Kakadu trail - Gunlom waterhole

This is another delightful camping area, this time in Kakadu with approximately 60kms of dirt road to reach it but the end is worth it. There is a big plunge pool at the bottom on the waterfall with a steep rocky climb to the top of the cliff which then opens up into another rockpool with another waterfall.

This photo is of the pool at the bottom of the cliff close to the campground and apparently it is was at this spot in the film Crocodile Dundee where Linda Koslowski was attacked by a crocodile only to be rescued by Paul Hogan. There are no saltwater crocodiles in this lovely spot.

We just keep seeing more and more wonderful spots – it is never ending. We are not becoming blase in spite of all the beauty OZ keeps throwing at us.

This is the waterhole at the top of the cliff that you see in the first photo. It is a 1 km very steep climb with this delightful pool at the top.

This wonderful shot was further up along the river above the top waterfall, taken by Andrew as he ventured further along, leaving me wallowing in the pool. It is just a river shot but isn’t it beautiful? How can you not resist including it on this blog?

I hope our blog followers are not getting tired of water, water, everywhere on the blog. Remember it is hot where we are. Andrew's preference would be more mountains. But he has been around Australia quite a few times and it is my first time.

Edith Falls

Another very beautiful place we visited was Edith Falls, some 50kms from Katherine. It is also in the Nitmiluk NP and there is a nice campground with one swimming hole on the doorstep and another swimming hole at the top waterfall 1km further on. The campground is reasonably priced as well as being quite a nice one.

We swam in both waterholes of course (the top photo shows Andrew swimming in the bottom pool) and thought the top waterhole was yet again one of the nicest we visited. The setting of the swimming with the waterfall in the background has something magical about it, especially after a 1km reasonably steep walk to it. The waterfalls at the Atherton Tablelands are probably the most beautiful but due to the weather not being all that warm we did not swim there and swimming in a pretty setting is something special – for us anyway.

Katherine River - Nitmiluk Gorge

The splendid Nitmiluk Gorge has come a little too soon for us after Lawn Hill. It is much more commercial here at Katherine and so many more people too. It is also the NT school holidays at the moment and they get four weeks in the NT! It means you have to fight for space in the caravan parks in Katherine the town. But at the gorge itself there is a splendid privately owned caravan park where we had no difficulty getting a space. There is the river itself to swim in as well as a lovely swimming pool in the campground. The swimming pools at campgrounds are all very attractive and are very welcome to weary travellers after driving long distances or walking steep climbs.

The gorges of Lawn Hill and Katherine of course beg comparison. There are 13 gorges in total here at Kathrine and we did a 4 hour boat cruise going to 3 gorges. All run parallel to each other with side gorges at right angles. Our guide said it was similar to a mango when you cut it into squares, the arrangement of the gorges and their relationships to each other. Perhaps a helicopter ride would do the most justice to them all but the price is $75 for an 8 minute ride with costs escalating by the number of gorges covered was not worth it we thought.

We favour the Lawn Hill gorge ourselves. I like the narrowness of the gorge there and the waterfalls. There are waterfalls here too but only in the wet season.

Our followers can compare the photos and decide for yourselves.

It is very beautiful however. Maybe we are getting spoilt.

Another shot of oen of the gorges.

And yet another.

Goodbye Qld - Hullo NT

Max and Priscilla crossing the O'Shannassy River in Old. I thought it would make a good photo.

Distances in the Northern Territory are pretty long between towns and scenic spots - 1ookms is nothing in the Territory. But this one is worth driving to - the thermal pool at Mataranka. It is free and popular.

Another view showing the pandanus palms surroudning the pool. The water is about 34C. Pleasant, but not as hot as the thermal pools at Inott Hot Springs we visited recently in Qld.

Another Riszko award for a good pie. It was very good. I took a photo of this one on account of its size. The last one left at lunch time today.

Lawn Hill - continued

Another photo of the waterfalls at the end of the lower gorge where we swam. We were joined on the rock by a fairly good sized saw toothed Gulf turtle, but as we don't have a water-proof camera it has to just live in our memories.

Another view of the cliffs on the gorge.

This photo is of the river along Adel's Grove where we stayed. It is 10kms from Lawn Hill and people drive there every dayfrom the Grove.

We canoed both on the gorge and in this river. We saw a 2.5 metre fresh water croc sunbathing on a log as we rowed on the river - they don't hurt you, only eat fish. Once again, no camera on hand.

Water relaxation on the river.

We are now off to the Northern Territory and so is this blog. We say a fond farewell to Qld, which is tourist friendly and full of good facilities.

*Lawn Hill (Boodjamulla) National Park* - a must see

Lawn Hill NP is one of Queensland’s most scenic national parks. It is situated in the remote north-west highlands of Qld, the park features spectacular gorge country, sandstone ranges, rivers and World Heritage fossils at Riversleigh.

Lawn Hill Gorge is formed by the Lawn Hill Creek which is fed by numerous freshwater springs from the limestone plateau to the west. The magnitude of the sandstone cliffs lining the gorge, its beautiful emerald waters make it a visual delight. It serves as an oasis, as the drive to and from the area is long and arid. The waters, being far from the coast and being freshwater mean that while freshwater crocodiles live there it is safe to swim. Freshwater crocs are very and small and narrow jawed, eat only fish and are shy. All these factors make them no danger to humans.

Hiring canoes $20 per hour on the gorges and $10 an hour on the river is the thing to do and it is a magnificent experience. One gorge is higher than the other and one has to drag one’s canoe a little distance from one gorge to the other.

This is a long view of one of the gorges. Isn't it magnificent?

This photo shows the lower and upper gorges from the Indirra Lookout on the walk above the gorges.

Mackellar's words - spot on

Karumba – outback by the sea. This is the description on the welcoming plaque for Karumba. It is a true description of this rather pleasing town on the Gulf of Carpentaria. This is the only opportunity to see and feel the sea while crossing the Gulf. Fishermen come here in droves as the prawns and barramundi are legendary. Lovely, good sized cooked prawns cost $12 per kg at Raptis Bros and boy are they nice. As is the fish and chips at Ash’s Café at the Point.

There is a small but good arts and crafts market held just across the road from Ash’s Café every Sunday and it is a delightful place to stroll around on a Sunday morning by the Gulf waters. Photo above demonstrates.

This is a face on view of the waters of the Gulf.

The drive here was long, hot and dry. The photo above shows the landscape on the way to the Gulf, miles and miles of it, but it was all bitumen. But driving through the outback after all the wonderful sights we have seen and much more to come makes me think how wonderful this country is and I am quoting Dorothea Mackellar here:

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror -
The wide brown land for me!

This road trip has made me fall in love with Australia all over again. It’s vastness and amazing variety is astonishing.