To return home, we had to fly via Sydney. We spent our last day doing a lot of waiting – waiting to go to the airport and waiting for delayed flights.

Waiting has been a big part of this trip along with, ‘Closed due to lack of staff.’ We felt for the many businesses that hadn’t survived the pandemic and those trying to clamber out now. Despite the waiting and a number of things being closed or full to capacity, it has been a brilliant three weeks.

Reflections of our holiday

As per all our trips, we have completed our reflections.

Best place

W – Edith Falls

M – Katherine Gorge

D – Bungle Bungles

A – Florence Falls

Best experience

W – Bungles flight

M – Sunset cruise in Broome

D – Co-piloting flight to Horizontal Falls

A – Seeing the whales on the sunset cruise at Broome

Best food

W – Breakfast at Sandlewood Cafe in Kununurra

M – 7-course dinner on sunset cruise at Broome

D – Dinner on the Katherine Gorge sunset cruise

A – 7-course dinner on sunset cruise at Broome

Best drink

W – Great Northern super crisp at Darwin races

M – Dark Lager at Matso’s in Broome

D – Broome Mule cocktail at Zander’s in Broome

A – Mangolado cocktail at The Oyster Bar in Darwin

Funniest or favourite moment

W- Grubbie dropping the $60 platter at Cooinda

M – Ann watching the whales

D – Wayne recovering like a panther after falling down the steps at the brewery

A – Re-living Donna’s dream of us getting tattoos and what we were all wearing (this is restricted information lol).

Special mention: Donna asking the lady in IGA at Jabiru where she lived. Response: In a house!

What would you change

W – Don’t eat at the vegan restaurant and if you do, read the menu more closely

M – One less day in Katherine

D- Check that we have the right jumping crocodile tour

A – Do a wild barramundi fishing adventure

Something you learnt

W – First Nation people speaking in their language groups and how many freshwater crocodiles there are

M – Ord River and its system

D – Ord River system and how beautiful but tough it is to live in this part of Australia

A – How the different language groups lived – the stories from direct descendants and doing line painting

Inspirational moment

W – Travis’s Yellow River story

M – Megan singing at Cathedral Gorge

D – Listening to Manuel’s stories of hardship but how happy he is now

A – Floating on my back in the thermal pools and looking at the sky

Other special moments

W- View from Ubirr and jumping crocs

M – Florence Falls and Barra fishing farm

D – Thermal pools and serenity of sunrise cruise at Kakadu

A – Swimming at the waterfalls and the fast boat cruises

Next holiday

We began planning this trip at the end of our last holiday together.

As usual, we began discussing our next adventure. Below are each of our preferred choices:

W – Tasmania

M – Japan and Hawaii

D – New Zealand or Tasmania

A – Tasmania or Hawaii

So until next year, The Territory Tour 2022 team is signing out!