Darwin Day Eleven -

Dear Lola,

We look forward to a full day exploring Kakadu. Lola, you are unleashed on the breakfast buffet and try one of everything. 

With full bellies and one morning nap later we drive to Nourlangie. The clouds hang low and after one epic roar of thunder and lightning strike (that felt a little too close for comfort) the sky opens up and it pours down. As we drive we are treated to a magnificent landscape getting a well deserved drink, soaking up every drop. By the time we arrive at Nourlangie the storm has passed, leaving behind blue skies and hot & heavy air. The dominant sandstone escarpment of Nourlangie also features a walking track and we stop & point out the Aboriginal rock art to you.  You prefer to continue rock hunting and explore the boardwalk steps. 

We trek up a moderately steep hill to Gun-warddehwardde lookout, which provides impressive views of Kakadu’s escarpment. It is also the most scenic nappy changing spot you have experienced Lola!

 

The flies and heat after the rain take us back to the car.

Next stop is Ubirr, a track that takes us past incredible, detailed rock art. Puddles have formed in the rock crevices and you enjoy sitting in them playing with the sand and rocks. You even spot a wallaby with a little baby in its pouch, pointing it out to others that walk by. You are a very considerate little peach.

We have booked a Guluyambi boat cruise for 3pm, so we pile back into car covered in sweat and dirt. You carry half of this sacred land under your fingernails, smeared on your arms, legs and because you have rubbed your eyes, it’s all over your face as well! We are quite a sight as we pull up to the East Alligator River. You get acquainted with the other five members of our tour, and as we board we spot our first croc baking in the sun on the bank.  You are really excited and don’t sit still for the first half an hour, and as the boat is reasonably small, our savior comes from a muffin we took from the breakfast buffet. If only for five minutes or so! 

As we slowly travel along the waterway we spot plenty of crocs and listen to our Aboriginal guide explain aspects of local Aboriginal culture. The river forms the boundary between Kakadu and Arnhem Land. Arnhem Land is an Aboriginal reserve and one of Australia’s last great untouched wilderness areas. The boat pulls up and as you can only access the land with a permit or guide we have this mystical & sacred place to ourselves. Lola, you head straight for the rock pool puddles, as we have one eye on you and the other on the stunning rocky cliffs that surround the river.

Lola we are impressed with how calm and cuddly you are as our guide gives us a spear demonstration. Back on the boat everyone forgets about croc spotting as you run up and down the aisle playing peek a boo with everyone and laughing as your new friends pretend to chase you. 

The day’s adventures have caught up with you, and before Papa even starts the car you are fast asleep.

A big swim in the pool removes all the dirt, before a poolside dinner of ravioli for you. You are in bed before 7pm , as we enjoy take-away pizza and play spot the cane toads as they jump about in front of us. 

Your mama

Darwin Day Ten -

Dear Lola,

Today we are off to Kakadu. We briskly pack and tidy up the house as we won’t be back. A house we have only stayed in for a week but have grown attached to. It’s funny how it doesn’t take long to become attached to a place, forming little routines, becoming familiar with everything in the kitchen, the sounds, smells & knowing how long it takes for the hot water to come through. Although in this case it was how long it takes for cold water to come through as the water is always hot here in Darwin! I think you will miss the cheeky pups the most. Oh and the giant stuffed teddy bear that you had to cuddle & kiss every time we walked down the hallway.

The car is loaded and we are off. Lola you chat away in the back as we enjoy some new scenery. We are trying to teach you to say Kakadu – you can say Kaka so easily and every time I say “Lola where are we off to today?” you announce “kaka” and then let out a burst of laughter. This entertains us for about half the trip there.  You fall asleep and we look for crocs with every bridge we pass over.

We arrive at our accommodation, but we don’t check in till 2pm. It is only 11am. We go for swim in the pool and while papa is at the reception desk we go for a stroll around the grounds. There are ducks, geese and plenty of cockatoos for you to wave at.  Then I freeze as I spot just a few feet away from us a big ol’ brown snake curled up on the grass. My heart races, I think I may even stop breathing as I quite calmly turn and walk away. Lola you may not know this, but I am terrified of snakes, lizards and the like, even those little skink lizards make me jump! Papa comes to the rescue and we inform the front desk of our discovery. 

Lola's new buddy

 

 

 

 

 

We drive to Mamukala wetlands. We are hungry so I prepare some wraps in the front seat and then we eat them on one of the picnic tables in the car park. The three of us sit there with our legs tucked up (easy for you Lola) as not to get bitten by the giant ants that are enjoying your lunch that you are carelessly tossing off the table. Little do we know that if we had walked just a few hundred metres down the track we could have had lunch with a view overlooking the wetlands. We thought people who passed us in the car park were looking at us funny!

The wetlands are most dramatic at this time of year as thousands of magpie geese congregate to feed. The observation platform is a safe place to watch the birdlife, the hot pink flowers and wallabies. We are on constant watch for crocs but don’t see any. 

We head down the road to Jabiru region, the main township in Kakadu, home to the giant croc hotel (we drive past  it for your Omi and Opi who have stayed there) and then buy some supplies at the local supermarket. Heading back to our hotel from here we stop at the South Alligator River, are on croc patrol again (from the safety of our car) but don’t see any. The suspense of it all is enough for your mama anyway. That and convincing your papa to stay in the car, “Marty we have a one year old to consider!”

After another swim we step right out of the pool and onto a walking track which takes us to a nice billabong. For some reason you aren’t a fan of having anything on your head at the moment so we don’t stay long. Now if the snake scare wasn’t enough of a fright earlier today then the raptor that swoops down and picks up a huge snake before taking flight again, with the snake dangling from its talons sure is!

Dinner at the restaurant is pizza and salad, and we are as impressed with the food as the surrounding guests are with you and your constant waves and smiles. You also let out his rather fake laugh now when someone waves back that gets you extra attention.

Bath in bore water (no you didn’t pee in the bath, well at least we don't think so!) and then bed without a peep from you. Papa and I retreat to the balcony to read and enjoy a lightning show off in the distance.

Your mama

Darwin Day Nine -

Dear Lola,

Today was a recharge day before Kakadu tomorrow.  Big swim for you and papa as mama packs up the cabin. There is something about packing up ready to move onto the next adventure that gives us a new burst of energy.

We drive back to Darwin; you fight sleep and instead choose to just watch the world go by out the window.  Sleep for you comes shortly after we arrive back in Darwin once you have greeted the pups. We spend the remaining day relaxing and chasing your naked toshie around.  

Skyping family in the afternoon was a real treat, and your Oma, Granpda and Uncle Luke were even treated to you popping on the kitchen floor. I guess statistically that was to be expected given you have been naked half the time we are here. Thank goodness for tiled floors! Not many photos today, except for a few of your cheeky peachface!

Your mama

Darwin Day Eight - 

Dear Lola,

This day should be titled “Lola Sleeps”. After a restful night’s sleep we all rise at 7am. Papa makes us all some delicious bacon & egg burgers on the bbq for breakfast. After a full belly you make your way back to bed, I put my feet up on the balcony with my book and papa being the adventurer he is goes to explore the Finnis river that boarders the Cabin Park. It has started to rain steadily as he arrives back, the first rain I have seen all trip, and it is a welcome relief as the temp still remains in the mid thirties. When you awake we all go for a swim in the pool in the pouring rain. You love water - especially when it's coming at you from all angles!

Cascade Falls is our destination for the morning, but we are no more than 100 metres down the road before you fall asleep again. Upon arriving at the falls we realise the walk to the water hole is probably to far considering the temperature is slowly rising as we hit midday. 

Applying sunscreen to a sleeping baby

Instead we decide to pick up some lunch supplies at a nearby cafe and head to Wangi Falls for a picnic lunch and swim. It is refreshing, but you my dear are still yawning away!

Croc cam  - this is how Marty looks for crocs that may lie beneath

No really Lola is enjoying this! This is the face L pulls when she gets water on her face!

It occurs to us that we may have pushed the waterfall adventures, sun & fun  a little too much in the last couple of days and that you may prefer to just sleep the day away in the comfort of our air conditioned cabin. So we head home,you falling asleep once again and then again when we get back to the homestead. Yep definitely to much sunshine for you little super trooper.

You have just enough energy to enjoy a wallaby battle!

We jump into the cool water of our pool before a lovely dinner at the outdoor restaurant at the cabin park, you devour chips loaded with tomato sauce. 

You and papa have a bit of a tummy ache, and we believe the culprit was the sandwich we purchased at the cafe for lunch. After some extra cuddles, stories and songs you finally crash for what we hope will be a another long nights sleep.

Your mama

Darwin Day Seven - 

Dear Lola, 

We awoke after having barely any sleep at all. Our bed was more than comfortable, the temperature in the room was perfect, but our air conditioner that had seen at least three decades of keeping others cool was so incredibly noisy and every time it clicked over it made a sound similar to someone throwing a hammer up against it. Lola, you woke half a dozen times as a result, you were easily settled with your dummy, but like us awoke this morning rubbing your eyes.

After a picnic breakfast on our front porch we stumbled to the reception desk to inform the owners of our dilemma. They were more than kind & concerned, and immediately offered us another cabin with a recently installed air con system. It is titled the ‘honeymoon cabin’ & is privately perched on a hill overlooking a field with horses & cows, (to Lola's approval) the bush , the Finnis River & a windmill.  We soon forget about our sleepless night.

Now onto the real adventures of the day which were visiting Buley Rockhole, the magnetic termite mounds and Florence Falls. 

Buley Rockhole featured a series of rock pools each cascading into each other.  Words don’t do any of the places we went to justice. Neither do our photos, but we will share a few anyway.

 

The magnetic termite mounds were the next stop. We stayed just enough time for a spin!

We had Florence falls to ourselves as we arrived around 5pm. It was breathtakingly beautiful and we took a moment to appreciate & soak in our surroundings. Lola you happily floated in your ring, as long as you had a slow and constant supply of rocks handed to you. Marty jumped off a rock platform under the waterfall, and we swam with fish as big as Papas left thigh. Thinking about leaving Florence falls, Marty was cradling you in his arms when he felt something clamp around is ankle. He held you high & dry as he fell  back. As you both made it onto dry land, we realized by the blood trail that he had been bitten. We may never know what bit him – I suspect a small croc, but Papa thinks more likely a mud crab. The walk back to car was a highlight in itself with hundreds of butterflies flying around our heads.

One super excited bub!

Papa jumps!

On our way home I spot three lazy buffalo feeding by the side of the road. Marty chases the buffalo and as they retreat he is set upon by ants. 

We have a nice dinner on our deck, stories on the bed, followed by bed for you, leaving mama & papa time to enjoy milk arrowroot biscuits dipped in nutella on the balcony.

It can be tricky to get a photo of the three of us!

Your mama

Darwin Day Six -

Dear Lola,

Hi Ho Hi Ho - it's off to Litchfield National Park we go! Yes, we are a tad bit excited and the drive there is pleasant one, with the scenery providing constant conversation. We arrive at our cabin that boarders the park, it has a good to feel to it, and we unpack quickly as we are keen to start exploring. 

We decide to drive to Wangi Falls first. It is about 30 minutes from where we are staying and we have heard it is pretty spectacular. Everything is extremely well laid out and as we walk toward the falls we aren’t at all disappointed with what we discover.

Lola you continue to amaze us at how willing you are to swim and get as close to the waterfalls as we dare to. You go with the flow, just doing your thing in your ring! Kicking about, waving, singing, splashing - oh yes you have learnt to splash and do it on cue!

After a swim we went for a short stroll to tree-top lookout. The lookout itself wasn't that great, but the massive spiders and bats we saw along the way were pretty incredible.

Lola's face says it all!

Cooling off

We decide one waterfall is enough for one day and spend the evening relaxing in the pool and preparing for dinner. As we are staying in a one room cabin we put you to bed and then set-up on our balmy front porch for the night.With a cool  beer in one hand  Marty's deluxe sausage sandwich in the other, we put our feet up and watch the geckos as they play on the roof above us.

Your mama

Darwin Day five - 

Dear Lola, 

Today we took it easy. You and papa went to pick up some groceries in the morning and then we filled up the clam pool in the yard and lazed around. Marty made his own beer batter barra for lunch and we all munched away on his good catch. You loved the fish, licking your fingers clean and even sneaking some of mamas with one quick swoop.

Munching on barra

Lola LOVES mango

In the afternoon we made our way over to visit the family who are staying at Peters tree-top bungalow. As we are staying in a fairly new house we were keen to have a peek into a typical Darwin house. Surrounded by palms and green growth we did literally feel as though we were living amongst the trees. You were in your element Lola, stomping up and down the hallways with your best bud Erin. Erin is 11 and you grab her hand and cuddle her at every opportunity.

As the evening draws near we all make our way to Aquascene fish feeding . Every day at high tide hundreds of fish come to shore to be fed by hand. It was quite a sight & we all got right in there, with a fist full of bread each, and you wriggling on my hip in an attempt to launch yourself into the water with the fish. There were little waves breaking up against the steps we were feeding from and we got absolutely drenched and covered in salt. 

Lola reaching for Erin

Lola joins the three wise monkeys!

Getting wet & feeding the fish

Papa is such a brilliant cook! Did I mention that? As I relaxed on the lounge Marty prepared a feast of sweet potato chips & basil, oregano, garlic and bell pepper lamp chops. 

Although today was fairly quiet, tomorrow our adventure continues at Litchfield, where we will stay for three nights. We have hired a cabin at the doorstep of the National Park. We return to Darwin for one night then off to Kakadu for two nights. We won't have the computer, but I'll catch up on our journal when we return. I'm sure there will be more than a few yarns to share!

Your mama