DAY 50 FROM SOUTH TO NORTH - TOP END (NORTHERN TERRITORY) TRIP

13 June 2010

GURIG GUNAK BARLU NATIONAL PARK, COBOURG PENINSULA

What a contrast –we are enjoying 30c dipping our toes into the warm Arafura Sea whilst two of our children and their families are rugged up warmly and skiing at Perisher Valley during the opening of the ski season. What a contrast in the one country. You can be in the snow one day and in hot climate the next.

I woke this morning and thought to myself – you are on the northern tip of central part of Australia – how awesome is that. Hubby was of a similar mind.

Somewhat overcast this morning so our solar panels were not getting any sun and no charge was available for our batteries. So we thought we would drive down to the ranger station and have a good look at the display there and see the ranger.

I love shells and hubby had great delight in pointing out to me that this was a marine park as well as a national park and that some shells were potentially poisonous to humans.

We drove to Smith Point – the beacon by sea was originally built to warn ships of rocks along the coastline built by people from Victoria settlement stood guard over the coastline. It has since been rebuilt by the crew of HMNS Ardent.

The turquoise water was so inviting but… no swimming here – crocodiles, sharks, stingers etc etc. There were many interesting rocks and rock ledges here.

So we just enjoyed the view.

To one side there was a lovely little cove – so private, so inviting. . .

We decided to call our children from here through the HF radio phone system. We started with our youngest son – a pity it was a bad connection. We then rang our daughter who told us they were all out skiing including our eldest son’s family. We couldn’t catch our eldest son so left a message for him.

Driving out from Smith Point we saw a flock of Red tailed cockcatoos. We saw both the male and female birds distinguishable by their colours.

After lunch we drove past the crocodile crossing sign

and then pass the second campsite here

to go on the beautiful wetland drive.

It was just fabulous so scenic.

Whilst the drive was not long it took us an hour.

It was not 4WD track but a precision driving track.  Manoeuvring between trees was quite intricate.  Every time we were in woodlands we had a tight squeeze between trees and also had to watch for low lying branches.  We just got through in many places.

In places we were concerned with the low branches overhead. But we made it – in some places we just scraped through.

It was a beautiful drive along a large billabong. The billabong actually starts between the two campsites

The scenery changed constantly.

A lovely day.