Yesterday we left Palmerston and drove 1.5 hours to Labelle Downs Station. Let the Adventure begin!
Friends of Kellie work on this Station and we were privaledged to be invited to stay over this weekend. We had no idea of what was in store for us, but within two hours of our arrival we were catching Barra from one of the Billabongs on Labelle Downs Station. They have a large tourism boat moored on a large Billabong which was at our disposal with Tony as the tour guide. We all had a great time catching a Barra for the first time. Barramundi are a very exciting fish to catch, they fight hard, jumping out of the water as you try and get them into the boat, a great experience for all of us!
In the evening we took a 4wd and a quad down to the flood plains to look for feral Wild Pigs. The pigs are a huge pest on these big stations and so they are culled regularly. Once one was spotted the dog was released and the chase is on. It all happens very quickly, the dog is very efficient at catching and holding the pig and then Tony the pig hunter kills the pig. We got the quad bogged in the marshy conditions and came back very muddy, but it was a very unique experience for us.
This morning we went looking for Crocodiles in some of the Billabongs on the Station, but on the way we spotted a big Wild Boar. It was very exciting, Jock the dog jumped from the Ute at about 20km/h and chased it down while we raced after it in the Hilux Ute. Jock caught the Boar in mo time and he was holding onto the pig till we got there a few seconds later. I jumped from the back tray of the ute and grabbed the pigs hind leg being aware the big Boar could turn around and try and nail me with his tusks while Tony the pig hunter killed it quickly. Wow, talk about an adrenalin rush! It may seem cruel to some people but they are a feral pest and the dog only holds the pig's ear and Tony knows exactly where to kill it quickly, so it is very quick and humane! The dog wears a chest plate for protection, but he has heaps of big scars from the pig's tusks opening him up. Jock is a great hunting dog, but he is so placid when he's at home, he's a beautiful dog!
After this bit of excitement, we went looking for Crocs. There are so many Crocodiles in the Billabongs! In a waterway measuring approximately 150m x 30m there are about 15 Salties! One looked more than 4m long in this small waterway! On the surface it seemed like a very safe place to be, but in reality it's very dangerous to stand anywhere near the waters edge! We caught a few small Crocs with a lure but they are difficult to land, they really put up a fight, great fun! The one in the photo was fairly easy to catch because it was only a baby Saltie. It was heaps of fun, better than fishing. I hooked a few myself, but couldn't land any!
This afternoon we went to a private fresh water creek and cooled off with some drinks and snacks for a couple of hours, a great way to end a day!
It has been such an awesome experience here. Tony and Kath ensured that we had the time of our life! We're not sure what can match this experience of a lifetime but we'll continue to enjoy our awesome journey.

Matthew and Daniel couldn't get enough of it all here. It was great to see them so excited about experiencing life in the Territory!