Diary of our Darwin trip. Ballarat to Darwin.
3.07.12. TUESDAY.
10pm, Neil & Viv picked us up, we are all heading to Tullamarine Airport for a 1.45am, 4.07.2012, flight to Darwin, arrive 5.45am.
DAY 1. 4.07.12. WEDNESDAY.
Arrived at Busy Beaver around midnight, dropped off car, they drove us to the airport, checked luggage in all good with the weight, the Browns were heavier than us, amazing! After a coffee we made our way to our waiting lounge, bording gate 11, departed at 2.05am.
We are in seats 12ABCD, the only bloody seats that don't recline, buggar.
Arrived Darwin 6am good smooth flight, taxi to McDonalds for breakfast and to kill a couple of hours, another taxi to Apollo / Cheapa Campa. All went good for Viv & Neil, but for Loz n Woz not so good, our Campa was old and filthy, we weren't happy, after talking to the staff and making a call to our young son, guess who got a much better campa? Us. Thanks Cull.
Drove around Darwin to get our bearing, checked out Cullen Bay, very very nice indeed. Also found were Mindil Beach Sunset Market will be on Thursday evening. Bought supplies (groceries) then checked into Aurora Shady Glen Tourist Park for the next 3 nights. Had tea with Viv n Neil and a couple of drinks, retiring nackered. 9.30pm. All of us have been awake since, 3.07.12 Tuesday morning, nite nite. Quote of the day LITTLE BIG TOWN by Neil Brown.
DAY 2. 5.07.12. THURSDAY.
Good nights sleep, bacon and eggs for breaky, yum yum. Into Darwin to the information centre, booked a Big Wheels on Water for tomorrow Wednesday 10am, should be fun fun fun. Also booked our Spectacular Jumping Crocodile Cruise for Saturday 7.07.12 @ 1pm, on the Adelaide River, also booked a Scenic Flight over Kakadu for Sunday 8.07.12 @ 1pm, that will be awesome, and booked a Fishing Trip for Neil n Woz to go on, Monday 9.07.12 @ 6am from Jabiru, Kakadu Fishing Tours.
Checked out Parliament House and the Darwin Law Courts, had lunch in the mall, then off to the Darwin waterfront saw the wave lagoon, the wharf area. Now chilling out waiting for the Mindil Beach Sunset Market @ 5pm to start.
The market was great stacks of stalls selling all sorts of things and even more food stalls, lots and lots of people. Sunset was fantastic, lots of pics, watched a band before heading back to our van, nite.
DAY 3. 6.07.12. FRIDAY.
Banana on toast for breaky was great. Big Wheels on Water was fantastic, they took us to Miki Beach where we climbed a small hill to look over the bay to Darwin, great views then on to Mandorah the west end of the harbour to have lunch, a walk out the pier more pics, just a beautiful day. Arrived back around 2.30pm.
Now off to the Museum for the rest of the day. On the way home, picked up some groceries, for tomorrow we leave for Kakadu. Cheers......
DAY 4. 7.07.12. SATURDAY.
On our way to Kakadu, first stop Howard Springs, a bit of construction going on but we saw fish and fed the turtles. Neil had some sardines with him, they loved it. A quick drive through Humpty Doo not much there, then on to Fogg Dam, no fog, but there was lots of bird life, pics taken. Then on to the Spectacular Jumping Crocodile Cruise, absolutely brilliant, crocs swam out to met us as soon as the cruise started, awesome to see and yes they did jump for us fantastic pics, birds were very active catching thrown meat in mid air just great to witness, more pics. A quick stop at Windows on the Wetlands great views over the wetlands. On the road again, the Bark Hut Inn, is tonights stop over they have camp sites, after a swim in the pool we all felt much better, oh by the way every day has been around 30c, today it got to 33.5c so we needed the swim to cool down. After a Carbonara prepared by Viv n Loz and a chat we will hit the sack for tomorrow is another big day......
DAY 5. 8.07.12. SUNDAY.
On the road first stop, Kakadu National Park sign, lots of pics of us in front of. Then on to Jabiru for our flight over Kakadu, one hour in the sky of pure excellence, just brilliant we all loved it, lots of video and pictures taken of course, will be great too look back on. Unfortunately our fishing trip was not available, Neil n Woz are very disappointed.
On our way to Cooinda and checked in to a little oasis of a caravan park, lots of people here on holidays, very full. After a swim we cooked up lamb chops and salad for tea, also booked a river cruise, Yellow River Sunset Cruise, for tomorrow at 4.30pm for 2 hours on the wetlands, should be good.
DAY 6. 9.07.12. MONDAY.
First stop today was Nourlangie were we saw Aboriginal Art Sites going back thousands of years, then a walk up to the lookout were the view where to die for. (Photos Taken of Course) stopped at a billabong took the best pics including a wild pig. Then on to Ubirr where we had lunch and visited East Alligator River, and yes there were Crocs there, 4 to be precise, magic stuff, pics of a spill way and guys fishing there, the water runs one way but when the tides comes in it runs the other way and we saw it change, fantastic. On too more art work and another lookout with even better views, Neil n Woz hiked it to the very top. Heading back to our 4.30 wetlands cruise at Yellow Water, just made it 5 min to spare, the cruise was spectacular, saw about a dozen crocs, heaps of bird life and great commentary, more pics and sunset pics, back to our site for tea, a great day indeed.
DAY 7. 10.07.12. TUESDAY.
Up and about, first stop The Aboriginal Culture Centre very interesting reading their history. Then on to Pine Creek on the way we stopped at the Kakadu entrance sign again the other one leaving Kakadu. Reached Pine Creek had lunch then went up to their lookout, great views. Then on to Katherine, 90km, no powered sites available, so we are power free tonight in Low Level Caravan Park, Big 4, nice park very nice pool, Loz n Woz went in. Did some more groceries and laundry then back to our vans to relax.
DAY 8. 11.07.12. WEDNESDAY.
Asked if we could have powered site for tonight and we got two side by side. Off to Katherine Gorge for our 2 hour cruise, just breath takingly, fantastic, superb loads of pics and video taken you have to be here to see it. Back to our van for lunch. Of to Cutta Cutta Caves 30km south of Katherine, but when we got there we missed the last tour of the day, buggar. Back to the park to relax and had a swim till dark, chatted to a bloke about his trip, very interesting, then back to our vans for tea. Mongolian Beef stir fry Viv n Loz whipped up, full tummies all round, nite.
DAY 9. 12.07.12. THURSDAY.
Early start on the road 7.45am first stop Kathrine Hot Springs just for a look. Then on to Edith Falls beautiful spot Woz went for a swim, a bit of a hike there and back but we made it. Stopped at Adelaide River for lunch. Heading to our next stop Litchfield Tourist Park, just out of Litchfield National Park. Checked in to the park asked for two sites together they said pick any sites you like, easy enough. Still early, so we headed off into Litchfield National Park, first stop the Magnetic Termite Mounds, one was 5m tall, then on to Buley Rockhole, 100m to the water easy, went for a swim spent about an hour there, great to cool down, pics taken. Neil n Woz checked out a walking track. Off again, too Florence Falls, a bit of a walk down to the swim area, Woz n Neil went for another swim, two water falls, very nice. Sun is setting so heading back to tourist park for tea, chat and sleep...
DAY 10. 13.07.12. FRIDAY.
Up and on the road, we are going to the furthermost thing first and work our way back. First stop Bamboo Creek Tin Mine, very interesting how they did things back then in 1906. On to The Cascades, Neil n Woz went for a 1.7km nature walk to get there, not much to see on the way, but when we got there the water was superb cascading down, little waterfalls and waterholes everywhere, had a swim, we then walked in and around water and rocks all the way back to the lower water holes and back to the car park, we were abit to long, girls not happy, oh well, what we saw was worth it.
Back in the vans, on to Wangi Falls the highlight of the park, had lunch, heaps of cars, caravans, vans, buses and people, the water and falls was just the best we all went in swimming, swam to the waterfall the pressure of the water hitting you was unreal, walked up to the top, saw where the water came from, lots of pics taken of course, stayed for around 3.5 hours, really enjoyed ourselves.
Then on to Tolmer Falls, just a viewing platform no swimming, the falls and views were fantastic. On to our next stop Tabletop Swamp, great bird life, pics taken. Last stop, The Litchfield National Park sign, lots of pics with us and our vans, good stuff. Back for tea, we are all nackered again.
DAY 11. 14.07.12. SATURDAY.
On the road 9.40am heading back to Darwin, checked in to Aurora Shady Glen Tourist Park for our last 4 nights, couldn't get side by side but close enough, very hard to get a site, very popular this time of year. A bite to eat, then off to the WWII Oil Storage Tunnels, they were great to see, lots of photos to look at of the WWII diggers amazing what they did and went through. On too check out the War Memorial.
Then a walk around town, girls looked in shops, Woz needed to unload his camera SD card, found a Internet cafe and got it done. A few groceries to last the remaining days, until tomorrow cheers...
DAY 12. 15.07.12. SUNDAY.
Today we are off to Territory Wildlife Park, which is just out of Darwin in Berry Springs, 400 hectares to cover so a big day, not as many animals as we thought but still good. Back to Darwin and off to the Sunday night Mindil Beach Sunset Market, the girls had a good look around and bought goodies, had tea there, took photos of the sunset, then Woz n Neil watched a band that we enjoyed that much we bought their cd, back to our vans it's 9.30pm. Saw a snake in our caravan park, just behind Neil n Viv van, about 1200mm long it went in a garden a couple of metres from their van, good luck guys, sleep well.
DAY 13. 16.07.12. MONDAY.
A bit of a sleep in day, today. Took the girls into Darwin to do a bit of shopping and the boys went for a drive around the coastal areas of the city and finally to the Skycity Casino Darwin for a bit of a look around, had a schooner, then off to pick the girls up. We went for a drive to Palmerston for a drive, and on the way back we stopped off at Hidden Valley Raceway, where the Sprintcars (Northline Speedway) and the V8 Supercars race, cool to see the complex, took pics, (Cullen).
DAY 14. 17.07.12. TUESDAY.
Today we are off to Crocodylus Park, it was the best, we proberly did one of the best things last, we went on a tour with Tate a Croc handler / keeper, we saw Eric a 4.7m long Croc massive as well as stacks of other Crocs of all sizes, we even got too hold a young Croc, pics taken of course, we saw turtles, lizards, buffalo, dingos, and a lazy lion!!!
Then off to the Military Museum, a lot of reading and very interesting. Took photos of the city across the bay. Fish n Chips for tea while we watched the sunset for the last time. Back to the vans to chill out for the evening, cheers…….…
DAY 15. 18.07.12. WEDNESDAY.
First thing today is to give our vans a bit of a tidy up and clean, done. Ôff for a drive to the Mandorah Hotel to kill some time before we fly home, had lunch and a drink, great views over to the city of Darwin, then a drive back, just in time to drop our Apollo Vans off, all went well this time! Called a cab and off to the airport for our 6.15pm flight home. Smooth flight back home, a bit of a shock to the system, leaving Darwin 32c arriving Melbourne 6c, might take a day or two to get use to, back to the real world, we all had a fantastic time, cheers......