Darwin to Alice Springs
16th Jan to 24th Jan
Temp: Hot and humid in Darwin. Cyclones watch and big lightning shows. Hot hot hot in Alice – like 40plus. Ouch…
Likes: Kings Canyon, climbing up and jumping off stuff, crocodiles, Didgeridoo playing, Devils Marbles
Hates: Flies, more flies, Flies, Breaking down, the heat!

Okay lots here so I have split it up – so ignore/read as you please…

DARWIN
“G’day mate! Welcome to Darwin, Northern Territory. Its wet season here, didn’t you know?” Does it look like I knew you mug?!! That was how the conversation went in my first few days in Australia as the heavens opened outside. Darwin at this time is very, very humid and around 30 degrees - that signals big thunderstorms. As I had a few days before my trip down to the Red Centre I visited the National Museum with some friends from the hostel. We got to see the huge stuffed ‘Sweetheart,’ a 6m long crocodile caught and ‘accidently’ drowned some years back, and an exhibition on Cyclone Tracey which hit Darwin in 1974 taking out 60% of the town. A small room lets you listen to the cyclone as if you were in it and pictures all around show the devastation that it caused. Its quite amazing to see what power nature has. After a long walk back to town because of a lack of buses, we decided to go fishing on the Wharf. On the way the weather started to turn and the locals told us the town was on Cyclone watch. We persevered and picked up a 6pack of lager to chill with while we dreamed of catching a big shark on a crab line – hmmmm….hindsight is a beautiful thing. Also in hindsight, sitting on a pier out to the deep blue sea when we were informed that the town was on Cyclone watch was not the best idea given high winds and a hell of a lot of rain was about to hit!! We got soaked and returned with nothing but a ‘told you so from the locals.’ Oops!

KAKADU N.P
The next 7days were on a trip to Kakadu National Park, a long drive to Alice Springs and visiting Uluru aka Ayers Rock. Carl, the most laid back guide I have ever met, picked us up at 6am – a time which became all too familiar over the next week. He promised us some ‘snapping handbags,’ a lot of waterfalls and a meet with some local Aboriginal’s amongst other things. We met the Aboriginal tribe who told us a little about their history. Apparently it is custom for them to spit water onto your head when you enter their land – I’m not sure if this is true or if they just wanted to see what stupid tourists would let them do. “Today we will spit on their head, tomorrow we will see if they let us kick them in the balls!!” We got to have a go on a didgeridoo and throw some spears for our troubles though which was cool.

Next stop was the Adelaide River which was extremely high due to the rains they have had this year – we were lucky enough to spot 2 crocs – a hungry male and a female guarding her nest. It was fantastic to see them in the wild and I couldn’t believe the size of them when they were jumping out of the water to eat the buffalo we had hanging from a stick. The second half of the day was written off when our s*** bus decided to break down in the middle of nowhere. No phone signal, no internet, no air-con – NOTHING - just us and the flies. We were there for 4hrs in the baking heat, before a message we sent with a passer by got through and they sent a tow truck. Finally, a heavy thunderstorm hit and we got soaked whilst jumping around in the rain – at least the flies f**ked off. Love it!! Oh and then the new bus leaked!! Carl took us to a site famous for Aboriginal paintings: “Some people say these are 50,000 years old, some say older, some say younger.” Thanks Carl - very informative! The next day it was blue skies all day and we hit some swimming holes in the park, waterfall upon waterfall with great stuff to climb up and jump off. Fantastic fun!!

KAKADU TO ALICE SPRINGS
We had a long drive down to Alice Springs stopping at Katherine Gorge to go swimming at yet another waterfall (there is a good shot of me mid-air), Mataranka Spring (heated by hot underground limestone rocks), Daly Waters Pub (with its vast collection of weird belongings from passers by – I left a note on a 10 rupee note – that’s all I had!), multiple gas stations where I got to hold a snake, and the Devils Marbles. The Marbles were formed over millions of years when a volcano cooled, cracked and the rounded into small balls of rock – it looks like a giant game of Marbles from above – hence the name. Devil comes from the fact that 100s of livestock were lost here when travelling through due to a poisonous plant – unknown back then. Of course there was more stuff to climb, so I did and got some good photos.

KINGS CANYON AND ULURU
The last 2 days were at Kings Canyon and Uluru. Kings Canyon was unbearably hot at 1pm. In the middle of the canyon the temperature reading was 49.2 degrees, and at the top due to the rock absorbing heat throughout the day it can reach 70-80 degrees. Due to this we were not allowed up to trek around the top – but keen for a challenge I decided to take on the aptly named ‘Heart-Attack-Hill’ and get up there for at least a look. Despite the heat the reward was nothing short of spectacular - see pics and I’m sure you will agree.

The day of Uluru was a 4am start for sunrise to see the rock change colour as the sun comes out (not quite as spectacular as I imagined), but our guide’s Didgeridoo music made me feel like we were watching it 20,000 years ago. The tip of the rock is all that protrudes the earth – 348metres – the other 4-6km is below the earth – brilliant. After a 10km walk around it, we ventured over to Kata Tjuta – a similar formation, but a congregation of lots of rocks rather than just one. That was just as breathtaking.

So that’s it – a pretty eventful and sight-seeing packed week or so. There are loads more pics up so if you have time then take a look!!

I hope your all well back home – drop me a mail if you get a bored minute – it will be good to hear what you guys are up to.

Missing you all loads.

Will