How slack I have been bloggers - part of it has been time, the other one no service for optus internet. Well we are now in Armidale - via Karumba - before we get onto the excitment of the Gulf, I need to take you through the journey since Darwin. After we left Anya and Grace, we went to Litchfield National Park - the main Wangi falls were still closed to swimming because of Crocs, but the Jocelyn Falls were open and we swam here.
That night we stayed in Batchelor, and we settled back into the swing of a tent and swag. The next day we went to the Adelaide River War Cementry, a great place to learn more about the WWII and NT experience. From there we went to the Douglas Hot springs. These are different to the other springs we had been too, the main spring comes out at about 70 degrees, too hot to even walk through - the springs are not deep pools, but more like a creek of running water - you swim where the hot spring meets a cold water spring and brings it back to a pleasant mid 30s. We were here on the Friday - the next day we read in the paper that they closed the springs on Friday afternoon because they had trapped a 3m salty down stream - that made us take a quick breath!!
We spent the night in Katherine, and headed back to Mataranka the next day - we had another swim, then headed off for a day of driving, getting to the Heartbreak Hotel for the night.
You will get the picture by now that the summary for the NT is - if we could climb it, we climbed it, if we could swim it, we swam in it, and if we could eat it, well, we ate it!!
From Cape Crawford we went down to the Barkly Roadhouse, and then across to Camoweal for the night. We met a family here from Adelaide, that were also going to Lawn Hill, where we ended up seeing them every day for the three days there. They had boys the same age as Hunter and Oscar, so it was great for them to have some holiday friends. We went in to Lawn hill Gorge, and stayed at Adels Grove for three nights. The gorge is spectacular to say the least, and we did plenty of swimming here, as well as canoeing - we canoed the 6km, and then the next day did the Island walk, a couple of kms to get a view of it all.
We packed up and began our journey further north to Burketown via Gregorgy Downs. We booked into a cabin at Burketown because after three days of camping in dust and smoke we were looking for a nice night. We went fishing off the whalf at Burketown and had, for a change, a very successful afternoon. THey caught 5 legal sized bream which we ate for dinner, giving two away to other campers that we had met from our Lawn hill stay.
We packed up and headed to Karumba - not having any idea of the number of great adventures we would have here. We stayed with Bruce and Rosemary Tremain-Hill, with the special bonus of also having Lochie and Karen there, and Tori coming up from Isa with her gorgeous baby Tristain. We have been for helicopter flights and plane flights with Capt Lochie - which has very quickly elevated him to God in the eyes of the three Wards. Dek and I were spoilt with going on a sunset cruise. We have also spent a large amount of time eating and drinking - with the views and meals at the Tavern hard to describe how very non camping it has all been. We went mud crabbing, and had a great time - serving up 5 mud crabs for dinner.
So our summary for Karumba is - if it can be flown, we flew in it, and if it could be eaten, you guessed it, we ate it. (and the kids want to know why the Tremain-Hills cannot be their cousins)
We packed up and headed to Karumba - not having any idea of the number of great adventures we would have here. We stayed with Bruce and Rosemary Tremain-Hill, with the special bonus of also having Lochie and Karen there, and Tori coming up from Isa with her gorgeous baby Tristain. We have been for helicopter flights and plane flights with Capt Lochie - which has very quickly elevated him to God in the eyes of the three Wards. Dek and I were spoilt with going on a sunset cruise. We have also spent a large amount of time eating and drinking - with the views and meals at the Tavern hard to describe how very non camping it has all been. We went mud crabbing, and had a great time - serving up 5 mud crabs for dinner.
So our summary for Karumba is - if it can be flown, we flew in it, and if it could be eaten, you guessed it, we ate it. (and the kids want to know why the Tremain-Hills cannot be their cousins)
We travelled fairly quickly south - going across the Georgetown and down to Hugenden, then to Winton, Longreach - Tambo, Warwick Armidale. Catching up with Alix and Goudgie and the boys, then heading for home by Friday night. Cannot believe that it is all over, seems to be so soon - this will be the last of the blogs - thanks for following - and look forward to seeing you all some day soon - cheers Team Ward.
