Back Again, Again.

At Litchfield National Park, before Darwin.

It has now been a bit over a week and I have the time and inclination to re-visit the blog, just in case some-one out there is actually trying to follow it.

My last post was on 3rd of July, that being a Wednesday. Gerry and I have been quite busy since then. What I didn't realise at the time is that 3 July is the third anniversary of my retirement...three years already, how time flies.

On Thursday 4th July we travelled back south quite a few k's along a scenic route, to Douglas Hot Springs. We were last there in 1988. as expected it has changed quite a bit. There is now quite a camping ground there. The main spring has been shot-off from the public 'cause it is a aboriginal site of significance. However it is now quite easy to move downstream and find the spot where the very hot spring water meets the cold Douglas River...although quite shallow sitting in it is very relaxing.

Soaking at Douglas Hot Springs

After a bit of a paddle and a soak (ya' couldn't call it a swim) we had lunch near the river. We then moved off back to the Stuart Highway and stopped at Adelaide River pub. A great looking place, so we had to have a beer. The pub has got the stuffed water buffalo that was in the Crocodile Dundee movies mounted in the bar! Bloody long horns.

Charlie the buffalo, Adelaide River Pub.

Next day we travelled some 80'k northerly, bloody near Darwin, to Berry Springs. Spent a few hours wandering around the Territory Wildlife Park (fancy name for a native zoo really), then a swim at Berry Springs (very deep, clear water) after lunch. Lovely.

The idea for Saturday was to travel along this 4 W D track to some old homestead and another waterfall. However we met a creek crossing only a few hundred metres into the drive. After watching a couple of bigger Pajero type 4 W D's get through I decide that the water is too deep for the Territory (which has a low air intake for the diesel). So we turn around and head back to Wangi Falls. Join the throng there for lunch and do the walk around the top (again).

The main pool at Berry Springs...delightful.

Big footy game on Saturday nite wasn't there...yeah Wallabies v British Lions. No TV or internet reception at the van, so go to the bar where they have a booster and digital reception. Got to the TV and had the remote for a while, so a saw the start of the Cats v Hawks classic. Then I was pestered (nicely I must say) by these rugby types to switch over every now and again to get a score. I did that for a while, then we lost the signal, so I went back to the van. Still no luck with the TV, no internet reception and the radio was all noise. I eventually wandered back to the bar and lo and behold, we have a TV signal...on the rugby. Watch it til the end. Wallabies got flogged so the rugby-ites wandered off which left three blokes to sit back and watch the last quarter of the real footy. A happy result in the end...Gerry reckons that I was like a cat on a hot tin roof all evening...who me???

View of part of Litchfield Tourist Park

Quiet day on Sunday. Just mooch around a bit, doing some maintenance stuff that may or may not have needed doing. Gerry did some washing, I washed the car (allowed to use ya hose here), visited the bar for last drinks and got ourselves psyched for the long drive to Darwin the next day...all of 100 k's.

 A Jabaru that visited the paddock behind our van, LTP.