Day 1
We packed up early at our hotel as we wanted to get to the airport to use the lounge for breakfast before our 9.45 “scheduled” flight. First task was to get the hire car filled with petrol and drop it off.
There was quite a crowd at check-in as there had obviously been some netball tournament in Alice over the weekend and all the teams and support staff were heading back to Darwin. We managed to sneek in before them and as our check-in person handed us our flight details his comment of “you are scheduled to leave from Gate 9 at 9.45am – but …. ” immediately sounded alarm bells. He told us that the flight in from Darwin had turned around mid flight so was headed back to Darwin to sort out the issue and then set out for Alice again.
So we went to the lounge not knowing when we would be taking off at that stage – but giving us plenty of time for breakfast. As things progressed, breakfast turned into morning tea, then lunch and then afternoon tea, with our departure time first revised to 11.30am, then 3.00pm and finally 3.50pm. It was actually about 4.00pm as we taxied down the runway !
This created a little problem as once we got to Darwin, we were picking up our car and driving to our accommodation near Litchfield National Park – between 90 minutes and 2 hours away depending on which way we went. Our accommodation was self catering so there was also the need for a “shopping stop” along the way to collect our provisions for our 2 nights there. So our 4.00pm departures from Alice meant a likely 6.00pm arrival in Darwin and essentailly an 8.00pm or later arrival in Litchfield.
We arrived a little ahead of schedule in Darwin and collected our luggage and car as quickly as possible. By the time we were on the road, it was nearly sunset as we pulled in to the carpark of the nearby Coles. We collected our groceries but – shock and horror – the Liquorland was closed already ! 😲😲 It was May Day weekend public holiday ! So we set off again and managed to find another shopping centre with an open BWS store so “late happy hour” was back on the cards 😂😂
Finally we were heading in the right direction toward Litchfield – but it was now dark and the prospect of driving country roads in the dark, dodging kangaroos and other wildlife was upon us ! As I said above, there were 2 options to get to our accommodation with the “long way” an extra half hour. The “short way” supposedly had an unsealed section so we thought the long way was a safer option. Luckily Adrienne contacted the owners at our accommodation and they advised the shorter option was now fine. So eventually, about 8.20pm, we were finally in Rakula, at Hideway Litchfield !
Our next two nights were on the edge of the National Park at a property currently with two “shipping container houses” – with a third now under construction. They were designed and built by the owners two sons. One is a single level and ours is “two story” with the containers in an “L shape” with the top one supported on the extended side with metal posts. They are a little quirky – you have to go outside and up external stairs to get to the top level – bit quite brilliant and well fitted out. Decks have been added around the containers and sitting in the middle of pristine bushland is just magnificent ! The upstairs bedroom is like literally sleeping amongst the trees !
We made ourselves a late dinner on the BBQ as we sipped a few wines on the deck. Then we sat and stared at the thousands of stars in the clear skies above us – a satisfying end to what had otherwise been a long day !
Day 2
We woke to the sunrise coming in our windows and the birds chirpping in the tree tops beside us. After bacon & eggs on the BBQ, we started off to see the numerous waterfalls and waterholes which are a highlight of this area.
First stop was Wangi Falls. It is not open for swimming at present but is usually a large and popular area for visitors with various picnic areas and boardwalks through and around the waterhole. We wandered around for a bit then went back to the car to drive to the next stop.
This was Buley Rockholes – a network of cascading rockpools and very popular with swimmers. We had a dip in one of the pools before walking along the interconnecting tracks and back to the car.
Nearby is Florence Falls. These falls feed a large waterhole – down 160 steps – but the location is spectacular. After descending the steps, the last part of the walk crosses the stream exiting the waterhole and the almost tropical bush holds hundreds of bats chirping away in the treetops. We had another swim here and by this stage bus tours were starting to get into the area and numbers were multiplying !
Although the area is pretty much “crocodile free” there are still a few warning signs around and certain areas are closed until they are sure there is no crocodile danger. There are also plenty of “no climbing” and ” no jumping off ledges” signs – but there is always one – or 3 in this case !
Refreshed after our swim, we climbed back up the stairs to the carpark and drove further on to find the Magnetic Termite Mounds. It is an area unique to northern Australia and these are basically enormous magnetic compasses – with their thin edges pointing north-south and broad backs facing east-west. This aspect thermo-regulates the mounds for the magnetic termites inside, who prefer high humidity and stable temperatures. Some of the mounds are up to 100 years old.
We then decided to drive on to the town of Bachelor about 40km further on. We would have come that way had we taken the “long way” the previous night. Not really much in Bachelor though – there is a large Indigenous Studies Institute but otherwise the next biggest thing looks to be the Litchfield Hotel/Service Station/Cafe/Bottle Shop/Casino/And Anything Else. We managed to get a nice bread roll and cold drink for lunch so that’s all that mattered.
Heading back to Litchfield Hideaway, we stopped off at Tolmar Falls – not a swimming hole but there is a viewing platform for the falls as well as the vast floodplains out to the west.
Back to the cabin and it was time to relax with a drink and snacks on our top deck and take in the lovely surroundings. Unfortunately our view became a bit smokey in the distance as local hazard reduction burning was going on – seems to be everywhere around the Top End (just like home apparently !).
We also took a stroll further along from our cabin to have a stickybeak at the new one they are currently building. They have the containers section and supports linked in place and they are starting on the “extras” and it was interesting to see how they were adding certain parts when comparing to our “finished product”. When we spoke to the owner when we arrived he indicated they hoped to have it ready for bookings by August.
A final BBQ for dinner, accompanied by the local insect population, and our time at Litchfield was just about done. We sat and stared at the sky full of stars again before turning in.
Day 3
We packed up after breakfast ready to move on to Kakadu National Park – about 3 and a half hours drive. We made a quick stop at “The Cascades”, another swimming area only 5 minutes down the road where there are the “Upper” and “Lower” Cascades. We decided to do the shorter walk to the “Lower” section but overall they are similar to the Buley Rockholes we visited yesterday. Another lovely spot – very quiet when we got there (though we weren’t actually swimming today) but walking back we passed a number of people headed there with towels in hand !
We drove back the way we had arrived but this time we could actually see where we were going in the daylight ! Not a lot of traffic on the roads really and most of our drive today was fairly monotonous low growth interspersed with a few little towns/settlements.
Out toward Kakadu the wide flood plains and wetlands added a new perspective. Just at the entrance to the Park there was a little picnic area so we stopped to have some sandwiches we had made befor we left this morning. Very hot outside today – about 35 degrees – but we managed to find a table in the shade.
About 80 kms out from our destination at Jabiru, I started to make some calculation on our petrol supply. The guage had earlier shown almost a third full and with the distance we were travelling it looked to be plenty. All of a sudden, it looked a lot lower ! Not wanting to raise alarm bells at this point, I started fiddling with the dashboard dials to try and find the fuel range indicator. When I found it, it showed a range of 70 km so our 80 km destination was looking a bit out of reach !🤔
We drove on and once the range hit zero with about 8 kms to go I figured that wasn’t too long a walk and indicated to Adrienne, in those immortal words, “we (may) have a problem” ! Adrienne hastily pulled out the manual from the glovebox which indicated the “low fuel” light should mean approx 100 kms left so the “range indicator” must have been totally out of whack ! We safely arrived at the petrol station in Jabiru and my reputation remains intact 🙄😂
Re-fuelled, we made our way to the famous Kakadu “Crocodile Hotel” which, like many old crocodiles, now looks like it has been through a few too many battles and very much the worse for wear ! Our room was comfortable enough for one night but the 80’s (?) decor is very tired/in need of repair and requiring a lot of maintenance. When we went to bed, we needed to call for maintenance to turn the overhead fan light off as the remote wouldn’t work ! He had to reset the lights to get it to turn off !
Thankfully we weren’t spending much time in our room. After checking-in and a brief refresh, we headed about 50kms away to Cooinda to do the Yellow Water boat cruise on the billabong and wetlands. The tour along branches of the billabong showcases many birds who are just starting the migration back to the area for the season. Whistling ducks and magpie geese are the most abundant. Eagles can be seen hovering searching for prey – there were a pair of white bellied sea eagles (the 2nd largest bird of prey in Australia) and also plenty of crocodiles ! It was an excellent tour and finished with the sun setting over the horizon as we returned to the dock.
We then had another “night drive” – the 50km back to Jabiru and had a late dinner in the restaurant. Just as well, as all the tour bus groups were just finishing as we arrived, but luckily we had made a reservation just in case. Staff again were run off their feet – they have basically adopted the approach to “apologise for the wait” as their first greeting when they serve you ! Adrienne reckons one of the “table clearers” looked about 12 years old and making up the numbers !
Dinner was fine – we both had a nice piece of barramundi – and we headed back to our room through the raucous screeching of the thousands – and I mean thousands ! – of cockatoos in the treetops in the belly of the crocodile (the inner courtyard). So much for birds quietening down after sunset ! These were almost deafening and the ground below was covered in feathers and bird doo-doo – such a mess. The noise continued intermitently during the night and at dawn again reached a crescendo as they took off for the day !
Day 4
We were after an early start anyway so after an early breakfast we were again on our way, backtracking toward Cooinda to visit the Nourlangie Rock. The area is known for its World Heritage listed rock art of the Bininj people and how the rocky outcrop provided a place of shelter, food and culture back 20,000 years. The art is quite stunning, including the “Lightning Man”. We walked through the main 1.5km loop circuit to visit various “galleries” and take in the lookouts of the surrounding area.
Back in the car, we then had quite a trek back toward Darwin. This really backtracked the path we had come in so no real new scenery – though I did manage to spot a few wallabies along the side of the road and at one point where they had been control burning, a dingo prowling through the bush.
About noon we arrived back at the Adelaide River where we were booked on the “Original Jumping Crocodile Cruise”. After a quick sandwich for lunch, we boarded our barge for a ride up the river with “Connie” our captain and croc feeder. We hadn’t gone far up the river when the first cros appeared for a feed – and then it was almost a procession as the various crocs – Lucious Lucy, Agro, Nifty, Anne Marie, Lefty and others – circled regularly for their chance at a feed !
On the way back, Connie also provided a feed to the Whistling Kites who live in the nearby trees along the river and they whistled and swooped to pick up her offerings. Quite a sight !
With our boat tour complete, we headed to our last stop for this tour – Darwin. We chose to stay on the Darwin Waterfront area at the Adina Apartments. It is a lovely spot and looks to be a relatively new area. There is parkland at our doorstep and various swimming options along the waterfront and a “skybridge” attached to the building next door gives quite quick access to the town centre and Civic precinct.
An icon of Darwin is Mindil Beach markets which were on so we headed straight there when they opened and arrived just after 4pm. We strolled the stalls, had a couple of refereshing drinks and watched the competing entertainment – the Australian Army Band at one end and the electric didgeridoo player at the other end.
We settled on a curry for dinner from the vast varieties on offer , then watched the sun go down with the thousands congregated on and around the beachfront.
After the sun set we headed back to our hotel with a bottle of wine for a nightcap sitting on our balcony overlooking the waterfront .
Day 5
We set out to explore a bit of Darwin for our last day. We grabbed a light breakfast at the Coffee Club around the corner and then drove to the Museum and Art Gallery of Northern Territory (MAGNT). We were particularly interested in the “Cyclone Tracy” exhibit which depicted its effect on the before, during and after aspects of life in Darwin.
After a bit of time at the Museum, we drove on through the suburb of Fannie Bay, one of the more elite by the look of the houses overlooking the water, and out to East Point where the Darwin Military Museum is located. It depicts and highlights, of course, the main impact on Australia of WWII – the various Japanese bombing raids which commenced in February 1942 only a few months after that “day which will live in infamy” – the bombing of Pearl Harbour in Hawaii.
It is really a hidden part of Australia’s history as at the time the bombing was downplayed dramatically to lesson concern amongst the population in the “populated cities” of the lower states. Through until November 1943 there were 64 bombing attacks on Darwin and nearly 100 attacks overall across northern Australia, stretching from around Broome in the west to Townsville in the east.
We then stopped for a walk around Dudley Point which has views across the bay to the main Darwin “business district” and then drove back into and through town and back to our Hotel.
Before another walk back into town, we had a casual lunch at the craft brew pub overlooking the wave pool – a popular spot. We then walked back up into town – made easy via the “Skybridge” which goes from the top of the building next door to our hotel – accessed vis elevator from the walkway below” – and then deposits you near the Civic Park area. We walked up to the ruins of the old town hall. The old stone building, originally “Palmerston Town Hall” (Darwin’s original name), was built in 1883 but was no match for Cyclone Tracy and was mostly destroyed. The ruins were stabilised in 1980 and now stand as a testament to the might and fury of Cyclone Tracy.
Walking back toward the hotel, we visited the old WWII Oil Tunnels. These were built after most of the above ground oil storage tanks on Stokes Hill were destroyed in the early Japanese air-raids. But by the time peace was declared in 1945 only 6 of the planned 11 had been completed. The two on show were opened to the public in 1992 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first bombing in 1942.
We took it easy and caught up on our blogs before heading out for our final dinner at Curve – the restaurant attached to the hotel. As we usually do, we recounted our journey with great pleasure, a few drinks and tasty dinner of fresh barramundi and stuffed chicken.
Day 6
Today we head home after a great tour – our “Pandemic Tour”. We worked out this two weeks has probably been the longest “Australian” holiday we have ever had ! It’s really been a mixture of our “road trips” and “quick tours” and has been a lot of fun. We have just really “enjoyed the moments” 🥂
Our 11.00am checkout worked really well with our 1.00pm flight and the parkland near the hotel was hosting Mother’s Day Markets so after breakfast at the Coffee Club again we wandered around the stalls for a bit before heading back to our hotel to pack up and checkout – off to Sydney and home !
See you next time !