Aus Day 32 - Return to Darwin

Thursday 21st October   Aus Day 32


Up at 06.45 to a fine morning after last night’s rain. Shower, breakfast and spent some time drafting yesterday’s Blog even though I am not able to post it until later in the day when I get Internet access. Packed up and hit the road by 09.20 to Litchfield National Park, with the first port of call being a visit the Termite Mounds which I had bypassed yesterday.

Entrance to the Park

A Grand Crop of Termite Mounds

Next up was a return visit to Florence Falls in order to get a view of the falls from the pool. However, on the way down the 135 steps, I caught this picture of a Rock Wallaby just sitting there.

Rock Wallaby

I finally made it down to the waterfall pool where there were already a number of people sampling the water:

The Falls Look Smaller From Below

The major problem with descending those 135 steps is, having to ascend them again. Having sweated my way back up, I headed off for the next objective which was Tolmer Falls about another 18 kms up the road.

Tolmer Falls

View From Tolmer Falls

By this time I was beginning to feel a bit like a Japanese tourist and the next stop was the Wangi Falls a further 11 kms up the road. The National Park seems to make quite a big thing about these falls and apparently they are much more spectacular in the wet season;

Wangi Falls and Bathers

Wangi Falls - Both Sides

JB at Wangi Falls

Leaving the Wangi Falls I had decided to head back to Darwin by continuing along the National Park road which was advised as being gravel for the next 45 kms. Well that’s one of the reasons I had a 4WD camper van, so off I set. It turned out to be quite straight forward and actually only about 25 kms unsealed. I’ve had more fun negotiating the snow covered roads of Norway. Anyway I was soon back on the sealed road and after passing through Berry Springs I was back on the Stuart Hwy in another area that was starting to look very familiar.

Just south of Darwin I stopped for a quick look at a WWII site of the Strauss Airstrip where P40 Kittyhawks and Mk VIII and Mk IX Spitfires operated. In fact No 54 RAF Squadron operated from there and 54 Squadron were operating Jaguar aircraft at RAF Coltishall in the early 1980s when I was there with 41(F) Squadron.

Strauss Airstrip Commemorative Sign

Having called into Darwin for a bit of shopping and a quick soaking during a short storm, I finally made it to the Hidden Valley Tourist Park were I have accommodation arranged for Eileen and myself for the next 3 nights. All I have to do now is wait until it is time for me to go to the airport and collect her. Oh! I think I have given that chap Zebedee the slip for the time being.