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 .
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