Pack up day went a bit slower this morning. For some reason it didn't flow and we kept forgetting things and having to back track. Very frustrating and you'd think after all this time we would have it down pat! Maybe it was the bloody feral donkeys going off their nut last night that made us a bit tired?
Anyway, we finally got on the road after saying a quick goodbye to Jim and Jill and headed off to Katherine to get some last minute supplies. As we drove in, the Katherine l remember wasn't what l was seeing. This town looked clean and bigger than l recalled, much nicer than Alice. Maybe we should have come and worked here instead or as well as their was a bit of industry here as well that Marty could have worked in. Oh well, maybe on the next lap around we could come back? For some reason something was definitely in the air cause Marty and l were a bit tense with one another. After a few heated words we went to the supermarket and managed to stock up without saying a word to one another, then we had our peanut butter sanga's in the car park whilst watching at least twenty wedge tailed eagles soar in the air above. At least it made the girls eat quicker as l told them hey were circling for food and could swoop down at anytime and grab their sanga's off them!! Lol....
On our way to Kakadu we had to turn off right to Pine Creek in hope of getting some grog. The bloody bottle shop in Katherine was shut all day and Marty was out of beer. Things were already tense so there was no way we were going to Kakadu for a week and Marty not having any beer!!! So we pulled up and Marty headed to Thr grog shop whilst the girls had a run around the park. The girls had a bit of cabin fever even though we had only been in the car for a few hours. They had a great time climbing the trees and playing chase with each other. This drive today was only meant to take until lunchtime, it was only 250km, but it felt like it was taking all day. We finally turned off and got to the entry gates of Kakadu, stopping at Gaymarr Interpretive Centre to pay the $50 park fees. The lady was very informative and highlighted all the must sees on a map for us. We made our way up the road a short way before turning right onto a corrugated dirt track that was leading us up to our camp site at Kambolgie. We were going to stay here for a few nights and check out the surrounds around here. The road was fairly corrugated and we travelled slow, putting our tyre pressures down on both the Nissan and the van. We finely pulled up at 3pm!! Now this was only meant to have taken us till lunchtime, not bloody 5.5hrs! Anyway, the camp grounds were big and well set up with great fire pits. This area was meant to be $10 per night but ended up free as the pay box had been tampered with so there was nowhere to put your fees. So the day had been long and slightly grumpy, but ended on a bonus with free camping! We set up, Marty got the fire going and the girls and l prepared Apricot Chicken in the camp oven to be cooked over the fire. whilst it was cooking the girls managed to get absolutely covered in dirt playing with the shovels, but oh well, your only a kid once right? Pommy washes were done after our delicious tea and we sat around the campfire toasting marshmallows watching a spectacular sunset, the sun so orange as it dropped below the horizon....

Bell Xxx