On my way back to Darwin from Katherine. Leaving reluctantly as my trip is nearing the end with the last few days of delicious weather in the 30s. I am dreading going back to Sydney and 8 degree weather.
Edith Falls
Tag: northernterritory
Hot Springs
There are so many beautiful oases to be enjoyed in the Northern Territory of Australia. All free. First is Katherine hot springs
My favourite is Bitter Springs in Elsey
Mataranka Thermal Pool
Rainbow Springs Mataranka. You cannot swim in this one
Nitmiluk
Previously named Katherine Gorge, Nitmiluk is 30km from the township of Katherine. It is a 292000 hectares national park owned by the Jawoyn Aboriginal people. You can do various cruises through the Gorge. I did a 2 hour cruise which included walks between gorges.
The sandstone cliffs and waterways are spectacular
Some of the rock art dates back 10,000 years
One thing I did not like about Nitmiluk is the 200,000 bats who arrive every few years. They were here this visit and the stench is unbearable. It wasn’t until I filled my car with petrol and had a good sniff that I got the disgusting smell out of my nostrils. Not even my perfume or sniffing eucalyptus worked.
Rock Art
Started the day with an 86km trip to Ubirr to see Aboriginal Rock Art. Advice to everyone. Before leaving your hotel in the Northern Territory, check to see if the places you plan to attend are open. As many of the tourist and heritage sites are owned by the indigenous Aboriginals, they observe mourning of elders and close various sites as a sign of respect. This was the case this morning with Ubirr. It was disappointing but when travelling the unexpected occurs and in this instance it is important to follow and respect the traditions. I went to the next stop on my way to Katherine, Nourlangie (Burrungkuy)
There is a track which is well signposted. The Shelter is a little steep but not too difficult. Just make sure to take lots of water for these walks
I was so excited to see sacred rock art and the stories are thousands of years old.
My favourite piece is this which represents singing and dancing
The walk up to the lookout looks more difficult than it is and worth doing.
Kakadu
It is thanks to South Australia once and twice to Tasmania closing their borders in the past year that I am in the Northern Territory. NT have been much more sensible to Covid19 management, much like NSW who did not close their border to everyone for one case. Today I drove the 2.5 hours from Darwin to Kakadu.
Drove from my hotel Mercure Crocodile Hotel to Cooinda Lodge to get the tour for Yellow Waters. These signs deter you from stopping to look for crocodiles? I expect instead of catching lunch you may become dinner.
Yellow Waters Cruise and I recommend the sunset cruise is a must do in Kakadu. Our tour guide was Lily who is very knowledgeable and humorous. She loves what she does. Every time something caught someone’s eye she would steer the boat back for us to get the best vantage point. This is the proof. Thank you Lily.
Darwin 20 May 2021
Aquascene in Doctor’s Gully is a sanctuary for fish. They come in at high tide. You can feed the fish which include barramundi, catfish, mangrove jack, mud crabs, stingrays and others.You can stand in the water and they swim around your legs. No crocodiles or sharks here. The harbour fisheries remove any sharks and crocodiles which come into the harbour as soon as they are spotted. Around 200 crocodiles are removed each year.
End the day with a Mindil Beach sunset
Over 50 Aussie female solo traveller USA road trip and beyond 