Our Aussie Adventures

Well I was vindicated today, in that even using our unmolested, shop bought, heavy duty caravan power lead, the power continued to fail overnight. So, it wasn’t my handiwork that had caused the problems after all. It went out just as I was about to climb into bed, and we awoke this morning to find that the van was hot and stuffy, the cold air having given up again at some unknown point in time while we slept. I did notice one interesting fact however, in that the power meter hadn’t moved since we first plugged in yesterday, so I’m starting to think that it might have something to do with the meter. Even when we do have power being supplied to the van, the meter is decisively inactive which is a good thing for us. It will be hard to charge us for power if it appears as though we haven’t used any.

In any case, I was still furious and ready to wring someones neck as I stomped down to the office to voice my complaint. I barely kept a lid on my ire as I described our problem to the lady behind the desk. According to her, there ought to be no problem with the supply, and so it must be our fault for using too many appliances at the one time. I tried to explain to her that the electrical gear that we have running, I can run off of our generator, which provides a whole lot less power than ought to be supplied by the 15amp point to the van. She didn’t really want to listen, but sent one of her workers down to have a look. Not overly happy, but fearing that if I stayed I would say something that would at best, see me not being able to show my face back in the office, and at worst get us kicked out of the park, I headed back to the van.

The guy that came to have a look at it, had no idea, but was at least sympathetic with our quandary. In its present state, we can’t even go out for the day, for fear of the power going out and all of our food spoiling in the fridge. Not to mention the air conditioner switching off and the dogs overheating if we leave them behind. I was expecting to be told to move to an alternate site, a solution I was really not looking forward to, given how much time we had spent to set up our camp yesterday. The last thing I wanted was to have to go through all of that, all over again. Not to mention that despite not having a continuous supply of power, I am more than happy with the operation, or lack thereof, of the power meter.

Rather than packing up and moving to a new site, the suggested solution was to use our other dodgied up, home made power cable to plug into the outlet in the ensuite. Whilst this outlet is only rated to 10 amps, and not designed to provide the power required of a caravan, I’ll be happy enough if it works.

Plugging in to this point, did indeed provide power to the van, although it also caused the power meter to start spinning at an alarming rate, and begin counting how much power we were actually using. So that gives us a choice now. An unreliable, but unmetered source of power, or a metered and hopefully reliable source. We’ll just wait and see if this power point keeps shorting out or not first.

We then had another dilemma. We had been going to head into the centre of Darwin today for a look around, but we were now too concerned to leave the dogs behind for too long, worried that the power would fail again and leave them confined inside the stagnant heat of the van. Nor did we want to take them with us however, because then they would be stuck in the heat of the back of ‘The Beast’ anyway. It was a no win situation. After monitoring the power for an hour or so, and it running without further interruption, we decided we would leave the dogs, and go for a quick run into town.

As it turned out, being a public holiday, there was very little open anyway, so our planned look around Darwin will have to wait for another day. Instead, we headed straight for the central information centre, to see what brochures we could collect. As is the norm, we managed to pick up a nice bundle of information, before making a couple of stops to buy more food for dinner. Yep, as big an adventure we are undertaking, the mundane day to day tasks, such as grocery shopping, still need to be taken care of.

It was two hours after we left that we arrived back at the caravan, and were elated to find the airconditioner still pumping. The power had stayed on, so it was looking good.

Our latest strategy is to leave it running overnight, just to make sure. Then, while we are in residence, plug into the proper power supply, after which will naturally be obliged to run out to re-set the breaker occasionally. This is of course purely for the protection of the park, as we don’t want to damage their lower amperage circuits. The fact that the correct supply is not turning the meter is purely a bonus. When we do go out, and overnight, we will run off of the ensuite power, to ensure a reliable, continuous power supply. It’s been running successfully all day now, so I am hoping that our problem has been rectified.

With that sorted, we kicked back for the remainder of the day, trying to make a bit of an action plan for our time here in Darwin. There is so much to see and do, and we don’t want to leave any stone unturned.

Cooking with gas, in an effort to save power.

Until next time, stay safe, have fun and don’t forget to write.

We were on a mission from the outset this morning. Despite being self proclaimed sunset people, rather than sunrise folks, we were up well before the sun had even began to show its golden orb above the tree lined horizon. It was 5:55AM when the alarm sounded, and not long after that I was dancing about in the pre-dawn cold, packing up the hoses, while Bec prepared us some breakfast and readied the inside of the van for travel.

With a three hour trip north to get to Darwin, I was still concerned that a site at one of the few pet friendly van parks in town might be hard to come by. One of the catalysts for this trip was our desire to see more of the Northern Territory in general and more specifically to intimately explore Darwin. As we are planning a minimum of three weeks there, not to mention that we are expecting to entertain visitors whilst we are there, therefore to not acquire a suitable site on which to prop the caravan would be an absolutely devastating turn of events, from which our odyssey might never recover. Thus, I was aiming for a 10:00 arrival, endeavouring to get in just as all of the departing parties would be checking out, and before the hoards of new arrivals would be moving in.

With that in mind, we said goodbye to ‘Woody’ and another of the other staff members at Goymarr who we have come to know, and right on 7:00AM turned onto the highway, from which it was a rapid, non-stop, uneventful trip through to Darwin. We had to bypass a few places we’d like to stop at, but since we have to travel south out of Darwin and will therefore be retracing our steps in a few weeks time, we will take it a little slower then. It was with evil delight this morning, that I overtook any other van, camper or motorhome that dared block my passage, as I chortled sinisterly and gloated “Today; Darwin! Tomorrow; The world!” There was no way I was letting any other camper reach Darwin before us, even if it did end up only increasing my chances of obtaining a site by three vans and one motorhome. I also smiled with joy though, as I watched the exodus of southbound vans, imagining that they had all opened up another possible plot for us to snaffle.

It was 10:05AM when we rolled through the gates of our chosen park, to find that we would have our choice of more than a dozen sites. Nooooooooo! I don’t want choice. Just tell me where to park. Now, if the site is no good, it will be my fault. If we have a site allocated and don’t like it, at least we can blame the managers. Why is it all so difficult?

Whilst we knew that where ever we chose to stay in Darwin would be expensive, it was with excruciating pain that I keyed in my PIN number to authorize the $810.00 charge on my credit card, that would provide us with a parking spot for the van for three weeks, with access to water, our own private ensuite bathroom and power. The kicker was that hot water can’t be guaranteed, because it’s an un-boosted solar system, shared between two ensuites, so if the solar panel is dirty, shaded or there is no sun, or we just use too much hot water, there’s no more hot water until the following day. And while we have access to power, we need to watch how many lights we leave on, because the power is charged out separately, to be added to our account when we leave. We might have to live like pensioners and spend all of our free time at the local shops I think. A pair of dark glasses and a white painted tree branch, and we can call the babies guide dogs, so they can enjoy the airconditioned comfort of a shopping mall with us! All that, and this park was still our best option.

With the checking in process completed, we made our way to our nominated site. We were given the key to a particular ensuite site, but advised that if we found an empty site we preferred, it was a simple matter to change things about. As it turned out, the site we had been given looked perfectly suitable, with plenty of shade over the van, but none shadowing the solar panel atop the bathroom roof for the hot water. We decided that this would be our home for the next three weeks, and began the process of backing the van in.

It looked like an interesting position into which to maneuver the van, almost like a narrow drive way, with gutters either side, set on an angle to the access road that meant I had to reverse against my non-preferred passenger side. Scarily, the van slid straight in, with a lot of help courtesy of Bec from outside. We looked like pros. We gave ourselves away before we could congratulate each other too heartily, when we then spent the next half an hour inching the whole rig back and forth within the parking space, trying to get it in that just right position. If we weren’t here for so long, I wouldn’t have concerned myself so much, but for three weeks, I wanted it parked perfectly.

Our amatureness may have been then demonstrated further as we struggled to erect the annex again. It is only our third attempt at plying the canvas, but just when I thought I had this thing figured, it turned to…(I’ll let you fill in the blank). On a flat expanse, I don’t think it would present me with too much trouble, but being that the van is sitting lower than the surrounding ground, putting it up as per the instructions saw the canvas so skewed out of line, that the end walls just wouldn’t stretch to connect to the van. Over an hour later, we finally managed to get the walls lined up into some semblance of a three sided canvas box, only to find that it was kind of difficult to peg it out against the concrete annex pad. Kind of a misnomer really, ‘annex pad’, given that it makes it ever so difficult to successfully erect an annex.

It was 1:00PM by the time the first welcoming ‘psst’ of a cold tinnie being cracked open was heard. Like music to my ears it was, and liquid gold to my taste buds, the cold fluid running easily down my parched throat as we sat back and admired our handiwork from within our extra room. The dogs too, lounged about carelessly, despite every other van having a pet or two in residence. Not only is this park pet friendly, but it is a sister park to the one right next door, sharing facilities. This side allows pets however, while the other doesn’t. It will be good to see how well Alvin and Bethany settle, as they are not exactly well socialised, although they are getting better.

Having joked earlier about hitting the shops, that was exactly what we did this afternoon, although it was purely on an as needs basis, as we needed to restock our larder. It was either that, or live on instant noodles for a couple of days, being that tomorrow is a public holiday that we had forgotten about. Honestly, long weekends are more of a nuisance to us than a blessing.

Returning to the van, and having instantly gotten accustomed to the airconditioned shopping centre, we finally relented, opening our wallets to feed the power meter, switching on the air conditioner. It was an immediate relief, from the powerful heat otherwise pervading the van. Imagine my dismay however, when having run without an issue for several hours, the cool air stopped blowing. Actually, not just the cool air, but all of the air. At the same time, the TV blinked and faded to black, indicating the power we were paying dearly for had failed. I went outside, almost expecting to find a coin slot on the metre and a flashing red sign saying expired. But no, it was just the circuit breaker that had tripped. I flicked it back on to cheers of jubilation from within the van, Bec shouting joyously that she had regained both, a cool flow of air and a picture on the tele.

This didn’t last long though, before we were again pitched into darkness, and I made another trip out to the fuse box to reset the breaker. Twice more, I ventured outside, slamming the door behind me ever harder with each trip as I imagined how I was going to stridently protest to management tomorrow about making me pay for a service we weren’t receiving with any inkling of reliability. For tonight, I was on the verge of taping the circuit breaker switch open so that it couldn’t trip, when I decided to try another power cable first. The power has since been running for a few hours with no further issues. Hmm, maybe the whole problem might have been my dodgied up, home made power cable, but surely not.

Until next time, stay safe, have fun and don’t forget to write.

Following the agonising ecstasy that was our climb to the upper reaches of Gunlom Falls yesterday, we decided to take part in a somewhat more leisurely activity today. It was back into Kakadu that we ventured, but our destination this morning was the Cooinda Resort, from which the Yellow Water Billabong cruises depart. We were booked in for a 1½ hour boat cruise along the tranquil waters of the billabong.

It was the regular process this morning before leaving however, of tiring the dogs out, with a rapid paced walk around the grounds of the caravan park, before bidding them farewell, and heading on our way. It was an hour long drive to reach Cooinda, although we had timed it to leave us plenty of time to check in and pay for the cruise. We didn’t want a repeat of the other day, when we missed out on the other cruise we had wanted to take.

Our early arrival saw us sitting around twiddling our thumbs for nearly 45 minutes, before we boarded the bus that takes you to the pontoon mooring dock, where 4 large punts were tied up, awaiting us. Each one is capable of embarking 60 passengers, although the split the groups across two boats today, which made it less congested and gave us ample room to walk around to get the best vantage spot for pictures. As we pushed off from our mooring, our guide gave us a safety briefing that consisted of pointing out where the lifejackets were stowed, followed up with, “Ah, but if we sink, drowning’s the least of your worries in these waters!” as a wide smile spread across his face. The punts had a canvas cover, to keep the direct sun off of the passengers, but were otherwise open to the elements, so it was relatively cool out on the water, a fresh breeze blowing just hard enough to rustle the leaves in the trees, and cause the water grasses to bend with a rhythmic sway.

Enjoying the ride.

Just like that one, our boat was.

As we motored about the calm water of the billabong and into the South Alligator River, our guide pointed out countless different bird species. The highlight of the trip though, was reserved for the sighting of three crocodiles. It’s fun to see these beasts in captivity, but it’s another thing all together to see them in their natural habitat in the wild. Even peering at them from the safety of the boat gave you a sense of the power these giant lizards could unleash upon any unsuspecting wildlife or errant human prey.

Some of the

local

wild

life.

We were bussed back to the resort at the conclusion of the cruise, where we were able to utilise the resort diner to get a bite to eat. We were on the verge of ordering two serves of potato wedges, until I saw the price. The prices were horrendously expensive, so in an effort to save a few dollars, we decided to share a single plate of wedges, for the princely sum of $12.50. We were shocked when the plate was brought to the table, piled high with crispy wedges. It was going to be a struggle (even for me) to get through this one plate, let alone the second plate, that we had been going to order. I guess it was just meant to be.

Well and truly satiated, almost to the point of being sick, we made our way back towards the main road, stopping along the way at the Aboriginal Cultural Centre. This is a fantastic place to learn about the ancient and ongoing culture of the local tribes from this area. It is well set up, and cost nothing to browse through.

I may just have even learned something. Looking at the rock art at Ubirr, I was thinking that the Australian Aboriginals must have been almost tribes of savages. They were certainly not an industrious race, evidenced by the fact we have no Coliseum or pyramids in Australia, but there culture is as complex and elaborate as you could imagine. They lived by a strict set of rules, and their intricate knowledge of their surroundings meant that they didn’t have to resort to industrialism to survive. We, as white fellas could stand to learn a lot from the way that Aborigines manage the bush. Their use of fire to prevent raging bushfires and encourage growth, and their methods of sustaining plant and animal life to prevent endangerment of food sources are just two examples. Yes, many indigenous people have been led astray since Australia was colonised, but this is generally as a result of outside influences. There are still tribes here, living a much more traditional way of life, that haven’t been as swayed by outsiders trying to make them something that they are not.

After 3 days of exploring the park, I can say with certainty that it is indeed worth the effort. I can see why locals might prefer Litchfield, for its compactness, but Kakadu endeavours to rewards those who take the time, and make the effort to explore it properly. It is not a park that can be appreciated without getting off of the beaten track.

Having done just that, and now learned a little about the traditional tribal way of life, it was time for the exhausting drive back to the caravan. The last week has pretty much seen us on the road each day, interspersed with periods strenuous activity, not to mention the energy sapping heat and it’s all beginning to catch up with us. We are both tired, and prone to snapping at each other over the silliest little things. I snapped at Bec the other night because she left the outside light on, and she snapped at me today because I backed ‘The Beast’ into one of the power outlet posts, putting a small dent in the tailgate. Honestly, if you didn’t know it was there, you probably wouldn’t see it, but I do know it’s there, so I do see it. Every damn time I look at the tailgate. All the electronic sensors and reversing cameras in the world are all useless if you’re too tired to properly pay attention to them. I wasn’t happy about it myself, but not much I can do about it now.

Thankfully, we have just tomorrow to go on the road, with a hopefully easygoing 300Km journey into Darwin. Then we can sit back and relax for a few weeks. That will be enough time hopefully, to recharge the batteries, before seeing us heading into the second half of the trip. So, bring on Darwin and the west coast.

Until next time, stay safe, have fun and don’t forget to write.

We ventured back into the Kakadu National Park again today, to make the most of the time we have here. Our plan was to have a slightly shorter day today than yesterday, by taking in some of the sights that are nearer to the end of the park to where we are staying.

So we were off to see Gunlom Falls, which has been recommended to us by a number of people now. Only 40 something kilometres from the caravan park, we expected to have a quick drive in, have a look around, then either delve further into Kakadu again, or turn for home. What we didn’t expect was for the supposed good dirt access road into the falls, to degenerate into a rocky, bouncy 4WD track that required careful negotiation at slow speed. We managed to cover the first 30KM from the van in about 30 minutes. It took us another ½ hour to cover the final 14KM stretch to the carpark, as our speed dropped to slower than walking pace, such was the condition of the track. It had better be worthwhile, was all I could think when we finally managed to arrive.

There are two walks available from here, both of which we planned to tackle. We decided to give the longer of the two a shot first. Described varyingly as either 1 or 2 kilometres return, depending on which publication you chose to believe, all of the literature indicated that it featured a steep, but moderate climb as it led to the upper reaches of the falls.

The view up.

Looking up from the starting point, there didn’t seem to be any obvious way through the forest and up what looked like a sheer cliff face. As we began the ascent, we found a barely discernable path through the trees and up through the rocks. Clambering over the hot rocks, worn smooth from the countless pairs of feet that have trudged this very path before us, we were soon drenched in sweat from the exertion of the climb. If this was what is known around these parts as a ‘moderate’ climb, I would detest to see what a difficult climb entails. I was still thinking that it had better be worthwhile.

It was a slow climb, but we finally made it to the summit, where several pools of cold, clear water greeted us, as it made its way over the edge of the cliff. Officially, the only safe place to swim in Kakadu is the pool at the Crocodile Holiday Inn at Jabiru, due to the persistent risk of natural waterways being inhabited by crocodiles. Unofficially, these beautiful pools that were spread out before us were advertised as an ideal spot to take a refreshing dip.

The view down.

As we slipped into the fresh water, I decided that it had all indeed been worthwhile. Swimming in the pool closest to the edge, was like being in an infinity pool. The water just seemed to drop away, leaving you staring out at the horizon. It felt like you were sitting right on the edge of the world, as the water streamed past you, although it did only drop a short distance to a lower level, before finally flowing off of the edge of the precipice and heading rapidly back towards ground level.

She’s on the edge.

The whole thing was picture perfect. The sun glimmering off the crystal clear water, creating swirling patterns on the sandy bottom. The mesmerising tinkle of water dribbling over the rocks, splashing into the lower pools. The soft rustling of tree branches, swaying gently in the breeze. It was sheer unadulterated perfection.

Pools of perfection.

After the demanding walk up the flank of the escarpment to reach this spot, wallowing about in the cool water was the perfect reward. In the back of my mind though, was the thought that we still had to make our way back down again, which promised to be even more arduous than getting up here in the first place.

Eventually, we could put it off no longer, so we dragged ourselves out of the water and prepared for the descent. As we had expected, scrambling back down was a tougher task than getting up. Care had to be taken with our footing, so as not to tumble down, while muscles we didn’t even know existed, began to protest their unanticipated call to duty. It didn’t help that we carefully negotiated a particularly steep section, only to find that we had deviated off course, and had to climb back up again to rejoin the poorly marked track.

It may have been only ½ an hour, but it was a grueling ½ hour trek to make it back to the starting point, where we triumphantly gazed back towards the top of the falls. We had made it, and yep, it was most definitely worth the effort.

The second walk in contrast, was a hardly noteworthy stroll along a boardwalk to the plunge pool at the foot of the falls. Not as refreshing or as relaxing as the upper pools, we only waded in knee deep, keeping a very close eye out for the fresh water crocodiles that are known to inhabit the pool. While they are not known to be particularly menacing or perilous to humans, I don’t think I would enjoy sharing a pond in close proximity to one.

Invigorated and exhausted all at the same time, we suddenly realised that three hours had elapsed since we had arrived. How time flies when you’re having so much fun. With a harsh, hour long drive ahead of us, we decided to call it quits for the day, and head for home though.

The road out hadn’t improved, although at least we were able to get the worst out of the way at the beginning. If we weren’t bouncing about, along what looked to be dry, rocky bottomed creek beds, we were being shaken like a cocktail as we encountered mile after mile of bone jarring corrugations. Admirably, ‘The Beast’ handled everything we threw at it, but it didn’t mean we had the required energy to explore the park any further today. Nope, it was positively time to return to the van for a late lunch and a well deserved afternoon nap. We will be back again tomorrow, to do it all over again though.

Until next time, stay safe, have fun and don’t forget to write.