queensland: boodjamulla national park

Boodjamulla is the largest national park in Queensland. It's a remote spot not far from the Northern Territory border and can be accessed by a number of rugged and rough roads including the Savannah Way. We decided to take the sealed road heading north from Cloncurry, past Burke and Wills Roadhouse. 

From Corella Dam we travelled as far a freecamp listed in Camps 8, Firey Creek. Unfortunately we were the only ones parked by the side of this remote road but we found a spot right in by the dry creek bed. The kids played elaborate games with sticks and rocks and dirt before we ate dinner and fell in to bed. 

At some point in the evening J and I heard a truck stop not far from us and my mind suddenly went in to overdrive, thinking the worst. We had the genny running but kicked that off and turned the lights off too. It was a good twenty minutes before the truck took off. In retrospect it was silly to worry but it is such a remote part of the world that you just wouldn't want trouble anywhere. 

From Firey Creek it was an easy run to Gregory Downs. There are varying reports about the condition of the road in to Boodjamulla but we found it pretty good considering much of it was corrugated dirt. We couldn't get in to the national park so we booked three nights at Adele's Grove before deciding to stay four. From Adele's Grove it's a short drive to the gorges and walks in the National Park, and Riversleigh Fossil Site. The Grove is also a beautiful place to stay. We had a camp right next to the water hole - with rope swing and pontoon for the kids and big kids. 

We met another really lovely family from the Yarra Valley and we were all sad when they had to leave the following day. But we made the most of our time together. The kids played good fairies and bad fairies with long fighting sticks while we sat back and shared food stories over beer. Once the kids were down we tried a new dessert which they'd seen a French couple make. We wrapped banana with pieces of chocolate and marshmallows in al foil and cooked them on the coals of the fire. Delicious - and totally naughty! See you sometime the Yarra Smiths!

J and B went out to Riversleigh one morning - the largest fossil site of mammals in the world. This crocodile fossil has been dated as being 20 million years old. 

The fossil of a giant bird's leg bone aside fossilised rocks which would have been contained in its gut for digestion. 

The following morning J was up and gone early taking his boat up the gorgeous gorges in the national park. About eight years ago J was deliberating over buying the Valley sea kayak when I finally said that if he didn't go and buy one for himself then I'd go and buy him one. His boat has taken him so many places and given him freedom (& even taken him to work a coupe, of times a week) and I don't think he's ever regretted the purchase. There was no way that the boat was going in storage when we headed off on our trip around Australia. J had to carry his kayak through sections and was lucky to ride the rapids in a part of the gorge at Boodjamulla. (videos are on Instagram and Facebook). 

The following day hit 36°c and it felt hot but not hot, hot. We've acclimatised. We took the kids to the rock art site out at Boodjamulla National Park. There are a number of short walks there but we chose the Wild Dog walk which was best for the kids. It was anticlimactic when we arrived at the Cascades to find them full of algae. We promptly returned, hot and tired to the water hole by the canoes. That water was welcome relief!

northern territory: kayaking katherine gorge

I've never been that enthused about flat water kayaking. I love the dynamic nature of the ocean - the swell, waves and surge around the rocks. That intoxicating smell of salt spray. However, one hears so much praise about Katherine Gorge and years ago when I was there with my younger brother we weren't able to get up the river so I decided to ask my wife for some time off to paddle up the gorge this time!

I left early in the morning before the kids got up for breakfast. I thought I'd be up at sunrise every morning of this year long trip but soon realised that despite my expectations of a year long 'holiday' the full-time work of 'growing up' a young family rapidly brought me back to reality. My wife and I stay up late, grasping onto the limited time alone together, only to be left tired the next morning. Just like home!

Once I slid into the mirror smooth green/brown water of Nitmiluk and began stroking upstream I began drifting into the world of quiet, solitude, reflection and solace. It was easy to get into a rhythm and as usual found my mind skipping from topic to topic, family-work-that was a freshwater croc-holidays-family-white breasted sea eagle-work-holidays-getting hot now-family...

The gorge is large and there are some beautiful sandy spits and banks with signs warning to keep clear of these fragile freshwater crocodile nesting sites. The first gorge seems to be the widest and as one gets further upstream the narrower it becomes. The towering orange brick-like cliffs looming in over me reminded me of the narrow canals in Amsterdam lined by leaning Dutch terrace houses!

Where I could I kept to the shady side seeking relief from the tropical sun. The first gorge ends at a rocky barrier that would produce some fun rapids when the water level was higher. There was very little flow when we were there so I dragged my kayak (the beauty of plastic!) up the middle and took advantage of a couple of pools that I could paddle across.

I paddled up to the third gorge which is as far as one is allowed to go on a day permit. It wasn't until I was there that I thought that I'd missed a good opportunity to do another solo overnighter (Steep Point being the last) by camping further up the gorge for a night.

Instead I sat on some rocks under a battered, almost horizontal paperbark tree between the second and third gorges and listened to the gurgling of Nitmiluk as it passed by me on its long course to the ocean. It was a wonderful moment and thoughts came to me of my late father who would have so enjoyed following our journey. I deliberately hadn't brought a camera with me this time and took in the scene before me intending to sketch it from memory when the kids were next drawing.

The thought of freshly ground coffee urged me back to our roaming home and we were also heading into Katherine town to catch up with some friends, another travelling family, who were overtaking us on their way east too. 

As I paddled back downstream it was the vibrant and varied colours of the gorge walls that stuck in my mind. Colour has been a recurring feature in my memories of this trip. The colours of northern Australia in particular really gets to me. Some of the most pleasurable moments have been driving the vast distances in this wondrous country of ours. Through the deep reds and oranges of the many Pilbara & Kimberley ranges spotted with light green and brown spinifex hummocks, through open savannah and Gulf country with miles of dry native grasses, oranges, purples, browns, yellows, the thin white trunks of the eucalypts with their dark green foliage stamped against the deep blue sky. We've had hours and hours of this and I love it.

northern territory: katherine gorge

We were at Katherine Gorge for two nights but arriving late in the afternoon we only had the time to cool off in the pool before dinner and bed. 

The lovely Matt and Georgia adopted B & P as regulars to their camper. The couple are just finishing their university degrees and are travelling the country for eight months. What a brilliant thing to be doing at their age. They made our stay a lot simpler by reading and playing with the kids while we packed and cleaned up. Thanks guys! I hope one day, when you travel again with your family some young'ns will help you out! 

J was up early and in his kayak on the water (after buying his permit). He paddled up through to Gorge Number Three and while he did forget his camera he did make this sketch on his return. These special moments in the quiet in the kayak are relished! (see the following post - J's blog post about his kayak up the gorge.)

The kids and I were slow going in the morning. Little A had his brekky and then explored every inch of dirt in the campground until he was coated in it. He had a ball! We had a swim in the pool then headed back in to Katherine to meet friends at Katherine Springs. We'd met this family at Sandy Cape, WA and travelled with them to Geraldton and Kalbarri and it was nice to see familiar faces although they're looking somewhat tanned after five weeks in Bali! 

northern territory: kakadu, gagadju, ubirr

The lookout provides an insanely awesome vantage point across the wetlands at Ubirr and in to Arnhem Land. We took our picnic dinner up the hill to watch the sun set on another day. 

B said that he always does the "thumbs up" so people know it's a good place to visit. 

After our very disrupted sleep the night before we bunkered down with sticky tape across the window seals. We bombed the inside of the van with a generous spray of mortein in the afternoon which we usually avoid but bought especially. It was a huge relief when we all woke up after sunrise the next morning. 

The free ranger-lead talks throughout Kakadu provide insight in to this sacred place. There's also weaving workshops run by local women. We caught up with Ranger Glen at Ubirr and joined him on a 2.5 hour long visit to the art sites. 

In addition to the history of the ancient artworks we heard a lot about the hard work that the community put in to have Gagadju recognised as a national park and eventually as a World Heritage Area. 

A figure with swollen limbs is depicted in the image below. It is said that swollen joints are a common side affect on the body after exposure to radioactive material. You may or may not remember that the Jabiru Uranium Mine is located in Jabiru. This image is thousands of years old. 

This is the place where locals say the Rainbow Serpent left its imprint in the rock after creating the surrounding parts of Kakadu. It may not be convincing to everyone but right across the world people have creation stories. 

western australia: karijini national park, circular pool

Circular Pool was the third walk we did with the six children. They grabbed their walking sticks and rock hopped like the confident rock climbers they are! We did have a tough time reigning some of them in though!

The walk takes you down the side of the gorge in to the valley between Fern Pool, Fortescue Falls and Circular Gorge.  Unlike the other walks most of the walk is along huge flat rock shelves. I can imagine the waters flooding over the edges and down in to the gorge during the wet season. It must be unbelievable!

The Pilbara had some rain a fortnight ago and their was still plenty of water about.

Circular Pool is surrounded by high cliffs and was a cold treat after a warm walk. The kids weren't in the water long but they explored the surrounding rock environment.

Photos courtesy of Vivid Imaging. 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vivid-Imaging/151857428215142

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