Crossing into the Northern Territory we didn’t know what to expect other than it was going to be a bit on the warm side.  First impressions ……  It was hot, 35°C, with a lack of air movement that felt slightly claustrophobic and the closeness of the air required some effort to take a good breath.  An early break had been forecast with the wet weather expected during September rather than the usual late October/November which probably explained the feeling that everything was holding its breath waiting for the rains to come.  The dry, flat, treeless landscape stretched out as far as the eye could see in every direction, interrupted only by the termite mounds which when clustered together looked just like miniature cemeteries.  Such a different environment to the dramatic ranging landscape of the Kimberley.

Australia has many climate classifications, the NT having zones of equatorial savanna, tropical savanna, hot grassland (broken up into persistently dry/winter drought) and hot desert (again persistently dry or winter drought).  We crossed the border into the Territory via the Buntine Highway, which travelled through vast areas of hot grassland (winter drought).  Calling this road a highway was a bit of a stretch as the road alternated between a single lane, narrow strip of tatty edged bitumen sat atop red rubble or a six-lane-wide surface of unsealed, flattened, red rubble.  It is not often these days that you have to drive off the road to accommodate a vehicle coming the other way but this turned out to be a regular occurrence as we continued through NT, although hardly a nuisance as, on average, we were probably seeing only half a dozen vehicles a day.  The dry, savannah plains felt very empty apart from the odd herd of cows and the only place we passed through between the border and Katherine (over 800km) was the community of Daguragu, pop. 242, 96% indigenous, where there was a general store and a couple of fuel pumps.  100km out of Katherine we hit the National Highway and cruised into town listening to Bryce Courtney’s Tommo & Hawk, a diversion not possible on the dirt roads as Bob is pretty noisy as he rattles along. 

Katherine is a reasonable sized town with a good supply of essential shops and services.  We were surprised to see big banners everywhere advertising the sale of fireworks.  Apparently, NT celebrates Territory Day, the day independence from the Commonwealth Government was declared in 1978, with this one night of the year when you can legally possess and let off fireworks.  Locally known as Cracker Night it is loved by many for its atmosphere of unruliness and abhorred by others.  How quickly we accept new rules, laws and regulations.  It was a given growing up in the UK, that come Guy Forks night we would apple bob, eat toffee apples, run round with sparklers and watch the firework display set off by the grown-ups in the back garden.  Wind on a couple of decades and we are no longer responsible enough to behave in such a dangerous fashion – good on you NT!

 Since leaving South Australia water had been in short supply in most places, even to the point of struggling at times to fill Bob’s tanks.  Roadhouses would have their shower rooms locked and taps would have the push heads that you can’t fix a hose to.  You soon get used to conserving your water supply and it was a big contrast to suddenly have water in excess, even at the end of the dry season.  Public parks and general use areas were irrigated, green and lush and the caravan parks were happy to accommodate people washing their cars, vans and trailers – this was something we had definitely not come across previously.  Despite the irrigation, the dust was just as bad as we were accustomed to as any moisture was soon sucked up in the searing heat. 

Ever since entering the Territory we had commented on the constant burning-off that was either taking place, or had recently been carried out, along the roadside.  It was so excessive that finding an uncharred campsite was challenging and we did stop one night in an area that had been burnt through earlier in the year, leaving the following morning with everything covered in a fine black smelly film of dust.   That was a lesson well learnt and such a stop has been added to our ever-growing list of places we choose not to spend the night.  Others include, not being too close to the croc infested rivers and waterways as we struggle to keep Leroy out of the water and it seems unfair to keep him tied up the whole time.  Not camping where other people have obviously camped (unless there is a drop toilet close by) as Leroy has displayed quite a talent for finding, digging up and eating number twos.  These camp sites are also the worse for flies which is a shame as they are usually in the best spots.  Shade is now a priority as the sun is hot as soon as it peeps over the horizon and doesn’t set until just before 7pm and we do try to find somewhere that has some ground cover to alleviate the dust but this was rarely achieved.  

It didn’t take us long to realise that you can only purchase alcohol between 12 midday and 6pm and you must show ID.  Being asked for ID prompted a flashback to under-age attempts to acquire booze from the local off-licence and in that moment we felt like we were teenagers again and kidded ourselves that we must be looking pretty damn good for our age, but this bubble was soon burst when we checked into the caravan park and were asked if we had a seniors card??!!!

Most people are based in Katherine to explore the Nitmiluk NP, a huge area which includes thirteen impressive gorges carved from the ancient sandstone country.  The gorges can be explored by scenic flights, river cruises, canoes or on foot and there are many swimming holes to cool off in that are croc free.  There are also some rock art sites and accommodation ranging from campgrounds to luxury lodges.  Leaving Leroy in doggy day care, we spent a day at Edith Falls, a series of cascading waterfalls and pools within the NP.   Despite the heat, we hiked the 9km walking trail to the upper waterfalls and en-route, ran into a group camping at the base of the falls.  The location was absolutely stunning and at first glance looked about as close to paradise as you could get.  However, on closer inspection, most of the group were badly sunburnt and desperately trying to keep the hordes of flies off their exposed, sore skin.  One young guy was seemingly wearing every item of clothing he had with him, including a hat with a fly mask that tied off around his neck, in an attempt to conceal every inch of himself from attack and was sitting slumped with his chin resting on his chest looking hot, tired and miserable.  On top of that, the entire camp smelled like a latrine.   There is no doubt, that as beautiful as Australia is it can be challenging to get out there and enjoy it.

Before leaving Katherine, we attended the “must do” highlight - Marksies Bush Camp Tucker.  This guy has been going for over 20 years and presents an evening of stories around his life and experiences in the area whilst cooking bushman’s stew with native herbs and spices in 100-year-old cast iron pots.  It was certainly different and definitely the best damper I have ever tasted.

Travelling directly north, Darwin is the end of the line and we arrived with a long job list.  The car was booked in for a service, we needed to get the water tank re-welded, both wing mirrors were loose and would only stay pointing at the road directly underneath them, the windscreen was smashed again, there was post to pick up which had been sent to a Darwin suburb instead of Broome (a little odd), and we were hoping to start our visa applications for Indonesia and Timor.

We stayed in Darwin for 5 nights and, amazingly, managed to get most things ticked off our job list.  Darwin is a laid-back place and a foodie paradise.  The quality of fresh food and choice of great cafes and restaurants is the best we had seen since leaving SA.  The smallish population of around 140,000 makes it really easy to get around and nothing is too far away.  However, it is expensive and the hot humid climate is not conducive to being particularly active during the day.  Staying within walking distance of the harbour, CBD, Mindil markets and the casino we did enjoy the balmy evenings and the laid-back energy that this City offers. 

The one job we were unable to make any progress with was the visa applications.  Having spoken recently with the Timor-Leste Consulate and also a visa agent in Jakarta, we had been told that the best chance of getting entry into both of these countries was to apply for a business visa.  This is quite straightforward with the exception that T-L will require sight of a return or onward ticket.  As we will not be returning to Australia but crossing the land border between T-L and Indonesia, we need to have our Indonesian visa issued before we can apply for the T-L visa.  Unfortunately, the B211 business visa, which Indonesia has up until a few months ago been issuing offshore, is temporarily unavailable while the country attempts to bring Covid case numbers down.  As things stand, the issue of this particular visa is being reviewed on a weekly basis and we have to wait for the window to open again.  We had thought to hang around in Darwin until such time as we are able to proceed, but not knowing how long we would have to wait and given the increasing temperatures and humidity, we decided to head over to the east coast of Queensland, via Kakadu NP and the Savannah Way, eventually looping back around to Darwin once we are able to leave Australia.

A highlight of Darwin was the Crocadilus Cove which is home to the largest salties in Australian captivity.  There were half a dozen of these fearsome reptiles between 5-6 metres long, along with a collection of snakes and lizards that was truly impressive.  One of the crocs in residence was Bert, well known for his starring role in Crocodile Dundee as well as various TV and documentary appearances.  He was thought to be between 75-100 years old and was a particularly grumpy individual.  Several attempts to introduce a mating female had failed, resulting in a tragically gruesome end for the prospective suitors. 

There is something quite captivating about these lethal, prehistoric, creatures and keen to see more, en-route to Kakadu NP, I joined an Adelaide River cruise which promised to get up close and show wild crocs in their natural habitat jumping out of the water in order to reach the pig bits held on a rope about 2 metres above their heads.  Boarding the boat, I wasn’t really expecting to see much, but over the next hour as we meandered along, our indigenous skipper had 5 crocs propelling themselves vertically up through the surface of the river almost touching the sides of the open boat.  There is no doubt in my mind at all, that had I straightened my arm out sideways I would have been able to stroke the croc’s belly which given that this soft leather goes for about $80 a square centimetre, would probably have felt quite nice!  When telling us the market value of the leather the guide did add “in Europe” on the end of the sentence and repeated it again later on in the cruise.  I could only assume a vision of an exotic European civilisation all touting the very latest in croc wear, presuming of course that LV accessories hadn’t got there first.

I enjoyed being on the river so much that the following day we both went on a sunset cruise, this time along the Mary River.  Both the Adelaide and Mary Rivers are part of the thriving microcosm of Top End wetlands providing a rich habitat for wildlife, birds and fish.  Wetlands comprising swamps, marshes, billabongs, lakes, saltmarshes, mudflats and mangroves, with still, flowing, fresh or salt water are a valuable part of the environment.  They provide protection from the effects of extreme weather events such as coastal storm surges and floods, store carbon thus helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and remove sediment and nutrients from water systems.  Australia was one of the first nations to become a Contracting Party to the Ramsar Convention – an international treaty which was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971, aimed at halting and, where possible, reversing, the worldwide loss of wetlands.  There are now more than 170 Contracting Parties to the Convention with more than 2,300 designated wetland sites throughout the world, 66 of which are within Australia.

As we cruised along the river it was evident we were within a thriving ecosystem.  You definitely get the sense of a healthy environment for the birds (289 species), freshwater fish (55 species), snakes (39), lizards (76), bats (28) and mammals such as rats, platypus, wallabies wallaroos and dingoes. The birdlife was the easiest to observe and we were fascinated with the activity of it all.  We witnessed the giant jabaru/black-necked stork, as tall as 1.53m, patrolling the banks in a manner similar to a bobby on his beat, each red, long, stick-like leg being carefully picked up until almost horizontal with the ground before being placed slowly and carefully back down a long stride-width away.   At the other end of the scale the small jacana/lily hoppers were doing exactly what their name would suggest.  Some of the largest Barramundi in the NT have been fished out of the Mary River, often around the 25kg mark and we were a bit surprised to only see one tinny out fishing for the duration of the cruise.

The Mary River wetlands are home to the world’s largest concentration of salties and we did get close to about half a dozen of them.  Their main preoccupation seems to be fighting amongst themselves and many carry battle wounds and are often missing a foot or limb, with one unfortunate individual who had been bashed by a boat a few years ago which broke several ribs, left with lungs now inflating on the outside of his body.  An ability to survive is obvious given their 200 million years on this earth, aided perhaps by a couple of useful techniques.  They can lower their heart rate to 2-3 bpm, no doubt useful when stemming the flow of blood from an otherwise fatal injury.  They can stay underwater for around 1 hour and even in shallow water there is not a single ripple on the surface.  They have a strong instinct for the routines of others.  You might be able to fill your washing up bowl from the water once, maybe twice, but you would be foolish to attempt it from the same spot more often.  The croc can pick up on vibrations in the water over 1 km away and can swim at 24-29 kmh.  Final bit of interesting info.  They are attracted to bright colours, so if you do happen to be in the water with a group of friends, stay close to the one in the bright bikini.

Kakadu NP covers an area of nearly 20,000 km², extending nearly 200 km from north to south and over 100 km from east to west.  It is the size of Wales and nearly half the size of Switzerland.  It is one of Australia’s most famous tourist attractions and is on the UNESCO World Heritage list for both its spectacular environment and its cultural importance.  Since the late 1970s Kakadu’s traditional owners have leased their land to the federal body of Parks Australia with the intention of mixing traditional ways and modern science in joint management of the NP.  Unfortunately, this arrangement does not seem to have worked very well and bureaucratic mismanagement of the park has resulted in degradation to many of the sites.  The situation is so bad that Parks Australia is currently being prosecuted by NT Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority over alleged sacred site offences and at least one popular tourist site has been closed pending resolution and there is a concern that other sites such as Ubirr Rock Art may also close to tourists.   We visited Ubirr and after walking amongst the rock-painted ancient drawings we climbed up to the Ubirr Rock  lookout.  The view from the top takes in the Nadab floodplain as it gives way to Arnhenland and was absolutely breathtaking.  It was a wonderful experience to connect with such natural splendour and the thought that such areas could be closed off is sobering.  We feel so grateful to be able to visit these amazing parts of the world while they are still accessible and the magic held in the ancient landscape of Kakadu is something never to be forgotten. 

The Savannah Way in its entirety stretches 3,700 km across the top of Australia from Broome to Cairns (or vice versa).  Having already done the Broome to Katherine section – albeit in a roundabout kind of way – we thought it fitting to drive the Katherine to Cairns section (2,000 km) before we leave Oz.  There are a couple of road options, a 2WD bitumen road all the way or a 4WD lesser travelled route with unsealed roads, few town style facilities and isolated camping spots.  As with the Gibb River Road, this track is periodically closed and with the weather about to change from dry to wet we wasted no time in heading east.  Both routes initially go through the small community of Mataranka which is well-known for its hot springs which are a constant 34°C all year round.  The 4WD route then passes through Ropers Bar, the Limmen National Park, Boroloola, Hells Gate, Normanton, Croydon, Georgetown and Yungaburra before eventually reaching the Coral Sea and northern Queensland.