River to return the eskies and to have a buffet tea of Barramundi, chips and various salads.\u00a0 We were told that we had 40 mins and were not allowed to bring alcohol back on to the coach.\u00a0 The \u2018barra\u2019 was really beautiful and the salads nice enough, but when you eat as slowly as I do, and had been last off the coach, 40 mins ain\u2019t enough.\u00a0 So, when we got back on the coach I still had some of my potato salad wrapped up in a serviette and a small bottle of cider in my hand.\u00a0 I am not a rule-breaker by nature, but I won\u2019t be hurried with my food either!\u00a0 So we drove some more, a lot more, and eventually hit Darwin again.<\/p>\n

We got back to our hotel at 10pm, so it had been a very long day, and we had to get up again at 5:30 the next day for our last coach tour, and our last day in Darwin.<\/p>\n

Although we rather felt that our dinner venue had been forced on us, at least we had had some and could go straight to bed.\u00a0 Adelaide River had supplied 2 or 3 meals that day to the 50 people on board, so must do very nicely, thank you.\u00a0 Also, we\u2019d hardly walked at all that day and so our legs felt like they used to when we were young – last week.<\/p>\n

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Wednesday 11th The phone made a noise which awoke us both, assuming that it was the alarm.\u00a0 Upon investigation it turned out to be a message that had come through from Daniel, and it was 4am!!\u00a0 He had sent it … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":33,"menu_order":7,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-102","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mayl.id.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/102","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mayl.id.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mayl.id.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mayl.id.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mayl.id.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=102"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.mayl.id.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/102\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3794,"href":"https:\/\/www.mayl.id.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/102\/revisions\/3794"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mayl.id.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/33"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mayl.id.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=102"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}