Mt Isa to Karumba

So our next stop after Mt Isa was Cloncurry, a leisurely 120 km to the East. Along the way, there’s a noticeable difference in the landscape, which really started just after Camooeal. All the way across the NT from the Stuart Highway until just beyond Camooweal, the landscape is virtually flat. Then it starts to gently undulate until you start the approach to Mt Isa from about 10 km out. That’s when undulations turn into a low mountain range. From Mt Isa to Cloncurry, you have the same undulating landscape.

Cloncurry was the original home for the Australian Aerial Medical Service, which eventually became the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) as we know it today. Cloncurry is home to a fabulous museum - yep another museum - the John Flynn Place. It spreads over 3 floors and covers everything from development of the pedal radio by Traeger, to the types of aircraft used since the inception of the Australian Aeromedical Flying Service through to notable doctors, pilots and nurses employed along the way.

Rev John Flynn

John Flynn was a Presbyterian Minister with the Australian Inland Mission (AIM). The AIM had been established many years earlier in order to provide care for those people living in the remote areas of inland Australia. Flynn, a Minister assigned to a church Mission in the Flinders Ranges in SA saw the need for a more expansive involvement of the church in central and northern Australia, particularly amongst the Aborigines. He commissioned a report on the idea and, following submission of the report to the Presbyterian General Assembly, the concept was enthusiastically endorsed and Flynn made Superintendent of what came to be known as the Australian Inland Mission, the precursor to the Australian Aeromedical Service.

Australian Population Demographic - Circa 1905

People living in these remote areas during these early years were an eclectic collection of hopefuls who had traveled to remote areas following the discovery of precious metals or gemstones such as gold, silver and opals, or sheep or cattle farmers - pastrolists - who were looking for  vast areas of natural pasture on which to run and breed their stock. Earlier explorations by the likes of Eyre, Sturt, Stuart , Leichhardt and many others had opened up the inland regions of Australia, particularly for the pastrolists and so population of the inner parts of Australia began in earnest in the latter parts of the 19th century. 

Early Settlers - From the Strehlow Collection

Land was leased by pastrolists from the Government of the day at a Peppercorn rent, on the understanding that they would stock the land and make improvements within a 5 year period. Failure to do so would render the lease null and void and the leasehold returned to the Government. Many of these early pioneers couldn't make a go of it because of the uncertainty of a sustainable water supply and because of the distances involved in bringing their cattle or sheep to market. The early pioneering Station owner families such as the Duracks and Kidmans managed, through severe drought and severe floods, to hang on and profit handsomely from the good times.

Early Settlement - From the Strehlow Collection

One of the major problems faced by everyone in the remote outback in those early days was timely access to medical care. Many people working in outback locations died as the result of disease or accidents. Many of these deaths  could have been prevented had medical aide been available in a timely manner. The AIM had set up a number of Nursing Hostels at various central locations but these were still insufficient to service many areas in the more remote regions. So doctors still had to travel by horse or horse and dray, a very slow and at times dangerous mode of transport. 

Flynn, in one of his published works regarding the work of the AIM, had outlined the difficulties faced by the missions in providing medical care in the remote areas and it was a young aviation enthusiast, John Clifford Peel who, upon reading Flynn’s scratchings, was to come up with what would eventually become the Australian Aerial Medical Service. In 1917, Peel was a Second Lieut. and graduate of the Australian Army Flying Corp. In a letter to Flynn in November 1917, he outlined in great detail, including costings, the advantages of using aircraft for a “Flying Doctor” service in the outback. This was a revolutionary idea at the time, given that aircraft were only in their early stages of development. Sadly, Peel did not see his idea come to fruition because he disappeared on a sortie during WW1.

DeHavilland DH50

It took a further 11 years and the involvement of the legendary Hudson Fysh (A Founder of Qantas Empire Airlines - QEA) to set up the first chapter of the Australian Aeromedical Flying Services. Although Flynn saw the potential in Peel’s plan, funding was a big issue but through fund raisers over the years, the finances to fund the plan gradually started to take shape. As with many things good and great, something comes about that acts as a catalyst for action to be taken, and that came in the form of a station hand who was badly injured on a cattle station in a remote area. The doctor was contacted by telegraph and advice given to stabilize the injury.  Medical care was administered by station staff and his subsequent condition reported back to the doctor as ok. The prescribing doctor then set off to the station straight away, taking 10 days to get there and then, only to find that the station hand had died the day before his arrival. This  particular event convinced Flynn that something had to be done immediately so he contacted Hudson Fysh and contracted QEA to provide an aircraft and pilot to initiate the inaugural services of the Australian Aeromedical Flying Services. The first service commenced in 1928, with the first operational flight being made to Julia Creek, around 120 km to the East of Cloncurry. The first aircraft used for the purpose was a DeHavilland DH50 which was capable of transporting a pilot, doctor and one patient.

So there it is. People in the outback today can give thanks to the Rev John Flynn for having the courage of conviction to introduce an unproven technology (the aeroplane) into a role for which it had never been designed and at the same time, to be the first in the world to do so. To me though, the sad part about this story is that the contribution made by John Clifford Peel is not universally known or even acknowledged in any of the RFDS literature. He clearly was a visionary and I wonder if events may have progressed along different lines had he been able to return from the war and bring his obvious ingenuity to other aspects of the service. 

Regardless, the current day Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) takes on legend status in the outback. It, together with modern day communications renders those remote areas, a lot less remote today. And there’s another story - the story of the pedal radio and the “school of the air”. But that’s for another day ....

Cattle Mustering Rodeo - Burke & Wills Roadhouse

Our next port of call was Normanton, but on the way along the Matilda Highway, we stopped at the Burke and Wills Roadhouse. To our surprise and delight, right across the road there was a cattle mustering rodeo happening. I say cattle mustering, because there was none of this bucking bull stuff they had at the Daly Waters stop - the stop where I had my full 20 litre fuel can stolen. 

A Lady Cattle Musterer in Full Flight

So, for a couple of hours, we watched some brilliant horsepersonship being exercised in cutting out a Brahman cow from a mob and then guiding it through a marked course - that’s not the same cow each time by the way ... Contestant riders were equally disposed about the gender fence, and from what I saw, the ladies seemed to have the upper hand in their horse handling ability.

Burke & Wills Departing Melbourne 1860

At Normanton, we headed out to the Burke and Wills Camp 119 - their last camp before both passed away. For those who aren’t aware of Australian history (shame on you ....) the Burke and Wills exploration was shambolic at the beginning and tragic at the end. Robert O’Hara Burke originally from Ireland - if that wasn’t already self evident - was the Inspector of Police, Ovens district based in Beechworth northern Victoria. Wills was, by profession, a Surveyor, shy in nature and not long having emigrated from the UK. Neither had any significant bush experience and from the beginning, their foray into the nether regions of Australia were fraught with problems. On the day they departed Melbourne, horses not used to being in the proximity of camels bolted and raced through the packed crowds sending people scattering in every direction, wagons carrying provisions broke down just north of Melbourne and with the mix of nationalities - English, Irish, Indian, German and an American - cultural differences added to their problems along the way. This particular exploratory foray was happening at exactly the same time as John McDouall Stuart was attempting his south to north crossing of the continent. Suffice to say Stuart succeeded on his sixth attempt, coming through the Mangrove trees at Chambers Bay near the current city of Darwin whilst Burke and Wills fell short by about 70 km from reaching the coast west of Normanton. 

Mr Stuarts Track

The difference between the two exploratory groups was that Stuart , a bushman in his own right, was accompanied by other bushmen, all of whom knew how to live off the land. Added to this was Stuart’s uncanny ability to navigate his way through seemingly impassable scrub and bushland, and to find water, either by way of natural springs or river systems. The Stuart Highway is a testament to this man's water-divining abilities; towns such as Stuarts Well, Renner Springs, Wycliffe Well to name but a few. 

The death of Robert O'Hara Burke

To the contrary, Burke and Wills having no real bush experience of note relied on a large contingent of people and supplies, which included the provisioning of supply camps along the route for their return trip. There was no thought of living off the land, it was all “MacDonalds and Burger King” in today's parlance....! Total cost of the Stuart exploration was of the order £2000 - although there were 5 previous attempts - whilst the Burke and Wills foray cost upwards of £15,000, excluding wages. And then of course, there was the ultimate cost of the lives of both Burke and Wills and another of their team, Charley Gray.

Plaque at the last Burke & Wills Camp 119

Visiting the Burke and Wills camp site was, to me as an avid reader of Australian history, almost a religious experience - not that I’m so inclined. To have read about their exploratory work and then to visit their last camp allowed me to put in context the environment in which they worked, lived and finally died. 

Typical Australian Bush - At Camp 119

The thickness of the bush  and the number and density of the Mangrove trees surrounding their camp, even as it is today, would have taken some serious effort to make headway. And given that these poor souls were undernourished and physically drained makes it all the more poignant an experience. Tragically Burke, Wills and Gray, another member of their team, all died of Beri Beri, a condition brought about, in this case, by a toxin contained in a native plant Pardoo, which if incorrectly prepared can be fatal. At the time of their death, they were all out of provisions and relying on what they had learned from the Aborigines concerning the preparation of this plant. Unfortunately, if prepared incorrectly, Pardoo releases a toxin that can be fatal, which in this case it was. 

It's one thing to read about the exploits of these people and to learn about the circumstances under which they died, but to visit a site such as this, look at the environment - which wouldn't be any different to what it was 150 years ago - and then try and picture what it must have been like - it's a very humbling experience. At least it was for me. 

And as a final and sad note on this subject, the best book written about this shambolic and tragic exercise is, in my humble opinion, “Mr Stuart’s Track” written by Sarah Murgatroyd who herself, sadly passed away only weeks after it was published. Spooky stuff.

The story of "Krys" the Croc ...

At the other end of the Fact scale, ie at the BS end, we visited “Krys the Croc” in the main street in Normanton. Pitched at the tourist, this is an artists impression of what was in reality a 28ft 4” (8.63 Metre) crocodile shot in 1957 by Krystina Pawlowski, a crocodile shooter in the days when crocodile hunting was a legal sport in Australia. It is believed to be the largest crocodile ever caught in the world - and the sculpture you see in Normanton is a life-like representation based on dimensions taken at the time. 

"Krys" the Croc - he's the one on the left .....

Adding to the attraction, the jaws are open for the express purpose one suspects, of enabling tourists to play-act being taken by a croc - something which was happening as we walked away. But that was ok - they were only a couple of Grey Nomads ..... So, I guess you could say, this whole thing is a “croc of croc”.

The Norman River leading to the Gulf of Carpenteria

Next stop was Karumba, about 70 km drive north of Normanton and, from what we could see, a fishing Mecca for those down south. The car parks adjacent to the two boat ramps in town were “chockers” with 4X4‘s with boat trailers attached every state and territory, except WA. The Norman River empties into the Gulf of Carpentaria at this point, but a few hundred metres back up the river there's a prawn trawler fleet. Prawn trawlers heading for the prawning grounds out in the Gulf and beyond make their way through the myriad of “Tinnies” filled with expectant fishermen all trying their luck to catch the very popular Barramundi, Bream or King Salmon lurking in these waters. The shoreline is peppered with Mangrove trees, interspersed with the occasional small sandy beach, but swimming would be off the to-do list because Krys the Croc has family in these parts - lots of the buggers in fact. If fishing from the shoreline or even just wandering along it, you’re reminded not to stand too close to the water such that you cast a shadow on the water - this applies anywhere in the north of Australia. Crocs are known to use shadows to line up their prey and then launch themselves on to the shoreline. 

And as another interesting bit of tourist info .... the Karumba Motel Hotel has a drinking bar referred to as the Animal Bar. I am reliably informed that the Red Hot Chilli Peppers wrote a song called Animal Bar - dedicated to this same bar. I'm now so ready with this fact for anyone who's a "Chilli's" fan .....

On the trip up from Normanton we were struck by the number and size of the wetland areas. Birdlife up this way is prolific, with Cranes, Brolgas and the odd Jabiru wading through wetland areas that seem out of place when you consider, not 200 km south-west, there are areas that look to be in drought. In those areas, you can see the rib cage of the cattle and the landscape appears barren and brown. But all the way up to Karumba, wetlands and salt pans abound, and there is water in the creek beds, something you don’t see further south. But then you'd expect that with an annual rainfall of 1500mm, most of which falls within a 2  to 3 month period.

The next main stop will be Cairns. The original plan was to go as far north as Cooktown, but we’ve decided that will be for another time. Our trip down the east coast will be limited to the trip from Cairns to Townsville, and then back inland.

Renner Springs to Mt Isa

The georgina River at Dusk - With Pelicans

Our next main stop was Camooweal, which is just inside the border of Queensland from the Northern Territory. We camped by the Georgina River and to sit beside a river and see nature at work is wonderful. At the very moment of writing this scribble, we’re watching a flotilla of Pelicans cruise up and down what’s left of the Georgina River after the wet season. At a rough count we reckon there’s around 90-100 of these big birds and the setting is magic. At dusk, the sky tends toward a hue of blue graduating through violet, pink, red and then a pale orange. The hue you see only lasts for a few minutes and then gradually fades away to the night sky. And then, of course, in the absence of big city lights and the industrial sludge that goes with that, the stars emerge and render up the true magic of the Milky Way. It’s one of those moments when - well, you had to be there to appreciate it.

Jeff Simpson - A man with a great story to tell

Today (Monday May 20), we visited the Camooweal Drovers Camp, which is about 1 km out of town heading East. If you’re up this way and you don’t visit this exhibit - shame on you !. As a keen fan of Australian history, I was in the equivalent of a kids lolly shop. We were greeted by Jeff Simpson, a 79 year old guy who had been a drover from 1952 through to around 1962, so he was the genuine article (photo). A nicer man you could not meet and, because we weren’t pressed for time, we got the full tour, with excellent commentary through the gallery of photos, memorabilia and background history of all the famous cattle stations and characters that worked throughout northern Queensland, the NT and north west WA. He knew all about the early settlers including the Duracks, Costellos, McDonalds etc that pioneered the sheep and Cattle Stations. He also knew all about the explorers that came through these areas, opening up the country to pastrolists and other business interests. His brother, also a Drover in his younger years, has written a book about Ludwig Leichhardt, the Prussion explorer - it’s called “In the Footsteps of Leichhardt” - I’ve seen it on the bookshelves, so I know what my next book purchase will be. 

Horse Tailor with pack horses - 1880's

Jeff was a Horse Tailor - and what, you may ask is a Horse Tailor ?. Well, I asked (on behalf of the reader of course !), and generally, he was in charge of all the horses for the muster, including saddles, bridles, shoeing and anything else horse related. He was up at 4am each morning to bring the horses in from their tetherings outside the main camp area and have them ready for the days work. So he, like the cook, was a key bloke. His knowledge of horses is so good he's written a book on how to break a wild horse and how to subsequently train and look after them. His book has also been included in the collection held by a German organisation - the name escapes me - considered the ultimate authority on horses worldwide.

We also learned that there were certain horses, termed “Night Horses”. These particular horses had excellent vision, excellent hearing and an instinct for trouble within the mob. They were the horses used during the night watches, but they were also the first “horse of call” when some of the more adventurous of the mob decided to go AWOL during the day. Blessed with better reflexes than their rider, they were able to out-manouvre animals under chase and at times, were known to lean against the animal and bite their back or rump in order to turn them back to the main mob. So they were really, I guess the first “kelpies” of the cattle herds.

The regular horses ridden by the drovers were from good stock, usually thoroughbreds, and were selected for their speed and agility. For every drover, 6 horses were included with the muster as the general droving horse was worked hard through the day, having to be on station for the time it took to drove the cattle 10 to 12 miles per day, at the same time scouting the bounds of the mob in order to keep them together and keep them moving.

The pack horses, who did all the heavy lifting, were at the bottom of the capability index. They would normally carry around 150lb on their back and came under the general responsibility of the cook. No-one, other than the cook or Horse Tailor, went anywhere near those pack horses carrying food of any kind, under threat of punishment, and alcohol was not permitted from the start of the job until completion.

Cattle under Muster - 1880 - 1881 (notice the Termite Mounds everywhere)

The drovers were paid 4 shillings and sixpence per 100 head, per 100 miles. Typical cattle herds under muster would number around 1350 and they would travel around 10 to 12 miles per day. So you do the maths for the weekly wage. Along the muster route, water bores were sunk every 24 miles so the drovers always carried enough water for at least two days. The musters themselves could take place over many months. Typically, a muster droving from the Kimberleys to around Camooweal or Cloncurry could take up to 7 months, and that excludes the time it took to get the horses, drovers and camp kitchen gear to the Kimberleys in the first place - for that add another 2 months. So from start to finish, a complete muster job could take 9 months to a year, depending on weather. Wages were only paid at the end of the muster, so anyone who decided they’d had enough at some point before the finish line - well, they got some more life experience, full stop.

The Drovers Camp is free entry, but there is a box for donations - I bought a painting instead so that was my contribution - and TJ bought a DVD. The day we left Camooweal, we passed the Drovers Camp and there were 4 caravaning couples and two busloads of people visiting. We (TJ and self) both hope this exhibit survives because we’re not sure what happens when the last real drover conducting the tours can’t physically do it or passes on. They (the Drovers) do it on a voluntary basis - Jeff Simpson, our Guide, comes from Stanthorpe, which is a town close to the border in SE Queensland - probably over 1000 km away. And the other guides, who do it on a roster basis, likewise come from all parts of the country. This is the dedication and commitment they bring to the exhibition. I’m just glad to have visited when we did, and to have talked real life experiences with someone who had - and has - a great story to tell.  Probably one of the most interesting days I’ve spent in many a year.

View from City Lookout

Our next stop was Mount Isa, located on the Leichhardt River, south of the Gulf by some 300 km or so. The Mount Isa Mining Company came into existence in 1924 following the discovery of high grade lead ore deposits in 1923 by John Miles, a prospector traveling through the area. Mining leases were pegged out, and as word got about, an increasing number of prospectors moved in and took up leases. In addition to Lead, Copper, Zinc and Silver were also discovered. The town of Mt Isa started to take shape, providing facilities and everyday living needs for the increasing number of people coming to the area looking for work in the mines. During the Great Depression, Mt Isa was effectively immune from the downturn in work experienced by the rest of Australia. During the war years, mining concentrated on Lead and Copper in order to support the war effort. At the end of the war, Copper, Lead, Zinc and Silver were mined. Today, Mount Isa Mining Co (MIM Co) is owned by Xstrata, a Swiss company, and employs around 5000 people, representing more than 25% of the total population.

Mt Isa at night - City Lookout

It’s a typical mining town, with the huge MIM Co mine backgrounding the central business district - or is it the other way round ? Not sure ... At night, the mine is lit up like a Christmas tree and serves as the main object of interest when observed from the Lookout overlooking the main CBD. There are other mine sites on and outside the city limits, but these pale into insignificance compared with the main MIM Co adjacent to city central. During the afternoons we were there, you could hear the blasting taking place - we heard up to 3 in one afternoon. We were told that they blast everyday at 8.15am and 8.15pm, and that they’ve been doing this for the past 29 years !. Every now and then, there’s an extra big blast, which we experienced on the Wednesday night. You could feel the vibration right through the van, and we were about 2 to 3 km from the mine site - and then the blasts are taking place about 2 km underground. In the Caravan park we stayed at, the majority of the inhabitants were permanents, usually contractors working with the mine. They come from all parts of Australia judging by the variety of car licence plates.

We called at the Outback at Isa centre and enquired about a mine tour. They told us that the mine was a reconstruction of the real thing so we weren’t happy about that so I rode up to MIM Co and enquired about mine tours through the real thing. No go - so all round, a bit disappointing, given you can take mine tours of operating mines in Newman and Kalgoolie (WA), Silverton in SA and the open cut coal mines in Victoria. Apparently, mine tours were possible up until a few years ago when OH&S concerns closed them down. So if you’re planning a visit, the only mine tour in town is via the Outback Isa centre - $59 per adult or $49 with a concession - 2.5 hours.

The First Mt Isa Hospital

What we did do though was visit the Underground Hospital adjacent to the current Mt Isa Hospital. This is a really good museum exhibiting old medical gear and photographs taken at the very beginnings of medicine as practiced at Mt Isa in the late 1920’s. The first doctor set up his clinic in a single tent before eventually moving to a more substantial setting around 1929. During the war years, Mt Isa was home to around 6000 American and Australian defence force personnel, as it was used as a staging town for the supply of equipment and armaments to Darwin for the war effort. 

Patient Bed-bunks - Underground Hospital

When the Japanese bombed Darwin on Feb 19, 1942, Mt Isa was considered a future potential target because of the copper and lead mining, so the hospital had an underground tunnel system hastily dug and equipped with sufficient medical supplies and bedding to house patients. It was equipped with a full operating area with equipment, an infant ward, bunk beds and fully stocked with medical supplies, linen, crockery etc. It was never used and at the end of the war, the entrance was filled over, leaving all original medical equipment and bedding in tact. 

Original Medical Supplies from 1942

In 1977, depressions in the hillside where the underground hospital was located prompted excavations to be undertaken to determine the cause. Excavations broke through into one of the tunnels and a worker was despatched to assess the find. He reported that the tunnels were unsafe and excavations were terminated and covered over. It wasn’t until the late 1990’s that miners working for MIM Co heard about the earlier find and offered to assess the tunnels with the view to restoration. This they did, and after some necessary tunnel reinforcement, they made the tunnels safe. The original tunnel shoring used was Gidyea, which is an extremely dense wood, much the same as Jarrah or Mulga. Even after more than 50 years, the shorings were still in excellent condition and only a minimum amount of shoring restoration was required. 

The escape ladder in case of tunnel collapse

Enquiries throughout the MT Isa community failed to find anyone who knew anything about the find. There were no plans or sketches provided to the local council but some old photos did come to light showing the interior as it was in 1942, so the current layout is the way it was at the time. The MIM Co miners took 4 years to complete the project, and today, it’s an excellent display for anyone traveling this way. 

The guides that take you through are locals who either worked at the current hospital or were associated with the Salvation Army. They have excellent knowledge of the history of both the hospital and Mt Isa in general. 

Darwin to Renner Springs

An Evans-Brooks Barricade at Entrance To Kakadu NP

We left Darwin around 10am Thursday May 16 and headed for the East Alligator river, deep in the bowels of Kakadu National Park. To get to Kakadu from Darwin you take the Arnhem Highway which branches away from the Stuart Highway south of Darwin, and then it’s a drive of around 100 km to the entrance to the Park. There’s an entry fee for everyone who is from out of town and older than 16, or put another way, free if you reside in the NT and/or you’re under 16 years - the fee is ($25). So for all our pre-prepared makeup, short pants and high pitched voices, the Rangers refused to agree to free entry. Sadly, it was TJ who gave it away - his bloumonge ran because of the humidity. He sweats a lot you see ... bastard.

Rock Painting from the Ubirr Art Site.

Anyway, we handed over the money and proceeded on to our destination, which was another 90 km or so. Arriving around 2pm in the afternoon, we set about nestling down in the Merl Campground, which is stones throw from the East Alligator River. I had hoped to catch the last River cruise for the day (3pm) so we headed to what I thought was the rendevous point - bugger, as Maxwell Smart would say “missed it by that much”; ie completely cocked it up. Ended up at the Ubirr Art site - an unintentioned diversion. So, wandered through the site, which comprises rock art from local indigenous folks dating back to who knows when. It was interesting, no question, but it was difficult taking photos with sweat dripping from everywhere and swarms of flies bathing in it - yuk. So I didn’t do this site justice, finally sprinting to the car and the coolness of the airconditioning. Phew, bloody hard work that was. 

Caravaning in the Bowels of Kakadu - East Alligator River

The night spent at the Merl Campground will not be easily forgotten. The Merl Campground is managed by the Kakadu NP Rangers and entry is on a first come, pick your own site basis. The sites are quite large and remote from the next door neighbours and the use of generators is ok in those areas marked accordingly. So we managed to find a site within a generator-friendly zone and set up for the night. Now, this year, the top end has had a dry wet season - in fact the driest wet season in 27 years I’m reliably informed (thanks Rod and Ineke). But there was good rainfall apparently during Easter, and this has led to unseasonly high humidity - something we could not fail to notice while in Darwin. So it’s been “hot and sticky” using the vernacular terminology. So under these circumstances, imagine the following; 35C temperature, 90% humidity during the day decreasing to around 30C and 90% during the night; no air-conditioning, no fans, just incessant heat and humidity all night long. Step outside the van for some urinal relief at 4am (standard practice for 65+ yo persons) - and you’re attacked by Squadrons of Mozzies with suction nozzles the size of a fire hose, all acting in unison, producing a collective sound like a two stroke motorbike under full throttle - it makes your blood boil, which just makes these irritating little bastards all the more excited. Embellishment perhaps, but when you’re eyes are like saucers and you’re half asleep, your mind does tend to exaggerate. But then, when has logic had any meaning at 4am in the morning ?.

Scenery around the East Alligator Area

Alighting to the new day, TJ and self showered, semi-packed the van and headed for the boat ramp from where the East Alligator River boat cruise depart. To say that eagerness was all pervasive would be an understatement and the skies looked promising. At the Upper Boat Ramp, enquiries regarding the purchase of tickets lead to Kevin, the Aboriginal guide (true, that’s his name) mumbling words like ....”$136 for two people ..” and after a bit of mental arithmetic - “that’s $68 for each of you”. Have you ever seen a startled Rabbit ?. Have you ever had an awkward moment when there was a lull in the conversation ?. Have you ever seen two old guys peer into their respective wallets, leafing through what is there, instead of what should be there in order to meet the intended contract, and at the same time quietly thinking “ you’ve got to be f#%&ing kidding ?”.Well, there it was - it happened - and these events all took place within microseconds. After we both came out of our co-jointly induced state of unconsciousness, Kev was given a very polite “ no thanks mate”  and we then both stalked off muttering all sorts of unseemly adjectives under our breathe. So long short (?), the East Alligator River cruise was not to be this time around.

We decided, after this disappointment, to head for Katherine and stay overnight in a Caravan park - we both needed our saucer-like eyes reduced back to normal with a good sleep, so we pulled in to the Low Level (as opposed to Low Life ...) Caravan Park just outside Katherine. Highly recommend this park. It’s huge with excellent amenities and big caravan sites.

Edith Falls - Wide Angle View of Upper Falls Area

But before we got to Katherine, we took a detour to my favourite “watering hole” - Edith Falls. I could bang on about how great this place is - but I won’t. I’ll let the photos do the talking. Suffice to say, in my humble opinion, Edith Falls is one of the most interesting and picturesque set of falls in the top end that I’ve seen, save for perhaps those in the Kimberly’s. That’s a big statement I know, as I haven’t seen them all, but the environment in which it all happens is almost cathartic. And the best part is that because it involves a walk of about 1 km to get there, including a modest climb followed by a modest descent over rocky ground, you don’t get the same number of people you get at other more popular falls, these being easier to access. 

Edith Falls - Upper

Edith Falls - Upper

Saturday May 18 saw us headed south - we weren’t quite sure where we’d end up, but that’s the beauty of not having a firm itinerary. Just south of  Mataranka there’s a turnoff that leads you to the grave sites of many of the characters portrayed in the novel We Of The Never Never. This novel was written around 1908 by Jeannie Aeneas. The original homestead buildings have long since gone - they were demolished during the building of a road in 1942 - but the cemetery still remains. About 300 metres past the cemetery is a cairn erected on the site of the old homestead.

Larimah Pub Company Car

Anyone traveling up or down the Stuart Highway will pass a town by the name of Larimah - an unforgettable town characterised by one colour, and that colour is pink - which rather catches your eye as you travel, thereby achieving the intended purpose of luring you in for a closer look. This we did and like many such towns along this highway, the history of the town is now overpowered by tacky commercial interests. There’s a Museum of sorts, which has been left to fend for itself, and sitting right opposite is this rundown, garish Beverly Hillbillies style pub - painted pink of course - with a collection of “old stuff” that would be of interest, were it not for the fact that most pubs along this Highway seem to have the same “old stuff”. 

Larimah Pub Bar - Management is to the Left

At the time we were there, it appears the business owners were making some “structural adjustments” (ie downsizing) because the place was being managed by a shortish Bikie wearing a stetson, cuban heels, tats from ankles to elbows and, clenched between tabacco stained teeth, a roll-your-own cigarette dripping ash everywhere. Our original intention had been to have a beer and order some food, but upon seeing team management, we thought better of it, ordered a beer (a firmly capped stubby) and moved on. Before we left , TJ asked after the Zoo animals advertised on the Spruiking Board out front. A bloke drinking nearby said  (Quite seriously) "that refers to the clientele" ..... So my recommendation for anyone planning a stopover at Larimah is, drive a stake through your hand because the pain you feel will be nothing compared to the pain you might experience if you stop at this place. 

We had intended to stop overnight at a free camping area adjacent to the old town of Newcastle Waters. As we came round the bend just prior to the camping area, we couldn’t believe the number of caravans that were there. The camp area is like a large semi-circular drive that runs in off the road and then re-emerges back onto the road about 100 metres further on. We drove very slowly along this driveway and there was not one single area available for us to pull the van in. The vans were parked next to each other like bloody sardines. Mama Cass was hanging the washing out on a line strung between two 12” (300mm) tree trunks (everything must have been size XXXXL), the card tables were out and the Chablis was flowing - the Grey Nomads were in town !. We didn’t want to get into that scene so, we hit the accelerator, pressed on and ended up stopping at Renner Springs, about 120 km further down the road. 

Renner Springs Roadhouse - NT

Got talking to an ex-truckie who was heading to Darwin to catch up with his wife, who was arriving there after a trip to Hawaii. Very interesting bloke with some fabulous stories to tell. And he even mentioned the same concern I have - and that is the NT, like WA, is starting to become expensive. With most of the big caravan parks charging $40+ per night now for 2 people - and then they jack that up during the peak season of June through August by a further 10+% - the traveling wood-duck (tourist) is now being hunted just like those poor unfortunates during duck season. Petrol prices range from the half reasonable of around $1.60 in the bigger towns to the unreasonable of $2.00 in the smaller roadhouses. That’s a 25% premium. You can feel the skin (yours) being peeled away as you hand over the money. And barely a blink of the eye or shameless look visits upon the face of the receiver. I know they provide a service in a remote location, and you can expect to pay extra for that. But a 25% premium on fuel is starting to make the eyes water.

 As I said of someone in an earlier scribble, there is a soullessness about transactions relating to anything touristy up this way. Sadly, the outback is starting to feel like the city, not because of the everyday people who live and work the normal outback jobs - they’re really interesting and open people - but because of the Pedro-come-swiftly sharks - the bottom-feeders - who gouge at any opportunity to make a killing. But I fear they may, in  the end, kill the very trade that keeps them in business. 

End or sermon .... stepping away from the Soap Box ....

Hanging around the Caravan park was a Border Collie by the name of Bear. Beautiful dog, getting on in age according to the guy guiding us into a overnight parking spot but very affectionate. He is owned by the Renner Springs Cattle Station people. According to Guide bloke, because Bear has outlived his usefulness as a working dog, the “lady” of the station takes to him with a whip when he goes back home. She apparently doesn’t want him around so Bear comes around the Caravan park looking for friends. And those he has in spades. Everyone, us included, dotes on him and looks after him. Whip lady, according to Guide bloke, has even tried to run him (Guide bloke) down with her car for some obscure reason - never fully explained. And there’s more - according to Guide bloke, the reason the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) doesn’t come to Renner Springs is because Whip Lady asks ridiculous amounts from the RFDS for them to land on the only airstrip in town, which happens to be on her property. So Whip Lady sounds like a real Honey. To the contrary, her husband sounds like a whimp. Either that or Whip lady takes to him with the whip - and he likes it. OMG !

Darwin and surrounds Part 2

Corroborree Billabong - View from Boat Ramp

Took a cruise on Corroborree Billabong, which is about a 75 minute drive from Palmerston along the Arnhem Highway, the highway that leads you into Kakadu National Park. It's a favourite fishing spot for Barramundi. I always thought a Billabong was a relatively small pond left after a river receded. Well, the “pond”  in this case comprises over 20 km of navigable waterway with an area  measured in the 1000‘s of acres. This Billabong is a permanent “hole” in the Mary river, and unlike most other rivers up that way, it doesn’t have a coastal river mouth. 

Female Jabiru - Corroborree Billabong

As a consequence, the water is fresh water. The Billabong is home to an amazing array of aquatic life, including birds, snakes and of course, crocodiles, both fresh water and salties. The Billabong is the home to the Jabiru, a member of the stork family. These birds come in at probably 30” (750mm) tall for a fully grown male or female, and you can tell the difference between male and female most definitely through eye colour, with the female having yellow eyes and the male black. The female also has pronounced deep aqua coloured neck feathers that glisten in the sun and give the appearance of being like velvet. 

Sea Eagle - Corroborree Billabong

There are also Ibis, Pelicans, Brolgas, Sea Eagles, Magpie Geese and the Whistling Duck which has a habit of rounding up other bird species, keeping them together and making sure they’re safe from harm - a sort of Kelpie of the Billabong if you will. The Billabong is also home to wild pigs. These pigs cause havoc with the environment, and according to our guide, in order to eradicate them entirely, you would have to kill off 70% of the entire adult pig population each year in order to achieve that, such is the rate at which they breed. There is a culling process that takes place, but it can only maintain a kind of status quo.

The main star of the Billabong is undoubtedly the crocodile. There are both freshwater and “saltwater” or saltie crocodiles there and Corroborree Billabong is thought to have the largest concentration of Salt water crocodiles anywhere. As a result, the saltie or Estuarine Crocodile, is the dominant predator , eating anything that moves, including freshwater crocodiles. They take anything from pigs, bull Buffalo - that’s bull Buffalo - to fish, birds and given the opportunity, the odd tourist stupid enough to hang an arm over the side of the boat or wade too deep into the water around the boat ramp. They’ve even basked in the sun on the boat ramp with all the fisher-persons looking forlornly on - who’s gonna go tap this guy on the “shoulder” and ask him to move along. Not bloody likely ....

A 3.5 Metre Saltie - Corroborree Billabong

Some interesting facts about crocodiles; crocodiles have only been the subject of detailed study within the last couple of decades; studies have revealed, through blood tests, that crocodiles are immune to disease and do not contain cancer producing cells - ie they don’t get cancer. It’s also a myth that crocodiles eat rotting flesh - they don’t because if they did, toxins would develop in their gut and it would kill them. So they only eat fresh. At this stage in the studies, no-one really knows how long crocodiles live for - the way they tell is by counting the number of rings in the bone of one of their legs, just as they do when aging a tree -  and the largest crocodile caught to date came from the Corroborree Billabong - he measured 6.23 metres, or a tad over 20ft long. I say “he” because female crocodiles rarely exceed 3.5 metres or so. Another gem of information from our guide came by way of Steve Irvin, the now deceased and legendary wild life guy from Queensland. Apparently, if you’re going to be taken by a crocodile, you’re better to be taken while in the water than be taken on land (not taken at all sounds better to me !). Reason is that the muscle that controls the gripping power can’t function well while the animal is in the water trying to hold it’s prey; ie you. Apparently, a well placed punch to the muscle controlling that gripping function will disable it, thus allowing you to swim - in total confidence - back to shore. Nobody on our cruise volunteered to test that theory - it was  emphasis on the word "apparently" that did it ....

3.5 to 4 Metre Saltie - Corroborree Billabong

The term Saltwater crocodile infers that they only live in saltwater - not true. Salties have salt glands in their snout that allows them to live in salt water, but they also live in fresh water. So salt water crocodiles may spend their entire life in saltwater, or freshwater or a bit of both. And finally, salties spend their day regulating their temperature within the confines of 33C to 35C or so on hot days  - they do this by taking shade under mangroves with their mouth open. And this is where we saw the croc you see in the photo to the left. He was guesstimated at 3.5 to 4 metres long (ie a big bugger) just lying under a mangrove, minding his own business - and he didn’t flinch one bit, even when the Guide ran the boat up onto the shoreline right in front of him. He would have been maybe 2.5 metres away from the front of the boat and self and a couple of others were right there at the pointy end. Someone asked why he didn’t move. Answer: he knows he’s the top “dog”  - he moves for no-one, not even a boat full of gawking, photo-snapping, well fed tourists. “In fact..”, our Guide continued “... he knows he can jump right in this boat anytime he wants ...”.  As I continued to squint through my camera eyepiece, banging away taking a blaze of photos, the sound of stampeding feet left me, as the solitary idiot, standing there with a virtual sign around my neck saying “LUNCH”. 

It’s one of those “WTF ?” moments everyone has on the odd occasion.

B-52 With City of Darwin Markings

The Aviation museum in Darwin is excellent - yes I’m about to go on about yet another museum and golly gosh, an Aviation museum at that. This one is unusual, however, in that it houses one of only two B-52’s from the USA that have been loaned to foreign museums; ie non - USA museums. The only other museum I can recall having a B-52 is the Duxford museum - to me, the mother of all aviation museums. 

B-52 Cockpit 

Anyway, this thing has a 56 metre wingspan and consumes the entire hangar width, the huge drooping wings acting as if the wings of a brooding hen hovering over her chicks - the chicks in this case being other exhibits. It’s impossible to get a photo which shows the size of it, unless you use a wide angle lens, and then you get too much distortion, which takes away from physical impact this aircraft actually has. The video giving all the stats on the aircraft also has some interviews with pilots. Apparently the B-52 was not an easy aeroplane to fly and it was not comfortable. 

Aside from the B-52, the museum houses an excellent array of aircraft, with the standouts  including a Sabre CA-27, Mirrage IIIO, the front section of a B-25 Mitchell, a Wessex and a Hughy Cobra gunship. There are various items of equipment and other memorabilia and an excellent array of books on aircraft etc. If you an aviation nut, it’s well worth the time.

Sunset FBYC - A bit disappointing on the day

And as a finale to our stay, we headed for the Fannie Bay Yacht Club, which faces due west and has a magnificent beach frontage with yachts anchored offshore. We watched the sunset, which was rather disappointing given the clouds about at the time, but I was pleasantly surprised to bump into two guys from my past life as a Consulting Engineer at Moorabbin airport. Dave Hooten and Tony Smith are both contract pilots that operated out of Moorabbin at the time and Dave did some flight testing for me for some mods we’d designed at the time - I’m talking 1990 to1993. Dave, Tony and a lady flight attendant had flown a Cessna Citation up from Essendon for some contract work in the Phillipines, and they are due to fly back to Melbourne in the early hours of this coming Friday. A very pleasant evening was had by all.

Tomorrow May 16, we head out of Darwin, heading for the East Alligator River in Kakadu National Park. The plan is to take a cruise on the East Alligator River, something I did in 2011, and something I'm looking forward to again.