Kununura

At the border we are checked for fresh fruit and veg and luckily have none to be confiscated.Turn clocks back 1.5 hours and drive last 43kms to Kunanura. After dry country it is very green and pleasant. Chinese lunch next to info centre then settle at Kimberley campground on the lake side. The Hidden Valley campground is full of tents and its 20 fridges are all full. Must be lots of backpackers working on the fruit farms nearby. Huge Argyl reservoir is not far away.

Coles shopping gives us fresh food for dinner and the thirsty camel sells us wine. Singer on campground is good and unfortunately we get through two bottles of wine. Flapping in the night turns out to be bats flying around.

Up at first light and find it is only 5.30am (because of clock change).Our neighbours have a super Toyota 4 wheel drive with $5,000 of fancy tent on the roof. Huge tyres. Lunchtime Dave heads off for Kunanurra races. Pleasant hot afternoon with all the features of a race day miles from anywhere.

Ladies smartly dressed and a good showing for fashions on the field. The jockeys are very small and look about 60. 1.5hours for Dave to walk back as he didn’t wait for the courtesy bus.

Timber Creek

200kms from Katherine to the Victoria River Roadhouse with no sign of people along the way. Hot, blue skies, dry rocky land. Roadhouse is good but no shade or meat pies. Drive on 15kms to Joes Creek picnic ground. Rocky escarpments all around. Circular work through amazing scenery up to the escarpment and Livingstonia Palm Trees. Rock art under huge cliffs maybe 50 metres high.

Another 90kms to Timber Creek . Nice little place with a good campground where we stayed and another where 4 people were too busy learning how to use the till to help us. Peaceful night with soft grass, cool starry night and the sound of the creek. 10kms further on is a bridge over the Victoria River. Huge blue waterway. Campground nearby has lots of boab trees. 150kms to the WA border and the last chance to drive at 130kms. Dave changes his steady driving and goes for it. 

Litchfield

Berry Springs to Batchelor about 80kms. Nice town which was once a uranium mining town. Into Litchfield national park and first stop is a viewing point for termite mounds. Amazing. In the flat open land are magnetic termite mounds. Aligned north south so that one side is always in the shade and tall enough so the top is out of the water in the wet season. In the trees are the biggest termite mounds we have seen but not magnetic.

After a brief visit to Walker Creek where we decide against a walk because it is red hot and full of horse flies we went to Wangi Falls. Gorgeous. Swimming lake below falls and 2km walk up above falls. Great.

There is a campground with good basic facilities where we spent the night. Having met Henry and Marie again we share a lovely dinner and their barossa shiraz. Pura vida

Near our tent was a bower bird nest built by the male to attract females. Shiny objects and snail shells at the entrance and occasional shows by the pink plumed male where he waved his feathers to attract females

On again to Florence Falls. Nice walk along creek through rainforest and open woodland. Walked to the Tableland but not very exciting.

On again to Pine Creek and the lazy lizard devonshire tea.

Some shopping in Katherine then back to the Nitmiluk campground. A little wallaby with a big joey in her pouch was jumping around. Apologies for the poor picture. Cool summer beers from the fridge, pasta and marinara mix. Starry cool night.

Our clothers are so filthy we soaked them for ages before putting in the washing machine