Day 12 Woody's dam to Gemtree Wilderness retreat

Well we woke fairly early but I was again in no hurry no get out of bed as it was my shout for a cuppa 

Ej was out of bed first and no wonder there was ice on his swag we noticed a little later on.

Not a car or truck past by our roadside bush camp just north of woody's dam between 530 pm and 9 am .

Toasted tomato and cheese wraps or sangas for brekky a quick pack up and again we were on the road hoping to reach Gemtree by 3 pm for a rest day.

Fairly uneventful driving on well graded tracks made for good time made on the track this morning and we called past our friends property namesake "ameroo" but the spelling may be off a tad and amazingly we had phone reception for a brief few minutes so a justified Facebook status update was made and some relatives notified of our existence just in case.

I couldn't believe how many general stores and homesteads had fuel and supplies out here , while I knew of a few aboriginal communities I guess I naively thought they came to Alice for supplies or just made do .

We crossed passed with 9 cars just between the Sandover and plenty highways today with a mix of state number plates around the Bundey river crossing which I was tentatively nervous about but with no reason to be as there was a fairly big diversion in place before Dairy downs which took us west a few Kms to a bend in the dry river bed and over the river in 3 easy sandy section with hardly any berries being applied, sorry Willem it appears they dudded us out of a little fun today.

A quick refuel by 2/3 of my spare jerry cans at Atukera bore and a short break about 1230 had me thinking a rolling bikkie and dip lunch in the car and maybe more at Gemtree in hopefully another hour .

A fair bit more traffic once we hit the plenty highway and we only took a slight detour to our digs for the next two nights here with Kate at Gemtree .

Very busy little general store and gem shop today but we were escorted to out powered campsite in due course.

Once setup we made haste for the washing machine (  2 loads !) and a shower each which were heated by a bush donkey setup which was pretty big but well deserved.

A small fire setup by our neighbours from kerang while I made curried snags and rice to warm our bellies on a fresh night again in the centre.

Spent awhile with the neighbours made for a good yarn or two with the kids dobbing me in for lighting our fire the night before with an aerosol can ( bad dad bad).

Well the embers have died down now so it's off to the sack for this black duck.

 

Day 11 Devils marbles to somewhere out bush?!!

Another chilly morning with the wind chill tempting me to stay in bed awhile , but luckily dash and the handbrake got  the sunrise photos over the devils marbles early .

Most oof the packed campsite was gone by 9 with only us stragglers leaving a little  later buut it was so peaceful not even any highway noise.

The kids enjoyed a play around the rock mounds and waved from high on a nearbyy boulder.

With no definite plan on where to stay , mainly because it was a 4wd track and who knew the road conditions ,maybe policemans station waterhole would be nice  .

We got some more pics of the Marbles from some other locations around the small reserve then headed north back p the Stuart hwy to the Binns track turnoff heading into the Davenport ranges , road conditions were fairly good i didnt even air down at first. 

There was little raffic out here i think three cars and 3 army trucks (2 tankers and 1 mack recmech from 6 engineers squadron from alice on their way bay from camp Brit a nearby at Wutunugurra a small aboriginal community after Epenarra apparently some sort of local initiative to  teah them to help themselves and looked like building better roads and infrastructure for themselves.

We passed through Kurundi station but being a weekend it wasnt open for fuel or supplies but that was fine we kept on  going , i didnt expect a shop out here in no mans land although Epenarra wasnt far from here i guess.

After Epenarra it wasnt too far to the policemans station waterhole a semi permanent source of water where a homestead and old tungsten mining settlement had once been.

Plenty of water here but man was it  cold between the windchill and water there was no swimming although the boys did try and i did put my feet in  brrrrrrr!

Lunch was had here mostly the flies on us lol but we had soup and toasted pita bread to warm our souls .

We relly should have camped here the niight and taken it easy but i was anxious to push on.

from here the road became basically a creek bed for another 80 kms  past Hatches creek the old poppet head and mine sight which says it closed in the 1960`s but looked far more recent .

We had an interesting run in with a few donkeys with  one tthat seemed t be dancing to the song on our car at the time , small things amuse small minds lol .

The track wound pass Frew river and eventually ouur turn off and a new graded road appeared but as yet unnamed on any map we seen exceptt that it was part of Binns tracke so we took it .

The pace quickened here so i gained momentum looking  for a mapped "bush camp" at the givn coordinates ths never eventuated  and we thought maybve at a cross roads ahead but no so we backtracked a km or so to no avail so we made or own bushcamp and soon setup just before dusk and had a simple meal and enjoyed a nice fire and got  on with charades as we had done countless times on our big lap , as i said small thiings small minds but it was a great family ritual of ours by now so we roll with it and the parents really admireed the kids collective arrangements and how they got on so well to  amuse us  .

The wind was kinder on us tonight but everyone  was in bed a little after nine with me tying  away with a glass of red around the fire being niice and cosy.

Tommorow ii must maintain a steady easy pace and setup earler to taske it all in .

We were heading to Gemtree with Cornna and I being keen on visiting the new caretakers we met via facebook  along with a few families.

Day 10 Top Springs to Devils Marbles NT

Generators running through the night doesnt bade well for a god night sleep but it wasnt too bad , it actually reminded us of a year ago at Bramwell staton whilst travelling Cape York.

The night was relatively warm compared to the last week.

We arose around 745 and slowly went about a  cuppa and toasties or crumpets for brekky and i filled the cruiser with one of the 3 jerries just in case.

We set off just before 10 along the Buchanan Highway bidding Top Springs farewell , it was s182 kms to the Stuart Highway 9km the northern end of Dunmarra .

Along the mornings drive we encountered 5 road trains loaded with NT cattle heading west which left stones and dust for miles to come , each time we pulled over to let them pass .

Today we also seen another lone dingo but plenty of young brahma playing chicken on the road jumping and bucking foolishly just efore ewe reached them unknowing if they may dart across in frron at the last minute which a few did.

The last part of the Buchanan highway was  relatively good for us  and we als crossed the Ghan railway line here too before arriving at Dunmarra a bit later on and enjoyed a house made pie for which they are fairly well known for (not too bad ).

Airing up here was no simple affair as i had planned as the said they had no air compressor but i seriously  doubt this and aired myself  from my own means but that didnt slow us down too much .

We called in on Renner Springs and hour or so later to grab an ice cream which dash had earned with $10 from some oldies the day before using manners .

Talking to a local coach driver from back home wwho wasnt too worried he may have done a head gasket on the coach headed for Darwin with some Glen Waverly students (glad its not my kids on it !)

Tenant Creek a little  further on provided a cheaper fuel stop and i literally rolled in there  by switching between sub aand main tanks using the fuel in the lines !! , i still had two full jerries but i lapsed on judgement and  scraped in barely. 

Bread milk and a snack at the supermarket a few blocks down the st we noticed the abstance of local aborigines hanging out in the bottle shops due to a police officer at every licensed premises on a fairlly new crackdown which hopefully works out as it can be bad for that , we have seen first hand how somew families can suffer because of such addictions . 

I had  the goal of  Devils Marbles Campground set in my sights another 130 kms down the road as our nightly freecamp and although t had been a large day driving we made it with no issues.

we made it here on sunset which was stunning with the boulders providing a perfect backdrop to the NT sky against the sunsettting.

Roast chicken and salad sangas was quick for us to  whip up so we had set up in short order and eaten soon ready for bed on a chilling fresh night although this campsite was brimming with southern travellers.

Iwas looking forward to sunrise and some good photos also a good look around as we had never stopped here on other trips  

Time for bed as a select few in my camper were already snoring lol

Day 9 Humbert track to Top Springs roadhouse

While it was a fairly late start we made relatively  good time along the track today , we didnt leave till ten  after a chat with neighbours who adored our well mannered kids (yeah im not sure it was mine either ! lol jk ),the veering on to the southern part of the Gregory National park along Humberts track named after Les Humbert an aboriginal stockman who laater became a TO here but grew up in this area around Bullita station .

I had the bikes mounted on the roof and anticipated no real issues with tree height , just the few small branches which moved around my path .

The going was good for the first 10 kms with the average just under 20 kph but some sections a mere crawl. The next 10 kms a bit slower again then the ten after that very slow.

We encountered no travellers at all on humbert track today which is good but not so much ifthings turned   pear shaped.

Humbert river crossing was uneventful but good fun regardless as was the whole track  to be honest.

We came across many Brahma and a few packs of wild broncos  even a scrawny lone dingo in the red scrub .

Lunch was snacks on the go unfortunately as we needed to hit Top Springs before dark.

A short detour then a short cut fixed a 5 km map error we had made where a new road had been cut on Mculloch station.

Soon we were passing  Yarralin and back  on the Buchanan highway and passing the large Victoria River Downs with some rather foolish backpackers swimming without a care for crocs on the crossing!

The road was fairly good but im sure our dust cloud carried for miles around.

Finally we arrived done and dusted at around 530 pm at Top Springs where we unpacked  enough to eat and sleep but we managed a few drinks in the pub which was great to settle the dust in our system  

Two bowls of chips and gravy were ordered  to accompany the ham and cheese burgers ej had made for us for tea.

Shower time was a real treat but at $25 for just  a plain site this was no Taj Mahal in the amenities.

Quiet play time and journals finished our night quite pleasantly.   

Day 7 Harriet creek to Bullita Station

Waking up earlyy seems to be the norm for  us adults (work routine i suspect) so we made the most of it with a quick cuppa then pack up and on the road before most of the campers had even left the shelter of campers and tents.

We had used the age old method of bribery of a maccas brekky to get everyone going early.

Hence to say we arrived at katherine an hour or so later where hungry mouths consumed wraps and mcmuffins and a much needed coffee by the adults .

I needed yet another uhf antenna (the 4th on our whole trip!) and a resitor to wire in to a led display for the dual battery setup then it was groceries which some things we desperately needed such as coffee and real milk .

On the way back to the car a aboriginal man was stalking us  for the $1 coin from our trolley which while we were unpaccking he noticed our guitar which we let him play and he did so with great enthusiasm and showed dash some pointers.

 

Too early for the bottlle shops  for adult drinks so we fueled up and headed for Timber Creek wiith a stop at the Noel Buntine memorial cairn dedicated to a local  trucking legend, then a final toilet stop at sullivans campground where we all lined up for the single toilet surrounded by nomads camping cheaply.

It was not long later that i was being reamed at the Timber Creek roadhouse topping up the main tank so we had a good range for off road driving in the Gregory National Park tracks.

60 kms later we were at the Bulita Homestead a fairly well kept reminder of yesteryear with the stockyards rebuilt in a replica of the  former station yards.

The campground was a short backtrack where we setup around 5ish and prepared chicken and pumpkin risotto which we ate aroound our rippa fire (the first one we had lit  thus far ).

Journals updated and a cuppa before bed we were all  eager for a good nights sleep.

 

Day 5 Gunlom falls to Gagadju Lodge

The Morning found the car and camper batteries both flat so we  thought  wwe might stay at the lodge to charge the battteries properly and make some electrical changes to the  van .

The pool was a welcome retreat when we got there a few hours  later as was lunch in the bistro.

i added a heavier duty lead with screw in engel plug to the camper for thhe newly aquired $150 arb fridge which was performing well overkill as a freezer  but we had food in the house freezer to use up and a kool pop was a real treat after a warm arvo walking .

A few odd and sods done and organised we chatted with our elderly camp companions next to us , he was a butcher from Tambo and had never been up this way before and was enjoying the NT lifestyle.

Dark was setting in as  our neighbours on the other side were just getting back frm Jim Jim Falls so were spent awhile with them , getting some prior advice on tomorrow's trip.

Tea was delicious but took far too long as we were all starving .

After tea the kids watched movies on laptops ,  i went for a much needed shower  and shave and the mrs had an early night .

The batteries were left charging all night and i awoke satisfied they were fully charged.  

Day 6 Jim Jim Falls

While we awoke early no one was keen on getting out of bed due to the dew and colder weather last night.

Campers had brekky and packed up our reasonably unset campsite then made our way to Yellow Water billabong where birdlife abounds as did plenty of fish below with Tarpon jumping in big numbers, what a beautiful area this was a cruise would have been an awesome top off.

then we headed for Jim Jim Falls some nearly two hours down the track.

We came across some honest backpackers who left their falcon station wagon near the jim jim rd turn off as it was a 4wd designated track  and the hire companies frown upon such ventures even though the rd in was fairly straighforward , but alas we were chock a block.

We left our camper at the jim jim falls campground and i was already regretting not staying there for the night as it was quite nice with clean amenities and hot showers $10 per adult with kids under 16 free .

I took the gamble and left the bikes on the roof for the 40 odd minute 4wd track in . The sandy soft parts now mostly covered in large calibre rocks to save the unwary unaired down tourist the embarrassment of being recovered .

It was was 1130 am  by  the time we got to  the parking area below the walk in to the falls, while the sign said 900 metres im sure it was over 1.3 km to the plunge pool at the bottom of the most picturesque falls i have seen to date in the NT.

We had all worn our shoes as advised by friends but Pippy forgot his so  thongs it was but this didnt slow the Aussie battler down one bit :)

We took the rocky boulder path fist to the Plunge pool below the falls but we werent keen on diving into the dary depths as the sun doesn't reach down the 200 metres below to us here   .

Drinks and nibbles consumed we headed back over the boulders looking foward to seeing any crocs but not today thankully.

The beach swim was as chilly as a mother in laws kiss in winter but we all made the effort  for a swim to cool down before the walk back , but we did enjoy a side show fromm a stereotypical yank  showing off in the antartic water.

The caravan park owner in Cooinda had told us of a few oldies being hiit by the shock of cold water on their body after a fairly strenuous walk  which contracts the arteries qickly with shock like symptons .

Some went home some did not .

We stopped for  a very late  lunch at the campgound and re-hitched the camper and spoke with the ranger over a cuppa listening to the good ol days when you could drive the nearlly full way to twin falls and take a esky load over to admire the falls a lot of people even swam there oblivious to salties below!

We didnt do Twin Falls but we know we should have but there will be a next time .

Back on the road out seemed to take an eternity probably as we were a little weary from the days activities.

We made it to Harriet Creek free camp by 5 ish and set up scantily but prompt and had soup and pita bread for an easy tea.

We had a quick  yak with a grey nomad revisting Darwin some 5 years after his time in the Army there, boy was he in for a shock ,half his luck .

As we were fnishing dishes some pommy backpackers arrived to quell the silence and lt a fire right in the middle of the track !!

A reasonably early night we had as yet more backpackers wandered in .

Day 4 Gunlom Falls

The slideshow  of  local bushfoods and TO`s (traditonal owners) with stories of their land the previous  night was low key but very informative and ranger mick done a good job on his solar powered (mf70zz battery !) laptop and projecta.

Dash was wrapt as he was trying to make a firetsick and spear earlier at camp and the slideshow told him how its was tradtionally made ,lookout wildlife dashmans coming for ya !

Early rise this morning as we were going on a guided walk to the top of  Gunlom Falls with Ranger Mick (helpful bloke a bt like a kiwi ben dark but a tad older!).

He explained to us the history of the area and some names that helped make this place what it is today both from a white persons perspective and a traditional owners view.

He went on to tell us about 2/3 of the way up  the steep incline about a  dutch backpacker in rented landcruiser who bypassed the seasonal closure  sign to stay at the  grounds who  became stranded when torrential rain fell for days in November a few years back and ended  up losing his car and sleeping on the toilet roof as floodwaters were over 6ft in the toilet block which is the highest point in the campground  luckily for him a random flyover off someone viewing waterfalls spotted hiiim waving frantically from the toilet block roof buut due to the trees the chopper couldnt pick him up sso he had to  swim through thhe probably now crocodile infested floodwater to the water tower 50 metres away.

obviously he made it but at a great expense of the written off rental cruiser , fines for rescue  ,finnes for vandalisiing  the toilet block and being in a restricted area.

The views  from the top are second to none with a highlight being the infinity pool at the toppwhich affords   views that appear to be on the edge of the world.

we enjoyed 3 hours swimming in the pools above the falls and exploring he gorges leading in to them, we narrowly missed a pic off a water monitor in fron of us .

the kids did a great job of walkiiing up then down the falls with shahla leading all  the way.

Dash and i walked to the Billabong and South Alligator river in the afternoon then we all caught up with some other victorian travelling families .

Roast chook and veggies for tea on thhe Webber was a great way to finish our big day.

I enjoyed a few bevvies with soome fellow campers around the fiire whiile the mrs attended  family matters with a sore daughter(fell over ) and a naughty son , lol just showing off for the other kids i guess.

Life seems to have found a good travelling rhythm  already . 

Day 8 Gregory/Judburra National Park;

The day started early agin wth me chomping at the bit to explore the park a bit up this end before trekking south down the humbert track .

The Road was closed into limestone gorge and the kids werent that keen on a two hour walk in then out plus the one hour loop around the gorrge without the exploration of any of the limestone cave systems.

As this may be open later in the year we may venture back this way for the stock route and Gorge.

We had a quick scout around the campground and nearby river then headed off to tackle the rocky limestone track called Tuwakam track which branches of the main track  in only a few kms from our campground and snaked its way 20.6 kms over to the Buchanan Highway .

Tyres aired down we ventured in with the first 10 kms fairly straightforward att abut 20 kms per hour but from then in it was 2-6 kms  per hour over limestone  large shale and very sharp rocks ready to slash the unwary eye on the track.

We spotted some cleanskin cattle mixed in with some shorthorns ,  a throwback from early pastoral days .

We crossed over bobs grave spring creek then out onto the Buchanan about 95 minutes later, i enjoyed every minute of it too !

We took a left here hoping to flck some lures for the elusive barra at Jasper Gorge 30 minutes into the most amazing escarpment in this area so far .

We eventually arrived at Bottle tree waterhole but nomads were set up for lunch so we did the same after looking around briefly  .

The water was too akward to get too with a rod for anymore than 1 person so we soon set off back to camp via Timber Creek but soon came across some stranded nomads in a motorhome fully  inflated tyres soon became the issue for them but we helped them refit another and air up so they could be o their way sooner , i think the tyre had simply popped the bead as the rim was fairly dinted from the rocky road they were on .

We turned just before Timber Creek back in to the National park and a quick tour of the Bullita homestead annd stockyards which reminded me so much of my grandmas house back in Bendigo.

Some 40 minutes later we were stoking the fire and an early tea in preperation for our ranger session at 630 pm.

the slideshows and talks are very good and informative for both us and the kids.

An hour later and a quick chat we cleaned up the dinner dishes as the kids wrote in the journals and had their ipod/ipad time before bed in the comfort of their swags  .

The night was only a little chilly but the fire was a very nice backdrop.

So ended day eight for the travelling filbey

Day 3 Douglas/Daly to Gunlom falls Kakadu

Another gorgeous night at Douglas hot springs with all the family in Bed at 9pm , we were all tuckered out after our  tea of tuna pasta and cleaning up (although we cheated with disposable plates).

We packed up around 9 ish and were off by 10 am heading a scenic way back to the stuart highway on on to Pine Creek for some cheapish fuel($168.9) and yet another bet one by daddy bear as to would this united fuel station be run by an Indian ?

We took the 70 odd km rd into Kakadu National park fee free as we were legally still Territorians ;).

Then the 37 km dusty corrugated rd into Gunlom Falls we we were set up by lunchtime with a quick feed of roast lamb and salad wraps .

Bathers donned and cameras at the ready we headed down to the plunge pool at the bottom of the falls where we submerged into the cold and clear water below .

Rock climbing and and jumping was taboo here so  the boys and I climbed a water logged tree growing near the edge and jumped for simple amusement with the go pro for evidence .

Swimming to a nearby ledge we found a cute looking frog as yet unidentified .

A bit more water play and fish spotting ( barra , catfish , archerfish and long toms ) and we headed back to camp to do some household chores of clothes washing while the kids either read a book or made a fire stick .

The ranger made his call for camp fees as we hung out the washing and told us of a story time picture taking place tonight on the grassed day use area at 730 that we are just about to head to after we finish our lamb and veg curry .

Another great day although its school holidays here so serenity of solitude isn't on the agenda just yet !

Day 2 Douglas hot springs

It was a beautiful night in the campgrounds at Douglas hot springs last night with the weather well within  acceptable parameters a day of about 30 overnight somewhere around 18-20 which a good portion was spent outside the camper talking , playing our newly acquired guitar and telling campfire yarns with the kids.

We awoke fairly early again and made the most of early ablutions and brekky before setting off for Butterfly gorge 17 km down the trk from camp on a 4wd only track .

Slowly we paced along ever mindful of my bike and kyak on the roof and arrived a few creek crossings later at the unmarked turnaround of the trail head to Butterfly gorge .

It became apparent fairly early on with some smoky embers and stumps on fire that not too many people had passed through here so soon after the wet season which had thrown some very large trees to great heights above us .

The track meandered along the billabong before the creek but the signs had fallen over in the fire and we took a few wrong turns before following the creek for a bit and rock scrambled to the beginning of the gorge but we were unwilling to cross the water at this stage.

Soon after a quick recycle we retraced our steps back to the signed track and found a previously unseen track sign and scrambled up to the top of the gorge then down in to the valley leading down to the gorge .

The water below was cool and refreshing and within minutes we were jumping from rocks from up high to the serene chilling waters below .

Three hours later we we had swam back down the gorge taking an easy path out avoiding any crocodiles (fresh ) If there was any still around !

Quite foolishly and unlike us we didn't take any refreshments , mainly owing to signs going walkabout at the start of the walk and surrounding area as to how long said walk may be ?

Two thirsty litres later we headed off past camp up the track and past the Douglas daly tourist park and on towards Oolloo crossing 40 Kms down the road .

We were all surprised at farming ventures in this part of the world such as grains ,sandalwood plantations and  melons of a few varieties.

The very steep newly constructed track down to the Daly river at Oolloo crossing was quite ominous and recent failed attempts from others at cahills crossing came to mind , but we weren't to cross here bothe because of not having a permit for the native land ahead and the fact that  the river was flowing hard and fast between 600mm to a metre high and looked like no one but a bulldozer had crossed since the end of the wet .

We retraced our deep bf Goodrich tyre tracks through the silty bull dust back up the incline and back toward the Douglas daly esplanade to further explore the river and campgrounds ahead .

I must have not been paying attention to overhanging branches after a look at a campsite on the river bend and soon was screaming a few choice words when my specialised camber 29er came back flipping of its Thule roof rack holder and down on to the track in two pieces .

Ahhhh shit.

All was good the track had come off its guide with the force of the branch and my wheel quick release had opened releasing my front wheel and hitting terra firma in a gut churning bouncing action .

A small buckle had appeared on the rear rim but it was still very much rideable .

Track relocated and camber mtb back on we were soon laughing ( well not really me !)about it .

A cold drink and some chips and gravy at the daly tourist park perked us up about out late lunch as we headed back to camp.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent in the thermal part of the Douglas river warming our weary bones .

Tuna pasta for tea seemed an easy fix and after a quick re org of the camper had the necessary items in hand and eating hot food soon after.

Reminder  to self I think we need to have headlamp led lights like the kids to assist after dark.

First day of part 2 travelling filbeys

Well we managed to pass the vacate  clean of  our rental in Bellamack Darwin with flying colours.

this and a few other things we had heard of rental nightmares was in our case unwarranted.

The  last two days in Howard  Springs caravan park were fairly shortlived for us mostly due to cleaning of the house , school commitments for the little ones and getting those all important tyres and services the cruiser neeed in preperation for stage two.

Well we arose early for a day off but we needed a final cull on some un needed  leftovers from day to day living to transform our lives to our much missed travelling liifestyle .

Car packed and temporary arrrangements made  for the new fridge in the camper whilst on the rd were made and a finally we were packed and ready to roll ,(much to the entertainment of the resident southern nomads surrounding the cabin we we had been for two days )

A quick brekky stop at maccas Coolalinga and a  post office call in we were on our way back  down the stuart once again.

Slow and steady was the pace today as we needed to be no where and in no hurry !

I couldnt resist stopping at reidy`s lure factory for a top up on some as yet unlucky fishing (for me at least).

Whilst the plan was two or so nights at gumlom falls in Kakadu i  decided  on a  detour to the Douglas Daly region where we set up camp in the reasonably priced camp ground ($15.40 per  family ) at  Douglas Hot Springs .

What a lovely place to refresh or relax in the thermal pools.

Several hours passed before we headed up the steps back to camp for some nibbles and a cold refreshment as is our want :) .

I write this now enjoying  a brief  splash back in the river and some quick shots for memory and the blog.

Tea is  approaching far too quickly and we both cant be bothered but we will rustle up some quick pasta i think and relax on our  first night back on the road.