Rowdyroadtrip: November 2012

November 2012

Billabongs and Dusty Thongs

Kakadu is one of those magnificent places that you hear and see so much about and yet, despite all the hype, it still manages to exceed all your expectations. From the dancing brolgas and mesmerising Aboriginal Art to lovely floating paddocks of lilypads and breathtaking escarpments and waterfalls, it is an incredible place.

Oh yeah, and of course the hunt for the elusive Barramundi continues. At Cahill's crossing it was really cool to watch the big crocs come right up to the causeway with their giant mouths agape waiting for a fish, or some silly fisherman, to be swept into their jaws.

Rockhoppers at sunset at our first Kakadu campsite at Merl.

Hunter art at Ubirr on the edge of Arnhem Land. Art was also used to show the foods hunted in great, almost x-ray-like, detail. Clearly they were more successful in catching Barramundi than Paul!

Some of the stories are quite forthright. This one tells of a boy being turned into a crocodile after sleeping with his sister.

The lookout at the Ubirr Rock-art site.

Classic Kakadu wetland with Magpie geese, herons, egrets and whistling ducks framed by a dramatic escarpment rich with rock art and caves which have been home to Aborigines for thousands of years.

No Jumping Allowed! The official Craig family portrait.....after some really hot walks and a near-mutiny by the kids, we spent a couple of days doing the `resort thing' to refresh.

How about another bushwalk kids????

I'm flying, not jumping.

The infinity pool at the top of Gunlom Falls in Kakadu....the reward of a beautiful, early morning climb to the top of the falls.

But beauty has its dangers....(refer to `The Bad' below)

Like looking at an oil painting - the morning light brings out the best of Kakadu

Riley and Amon buddy up. The start of a great friendship between the Craig family and Sharon, Ant, Amon and Astrid that will take us all the way to the Eclipse Festival north of Cairns.

Bath-time in the warm plunge pool at the bottom of Gunlom Falls.

The Good: Discovering we still had the travel bug and were happy to climb back into the camper after our relaxing stay with all the comforts in Darwin.
The Bad: Landing so hard on my butt at the top of Gunlom Falls that I had to sit on Nikita's pillow pet all the way along the bumpy Savannah Way.
The Ugly: Washing with 30 cane toads beneath a shower fashioned out of a plastic coke bottle with holes in it at the not-quite-5-star Limmen Fishing Camp.

The Savannah Way

This scenic bush highway took us from Kakadu to Cairns through the rugged rangeland and savannah forest of the Gulf of Carpentaria. In places such as Limmen National Park it rivalled the majesty of the Kimberley's Gibb River Road.

Fishing for bloody barra, then for something completely different....more fishing

Got one! Not a barra, but a nice mangrove jack. Now if this looks like fun, here's a recount of one of Paul's fishing expeditions:

With sweat clinging to him like an oil slick in the stinking hot and steamy conditions, Paul spies the perfect barra spot but soon discovers thongs were a bad choice of footwear. Pushing through long, dry, snakey grass he finds himself sliding down a bank of scorching sand toward crocodile-rich waters. Luckily (perhaps not) his fishing line gets caught in the bushes. After a small detangling session he is ready, his nice new lure dangles tantalisingly. He lines up and casts......straight into a tree. Has a laugh to stop from crying and heads back up the bank. His new hat catches on a tree and he has to hook his fishing bag around a branch and lean back to retrieve it, trying not to fall into the croc-infested billabong. He gets the hat, turns around and walks into a bush of ten-thousand sticky seeds which take 15-minutes to remove from his special new fishing shirt. After a severe attack from a swarm of March flies he then seizes up from cramp, probably due to dehydration. But does our fearless fisherman give up? Oh, no...eight hours later...still no bloody barra.

The lost city in Limmen National Park - fantastic, giant sandstone spires rising up from the middle of nowhere.

The gallery grows in the Craig camper trailer.

With two blown tyres and propped on its axles, this Toyota near Borroloola wasn't going anywhere.....

But its owners clearly wanted everyone to know this temporarily abandoned ute wasn't for the taking....language warning!

With Paul finally conviced that barramundi are imaginery creatures from the Dreamtime, he abandons the hunt allowing us to simply sit back and admire billabong beauty.

He wasn't happy about it though.

The build up intensifies...and the heat with it.

Hell's Gate - about halfway between Darwin and Cairns on the Savannah Way. Nikita's pillow pet is quite flattened by now.

Not at all Hellish. We came across a surprisingly scenic rugged landscape with Aboriginal art tucked away in ancient caves just off the Savannah Way

What the???

Bags not washing the car.

Late September

After an amazing few days in the remote west Kimberley, we ventured along the more travelled path to Mitchell Falls and many of the lovely gorges and ranges along the Gibb River Road.

Despite being late in the season, there was still plenty of water around...but the family was not quite sure how they would undertake this river crossing with Leanne posing on the bull-bar.

It's nice to have a gate boy.

Kicking back - picnic on the banks of the King Edward River on our way to the Mitchell Plateau

Classic Kimberley bushland - the road grader fairy was with us again on this is usually difficult track into Mitchell Falls.

Follow me...no follow me...but it's this way. Craig family bushwalks are often challenged by multiple 'leaders'.

More impressive Aboriginal rock art on the 2-hour walk to Mitchell Falls.

Made it to the iconic Mitchell Falls - a major destination point for the Rowdy Roadtrippers.

Ahh - so relaxing

Arghh - not so relaxing....but heaps of fun

Such a stunning place - but don't swim down the bottom - there are salties down there.

Now what are you kids so excited about??

Our chariot awaits....the cheats way back to camp. Well deserved after a big day's walking and swimming.

Not very excited!!

Co-pilot Riley

Amazing views from the air - shame the flight only lasted eight minutes!

The Barra hunt begins...Pentecost River off the Gibb River Road in the East Kimberley.

The Good: The bath-like water temperature that even Kez and Kaz would swim in! At 30C or so, it was often cooler out of the water than in.

The Bad: Not telling Nikita it was her birthday on the Gibb River road, as there aren't too many toy/party/cake shops around....and she's a party girl!

The Ugly: The sticky heat and bugs. As the mercury and humidity rose so did the skin ailments...march fly, sand fly and mozzie bites complemented by heat rashes and strange fungal growths in uncomfortable places.

Pentecost River and El Questro Station

One of Australia's great road trips

Drowning not waving! Swimming with the maniacs in Moonshine Gorge at El Questro Station.

Okay everybody - hold your breath - the Colorado takes a dive

The kids were obviously

greatly concerned!

Big boab

We could have stayed in Zebedee Springs at El Questro Station for a week - delicious

Here's our sturdy vessel and we have the river to ourselves - now the hunt is on (again) for the elusive barramundi in the beautiful Chamberlain Gorge.

The dumbest, deafest Barramundi that is!! Riley was determined to try out his new lure, but it's fair to say silent, stealthy fishing is not quite his style.