Camp 100 Douglas Hot Springs
Left Katherine after delivering the Stargate Atlantis DVDs back to Rob and Judith. On our way from Katherine to Douglas Hot Springs, we stopped in at Edith Falls for a look and a picnic lunch. Edith Falls is part of the Nitmiluk National Park and is accessed from the Stuart Highway, 42km north of Katherine. The car park is a further 19km from the turnoff. Adjacent to the car park at the base of Edith Falls is a large pandanus fringed plunge pool, which is a popular swimming area. The park offers a variety of walking tracks, picnic area and camp ground near the base of the falls.
Once we filled up our stomachs, we left Edith Falls to continue onto Douglas Hot Springs. After 2 years 3 months and 15 days on the road, we finally reach Camp 100. The Douglas Hot Springs are located 47km from the Stuart Highway via Oolloo Road. The last 7km is unsealed but generally accessible by 2WD vehicle. The springs are as hot as 60°C and swimming is recommended in the cooler pools downstream. These springs attract a variety of wildlife and unpowered camping is available. The hot and cold waters mix together at a certain point in the river where you can enjoy the temperature of the water that suits individual needs. Don stayed mostly in the cold part whereas for me the hotter the better.
We also saw a couple that we met in both Camp 86 Croydon and Camp 88 Hell’s Gate Roadhouse. What a small world!
Our time at Douglas Hot Springs was just spent relaxing and enjoying the serenity of the natural hot water.
Camp 101 Batchelor 1
With 2 gigs booked in at Batchelor in 2 separate venues, we left Douglas Hot Springs reluctantly on Friday 16 July 2010 to head up to Batchelor. Batchelor is located 98km south of Darwin and is the gateway to Litchfield National Park. The township offers a range of accommodation from motel rooms and cabins to bungalows and caravan parks.
My first gig was scheduled for Saturday 17 July at the Batchelor Butterfly Farm and Tropical Retreat. This retreat offers the Northern Territory its first and only butterfly sanctuary and tropical oasis which offers unique, quality cabin accommodation nestled within the grounds of its organic farm and butterfly sanctuary. Judy, the owner of the Butterfly Farm, let us camp in her private home backyard.
As well as my gigs here, Don and I have decided that we need to settle down for approximately 3 months till the end of October before the wet season starts again and find some work to build the kitty up again. So most of my time here in Batchelor, in between gigs, was spent job hunting as well as updating this website.
The gig on Saturday night at the Butterfly Farm was a quiet, subdued gig with people eating dinner and enjoying the live entertainment. Turned out so well, that Judy has booked another night for this coming Wednesday 21 July 2010.
On Sunday 18 July 2010 we went out to Litchfield National Park. Just 20 minutes from Batchelor, Litchfield offers several options for safe swimming in the spring fed waterfalls and rock holes.
The Magnetic Termite Mounds are a major attraction seen soon after entering the national park. Some of them stand up to 2 metres in height and are in a north-south orientation. This configuration acts as a built-in temperature control mechanism, allowing only the least possible surface area to be exposed to the heat of the sun.
Buley Rockhole is a series of small waterfalls and rockholes that provide the perfect site to cool off and relax. A walking track leads from Buley Rockhole to Florence Falls. Florence Falls is a spectacular double waterfall set amid monsoon rainforest. A nearby viewing platform is ideal for sightseeing and photography.
The impressive city site known as the “The Lost City” is some 8km off the main Litchfield Park Road, accessible on a rough track by 4WD only, it houses reminiscent of the ruins of some long lost civilisation in its formation of sandstone blocks and majestic pillars formed and weathered by the elements.
On Monday we moved from Judy’s backyard to the Batchelor Resort Big4 Caravan Park. Judy has a dog called Squash who unfortunately doesn’t like me very much and has already tried to go me a couple of times. So in order for Judy not to stress, for Squash not to stress and for me not to stress we decided to move out and give Squash her backyard back. Since I have a gig at the Batchelor Resort on Thursday night it was only logical that we move there. Monday and Tuesday nights at a 25% discount with Wednesday and Thursday nights free. Can’t complain about that!
Camp 102 Batchelor 2
Not a lot to say about this place. The Batchelor Motor Inn and Caravan Park is a Big4 resort with all the usual amenities. Generally, while I was waiting to perform the gig on Thursday night, we just sat around camp, swam in the pool and met some lovely people.
The gig on Thursday night was with a few of the locals and caravan park people.
Camp 103 Litchfield National Park 1 (Litchfield Tourist and Van Park)
On Friday 23 July 2010 we moved to Litchfield Tourist and Van Park just on the edge of Litchfield National Park. We only stayed 2 nights here waiting for the third gig at the Butterfly Farm on Saturday night which by the way went really well again with restaurant tables full of house guests.
A big thanks goes to Judy and Lyndal for booking three gigs in just one week and their welcoming attitude and hospitality.
Camp 104 Litchfield National Park 2 (Litchfield Safari Camp)
On Sunday 25 July 2010 (we never move on a Sunday) we left the Litchfield Tourist and Van Park and headed into Litchfield National Park on our way to Humpty Doo.
On our way we stopped at Tolmer Falls which is one of the most spectacular which cascades over two high escarpments into a distant, deep plunge pool. There is no public access to the bottom of the falls as this is home to several colonies of the rare and protected bat species, Ghost Bats and Orange Horseshoe Bats.
We then drove onto Wangi Falls where this is the park’s most popular visitor attraction because of its ease of access, with its two falls cascading into a cool, freshwater pool. A 1.7km walk, which commences near the pool, provides an excellent opportunity for photography and winds itself up beside the falls, over the falls and down the other side. We spent the afternoon doing this walk and then enjoyed the coolness of the water with a swim out to the falls and back.
We were going to camp here but all the sites had already been taken so we headed out to Litchfield Safari Camp for the night instead. At $20 per night for an unpowered site, we left early on Monday morning and headed the 4km back to Wangi Falls to see if there were any sites available and there was.
Camp 105 Litchfield National Park 3 (Wangi Falls)
We set up camp at Wangi Falls campground on the first available site which happened to be site number 1. We have booked in for 2 nights but since we don’t have to be in Humpty Doo until Friday, we may even spend another 2 nights here. Such a beautiful spot, quite cheap to camp and with the falls and swimming hole only about 500m down the track, very refreshing.
The weather is definitely getting hotter at around 35° with 40% humidity however there is a beautiful cool breeze today which makes all the difference. Hopefully we will be able to withstand this heat as we work at The Border Store, just 40km north of Jabiru, in Kakadu National Park, till the end of October / mid November.
Camp 106 Humpty Doo
We arrived in Humpty Doo on Friday early afternoon ready for the gig that night. The managers were very kind and gave us a hotel room for two nights. The Humpty Doo Hotel is an historical famous hotel of the Northern Territory. On Saturday night, a band called The Giants played which absolutely rocked the entire place. We even met some drillers, one from Ireland and the other two from Melbourne.
Camp 107 Annaburro
Moving again on a Sunday, we arrived at the Bark Hut Inn, Annaburro ready for the afternoon gig. The Bark Hut Inn is a roadhouse, pub, caravan park and souvenir shop. We only stayed the one night before heading into Kakadu National Park.
Take care, until next time ...
We arrived at the Border Store in Kakadu National Park on Monday 2 August 2010. After setting up camp we met up with Andrew, the relief Manager. Rick and Shirly, the current managers, are currently in Darwin for a couple of days. Andrew and his father, Gary, were very welcoming and started to show us the ropes of how the Border Store operates.
The Border Store is located in the East Alligator region of Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory. The East Alligator River forms the boundary between Kakadu and Arnhem Land. The store sells souvenirs, aboriginal art, food, drinks, ice-creams and is generally the meeting place for tour buses. 
The East Alligator region contains rainforest, stone country, aboriginal rock art, extensive floodplains and the beautiful East Alligator River. 
Cahill's Crossing, which crosses the East Alligator River from Kakadu to Arnhem Land, has a tide which comes in very fast over the causeway. The salt water crocodiles surf over the causeway and feed on the barramundi with fisherman trying to catch the elusive barra before the crocs do.
About 2km down the road from the Border Store, is Ubirr where you can see a range of different rock art styles telling stories about behaviour, food, law and creation. Traditionally groups of people camped under Ubirr's cool rock shelters and exploited the rich resources of the nearby East Alligator River and Nadab floodplain. Ubirr is now looked after by neighbouring clans. Concentrated along the escarpment, in gorges, and on rock outliers, the art sites are tangible evidence of the close personal relationship of Aboriginal people with their land and spiritual heritage. Once you reach the top of Ubirr, you are greeted with a 360 degree view of Kakadu National Park and Arnhem Land with the most magnificant sunset over the Nadab floodplain.
In our last week, Don was invited to attend the Arnhemlander tour which is an aboriginal cultural tour into Arnhemland and northern Kakadu. The Arnhemlander four-wheel drive day tour crosses the famous East Alligator River entering Arnhemland to visit Mikinj Valley, a superbly scenic area of sandstone outcrops and escarpment, forests, floodplains and billabongs. 
We also went on the famous Guluyambi Cruise which is an exceptional Aboriginal cultural and scenic experience on the East Alligator River. The Aboriginal guides specialise in catering to small groups for a personal and unique cultural, bush tucker and wildlife experience. The tour focuses on Aboriginal culture as your Aboriginal guide shares skills passed down for generations, including the making of hunting tools and where to find bush tucker on this East Alligator River.
