We are so good at packing up now...that I blinked and the van was on behind the Kluger! Lol! No...but we're pretty quick at getting it all on and setting off down the road.
We had a few stops on the way...firstly we dropped into the Adelaide River Inn to see Charlie. Who's Charlie? He's the water buffalo you see blocking the road in the first Crocodile Dundee movie and Mick Dundee (Paul Hogan) hypnotises him....that's if you've seen it. We went in to say hello to him and get a photo of him, but he didn't say much, because he's as dead as a doornail and stuffed now...and water buffalo can't talk either. He stands on the bar in the pub. Lucky he can't unleash a load! Wouldn't like that landing on my pot of beer or bar meal!
After Charlie, we drove down to the Adelaide War Cemetery. I tell you, it's the most magnificently kept cemetery and has beautiful manicured lawns and an extensive tropical garden around it. We all walked around the graves of those lost during the bombing of Darwin (World War II) and felt quite sad reading about boys as young as 16 that were killed defending our country. There was even a grave containing 7 people....all postal workers killed while keeping the lines of communication open in Darwin during the war. It was quite a sombre place to walk around and it really did make you feel a little sad thinking of how different life was back then for those people...and how lucky we all are today to be safe and live in such a great country....anyhoo...there's Matt's one and only deep and meaningful for this blog...soz! On a brighter note, we found a couple of great bowerbirds (they're everywhere up here) and then we found it's bower....full of snail shells....bits of glass....rocks....pull rings of old cans etc... We've started calling Freyja "Bower" now because she keeps collecting rubbish around caravan parks (or wherever she goes) and keeps dumping these items in her nest (our van or the back seat of the car!).
We got to Douglas Daly by lunch time and set up the van quickly. After some lunch and a cuppa, we set off to the Douglas River Esplanade, where we saw a beautiful rapids, a small weir and a place called "The Arches" where some people swim through them and onto a beach. I was too scared to do it because they do have crocs (salties), although they say they have caught them all....but who's to know? Anyway...we went below The Arches and found a shallow beach in the river....where lots of people were swimming....so we did (well Bec didn't and neither did Mum), but we felt safe there...swimming under paperbarks and pandanus...and right next to us was a huge croc trap! Lol...Will post a photo of it for you to see!
After the swim, we drove up to the Douglas Hot Springs where we had yet another swim. This time we got in the river...and had to get straight back out again...the water here is so hot it scolds....around 60 degrees celcius! You can see it bubbling up through the sand! We walked down stream a little way and found a spot where cooler water merges with the hot water....so you lie in the shallows....with currents of hot and cold washing past you....awesome! I loved the spot. I just lay on my back looking up at the sky with hot/cold/hot/cold etc. going on for ages. Everyone got in here....and even Mum said the water was hot! Those that know Mum will realise that the water must have been pretty warm! We tried walking as far up stream as we could...but still had to stop 10m short of the springs because it's so hot! The girls spent time there making sand castles and trying to find turtles....no luck...although someone said that snakes and frogs were around a bit....but we didnt' see any of them either....
...until the shower that night....there I am...having a nice private shower...with around 25 frogs! They were behind the door, on the walls, on the top of the toilets....in the sinks....everywhere! Some even went into the cistern of the toilet when you walked past! Lol.... No snakes though although we keep seeing Golden Tree Snakes everywhere....which are quite beautiful and harmless snakes.
Anyway...off to Katherine next....to do the gorge etc.
We had a few stops on the way...firstly we dropped into the Adelaide River Inn to see Charlie. Who's Charlie? He's the water buffalo you see blocking the road in the first Crocodile Dundee movie and Mick Dundee (Paul Hogan) hypnotises him....that's if you've seen it. We went in to say hello to him and get a photo of him, but he didn't say much, because he's as dead as a doornail and stuffed now...and water buffalo can't talk either. He stands on the bar in the pub. Lucky he can't unleash a load! Wouldn't like that landing on my pot of beer or bar meal!
After Charlie, we drove down to the Adelaide War Cemetery. I tell you, it's the most magnificently kept cemetery and has beautiful manicured lawns and an extensive tropical garden around it. We all walked around the graves of those lost during the bombing of Darwin (World War II) and felt quite sad reading about boys as young as 16 that were killed defending our country. There was even a grave containing 7 people....all postal workers killed while keeping the lines of communication open in Darwin during the war. It was quite a sombre place to walk around and it really did make you feel a little sad thinking of how different life was back then for those people...and how lucky we all are today to be safe and live in such a great country....anyhoo...there's Matt's one and only deep and meaningful for this blog...soz! On a brighter note, we found a couple of great bowerbirds (they're everywhere up here) and then we found it's bower....full of snail shells....bits of glass....rocks....pull rings of old cans etc... We've started calling Freyja "Bower" now because she keeps collecting rubbish around caravan parks (or wherever she goes) and keeps dumping these items in her nest (our van or the back seat of the car!).
We got to Douglas Daly by lunch time and set up the van quickly. After some lunch and a cuppa, we set off to the Douglas River Esplanade, where we saw a beautiful rapids, a small weir and a place called "The Arches" where some people swim through them and onto a beach. I was too scared to do it because they do have crocs (salties), although they say they have caught them all....but who's to know? Anyway...we went below The Arches and found a shallow beach in the river....where lots of people were swimming....so we did (well Bec didn't and neither did Mum), but we felt safe there...swimming under paperbarks and pandanus...and right next to us was a huge croc trap! Lol...Will post a photo of it for you to see!
After the swim, we drove up to the Douglas Hot Springs where we had yet another swim. This time we got in the river...and had to get straight back out again...the water here is so hot it scolds....around 60 degrees celcius! You can see it bubbling up through the sand! We walked down stream a little way and found a spot where cooler water merges with the hot water....so you lie in the shallows....with currents of hot and cold washing past you....awesome! I loved the spot. I just lay on my back looking up at the sky with hot/cold/hot/cold etc. going on for ages. Everyone got in here....and even Mum said the water was hot! Those that know Mum will realise that the water must have been pretty warm! We tried walking as far up stream as we could...but still had to stop 10m short of the springs because it's so hot! The girls spent time there making sand castles and trying to find turtles....no luck...although someone said that snakes and frogs were around a bit....but we didnt' see any of them either....
...until the shower that night....there I am...having a nice private shower...with around 25 frogs! They were behind the door, on the walls, on the top of the toilets....in the sinks....everywhere! Some even went into the cistern of the toilet when you walked past! Lol.... No snakes though although we keep seeing Golden Tree Snakes everywhere....which are quite beautiful and harmless snakes.
Anyway...off to Katherine next....to do the gorge etc.
