All 4 one and one 4 all

Our tour group split today. Donna and I did the Top Didj Cultural Experience with Manuel and Mark and Wayne returned to the gorge. It was incredibly interesting and humbling to hear the story of someone our own age who grew up traditionally: being born in the bush of Nitmiluk; growing up in Arnhem Land;…

Began the day with a one hour drive to two hot springs at Mataranka. We got there early to avoid the crowds. Our first springs were the Mataranka thermal springs. The water was absolutely beautiful as it was clear and warm. We could have stayed in there for ages. I loved floating on my back…

It didn’t start well today. We left Cooinda Lodge early, heading for Katherine. We were looking forward to the hot box at the Mary River Rest Stop but on arrival, it appeared to have been abandoned quite awhile ago. No sausage rolls or pies for these travellers. At about 9:30am, we hit a wallaby. The…

We joined the other 150 people doing the sunrise tour. 4 boats of about 40 people each. Our minds were boggling when you think each person is charged $180. Despite the number of people, each boat took its own path and the trip was serene. Cruising the different waterways of Yellow Water Billabong and South…

Unfortunately, all the 4WD tours for fishing and the swimming holes were booked out so we ran our own tour. Started with the Warradjan Cultural Centre 2km from Cooinda. So interesting and great displays. Because of his height, Mark was commandeered by the lone worker to help hang a set of buffalo horns. In return,…

We journeyed to Ubirr and saw more incredible rock paintings. We met Penny whose mother is a Gurindji woman. Penny was with a school group and took the time to explain a few things to us such as how the pandanus fruit was used by the Gurindji people. It is poisonous until cooked to make…

No internet for several days so expect a backlog of events. Highlight of my trip so far. Left Darwin and drove to a Jumping crocs tour. Took photos with the big croc, looked in their shop and examined their displays.. to be told after presenting our tickets that we were at the wrong tour group.…

Another brilliant day. Donna and I hit the gym to start the day. Trying to balance our decadence with healthy choices. I even went as far as getting mushroom and tomato bruschetta which turned out to be more artichoke and tomato – I did find two mushrooms. Donna’s halloumi resembled fish and Mark’s scrambled eggs…

What a day! We crammed so much into it. Started with a walk to the Waterfront for breakfast. Wayne and Mark found a local with whom they could identify. We then drove to the Darwin War Museum which was fascinating. Bombed on 19 February, 1942 and we were visiting on 19 June, 2022. We wanted…

It’s confirmed. Travelling with Donna brings us luck. Our flight to Darwin was smooth and without incident. The boys were able to elicit useful information from a local – a beautiful, young girl flying up to see her brother’s race in the Supercars. Donna and I did witness a slight ‘Karen’ moment when someone was…