After successfully completing the didje playing and spear throwing challenges, our group was deemed road worthy so our guide Scott loaded us up in the back of the 4WD and off we went. Our first stop was Litchfield Park, about an hour out of Darwin, to see the massive cathedral termite mounds and the cool flatten magnetic termite mounds with their north/south axis.
Although we couldn't find the clue box amongst the termite mounds, Scott still allowed us to carry
on to the next leg of the journey, a chance to cool down in the Buley waterholes. It was crowded but the day was already hot so we didn't mind. Besides, the setting was spectacular, as Buley is a gorgeous series of about seven little rock pools with cascades between each.
Refreshed, we hiked to Upper Tolmer Gorge, clambering up, over and down rocks to reach our
destination (as competently demonstrated by Kiki, a fellow camper). With a guide, we were allowed to access a restricted area to swim in yet another beautiful waterhole in between the
little upper falls and the significantly taller lower falls.
Mid afternoon, Scott loaded us up one more time to drive for about two hours to an old deserted World War Two airstrip near Katherine to camp for the night. We roughed it out in the middle of the wilderness, using the bush as our toilet and sleeping in swags. A swag is an Aussie bedroll--a thin mattress in a canvas (oilskin?) bag to protect you from snakes, spiders, centipedes and mozzies. The night sky was clear so we fell asleep under the stars of the Southern Cross--it was beautful.
