Aus Day 29 - Kakadu and No Gas

Monday 18th October    Aus Day 29



Rose at 06.45 desperate for the loo. This of course requires a trek to the far side of the swimming pool so showered etc while I was about it. The usual breakfast of orange juice and cereal. I really must start to use the external cooking facilities but, that all seems too much like camping to me when what I really want is more in line with your mobile 5 star hotel service. Ah Well!

Watching the antics of a couple of wallabies through my rear window, almost as if they had turned up specifically for a photo shoot which the couple in the next van were duly providing.

Got yesterdays Blog uploaded and did the rest of the morning chores and was ready for off by 09.30. First stop was back in Katherine with another visit to ‘Woolies’ and to get some fuel and then retracing the now familiar route up to Pine Creek before turning east onto the Kakadu Hwy. There are not many photo opportunities as I travel this highway as it is all Savanna Woodland until I come to the “Bukbukluk” Lookout where I took the following shots:

Entrance to Bukbukluk Lookout

Track up to The Lookout

View From The Lookout

View From The Lookout

View From The Lookout

View From The Lookout

You may recall that while I was travelling along the Barkly Tablelands Hwy I took a photo of termite heaps well here they build them bigger and better as this one illustrates, it must be 10 feet tall and I did see others which where even bigger.

A Bigger And Better Termite Mound - 10 Feet Tall?

I had stopped off at the Visitor Centre to purchase my National Park Permit and despite my very best Sunday Driver technique still managed to arrive at the Kakadu Lodge and Caravan Park by 3.00 pm. Having selected a suitable site I set up the van and went for a stroll around. The park is centred on the swimming pool in concentric circles and is all grassed with a multitude of tall trees and bushes in which numerous species of birds make an ever present uproar. Naturally I had to sample the delights of the pool for a while, and I provide a couple of shots below, before logging onto the Internet for my regular contact with Eileen.

Caravan Park Pool

View of the Pool From The Opposite Side

After we had finished, I set to, to use the external cooking facilities only to find that both gas bottles were empty. Luckily there is an emergency, portable cooking stove available as part o the equipment but, somebody is in for a hard time when I take this van back next week. However, having spent 1.5 hours just preparing, eating and clearing away I refer you back to my earlier desire for 5 Star hotel service.

Eventually got around to doing some Blog entry updating but Zebedee got me before I could finish. Hence I am completing this at 08.00 on Tuesday morning.