Friday 20.7.12

Today we drove to Kununurra. When we got into Kununurra and got to the caravan park we wanted to stay in and tried to get a powered site but we found out that there was no powered sites left so we drove out to Lake Argyle caravan park and got a site there.

After we set up we went drove the 75km back into Kununurra to do the shopping. When we got to the shops we had lunch at a cafe. After lunch Mum and I went into the souvenier shop and had a look around. Then we went into Coles and did the grocery shopping.

By the time we finished it was 4 o’clock, so we finished packing the car and drove back out to Lake Argyle.

Saturday 21.7.12

Today we went kayaking on Lake Argyle.

When we first set off it was really windy which made it more difficult to paddle.

 While we were kayaking in a cove we saw a dead catfish lying upside down in the reeds.

After lunch we went for a swim in the pool but it was freezing cold like it was full of ice cubes. But we still went for a swim because it was an infinity pool. Once we were all in we got lots of photos of us sitting on the edge. The way the pool was positioned was really pretty because it was on a cliff overlooking Lake Argyle and big mountains in the water.

After we had finished in the pool and were on our way back to camp Dave heard all these birds going off, so he went to go check it out. After looking in the tree for a while he noticed that there was a snake in the tree. After standing there for a while a crowd started to form and we found out that it was a brown tree snake.

Sunday 22.7.12

Today we drove to Gregory National Park in the Northern Territory.

When we reached the border we got out of the cars and took lots of photos, some with silly poses. It was brief but fun.

We then travelled to Bullita Homestead campground on the East Baines River. Bullita is a historic cattle station which was originally an outstation of Humbert station.  The homestead has been kept intact and had a lot of information about station life and how a lady was caught in a flood and spent a whole night in a tree while she waited for the flood waters to subside. 

Once we had set up camp we went to collect fire wood for the very first fire we were going to have in the Northern Territory. Yay.

That night after dinner Karen put the last packet of Mystic Fire in the fire place and it was really pretty with all the greens and blues in the flames.

Monday 23.7.12

Today we went to do the Limestone Gorge walk within Gregory National Park.

When it first started it was really hot because there was no shade from the trees, but as you walked on further it got cooler.

We stopped at the Limestone Gorge billabong to have something to eat.

When we got back we had lunch and sat down for awhile. At about 3 o’clock Karen and Dad left to go fishing in the river near the old homestead, which left Mum, Louise, Dave and I to do what we wanted. After they left Mum and I went into the camper trailer to have a rest and play Minecraft.

Tuesday 24.7.12

Today we drove to Katherine. On the way we stopped at Victoria River Roadhouse and booked into Nitmuluk (Katherine Gorge). Near the Roadhouse was a spectacular range and the majestic Victoria river.

When we got to Katherine Mum, Karen, Louise and I went food shopping while Dave and Dad fueled up the cars.

After shopping we drove out to Katherine Gorge to stay at the Nitmiluk caravan park. We will be staying here for 3 days and 3 nights and plan to go kayaking through the gorge.

After we set up Dad, Dave, Louise and I went for a swim in the pool and it was cold but refreshing after getting all hot and sweaty setting up the camp. Throughout the camp there were a lot of Agile Rock wallabies and we got a photo of a mum with her joey still in the pouch. We also put some water down for them to drink and the mother drank from a plastic cup.

Wednesday 25.7.12

Today we Mum, Dave, Louise and I didn’t do anything but Dad and Karen went kayaking and fishing. Dad caught 4 fish and Karen caught none.

At about 10 o’clock Mum, Dave, Louise and I went swimming till about 1 o’clock. After lunch Mum and I watched the movie Kung Pow and it was hilarious.

When Dad and Karen got back dad told me that he caught four archer fish and Karen didn’t get a single bite. Dad also told me that I got sunburnt on the shoulders.

I also got a shirt that says Nitmiluk Katherine Gorge N.T.

Tomorrow we hope to go kayaking up to the second gorge.

Thursday 26.7.12

Today we went kayaking up the Katherine Gorge. We left at about 10am and by the time we set the inflatable kayaks up it was about 10.30 by the time we hit the water.

We kayaked up the first gorge which took us about an hour. 

When we reached the end of gorge one there was two groups of rapids which meant we had to carry the four kayaks around to gorge two. Dad and Dave drew the short straw for carrying them across while the girls carried the rest of the gear.

Gorge two was spectacular with sheer rock faces with hues of orange, black and grey colouring. Gorge two went on forever (about 4km long). When we got to the first bend there was a fresh water crocodile lazily sunning himself on a rock near the edge of the gorge.

When we reached the edge of gorge two we had lunch and a swim. Mum and I sat in the rapids and dad took pictures of us and mum’s crocodile hat. Also at the time Dave, using his swim goggles, found a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses.

On the way back we got to the rapids between gorge 1 and gorge 2 and decided to float the kayaks down instead of carrying them down. The adults took the kayaks and Louise and I “shot the rapids” (we swam the rapids).

Back in the first gorge dad spotted a tortoise close to the bank but we had already gone past it so I didn’t see it.

By the time we got back I was exhausted but it was a great day. Even now as I write my journal my butt is still really sore.

It’s now 8.30pm and I am going to go to bed.

Friday 27.6.12

Today we traveled from Katherine to Kakadu.

We travelled for 4 hours and arrived at Yellow Waters Cooinda Lodge Resort where we will be staying for 5 days.

When we went to the toilets at night we heard and saw white barking geckos on the wall catching moths.

Saturday 28.7.12

Today we went to Twin Falls and Jim Jim Falls.

The first fall we did was Twin Falls because it is not a long walk.

To access Twin Falls you have to get a boat ferry from the end of first walking trail to the beginning of the next because the gorge is inhabited by salt water crocodiles. Then you have to rock hop over rocks which then comes to a jetty in the water. Once you had crossed it you had to do some more rock hopping which then brought you out on to a sandy beach.

When we reached the falls they were spectacular. We got lots of photos with and with out us in them. The other amazing thing is that the water parts at the top of the falls and comes down into two separate streams giving it its name Twin Falls. The falls were about 150m high and they dropped into a big plunge pool which was really clear but we were unable to swim in it because of the salt water crocodile risk which was disappointing because it was so beautiful.

Next we did Jim Jim Falls.

When we reached Jim Jim Falls carpark and had a look at the signs it said Jim Jim Falls 900m from viewing point. Because Dave, Dad, Louise and I are a lot faster than Karen and Mum we got ahead and when they got to a sign that had two different paths they went the wrong way.

Near the end the walk was quite difficult because you had to climb over big rocks.

When we got to the end the waterfall was amazing, but the plunge pool was freezing cold (but warmer than the pool at Lake Argyle).

 Louise and I got to the end first. As we were getting ready to go for a swim I looked down and saw a live snake which scared me because I didn’t know what sort of snake it was. A tour guide, who was also there, picked it up to show his group and explain that it was a Golden Tree Snake which wasn’t supposed to be dangerous.

 Jim Jim Falls

That night we went out to dinner and on a night cruise of Yellow Waters and because the moon was out you could see lots of stars and hear lots of birds and fish. The tour was to explain the night sky and how it related to the local aboriginal culture. When we got off the boat I thought to myself “that was an amazing way to spend the night”.

When we got back to camp we all went to bed and fell straight to sleep after our big day.

Sunday 29.7.12

Today we did Barramundi Falls and Gunlom Falls.

The first one we did was Barramundi Falls.

The walk was not hard but it was not easy either.

When we got to the falls there was lots of people there. When we got in the water it was nice and not cold like the other places we had been to.

Once we were in there we swam to a ledge beside the waterfall that we were doing bombies off.

After we had had a swim we went back to the cars for lunch.

After lunch we drove to Gunlom Falls.

At Gunlom the water was really cold.

After Dave and Dad went in they got out and decided to go up to the lookout.

When the came back they said it was a spectacular view.

They also said that it was a steep climb up and down and that you had to be careful.

My Journal

Going left to right. Karen, Me, Louise, Dave, Mum and Dad who is taking the picture.

Saturday 7.7.12

When we arrived at Marble Bar it was really busy because of the horse races, so we camped at a caravan park.

Also that night was the night that they had a ball, so all the girls were making themselves look pretty in the toilets while we were trying to have showers which was a real pain.

Once we had parked up we had drinks and a snack. That night we were in bed when all the people came back from the ball. They were noisy and abnoxious. After most of them had settled in, a group of people went over to a drum on the ground and lit a fire, and the smoke stunk. At 4 am they went to bed and we were so annoyed.

Sunday 8.7.12

When we got up and started packing my dad noticed that one of our jerry cans was missing.

So when we got to Derby my dad bought a new jerry can. At  Derby we stayed at another caravan park where we saw a peacock called Percy  and a cat called Blue II and they were cute.

Percy Peacock

   Blue II

     
Monday 9.7.12

On our second day in Derby we went food shopping. After shopping we were all sitting down excitedly before we hopped on a bus that took us to the airport to hop on a seaplane that would take us to the horizontal waterfalls.

While we were on the plane we took lots of pictures but because it was a seaplane it was really noisy but luckily I had grabbed my iPod earphones so it wasn’t as noisy for me. On the plane it was really cramped so you didn’t have a lot of leg space. When we landed in the water it was awesome. 

We landed at Talbot Bay and there was a houseboat run by the same people working for Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventure.

The Horizontal Falls were spectacular. It was amazing to see the different ways the water flowed through so small and steep gaps in the rocks.

After looking at and going through the falls 4 or 5 times we went to another part of the bay called Cyclone Creek where we fed bat fish the size of a large pizza.

After that we went back to the houseboat to do some other stuff like feed the local fish and swim with the sharks. As soon as I got off the boat I ran to my room to get my bathers on and get into the shark cage. The water was freezing but it was a great experience. 

After that Matt went onto the jetty and tried to bring the larger sharks up by putting a fresh tuna carcass into the water. A large hammer head and bull shark came to the surface to feed on the tuna.

We then had dinner on the top deck as the sun was going down. That night after sweets I felt really sick, so I got up and lent over the edge and was sick all on a ledge that was sticking out of the side of the boat. I think I had eaten to much. 

Tuesday 10.7.12
When I got up I opened the blinds in the room and on the window I saw my sick. Ewwwww, I felt sorry for the person that would have to clean it up.

After breakfast we went to the falls and again they were amazing. As we were coming back we saw our seaplane coming into land and I new our Horizontal Falls experience was coming to an end. When we got back from the falls the seaplanes were waiting for us to hop on to take us back to Derby.

While we were in the air we took lots of pictures again because it all looked so good. When we landed we went back to the caravan park and headed off to Geikie Gorge.

When we got to Geikie Gorge we set up. By the time we finished setting up we were boiling hot, so we grabbed our gear, got dressed and headed down to the Old Fitzroy Crossing for a swim.

When we got there we had a look around and then went into the water. The river bed was made of rocks that really hurt your feet. When we got into the water it was freezing but refreshing. Also we saw that a fire was coming towards the cars so dad decided to move the cars to the other side. So we had a swim around for about an hour then went back to our campsite.

Wednesday 11.7.12 

This morning we went on a boat tour of Geikie Gorge and it was amazing. When we got onto the boat and started the tour it was a bit boring but as we went further down stream and saw some fresh water crocodiles it was awesome. The guy doing the tour was ok but he didn’t know much. The reason I say this is because when we saw a crocodile about 2 meters long he said it was fully grown, but he hadn’t been to Winjana Gorge where the crocs are about 3 meters long.

After the tour we went back to our campsite, packed up and left. We were heading to Old Halls Creek.

When we arrived at Old Halls Creek we set up and went down to the pond which was almost empty. Then I remembered that the last time we were there it was full and that was 3 years ago, so I was really disappointed.

Thursday 12.7.12

Today we were going to go gorge walking. After breakfast we got ready and hopped into the cars to go check out Saw Pit Gorge.

Saw Pit Gorge is made up of stones, large rocks and a sandy bottom which makes it hard to walk on. On our way back I was concentrating on where to put my feet for so long that my neck started to hurt. Once we got back to the cars we drove to a place called Palm Springs. At Palm Springs we had lunch and then went for a freezing cold swim. 

My friend Louise was walking across a bridge of rock under the water and because it was slimy she slipped and fell in and she said it was “freezing, but once you got used to the water it isn’t that bad”.

Once we were out we went back to where we were camped. That night we had my favourite dinner to have while we are camping, BURGERS!!!!!!!

Friday 13.7.12

Today we are traveling to El Questro Station.

When we stopped to have lunch, there was a dog running around the service station.

El Questro, one of my favourite places to go camping because the gorges are amazing, we camp on the river and there are lots of fun activities to do like horse-riding and swimming in the Pentecost River.

Saturday 14.7.12

This morning we went to Zebedee Springs. Zebedee Springs is a thermal hot spring where the water bubbles up through the rock.

When we first got in it was really warm, but as you got used to the water it started to get a bit cold. Luckily Louise, Dad and I climbed our way to the very top pool where the really hot water was coming straight out of the rocks. It was so nice that we stayed in there for an hour and a half to the point where our skin went all wrinkly like old people.

After we had finished in Zebedee Springs we drove to Moonshine Gorge where we going to do our first gorge walk at El Questro. On the way out to Moonshine Gorge we had to go through a water crossing and over a very rugged track that took some time.

We were advised to do the walk backwards so the pool was at the end. When we first started it wasn’t that hard but as we kept walking it turned from sand into big rocks that you had to climb over. When we reached the end there was a big pool of water that you could swim in. So as soon as we stopped we jumped in and swam for about half an hour in really clear water that allowed us to see some fish with our goggles. 

On our way back to the car dad found a Bower bird nest that was decorated with thousands of silver leaves, was built with sticks in the shape of an arch and had bird in guarding it.

When we got back to the campsite it was almost dusk.

That night after dinner we went up to the homestead to listen to the live music, dance and laugh at Dave doing the Port Smith dance. The dance was so funny that some backpacker girls joined in.

Sunday 15.7.12

Today we went to Emma Gorge. Emma Gorge is an hour walk with a big pool at the end.

When we first started walking Dave and Louise raced ahead of the rest of us. A little way up the track Karen fell over on a rock but she was ok and only grazed her shin. When we got to the end I was hot and sweaty from all the climbing and clambering over the boulders.

When you first put your feet in the water at Emma Gorge pool it was icy cold, but once you got used to it it wasn’t that bad.

When dad and I put our goggles on and looked in the water it was crystal clear. We swam quickly to the waterfall because we were trying to warm up. As we were swimming back from the waterfall we were looking at the bottom and we thought we saw some plastic but it was actually a handkerchief so dad dived down and retrieved it so it wasn’t littering the pool.

After I got out Dave said Mum was in behind some rocks where there was hot water coming out. I swam out to the rocks and the water was amazingly warm in comparison to the rest of the pool.

On the way back to the Emma Gorge Resort Karen fell over again and this time she hurt her wrist, but not to badly.

When we got back to the resort we hopped into the resort pool and had a swim to cool off before lunch. For lunch I had the Thai salad and dad had the Barramundi, but we swapped because mine was to spicy for me. After lunch we hopped back in the pool and had another swim.

Later in the afternoon we drove out to another place called Home Valley Station. The reason we drove out there was because we were checking it out just incase we wanted to stay there for a couple of nights. In the end we decided not to stay there because there were more things to do at El Questro.

Monday 16.7.12

Today was a rest day so we have not done any walking at all. 

This morning I went and got an El Questro polo shirt.

Tuesday 17.7.12

Today we did Amalia Gorge. It was a tricky in some places but not in others.

It started off fairly easily but gradually got harder. At one point on the walk you had to scale the wall. At another you were rock hopping from some of the boulders the size of truck tires.

When we arrived at the end pool where we were supposed to be swimming, it was all green and slimy like if a snail was crawling on you. So in the end we decided to swim at the half way pool instead.

At the half way pool there are  lots of fish that gather in a group and feed on anything that falls in the water.

When you first looked at the water it looked a bit murky but as you looked closer it was actually clear. We swam for about a half hour then went back to the cars and home.

At about 3 o’clock we started packing stuff for the sunset lookout we were going to do tonight. When we arrived up there it was about 3:30 so we went to the second lookout and sat down and had a drink. Then at 4 o’clock a group of people on a tour bus from El Questro came and had their sunset snack and then left us to watch the full sunset.

Wednesday 18.7.12

Today we had another rest day.

After breakfast Karen and Dad went to check out the tides. When they came back they said they should get going other wise they will miss the run out tide.

At about 11:30 my mum taught me a card game called spit. At first it was hard but as I got used to playing it was really easy. In the end at about 4:30 we finished playing because I had whipped mums butt.

After I had had my shower I wasn’t feeling the best so I laid down for a while.

Thursday 19.7.12

Today we did El Questro Gorge. El Questro Gorge is challenging in some places but not in others.

When we first started walking it was easy but as you walked on further it got harder.

When we came to our first little stream the water was clear as glass. It was the most amazing little stream.

When we got to half way pool I decided to stop because I still didn’t feel well. Dad, Dave and Louise went up to the very end but Mum, Karen and I didn’t. It took them an hour and a half to get up to the end and back to half way pool. Dad took some photos of the plunge pool at the end of the gorge which were similar to the ones we took in 2009 when we were last there.

That night we went to the Steak House Restaurant for dinner. For dinner I had Salt and Pepper Calamari and it was delicious. For Sweets I was going to have Ice cream with Chocolate topping but instead swapped with mum who had a Dark Chocolate Whisky Tart.