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 .