​May 22 to 26  Five amazing days exploring Arnhem Land and the Cobourg Peninsula.

This was one of those once in life-time kind of trips! An absolute must for the bucket list; it exceeded our expectations in so many ways. Cobourg Peninsula, Garig Gunak Barlu National Park, had been on my must-see list for 3-4 years and Arnhem Land for much much longer - and this tour whetted my appetite to see more!
We were picked up from our caravan park before 7 Monday morning and were dropped back right to our door about 8.30 Friday night exhausted but feeling very happy.

Lotus and water lilies, fringed lillies and water birds. Stunning and lush!

On our way to Jabiru our first overnight spot, we stopped for a cruise on the Corroborree Billabong. What a fabulous start to the trip. We saw so many beautiful birds including the funny little jacana (AKA the Jesus bird as it walks on water). They have very long legs and huge delicate feet and sport a red comb on their heads which looks for all the world like a bougainvillea flower. Sweet!
We passed through stunning countryside from water-lily encrusted swamps and billabongs teaming with gorgeous birds - jabiru, brolga, egrets, herons, magpie geese, whistling and plumed ducks plus plus, to vast stretches of savannah with its mega grasses as well as forests and tropical scrub.

Fire is used in the traditional way in Kakadu as a successful management system. Amazing to be up so close - particularly in the weather we were having. This was at Nourlangie where we stopped for lunch. No not BBQ!

That night we experienced our first camp dinner - barramundi cooked in foil with garlic and lime and Chinese pork all cooked on the BBQ, delicious. Fruit and flowers decorated the table - we were impressed!

Great roads eh!? Just our style. As a matter of interest what was once called Oenpelli is called Gunbalunya. At this stage we have left Kakadu and are driving through Arnhem Land.

The billabongs and creeks were very enticing but there were crocs around so ...... we just enjoyed looking.
Incidentally the freshwater pandanus on the left is used for many things art and food related

Our little group (there were 4 'guests' and our fabulous guide Alex plus another guy learning. We had to time our arrival at East Alligator River to catch the right phase of the tide. Amazing that far up river! In the water on the right, downstream you can see the wheels of an upturned car. Timing is everything!

On the way to the Garig Gunak Barlu the following day, we climbed Injalak Hill and Nourlangie Rock to visit ancient rock art sites, visited art centres to watch traditional artist translate ancient stories onto bark, canvas, silk and wood. And to watch women sitting in the sahde of banyan trees weaving pandanus leaf baskets and mats. Truly brilliant. All rather idyllic.

Michael our guide was a gentle knowledgable and patient teacher. He is explaining what the images in this location are and how they were done. Many in this site were the X-ray style which shows the skeleton and innards on the creatures depicted. The colours were wonderful.

The climb was strenuous - to us at least. So Michael and our amazing guide Alex took a bit of time out while we cooled down a bit.

Cooling down and trying to keep out of the sun for a little while. There was quite a bit of clambering over rocks and the like. I am definitely NOT fit enough ... but I did it hooray for me !!!!

This jumble of giant boulders and rock cliffs was a bit like Hanging Rock - multiply by 10! Without Michael we would have become hopelessly lost - actually we would never have found the place or been allowed to climb it.

See what I mean!? I just fit through sliding part of the way over boulders glancing above as I went to check on the wee bats clinging to the rock face - asleep we reckoned!

And we got to the top! Well as far as it was safe for us whities to go. Lindsay walked out on to an rock ledge overlooking Gunbalanya and the swamp. I hid in the safety of the shade! We ate lunch here - can you imagine a more spectacular al fresco setting? Hardware Lane eat your heart out.

Remember those freshwater pandanus? Well here's one of their uses. The end of the strip of leaf the artist bites it back to just a few strands to paint with - the number of strands depends on what they are painting. Their paint brushes were anything from one thin strand to 4 or 5. Such delicate work!

This is Injalak Hill which we climbed with a local aboriginal guide Michael to see the rock art above and visit a traditional burial site.

The peninsula is bordered by an extensive Marine Park where you might be luck enough to see turtles and if you're very very lucky dugongs - I saw some of the former but sadly none of the latter. We saw salt-water crocs, a variety of sharks, fish species that would give a fisherman happy dreams - turtles, rays, and in the rocks mud crabs and cockles, coral and other exotica for we southerns. The whole of the peninusula is a Ramsar site where birds and wetlands are protected.

This is our travelling rig - a 7 seater Landcruiser (like the one we have) with trailer. Boy that trailer was packed! The last store, except for Gunbalanya, was Jabiru.

Nice tent eh! Natural aircon and trillion dollar views. In fact everything was open air - the loos, showers, wash basins, kitchen & dining room and the all important bar.

This is one of the loos in Venture North's coastal camp. Loo paper was held in huge scalloped 'baskets' of hard coral, and other coral, drift wood and palm fronds decorated the space. The loo was like a throne with shell-edged views of the tropic scrub. Amazing!!

All aboard for a cruise around Port Essington destination the old Victorian Settlement ruins across a large expanse of water. The settlement which was stablished as a British protection outpost, survived for about 60 years. Very hard going. The body of water is bigger than Sydney harbour they say.

The remains of an ammunitions magazine. This is Alex explaining it all to us. He carried yummy lunches and snacks for us in this backpack. He was a star!

Day 4 we went mud crabbing and generally mucking about along the extensive coast. Wonderful. Alex managed to capture a big mud crab in spite of his spear being broken. Lindsay and I collected a dozen or more sand cockles. All together, we had enough for happy hour nibbles! I saw coral - red and green, hard and soft. Shells like you've never seen outside of a museum, and all sorts of beach treasures. Rather like a mini paradise for beach combers. Did anyone say me!?

Funny but true! We have since seen one for turtles.  

Turtles nest on beaches like this but not when we were there unfortunately.

And we ate fresh, delicious food sipping champers on the cliffs overlooking Port Essington, an enormous bay which opens onto the Arafura Sea. At sunset we watched fish and ‘other’ wildlife swimming in the shallows 20-25 metres below the open air Sunset bar where we sipped cool drinks and ate yummy nibbles.

Our resident croc ~4 metres. He visited each morning and at dusk. He was beautiful to watch so slow and graceful until something hit the beach or the water and then he moved like greased lightning. Sent a shiver down your spine. Interestingly he didn't bother the fish - queenies and large brim, which just swam around him. Strange?!

This tour bus went too close to the edge of the 'road'. The water was still close to the surface. They had to helicopter people out! Whoa ... we were glad we went with Venture North - the family or rather the brothers who run this package comes from country Victoria - say no more!

Big white hunter Alex really too close to the river but hoping to catch a barramundi for dinner. He caught quite a few but released them because they were under size. Don't go in the water!!! That's what we were told.

Last important stop was at Ubirr Rock to see some more rock art. This site had some examples of 'contact art'. AKA images from when local aboriginals first made contact with white explorers. Here are a couple of paintings of muskets. Hard to imagine what they thought of such strange beings and weapons.

Who could ask for more? I just loved the whole trip!

The Sunset Bar with a private view into a real live aquarium! And sunsets to die for. Our host is pouring us champers to welcome us. Nice!?

How many photos can you take of a sunset? Which is the best? Choices, choices - they were all glorious but as they say .... you had to be there.

​May 19, 2017 Wurrumiyanga - Tiwi Islands

Leaving Cullen Bay for Bathurst Island

Our small group (6) was warmly welcomed with totem dances and smoking ceremony. The rest of the day was jam packed - morning tea with fresh damper, a tour of the museum established by Sister Anne Gardiner (Australian Senior of the Year), chat with the local artists at work - carvers, potters, sculptors and painters. It was all very special.

Vivian 'Buffy' (R) was our local guide

This is one of the totem dances - performed by the men

Women perform the same totem dances after the men.
the older woman in the foreground was preparing for
the special Yam ceremony which goes for 3 days during
which she will dance. 

We learnt about Tiwi Islands' history dating back to the dreaming, their creation stories, their links with Makassans and the introductio of sails and metal, mourning and funeral practices, skin groups and marriage traditions, how Christianity and traditional spirituality meet and mix. I could write a book but .......

A large timber church built in 1911. It is now used for special
ceremonies including Easter, Christmas, weddings and baptisms

We also learnt that it was Father John who sent a message to Darwin warning them that Japanese planes were heading their way - the warning was ignored! One of the Japanese planes was shot down and crashed in the islands and the pilot taken prisoner; they have the propellor from that plane. We visited the 100 year old church, the tallest building on Bathurst Island and finished our visit back at teh art centre where we were able to have a piece of fabric screen-printed with a design of our choice by master artist, Alan Kerinauia.

Alan and his apprentice printing large bolts of fabric.
They print on cotton and silk

Here Alan is carefully mixing the colours to screen print my
tea towel. He has a keen eye and imagination for the end product

My sea turtle.  Beautiful eh!

A different combination of colours was used for Lindsay's birds.

They are such beautiful friendly people. we felt very welcome and priveleged to have been told about their culture.

Leaving Wurrumiyanga

I spent quite a bit of time in the 2.5 hour ferry ride back to Darwin talking to a father and son from Melville Island, the other island. They were heading into Darwin to buy warm clothes as the son is off to Melbourne for a week with a group from his school to play footy at Scotts college - an annual visit arranged by Tiwi footballers. You think Melburnians are fanatic AFL fans well let me tell you .....

​A whole day exploring the Adelaide River

Alex and Kelly our hosts and guides for the day. Note the croc in the background

Sensational day on the Adelaide river with www.adelaiderivertours.com.au. A whole day wild life cruise! Just wonderful. We saw loads of beautiful birds - egrets, herons, jabiru, blue wing kookaburra, whistling, black and Brahminy kites, magpie geese and.....jumping fish and silent/stealth crocs harmless little creatures NOT but at least we weren't encouraging them to leap up for food which they do very naturally without human intervention!! The crocs we saw ranged from 2 to almost 5 metres. They are scary.

Who's checking out who

We pulled into a secluded private spot to nosh into a yummy BBQ of homemade rissoles and delish salads accompanied by local relishes after an appetiser of buffalo and chilli sausages.

Our appetiser! Buffalo and chilli sausages
(we saw buffalo at a water hole on the way home)

Our turn around point was Goat Island a must see place. Totally bush camp with a great bar! The island owner, King Kai, is totally irreverent to all social niceties. A terrific albeit whacko guy. His camp spot is popular with fishermen and is on the helicopter pub crawl route. I ask you?!

The wharf at Goat island

King Kai's warning - and he lived up to it!

The singing dog 'Hot dog'. He sang better than Kai
played the harmonica!

A bit of a gem hide away - very very rustic but unique.

Read the menu if you can. It's hilarious.

His spot features a spa which he says is just too cold once the wet season ends! Hello .... I would have been happy with a bit if cold! It's been a humid day.

The Adelaide River is immense and so beautiful.

Just love the Top End!

​Mid May Darwin - the many faces

I wonder sometimes if I just woke up yesterday. I keep coming face to face with historic facts which I probably should have known or knew, but have totally forgotten. So many things, it seems to my need-to-know mind. Case in point - Darwin! It's not all tropical nights, frangipani flowers, sparkling albeit croc-infested seas, and exotic foods, I discovered a little of Darwin's slightly darker history. Things that I don't recall learning at school or since - too recent, to raw, too far away?
Mainland Australia, Darwin, was invaded in WWII - did the rest of Australia hide its head in the sand, gloss over much of this - consciously or unconsciously? Yes we heard about bombing but not how vicious it was. [Aside: when we were on Christmas Island in 2014 we learnt that the Japanese occupied the island during WWII!] Since we've been here, we have passed tunnels and explored munitions stores, read about the air attacks on Darwin mounted by the Japanese. In February 1942 around 200 Japanese attack aircraft bombed Darwin and its harbours where Australian and allied ships were anchored. Many hundreds of people were killed or injured and a dozen or more ships sunk and many more damaged in the attacks. There were 50 more bombing raids over the next 18 months or so.
In 1941, with the very real threat of Japanese invasion looming, all white women and children were evacuated from Darwin. One small settlement, on Croker Island just off the Cobourg Peninsula in the Arafura Sea, wasn't included. Ninety-five Aboriginal children and the missionaries who cared for them were abandoned by that evacuation exercise. As a consequence the missionaries were forced to move the children off the island to safety themselves. And so began a perilous journey through Arnhem land and across Australia until eventually they arrived by cattle trucks on the outskirts of Sydney. Hard to believe but true.
From the 1950s to the early 80s, Darwin maintained a Leprosarium as did a few other places in Australia. It is believed that this nasty disease came with or around the time of the gold rush when there was mass immigration to Australia. Sadly the most affected population group over time were the Australian aboriginal people. It's a disease that is kept secret.
But enough of the shadowy side. Today's Darwin reminds me a little of Canberra - broad sweeping motorways with residential streets protected away from these busy thoroughfares in cul de sacs and crescents. There's still a huge amount of the development with enormous estates being built on the fringes (rather like Melbourne!). It has a newness about it and perhaps that's due to the effects of cyclone Tracy which destroyed more than 70 percent of Darwin's buildings, including 80 percent of its houses. Yet to visit the Museum to learn more about that.

On of the many foodie stalls

At this and the Lee Point Beach, groups set up spots to play
beach  games like volley ball. All good fun.

 Last Sunday evening we lived a tourist cliche! We went to Mindil Beach sunset markets and then watched the sun disappear into the Timor Sea sitting in the sand dunes among some innocuous looking ground creeper plant and ended up with hives all over my legs - oh the itch! But it was lovely nevertheless! Loads and loads of food stalls - pity we couldn't do it justice, some beautiful art and craft stalls and entertainment on a number of stages. Circus performances, whip cracking, singing and wandering minstrels. It's the place to be and it was packed. The market runs Thursday and Sunday nights.

The beach was crowded with families and beach parties to see the sun
go down and enjoy the music from the market

As we were leaving some of the night's beach
entertainment was warming up.

The following day we got out of Dodge and headed for Patersons Point, Fog bay and Cox peninsula.

Dundee beach

Dundee beach

Cox peninsula beach

The whole area is a fisherman's paradise - calm azure seas for a far as the eye can see. On the way we passed huge termite mounds besides banks of pink pincushions flowers, delicate feather top grasses, prehistoric bristly cycads and smoldering fires. Up this end of Oz, there's a lot of burn back happening before the weather gets too dry. So the air is perfumed with burning grass, trees and palms.

we saw some even taller than this. Also saw some
magnetic mounds which align north-south.

Tomorrow we are off to visit one of the Tiwi Islands and next week to the remote Cobourg peninsula .... hooray, it's all about oto happen!!!!