Day 55: On our way to Mary River RH, we decide to unhitch the caravan at a camping area and do the 24kms of 4WD into Maguk.

This road is one of the worst. Lots of corrugations, of every size! When we reach the bush camp, the road turns into a track and we must engage the 4WD 2H.

The track winds us through the bush, through creek crossings and sand patches...but it's all in a days work for the Colorado.

It's tough going, but when we finally get there, it's only 800m to the plunge pool, which we are all thankful for.

And what a plunge pool! A great waterhole completely encased in rock, and very deep. We swim to the waterfall, but it's the bombing and jumping from the rock walls that have us all quickening our pulse.

The boys push higher and higher, and by the time we need to leave we are jumping from a ledge about 13ft high (except Riley of course, he is jumping from his 5ft ledge). I only jump the once (took that much courage), but the boys continue to jump over and over with absolutely no fear!

Craig and I have to drag the boys from this awesome spot...now voted No.1, as we have more of Kakadu to see.

After re-hitching, we arrive at Mary River RH, dump the van, have lunch and head for our final Kakadu destination...Gunlom.

Now, we know it's the long weekend, but we are in the middle of nowhere...or so we thought!

After travelling another horrendous road, we arrive at Gunlom, and are confronted with hundreds of tents, camper trailers and their vehicles.

So you can only imagine what we saw when we walked the 200m to the waterhole...hundreds of people! And kids! The northern territorians like to bush camp.

As you can imagine, we didn't enjoy this spot as much as others, and we were confounded the whole time with how many people there were.

So after a swim, we decided to walk to the lookout and waterholes at the top of the waterfall. Well, join the queue!

An excruciating 1.2kms later (and a possible heart-attack for me!), I stagger to the top (the boys of course have RUN ahead). I am dying and have difficulty enjoying the view, but what a sight...I didn't realise I was meant to bring a pool pony?!

People, lots of much younger, fitter people. And they have dragged up everything: eskys, blowup toys, lilos, even a double blowup mattress (bags not taking that back down the mountain!). And as far as I can see, there is not a wet bar up here, yet they all have a XXXX Gold in their hands, like they're at the local.

Well we hang here a while, and slowly the people stagger back down the mountain....like goats, single file. We get to enjoy the place with fewer people, and admire the view from the top of the falls, out over the national park.

The only saving grace, as we walk slowly, slowly, like a human chain, down the mountain, is that we are not staying.

So long people...

F x