Sometimes it's wee...a sad tail.

I have hummed and harred over publishing this little gem of a story. I have wondered what future employers will think if they find it, I have wondered what my children will think if they read this and then I have wondered what you our readers will think. In the end the joy of telling a good story has outweighed my embarrasment.

We were driving along a long stretch of Outback North Queensland road, not much too see and less to do. It was nice and warm and we had about 600km of driving until we reached Charters Towers and our rest stop for the night. It is dry in this part of the country and if you do not drink enough water you end up with a cracker headache. Having had a coffee and 1L of water already I really needed to pee.

The need to pee and doing so on the side of the road is not an issue. We have been traveling for 5 months now so squatting by the side of the road does not bother me and it is often cleaner than road side toilets.

I told Mark I needed to go and he said he also needed a pee, clearly he was employing the same water drinking strategy as I was.

We pulled over in a little stopping bay and, as is my custom, I squatted near the ute in the little gap between the ute and the trailer. This affords me a little privacy and preserves what little dignity I have left after showering nude, out in the open in most National Parks.

Marks habit is to stand very close to the ute and pee on the other side of the tyre to prevent any "splash back" that my land on his shoes. Ever the neat and tidy man in my husband.

I had my back to him and was doing my business when I feel a little splash on my bare buttocks. I quickly realise that, as it was not raining, my husband must be getting his "splash back" on ME!!!! 

"AHHHH...stop...you are weeing on MEEEE!!!!" I scream.

"What???" Says Mark..."Oh, oh shit, oh sorry."

It was awful but very very funny.

Mataranka Madness!

 Mataranka Hot Springs!

Taz the Fisher Woman

Mal and his Tubes!

It was with great excitement that we reached the small town of Mataranka. Not only is this town the place where the novel "We of the Never Never" was set it is the place where our friends and ex neighbors Taz and Mal live!

Taz and Mal invited us to stay at their place which was so generous and we greatfully accepted the offer. Taz took us fishing for barra. We went to an amazing secret spot on the roper river and put our lines in. Taz and Mal taught us how to cast for barra and we found out that you have to "act like an injured fish" to attract the barra. Despite all taz's skill we didn't catch a fish. It did not matter though as what more could we ask for but good friends and a beer in a beautiful part of Australia.

In Mataranka Mal acted as tour guide and took us swimming in the hot springs where we used our snorkels to view the amazing underwater rainforest that is hidden in the deep blue water. The springs are about 32 degrees every day! Beautiful!

Mark fitting in at the Mataranka Pub

We were also treated to chips, gravy and beer at the local mataranka pub where mark dressed in a flanie so as to better fit in! We had a great time, thanks Taz and Mal for having us and sending us off with a yummy bacon and eggs breakfast.

Beautiful

Next... Queensland!

Week 20 Update: Mataranka

Quick update!

We are in Mataranka spending time with Taren and Malcolm, doing some barra fishing and dipping in the warm thermal pools.

We stayed at Edith Falls the night before. I had my first attempt of trail running on the 8.6km track to the Sweetwater pools. It is dangerous but addictive and enjoyable.

Total km count: 22635km!

Sweetwater Pools at Edith Falls, Katherine

Thermal Pools in Mataranka. A constant 34C all year round.

Boris the Bullet Dodger (Hlavica)

The Lost City, Litchfield

We were sad to leave Darwin and to say goodbye to Kel, willo and black bean. Thanks for a great time! We then ventured into Litchfield National Park. It is famous for its magnetic termite mounds and beautiful waterfalls and it did not disapoint.

Magnetic Termite Mounds

Waterfalls

Mark with the Tripod

We swam in the plunge pools, bush walked through the spooky collection of rocks called the lost city and went skinny dipping. We were determined to use our photography skills to get se of those perfect water fall shots. You know the one...where the shutter speed is left open and the water looks like mist. It is this ambition that has led me to dedicate this post to Boris Hlavica our photography teacher and excellent photographer from Broken Hill. It is Boris who taught us that some shots are BORING! The light must be right and sometimes you have to camp on a hill for 5 days.

To see some of Boris' amazing photography just click the link.

http://www.imagesofaustralia.com.au/

We did not quite camp but we did end up waiste deep with our tripod in the water. After lots of giggles and a few slippery moments we thought we had some good shots. What do you think?

Olive Python

 It was on return from our waterfall exploits that this big mumma python frightened the hell out of us! After our initial shock we watched this 3m python in awe. He was beautiful.

Litchfield was very accessible, even to 2wd. It is a must.

Next we are off to see Taz and Mal! Excitement!!!

Love krystal

Kakadu is fantastic!

Gumlong Falls Kakadu

  

 

            Kakadu du du!

We ventured into Kaladu and the level of excitement in the car was off the charts! We had been looking forward to Kakadu National Park since leaving home and we were pumped.

I was going to use my Croc Dundee hypmotising trick, you know the one!

Amazing Art

 At this time of year the Jim Jim area of kakadu is usually closed. This was disappointing but luckily most other areas were open. Kakadu is a huge national park with a diverse landscape with so much to do. It pays to plan and research to get the most out of your trip.

We visited a fantastic bird hide where all manner of birds and lilly pads can be viewed. It was magic. Speaking of magic the whole of kakadu has a magic feeling. It is such a special place, the never never. It gives you a feeling that this is a spiritual place, a place that is not only beautiful but magical.. We are so lucky to be able to visit.

The ancient rock art in kakadu is also fantastic. With over 7000 sites in the park it is the best in Australia. There is even a painting of a tasi tiger that, was at one stage, on the mainland. The history, the stories and the records are recorded for us to see on the rock walls in Kakadu.

We camped in the camp grounds in the park which were excellent with toilets and showers. They are $10 a night per person which includes the mosquitos. The mozzies are so bad when we laid in the tent to sleep we could hear them buzzing outside, trying to get in. It was aweful. The mozzies like Mark much more than they like me so he is now painted in calomine lotion. They were so terrible to deal with that we tried sleeping in the car after we killed the many that were camped in there. This was a fruitless mission however, as it was to hot to stay in the car and the mosquitoes seemed to find their way in anyway.

We did lots of bush walking and splashed outing a cruise. It was a cruise on Yellow Water Billabong and was worth every cent. We saw so many animals including crocodiles and brolgas. It was fantastic to see the sun rise over this amazing water way.

We visited gumlong camp ground and waterfall which is a less visited site in Kakadu as it is down a dirt road. It was amazing and we spent a good amount of time sun baking and going for a dip when we were hot.

Yellow River Cruise

Kakadu was amazing and was well worth the entry fee. On the way into the park we were stopped to do a survey. One of the questions was:
"How did you hear about Kakadu?"

The answer was "...well...I have always known about it, its just one of those things...right?"



I think that is the reason that it is worth the effort to visit the National Park. It lives up to its reputation and is truly magical.

Love Krystal

Week 19: Kakadu, not Kakadon't

This week we visited Kakadu NP. Krystal will fill you in about this amazing place. It is truly the big brother of National Parks in Australia. It is home to ridiculous amounts of wildlife and Aboriginal rock art. So full of life, that when you pee in the bush, frogs get out of the way.

The park is not for the feint hearted as it makes you experience nature and you cannot escape it. There are fires burning constantly so you are guaranteed to smell of smoke. There is the hot and humid conditions so you are guaranteed to sweat and become uncomfortable. To see its beauty you need to get out and walk the paths so you cannot be lazy. And the mozzies.... you are guaranteed to be bitten. The mozzies are so numerous and so vicious that citronella candles make no effect. By nightfall, you are walking through swarms of mozzies that can go through your shirt. We chose to tent it and you can hear the mozzies as if you were next to a bee hive.

It seems that Kakadu has a reputation amongst the grey nomads that it's a Kaka-don't and not worth the trip. It is a shame that some cannot be bothered to get out of the car and explore the place. Although it could be difficult for some to navigate the rocky paths there are plenty of places that have carparks for lazy people. For me, it is the ultimate for nature experiences. I'll leave you with a few photos from our boat cruise along the Alligator River. 

Km Traveled: about another 500km

Places visited: Darwin, Kakadu NP, Gunn Point

Highlights: Mindil Beach Markets, Kakadu!!, Gunn Point (a quiet beach just outside of Darwin where you can camp)
Lowlights: mozzies in Kakadu

Next Week: Litchfield NP, Edith Falls again, down towards Tennant Creek

Some amazing Magpie Geese waiting for dawn.

A sea eagle in flight.

The first croc on the cruise.

Very fortunate to see some beautiful brolgas.

Showoff!

Water Pandanus

Watch a Sunset in Darwin or in Your Backyard!

Menu at Howard Springs

Darwin is just fantabulous! The weather is warm with a slight breeze for comfort, the sky clear and the people friendly in a territorian kinda way.










We have been so very lucky to have the pleasure of staying with Kel and Willo and it has been wonderful getting to know them better and sharing in their baby joy. The best parts of our trip have been the oportunities to get back in touch with and get to know friends and family that live far away. So often we loose touch and get lost in our busy lives. We feel lucky to have had the opportunity to share meals, sight seeing and camping with some of our friends. Thank you!

Doing a 'death roll' with a croc

Darwin in a small capital city and the vibe is relaxed and laid back. We spent the first few days looking around town, eating at 'My Friends Kitchen' where they make great Pho, and generally relaxing.

Willo's Roast

Willo has cooked us some wonderful meals and I think he should have a go at the next master Chef. They have been delish!

A visit to the Chinese Museum and Temple

A highlight of our time in Darwin was camping at Gunn Point with Kel, Willo and Black Bean their dog. Gunn Point is a free camp site right on the beach. Literally it is ON the beach! It is so beautiful that when we were setting up and cooking dinner I had to pinch myself to check it was real. We watched the sun set over the water with not a soul about but us.

Car...nage

Gunn Point

 As I popped my head out of the tent the next morning the view that greeted us was sunrise, sand and clear blue water as far as you can see. It was so great to camp with another couple that shared our interests and were so laid back. We felt like we had a holiday from our holiday, or maybe just a little holiday from each other which was great! When you spend every moment together you forget how nice it is to have others to talk to!

Mindle Beach Sunset

 Mindle Beach Markets were also a highlight and a Darwin MUST DO. They are the best markets in Australia. There is a wide range of international food that is excellent and cheap as well as clothes, crocodile products, art. diges and anything else you can think of.


One of the coolest things about the markets is that everyone goes down to the beach to see the sun go down over the water. Every day there are people to watch this magic happen before them and they are never disappointed. The sun sets and the colours are wonderful and it does not matter who you are, how much money you have, what you are doing or what you look like the sunset is the same for everyone. There are no cheap seats and indeed no charge at all for this magic, it is given to us for free. So one day this week allow a few minutes to watch the sun sink. For you it might sink over a building, over roofs of your neighbors or over the Mandagery. Where ever you are make sure you take a moment to enjoy this amazing show that is put on for free each day.

Mindle Beach

I love hearing Kel and Willo talk about Darwin's seasons. They are very intune with the weather as it effects their lives so deeply in this wild place. It has inspired me to want to spend 12 months up here just to experience some of what they are talking about. To sweat through a build up and squwelch through a wet, to see the smoke in the air when everything is burnt off and to have a beer on Mindle Beach as the sun sets in the dry. Living here for 12 months is on my to do list.

Mark, Kel and Willo 2 Mindle Beach Markets

Kakadu gets its own post as only the BEST National Park in Australia should so stay tuned for that!

A big thanks to Kel, Willo, Baby Willis and Black Bean for their amazing hospitality! XXXXX






Love Krystal