Category Archives: NT

Top 5 croc-free swimming holes in the Northern Territory

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Gunlom (Waterfall Creek), Kakadu National Park, Tourism Australia

Gunlom (Waterfall Creek), Kakadu National Park, Tourism Australia

Want to cool down in a croc-free swimming hole after exploring the hot spots of the Northern Territory? We’ve picked five swimming holes across the Territory that are (normally) croc free.

Berry Springs, Berry Springs Nature Park

The natural springs at Berry Springs Nature Park couldn’t look more like a picture-perfect oasis if they had been designed by Disney. An emerald pool, fringed by jungle green is exactly what a Disney princess – or anyone, really – would want to swim in after an exhausting day exploring the Northern Territory.

Only 50km from Darwin, Berry Springs doesn’t have any crocs (although you should always read the warning signs), and has several easily accessible pools ranged along Berry Creek.

Gunlom Pool, Kakadu National Park

If crocodiles have a spiritual home in the imaginations of most Australians, it would be at the wildly beautiful Kakadu National Park. And yup, you’ll find crocodiles in most waterholes and rivers and wetlands here. But there is a pool, hidden at the top of a waterfall, that you can only find after a steep hike up. You might be tempted to think that Gunlom Pool is a mirage, but the cold water will soon shock you out of that. Relax in the water while enjoying panoramic views over the park. While crocs up this high are rare, it’s always a possibility, so be careful.

Wangi Falls, Litchfield National Park

Disclaimer: there sometimes are crocs at Wangi Falls. It’s one of the designated swimming areas in Litchfield National Park, along with Buley Rock Hole, Florence Falls, Walker Creek and the Cascades. But as one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Northern Territory, this swimming spot is monitored by rangers and has a permanent croc trap just upstream, although you should always be cautious and follow the warning signs. As for the swimming hole itself? At the bottom of a charming waterhole, it’s a picturesque spot, fringed with trees clinging to the volcanic-looking rocks.

Ormiston Gorge, West MacDonnell Ranges National Park

Phhheww, we’re in the Red Centre – you don’t have to worry about crocs here. Ormiston Gorge is in West MacDonnell National Park. You’ll also find swimming holes at Ellery Creek Big Hole and Redbank Gorge (where you can float through the narrow enclosing walls) in the park. The biggest risk at this swimming hole is that you’ll be so transfixed by the red walls rising above the water (especially if you’re there at sunrise or sunset) and the fringing gums that you’ll stay in the water too long and get hypothermia, a serious concern at these chilly spots.

Leliyn (Edith Falls), Nitmiluk National Park

Nitmiluk National Park has a permanent condition of being stuck between a rock and a hard place. The national park is a series of interconnected gorges, the most famous of which is Katherine Gorge. Nitmiluk is a popular canoeing destination, but it’s not too shabby for swimming either, with swimming spots being open in dry season at Leliyn (Edith Falls) and Sweetwater Pool.

With a waterfall and a large pool with easy access, you’ll definitely want to cool off here. Freshwater crocs are common in the park, but while saltwater crocs hang out here in the wet season, rangers move them on in dry. But, as with any swimming hole in the Top End, be cautious and read the warning signs before you swim.

Find out how to get to these swimming holes as quickly as possible with UBD Gregory’s South Australian and Northern Territory street directory.

 

     

4 reasons to visit the Northern Territory in the wet season

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Yellow Water Billabong, courtesy of Tourism Northern Territory

You’ve probably been warned off visiting the Northern Territory during the wet season.

Yet with Kakadu National Park’s spectacular wildlife and the thundering waterfalls of Litchfield National Park, the wet season is a great time to see the Northern Territory in all its glory, without too many other visitors around.

1. Cruise down Yellow Water Billabong in Kakadu National Park

Yellow Water Cruises, courtesy of Tourism Northern Territory

December to March is known as Gudjewg in Kakadu National Park, which is the really wet part of the wet season, and it leads to an explosion of plant and animal life in the national park.

Yellow Water Cruises, which traverse Kakadu’s wetlands, will take you into the midst of the park’s vibrant ecosystem.

You never know what to you might see in the wetlands – probably a few crocs, as well as an abundance of bird species. With around one-third of Australia’s bird species found in Kakadu, this cruise is a hunting ground for twitchers.

The sunrise and sunset cruises are always particularly popular, but it is a fantastic experience at any time of day.

2. See the waterfalls of Litchfield National Park

Florence Falls, Litchfield National Park, courtesy of Tourism NT

 

The wet season is prime viewing time to see Litchfield‘s spectacular waterfalls, which become thunderous as a result of heavy rain.

The park is quite close to Darwin, around 100 kilometres south near the town of Batchelor.

While many of the 4WD tracks are shut during the wet season, most of the other attractions are open, including many of the waterholes.

Unlike Kakadu National Park, most of the roads in and around Litchfield are sealed, enabling access during the Wet.

3. Nab the best camping spots

Ever tried to get a spot at the Wangi Falls camping area in the dry season? Due to the popularity of Litchfield National Park with Darwin locals, it can be a battle.

One of the good things about the wet season is that it’s much easier to nab the best camping spots (if they’re not shut, that is).

Even in parks that have restrictive access during the Wet, such as Nitmiluk National Park when the Katherine River is in flood, normally have a few camping areas available.

Nourlangie Rock, courtesy of Tourism NT

You don’t have to travel to Europe to get a glimpse of fascinating histories.

Australia is home to the oldest continuing culture in the world, and the rock art in the Northern Territory reveals some of the most interesting depictions of Aboriginal life thousands of years ago.

One of the best rock-art sites is Nourlangie Rock, located in Kakadu. During the wet season, it is accessible on a 1.5-kilometre circuit track.

Other spectacular rock-art sites you can visit in the Northern Territory include N’Dhala Gorge (although this is via a 4WD track that is inaccessible after heavy rain) and East MacDonnell Ranges.

 

 

 

     

Top 5 classic 4WD trips

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Gibb River Road There are some four-wheel-drive journeys that used to be spoken of in hushed tones around the campfire at night, legendary journeys carved out of the harsh Australian landscape by intrepid explorers. From the Anne Beadell Highway to the Gunbarrel Highway, many of these routes were built by the legendary Len Beadell, known to many as the ‘last Australian explorer’.

Of course, with the upgrades in four-wheel-drive technology, many of these routes are not the perilous journeys they used to be. But don’t underestimate them – these trips are still rough-as-guts, and are fantastic adventures for the modern-day explorer.

To celebrate the release of 4WD Survival Guide by John Basham, we’ve picked our top five classic four-wheel-drive trips. Let us know what epic four-wheel-drive journeys are on your bucket list by sharing with us in the comments section below.

1. Anne Beadell Highway: Laverton, Western Australia to Coober Pedy, South Australia – One of the highways built by Len Beadell, this remote trip passes by atomic bomb test sites and salt lakes. Crossing the edge of the Nullarbor Plain, this is a journey through a part of Australia where you won’t find many other people. You need a travel permit for this journey.

Birdsville Track2. Birdsville Track: Marree, South Australia to Birdsville, Queensland – This track passes through the Sturt Stony Desert and is justifiably famous for its difficult travelling conditions, although the track is now accessible to most well-prepared four-wheel-drives.

Starting in South Australia and finishing in the famous outback town of Birdsville (be sure to stop by the iconic pub), you’ll need to be prepared for a journey without much phone reception or other amenities. This is a popular journey for four-wheel drivers in the cooler months of the year.

Wild camels, Canning Stock Route3. Canning Stock Route: Wiluna to Halls Creek, Western Australia – The route has a deserved reputation as one of the most difficult four-wheel-drive trips in Australia, with sand dunes, saltpans, rocky patches and more.

The Canning Stock Route was originally surveyed as a overland cattle route and passes by Aboriginal rock art, old cattle wells and the Wolfe Creek meteorite crater. Make sure to stop for the attractions when you do see them, because it can feel like a while between points of interest on the trek.

Cape York Development Road4. Cape York Peninsula Development Road: Cairns to the tip of Australia, Queensland – The development road is only accessible in the dry season, and is one of the best-known four-wheel-drive tracks in Australia. You’ll meet plenty of other travellers on the road, all heading up to see the tip of Australia.

The trip features difficult creek and river crossings, so be well prepared before undertaking the trip. Unlike many of the other famous treks, this trip doesn’t traverse sandy deserts, but is a drive through the lush rainforests of upper-north Queensland, and is one of the last wilderness areas in the country.

5. Gibb River Road: Derby to Kununurra, Western Australia – Possibly the most spectacular trip on this list, the Gibb River Road passes through the Kimberley along some extreme corrugated roads, although most well-prepared four-wheel-drive vehicles can undertake the trek.

Passing by three different mountain ranges, you’ll be awed by the size and majesty of this region, including the impressive gorges and wide river crossings. You’ll also find some incredible camping spots along the route, such as the El Questro Station and Home Valley Station.

Image credits: Gibb River Road, Tourism Western Australia; Birdsville Track, Tourism Queensland; wild camels, Canning Stock Route, Tourism Western Australia; Australian 4WD track, Tourism Queensland

     

Driving the Mereenie Loop

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Mereenie LoopLorna Hendry drove on the Mereenie Loop and found herself in Albert Namatjira territory.

My husband refuses to drive on the same road twice if he can avoid it. From Kings Canyon, there were two ways to get to Alice Springs. We could head back to the Stuart Highway, but that would mean retracing our drive from the highway to Uluru.

We took the Mereenie Loop instead.

The Mereenie Loop is a 200-kilometre unsealed road that runs north from Watarrka National Park, past Hermannsburg, and meets up with the sealed road to Alice on the edge of the West MacDonnell Ranges.

It passes through Aboriginal land so you need to buy a permit. We bought ours from the Kings Canyon Lodge where the receptionist gave us a Mereenie Tour Pass booklet, a form to fill out and asked for $2.20. I must have looked surprised, because she smiled and confirmed the tiny fee.

‘I’ve had to train myself to say “Two dollars and twenty cents”,’ she said. “I used to say “Two twenty”, but people were having heart attacks because they thought I meant two hundred and twenty dollars.’Mereenie Loop, Northern Territory

The Mereenie Loop travels through the country of Albert Namatjira. When I was a kid in the 1970s, framed prints of his watercolours hung on the floral-papered walls of living rooms across the country. Their pastel shades of mauve and blue always seemed too delicate to be a true representation of the Red Centre.

The drive isn’t long and the road is usually well graded, although it’s not recommended for 2WD vehicles, caravans or trailers. Along the way, signs placed by people from the nearby Aboriginal communities warned us of particularly tricky sections of the road. It took us just a few hours to reach the turn-off to Hermannsburg and Palm Valley, where we camped overnight before continuing on to Alice Springs the next day.

In the middle of the Mereenie Loop, as we came over a rise in the road, the country below us sang in hues of purple, yellow and green. The sky faded to white on the horizon and the light was hazy and diffused, making the scene look blurred. The white trunks of huge ghost gums glowed as if they were lit from the inside.

It looked exactly like an Albert Namatjira painting.

Image credit: all images courtesy of Lorna Hendry

     

Top 5 winter camping spots

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Camping in Nitmiluk National Park We’ve picked five of the best winter camping areas. This list is a bit top heavy, but if you’re brave enough to camp around Victoria, Tasmania and even New South Wales in winter, we want to hear about it. Let us know your favourite winter camping spots in the comments section.

Camping in Nitmiluk National Park1. Camping in Nitmiluk National Park, Northern Territory

The majestic Katherine River carves its way through Nitmiluk National Park, making this spot perfect for kayaking and canoeing. Most camping in the national park is based near the river, and some camping areas are only accessible by water. You can also use a canoe to travel between camping areas like Eighth Gorge and Smitt Rocks.

Winter is the best time of year to visit Nitmiluk, as the park can flood in the wet season.

2. Jalmurark Campground, Northern Territory

Situated in the beautiful Elsey National Park, Jalmurark Campground is on the banks of the stunning Roper River. The campground has impressive facilities, including solar hot-water showers. But with close proximity to both Mataranka Springs and Bitter Springs thermal pools, we have a feeling you won’t need to use the showers.

There are plenty of activities for campers to enjoy in Elsey National Park, from cycling, kilometres of walking trails and fishing. Camping by the Roper River3. Platypus Bush Camp, Queensland

Platypus Bush Camp is one of our favourite Queensland camping spots for its beautiful rainforest setting, friendly owner, great facilities and proximity to some of the most stunning parts of the (warm) Queensland Mid Tropics, including being only a few kilometres away from Eungella National Park. Make sure to keep an eye out for the camping areas namesake in the pools and creeks around the site.

It costs $7.50 per adult per night to camp.

Platypus Bush Camp, Queensland4. Red Bluff camping area, Western Australia

Red Bluff camping area is situated at the southern end of Ningaloo Marine Park, which makes this campsite ideal for campers wanting to enjoy the water through sports like surfing (the impressive Bluff Barrel is nearby), swimming and snorkelling. And the night-time star-gazing is truly majestic.

The camping area is situated on Quobba Station, a working station. You can also camp at the homestead or, for the non-camper in the family, choose from a range of other accommodation.

5. Whitehaven Beach camping area, Queensland

We’ve already nominated Whitehaven Beach as one of Australia’s most scenic camping areas, but it’s also a great spot to enjoy in winter. There are seven defined sites only metres away from the pristine sand of the beach. Bookings are essential, as the island has a maximum of 36 campers a night. So while the island may be buzzing with visitors by day, come evening it will feel like your personal paradise.

If you miss out on a spot at Whitehaven Beach, the Whitsunday Islands National Park has a range of other campsites, including Joe’s Beach camping area and Crayfish Beach camping area.

Image credits: Camping in Nitmiluk National Park, Tourism Northern Territory; Camping in Nitmiluk National Park, Tourism Northern Territory; Camping by the Roper River, Tourism Northern Territory; Platypus Bush Camp, Tourism Queensland.