Into Western Australia

It was a great little phase of my life and I made some enduring friendships but sadly I eventually had to pack up and prepare to leave Darwin. I’d already covered a lot of miles on my Australian travels but this would certainly be the longest leg of the journey: three weeks and 6,000km through the Northern Territory and Western Australia all the way to Perth. We’d be camping out along the way and it would be a heck of an adventure…

My travel buddy from Darwin to Broome was a friend from Germany and our car was a red Ford Falcon called Oma, which is German for grandmother.  There was yellow duct tape holding the front bumper in place and I added a couple of strips of grey tape to the windscreen seals to prevent water dripping through.  The engine was sound and tyres were good though. I was glad for that, especially when I found out we were travelling with no jack or wrench for the wheel nuts!

Held together by duct tape - Oma

Our planned midday departure from Darwin was eventually about 4pm and we arrived at Katherine Gorge after dark.  Compared to when I was there in September, the campground was virtually deserted and it became obvious why on our second night there.  After a lovely sunny day spent walking in the national park the rain arrived. My little tent was no match for the weather and it wasn’t too long before we began to get swamped! Most of the sleepless night was spent in the shelter of the camp kitchen playing cards while the rain hammered down outside.

The beautiful Katherine Gorge

After we dried out wet sleeping bags and in Katherine, we headed west to the mighty Victoria River. The river had delayed our initial departure from Darwin because it had flooded to about seven metres over its usual flow. The sandstone cliffs where the highway crosses the river create a dramatic setting and it was easy to imagine the water raging under the bridge near the Victoria River Roadhouse. This roadhouse had a sign announcing that instead of being ‘under the management’ the owner was ‘under a new wife’!

Victoria River Roadhouse

We ended up in a little place called Timber Creek – population 230 people. This is the only town between Katherine and Kunnunara. It has an interesting history for such a small place and is on the edge of the Gregory National Park but after our woes the previous night we were more interested in catching up on some lost sleep!

Before arriving in Kunnunara we had to negotiate the NT/WA border crossing. We were surprised and a little bemused how strictly this is controlled by the quarantine inspection station which demanded that we give up all our fruit, vegetables, nuts and honey. The irony of it was that if we were travelling the other way there are virtually no checks! In other words, Western Australia is paranoid and the Territory doesn’t really care!

Feeding the tame wallabies

 After having eating some things, declaring others and hiding a stash deep in the car boot we managed to nervously clear the border. After setting our watches back 90 minutes to WA time, we soon found ourselves in Kunnunara. It's a relaxed place set amid lush farmland and tropical fruit plantations and we decided to spend a couple of nights. As expected, it rained again while we were there but lessons had been well learnt and we put the tent under some shelter this time.

From dusk till dawn

After a break for Christmas the planting season on Melville Island was at its peak and the operation went 24 hours a day. I was asked if I’d like to supervise the nightshift guys and initially I didn’t like the idea. But when I found out the new pay rate and that I’d get a room at camp with a private bathroom my arm was twisted. My hours of work were now 6pm to 6am. In the dining room breakfast was now dinner and vice versa. I’d be sleeping in broad daylight and my whole world seemed upside down. I coped but it’s something that I never really got used to.

My room in the camp

“It’ll be great” the guys told me, “we’ll be avoiding the heat of the day the others endure”. Heat and humidity, sweat and dust. It was true the night was cooler but it also brought with it the mosquitoes and dingos. We had to cover up and ensure that food was always securely hidden away in the truck. And it was dark and although we had light towers and headlights, little mechanical problems always seemed to be magnified without daylight. It was a challenge that we had to embrace and do the best we could. 

Mantova workshop

As supervisor, my job was to ensure that my crew put as many tree seedlings into the ground as possible each shift. While the guys were out planting, I had to supply them with everything they required. Seedlings, fertiliser, water, encouragement and the occasional kick up the arse. I had to keep track of everything and if numbers on my paperwork were down, it was me that got asked the questions, not them. Occasionally I’d jump on a tractor or planter unit to keep things moving but generally the guys did a good job.

According to some sources, Melville Island receives the more lightning strikes than anywhere in the world. January is storm season and after heat building through the day, they often roll in during the night. So, it added another dimension to the nightshift and the lightshow across the skies were spectacular at times. One night I had one tractor about to start a run but I quickly told them to park up and take shelter in the truck.  As the rain came in I jumped in the ute and raced up the top end of the field where I found two guys crouching beside the wheel of their tractor.  

With Paddy outside the camp office

I know from experience when the rain is coming in sideways it's about the only shelter you can get! I yelled at them through the wind and rain to jump in because we had to get out immediately.  It was too late though...we couldn't engage 4WD and became bogged. Fortunately we had radio communication with the truck and they said a tractor would be up to get us when the rain eased. But not before!  So we sat for about 45 minutes watching the most amazing lightning all around us and listening to the frightening booms of thunder that closely followed. 

Eventually the rain did ease and a tractor arrived to rescue us.  It was an easy job to pull it out and we left the muddy field at about 4am. I’d learnt the hard way that as big and powerful as tractors are, they’re often no match for the conditions. That night we’d bogged a tractor and the larger one I sent in to tow it out also became bogged. It was a job that called for resourcefulness and creativity in problem solving. With no mechanic on the nightshift I often felt like MacGyver trying to keep the planter units out on the fields instead of parked up at the end of a row.

Farewell Melville!

The peak of the season came and went fairly quickly. Night shift finished and it wasn’t too long after that the whole operation ceased. On my final rotation on the island I was offered pruning work with another company but I’d had enough. It was an unforgettable experience, I’d made new friends and my bank balance was finally looking reasonable. It’d been six weeks and now the Kiwi on the Tiwi was finished. It was time to return to Darwin, pack my things and find a ride going south.

Tree planting on Melville Island

I started off planting but soon learned how to drive the tractors and spent the majority of the time doing that.  It was certainly the easier of the two jobs.  The third part of the operation was driving the ute to refill the tractors with plants and fertiliser. They only had a range of about 1.5km so unless the rows were short they couldn’t make it back without this support.  There's something about the air con and radio in the ute that made that job a popular one...

So while it wasn’t strenuous work, they were long 12-hour days.  Sometimes we got lucky and didn’t have to work a full day because of the weather. Being the start of the wet season, Melville Island was receiving rain and thunder storms every day.  The only question was whether the field we were working in would be hit. Light rain was okay – in fact in the tropical heat it was great!  It lowered the temperature and eliminated the dust.  Heavy rain meant a risk of vehicles (even the tractors) getting bogged in the mud and we had no choice but to stop work to avoid it happening.

Typical wet season storm cloud

There are no sealed roads on Melville Island.  They are all graded forestry roads so can turn muddy very quickly.  One day a road near where we were working literally had a river flowing down one side of it.  The ground was saturated from rain the day before and the water had nowhere else to go. The weather patterns on the island are very localised though. We finished two hours early one day because of the rain but because it was dry and sunny back at camp we were sent out to another field!

The forestry camp was adjacent to the unsealed airstrip and consisted of portable buildings arranged around the central office, kitchen and recreational room.  I had my own room for the first time in months, complete with a wardrobe and writing desk. There were ablution blocks and two laundry rooms where overworked washing machines and dryers laboured with the dirty clothing of about 180 guys every night. Although it was a ‘dry’ island, there was a bar in the camp that was open for three hours each evening.

Plane on the island airstrip

For a poor backpacker, the camp food was great. Breakfast was either cooked or
continental depending on your preference and lunch from the buffet consisted of cold meat, salads, bread, cake and fruit.  Dinner was a variety of main dishes followed by dessert and every Sunday was barbeque night. Always the best night of the week for Mantova staff because the boss put $150 on the bar for us. Work hard, play hard.

So, together with the boys we settled into the groove. Work, eat, sleep; rinse and repeat. But they were all great guys to work with and we had some fun along the way. One day rain was threatening and Henry was complaining there was no toilet paper.  He eventually decided he'd improvise and walked out into the bush. Very soon it was raining and I wondered where he was. It took a full five minutes for him to return and he was totally saturated.  He had a look of disbelief on his face and he wasn't back long when he told me he had to go back and 'cover his tracks'.

Relaxing with Henry after work

When he returned dripping wet a second time I had to ask what he was doing out there!  He told me he'd had a bit of a mishap.  As he was squatting in the bushes he realised it was starting to rain.  Not wanting to get wet he jumped up, slipped on the damp grass and fell back into his own excretion!  His pants were around his ankles but he soiled is boxer shorts pretty bad.  When he went back to ‘cover his tracks’ it was actually to bury the boxers. I laughed like there was no tomorrow and still smile now thinking about it.  So funny… 

Kiwi on the Tiwi

So life in the Top End was great. I had the best of both worlds – I was earning enough money, had a nice group of friends and plenty of leisure time. Hey and the bar just over the road had a promotional night every Thursday with free beer! Yep, it was wet season but all going swimmingly and didn’t want for anything. Even so, I was made an interesting job offer: planting trees on Melville Island 80km north in the Timor Sea.

The Tiwi Islands

It wasn’t a job offer I had to consider for too long; it was an adventure and I was in! I quit my job at the restaurant and within a couple of days I was joining a few others in yellow work shirts at Darwin airport for the flight across the Beagle Gulf. While we waited for our little four seater plane to prepare for takeoff, I learned a little more about where I was headed to…

Melville and Bathurst Islands make up what is known as the Tiwi Islands, so named because they are home to the Tiwi Aboriginal. So yes, for the next six weeks I’d be the Kiwi on the Tiwi. One of a few actually because a couple of mates from the hostel also got jobs out on the island. The Tiwis (‘We People’) have a distinct culture and produce some vibrant artwork. They have a lifestyle that involves hunting and gathering to supplement their mainland diet. Tourism is restricted on the islands and it’s somewhere I’d never have reached otherwise.

Football on the Tiwi Islands

I was employed by an earthmoving company called Mantova which is based in Queensland.  Mantova were contracted to a company called Sylvatech Forestry and employed about 25 people on the island.  The trees that we planted were Acacia and will be used eventually for pulp and paper. Flights to the island were every four days so work periods were between 8 and 32 days. I decided that 16 days was about right for me before taking a four day break back in Darwin.

The days of drinking too much, sleeping in, swimming and playing beach volleyball before doing a few hours work in the evening were suddenly gone. Life on the island would be no more than work, eat and sleep. Food and accommodation was all paid and there was good money to be had. But we would work for it. 

Melville Island forestry camp

Work days typically began in the predawn gloom of 4.45am, which gave us 45 minutes to dress, make lunch from the buffet, eat breakfast and be at the morning briefing by 5.30am.  Ten minutes later we'd be in the vehicle and travelling the 10km out to the fields to begin 12 hours of tree planting.

The planting was done from four tractors with planter units behind them.  These units have a single seat at the back where the planter sits with trays of seedlings within reach on each side. In the middle of the planter is a large wheel that rotated as the tractor moved.  Attached to the wheel was a funnel that plants were dropped into and then forced into the ground. Press wheels then compact the surrounding earth and another tree is successfully planted.  A scenario that was repeated many thousands of times every day...

Tractor and planter units

The biggest battle for the whole operation was to keep four working tractors and planters on the field. Unfortunately the harsh environment meant that machinery was subject to all kinds of breakdowns.  Tyres were punctured, springs, chains and bolts broken, hydraulics failed and various parts became out of alignment.  The planting process had to be done correctly and this was monitored both internally and also by Sylvatech.  One day we had a 70% failure rate, a very unhappy boss and a ban from planting any more until the issues were solved. 

Darwin

After all my travel, money was getting tight and I was fortunate to fall into employment almost immediately. Right place, right time. I became a waiter at a seafood restaurant called The Jetty. It was a popular eatery in the city, partly because of its great value buffet and partly because of its location. The alfresco dining area was a deck that sat over the water with views of Darwin harbour and out to the Timor Sea. On a typical warm evening, it made the ideal place to enjoy a meal while watching storm clouds building and lightening flashing on the horizon.

Outdoor deck of The Jetty restaurant

Ideal for the restaurant patrons anyway. For us, it was usually bloody hard work especially if it was a Friday or Saturday night. Diners helped themselves to food from the buffet while we were flat out bringing them drinks and clearing tables. All I could think in those busiest moments was that at least I wasn’t slaving away in the kitchen washing dishes! In some small way, at I’d managed to move up in the world and I have to say that the meal we were given each night was better than Gilligan’s!

So with evening employment organised, I still had plenty of time during the day to explore the city and its surrounds. The central point of Darwin is the pedestrian Smith St Mall from where it’s a relatively short walk to the waterfront precinct. Aside from coming down here late afternoon each day for work, it was also I good place for fishing and catching sea breezes. A good walk that I always enjoyed was the path through Bicentennial Park that follows the foreshore to a point called Doctors Gully.

Rebuilt church with original facade

A highlight of Darwin is the Northern Territory Museum and Art Gallery. These galleries include a superbly presented collection of aboriginal art, including paintings from nearby Arnhem Land and carvings from the Tiwi Islands. Cyclone Tracy ripped through the city in 1974 and an entire room is devoted to graphically illustrating the devastation of that day. On my visit I got a photo of Sweetheart: a 5 metre long, 780kg salt water crocodile that attacked fishing dinghies on the Finniss River.

My home away from home was a wonderful hostel called the Wilderness Lodge. I loved my time there because the staff quickly became my friends and it wasn’t long before I joined them. My job in the morning was to clean the place in return for my weekly accommodation. There were a few others who were using it as their home while working in Darwin so we were given a room of our own. It always seemed to be in a shambles but it was always somewhere to relax and have a few laughs.

Wilderness Lodge hostel

A perk of working at the hostel was that I could borrow a bike whenever I needed it. Darwin is great for cycling and a series of bike tracks covers much of the city. Several times I did a sunset ride out to East Point Reserve spit to watch wallabies emerging to feed and the sun sinking into Fannie Bay. This ride goes past Mindil Beach which has an excellent night market during the dry season. Aside from the stalls selling all kinds of food, art, craft and clothing, I loved the rhythmic sounds of bands combining the traditional didgeridoo with contemporary music.

Also on the way to East Point is the old Fannie Bay Gaol. Like Melbourne’s old gaol, it is a grim but interesting insight into nearly 100 years of penal history. I took time to visit one weekend and learned about the prisoners that were held and the crimes they had committed to be there. Also on view are the gallows where two of them were hung in 1952. Later in the day I continued in a slightly different direction to an area called Nightcliff and Casuarina Beach. While Darwin is no beach paradise, the attraction of this particular stretch of sand is that it’s an official nude beach.

Mindil Beach night markets

One day between my two jobs I took a bike 5km out to the Charles Darwin National Park. This park offers a network of paths that explore wetlands, woodlands and some WWII bunkers. (There are some other intriguing reminders of WWII in Darwin including oil storage tunnels, gun emplacements and the military museum that commemorates Australia’s only wartime attack.) From the park lookout there is a sweeping view over the mangroves and across Frances Bay to the skyline of the city.

Litchfield National Park

About 140km southwest of Darwin is the delightful Litchfield National Park which offered a very enjoyable couple of days.  Although the park is smaller than Kakadu, Lichfield has similar scenery and is actually rated better by many locals. Because of its smaller size, most commercial tours to Litchfield are only for a day so camping is easy.  Also, there are no salt water crocodiles and you can swim virtually everywhere.  It was hot and in two days I had eight very refreshing swims. Litchfield-do; Kaka-don’t!

Refreshing waters of  Buley Rockhole

Again, without a 4WD our access to a few places was restricted but we still had plenty to enjoy on our little tour.   The first place we went was the magnetic termite mounds.  These were very interesting and the area looked similar to a graveyard.  The mounds were grey and resembled headstones scattered out in front of us.  The termites cleverly create these mounds so the broad faces are east and west.  That way the sun warms the interior and keeps it at the optimum temperature for the colony living inside.

Cathedral termite mound

There were also a few of the huge cathedral termite mounds.  These are quite different in appearance and colour.  They are light brown and grow to over five metres in height.  An amazing phenomenon when you remember the size of a tiny termite.  True to their name, the shape could be described as a rather wobbly looking cathedral spire.

After that, we visited three waterfalls - Florence, Wangi and Tolmer.  We camped at Wangi Falls with the campground being similar to those in Kakadu.  The falls had plenty of water because they are spring fed.  Florence has a couple of falls entering the picturesque and refreshing plunge pool below.  Wangi has two also but one didn't have much water.  The pretty Tolmer Falls was the only place we couldn't swim due to the fragile nature of the environment but there were some deep rock-pools not far away where we swam instead.

Florence Falls

Compared to Kakadu there weren't many hiking tracks in Litchfield Park.  I did a few short ones no more than a couple of kilometres.  The best one went through an open area before coming back through a monsoon forest.  It was interesting to note the temperature and humidity readings in both areas.  It was 41C & 27% respectively in the open compared to 38C & 55% in the forest. Either way, I was happy we could swim!

I think the more time you spend in the national parks of the Northern Territory; the more you appreciate its scenic beauty and wildlife diversity. It has places that are sacred to the indigenous people but also rich in their culture and history. The unique climate offers a fascinating range of seasons and a huge variation in the appearance of the land. There's a vastness here that has to be experienced to be fully appreciated and I'm happy that I took the time to do it.

Kadadu National Park

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Darwin but I was excited to arrive. Having recently been in the southern extremes of Tasmania, I was now in the ‘Top End’ of the country. It’s here that I’d gain more interesting insights into the aboriginal culture and how it forms part of the enigmatic feel of the tropical Northern Territory. Although the wet season was approaching and the humidity was increasing, the next few months would be perhaps the most enjoyable of my entire Australian experience.

We only stayed a couple of nights in Darwin before hiring a car and heading into the wilderness again. This time we’d be backtracking south to Adelaide River. The crocodile tours here make this is a popular destination but we were set to explore the remarkable landscapes and Aboriginal history of the Kadadu and Lichfield national parks…

A huge cathedral termite mound

Kadadu National Park is a huge area with a geographical size larger than Israel. It’s more than just a national park – it’s an educational and cultural adventure set amid extraordinary natural beauty. We had four days to see and experience as much as we could. Unfortunately we couldn't get to the scenic highlights of Jim Jim and Twin Falls without a 4WD but being so late in the dry season, the falls have fallen so to speak.  There is water all year but they are a lot more spectacular after the wet season in March or April.

There were other parts of the park which weren't accessible either but we still had plenty to see and do.  From Darwin, it's a 300km drive into Jabiru, which is town in the centre of the park. On the way we stopped at Mamukala to watch thousands of magpie geese feeding on the floodplain. Jabiru is Kakadu’s major service centre and even has a gold course but it exists mainly because of the nearby uranium mine. It’s possible to take a tour of the mine but we had to find a suitable place to camp.

Ancient Aboriginal rock art

We spent that night at a place called Ubirr which has a nice walk and some fascinating Aboriginal rock art.  It was incredible to realise that this work was done over 20,000 years ago! A park ranger was starting a talk as we arrived at one of the most significant sites.  We then followed him up onto the huge rock outcrop where he gave another talk about the floodplains and surrounding country.  Enjoying views of Arnhem Land and watching the sunset up there was a magical experience.

Crossing the river to Arnhem Land

The campsites of Kakadu are dusty earth and dry leaves. However the facilities were good and during the dry season there are often slide show presentations given by park rangers.  In our three nights, we heard talks on the six seasons of Kakadu, buffalos in the park and crocodiles. The six seasons recognised by the local Aboriginal people create an annual cycle through the wet and dry times of the year.

The next day we explored an area called Nourlangie Rock.  I did a couple of walks here including one along the East Alligator River.  I was hoping to see a salt water crocodile but unfortunately I never did. The second walk went through some fascinating rock formations where layers of weathered sandstone have created all kinds of interesting outliers. The Anbangbang Shelter in this area was used as a shelter for thousands of years and features artwork that was repainted in the 1960’s.

Lovely views from Nourlangie Rock

Unfortunately the crocodiles in the park mean virtually no swimming anywhere. (Kakadu becomes Kakadon't!)  The only totally safe places to swim are the pools at Jabiru and Cooinda.  With daily temperatures of about 38C, we swam at Jabiru before going to the nearby Bowali Visitor Centre.   Cooinda is in an area called the Yellow Water and where we spent our third night.  It was a lovely camp site with good facilities and green grass.  After a refreshing swim, I went on a final unsuccessful quest to see a crocodile.

Hiking in nearly 40C heat

We decided to take a shortcut across an unsealed road on the way home.  Everything was fine until we got to a river ford with about a foot of sand in the bottom of it.  I thought about going through but not for too long.  It would have bellied for sure so we had to go all the way back and an extra 300km around the long way.  I hate it when that happens but better safe than sorry as they say!