Happy Easter to everyone...we had eggs for brekkie and a chocolate basket, surprise from Dorine and Martin!!! A easy day today, 290 km at Fitzroy Crossing...so we're not in a hurry and around 9h00 we start the engines and get back on the Savannah Way with a first stop just out of Halls Creek , the China Wall... Back on the road I notice that nature is changing all the time, savannah to rocks, rocks to sandy desert and back to rocks... Fitzroy Crossing used to be famous outback town for its bars and pubs but not anymore...Crossing Inn built in 1897 as a trade store and shanty inn for long distance travelers is the only evidence left and today it's a normal bar and caravan park... We have lunch at Geiki Gorge, a spectacular waterway with soaring weathered cliffs... While Luc, Dorine and Martin are walking at the Geiki Gorge , I drive good old " Coco II" to a lovely caravan park "Fitzroy Lodges" and I enjoy a afternoon at the pool, taking a nap...just what I needed... When they return from their walk Martin challenges me for a game of tennis ...followed by another swim and dinner...yummie Tomorrow we are heading further to the West direction Broome...
It's hard to say farewell at Lake Argyle , but that's what traveling is all about...exploring, find and see new things... one better than the other but all with it's own beauty ...Lake Argyle is one never to forget!!! Back on the Savannah Way we drive for about 400 km through some magnificent scenery's before arriving in Halls Creek, next campground is 300 km away, so we have to camp here for the night...a lot of aboriginal settlements along the road and when we stopped at a fuel station they arrive in old 4x4 and carry up to 15 people in one car...and all are walking barefoot ... There are alcohol restrictions in this area, beer can have maximum 2,7%, because there are a lot of alcohol abuse problems with the Aborigines...They lost their proud , but being drunk all day will not make it better...it is sad to see
While having breakfast the campground is filling up...a lot of people decided to spend their Eastern holidays at Lake Argyle, one of Western Australia's most spectacular attractions, and one of it's biggest!!! With a surface over 1000 km2 an a shoreline stretching 900 km , Lake Argyle is Australia's largest freshwater Lake and home to an estimated 30000 freshwater crocodiles, fish and wildlife...Between 1969 and 1971 they build a dam to create the Lake as it is today and very important as an irrigation basin for agriculture nearby... As we have plenty of time we walk first down at the Lake and all the way up to the Ord Gorges, back down to the Dam and back to camp , we've been walking for 3 hours so that deserves a swim to cool off, temperatures above 40 degrees...but it is getting dryer and dryer . At 2h15 we board on the Kimberley Durack that'll take us for a sunset cruise on the Lake...Somewhere where the Lake is 17 m deep those who are brave enough to swim between the crocodiles are invited for a dive in the Lake...all of us dive and enjoy a lovely swim...another thing done on the bucket list...lol... on board we have Captain Jess the youngest captain ever, but he's doing a great job...well done Jess!!! Just before sunset another swim, but rather a special one, never done it before ....apero in the Lake with a nice glass of wine...life could be worser!!! While sailing back to the camping we get to see and I speak for myself one of the most beautiful sunset ever.... Our stay at Lake Argyle sure is worth a Big Five place and I can recommend it to everyone .
Fuel up motorhome and bikes and off we are on Victoria HWY also called the Savannah Way... after 100 km it's clear why, the wet green landscapes are changing to savannah landscapes with big Baobab trees, trees that survive in this dry climate by dropping their leaves ...Coffee stop at Victoria River where Martin and I drive with the bikes to the old crossing point of Victoria River, we actually are parked in the River...Lunch at Timber Creek and a visit at the lookout ...Dreaming away while driving through the marvelous Pinkerton Range and getting closer and closer to the Western Australian border, farewell Northern Territory....Once crossed the border we take a left to Lake Argyle, a manmade Lake and gateway to Kimberley. The little road that leads us at Lake Argyle through the Carr Boyd Ranges is breathtaking...this is nature at it's best... Arrived at the campsite we book for 2 nights and a sunset cruise on the Lake tomorrow...a cold beer and an a plunge in the infinity pool with the nicest view upon the Lake, I can tell it's nearly like swimming in the Lake, they have done a great job here. No connexion here, back to the middle ages ...lol...
Roadtrain
Parked in Victoria River
Victoria River Gorges
Welcome at Timber Creek
Welcome to Western Australia, farewell Northern Territory
Batchelor-Litchfield National Park-Katherine 412 km
Today we're going to visit the National Park Litchfield with it's many Falls, Rockhole plunge pools and Termite Mouths.... Entering the Park, first stop at Florence Falls, a nice walk to the Falls and a great swim !!!Next Falls are the Tolmer Falls and the Rockhole plunge pool, a big walk at the Wangi Falls where I save a young Italian girl dying of thirst...I gave her some water and she could walk on...over a walk of 1hour you easily need to drink 1 liter of water in this heat... Back on the road we have a last stop at the Butterfly farm in Batchelor where we met a young French couple , they just arrived and the boy was busy painting a rainbow dragon on a wall...you could tell he's done this before....always amazing to hear people's story's why they ended up here in Australia. A refreshing lemon juice and we get back on Stuart HGW to Pine Creek and Katherine where we stop for the night... 20h00 , Luc and Martin didn't show up yet , we got a message they already had dinner , so we're expecting them soon....
Latest update... as text messages between our phones didn't come through Luc and Martin stayed waiting for us in the pub at Pine Creek, finally they arrived around 21h00 ... all together again...no worries
Termite Mouth
Termite Mouth as old as I am 50 years...wow...
Plunge pool Florence Falls...cool...
Rockhole Plunge pool
Tolmer Falls
Wangi Falls
Wangi Falls
Young French painter at work Butterfly Farm Batchelor
Needed to drop off "Coco II" at the Branch in Darwin, where we received a 4x4 , "JessieII" for the day...handy to visit Darwin. Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory is a vibrant modern city that has been rebuilt after cyclone Tracy destroyed the complete city on Christmas Eve in 1974, it is also a very important tourist destination from where the National Parks Kakadu and Litchfield are easy to reach. Interesting fact is that during World War II Japanese bombers dropped more bombs on Darwin than they did on Pearl Harbour , evidences can still be seen today... Stoke Hill Wharf is the place where the big cruise ships come and in the evening all restaurants and bars are filled with people enjoying a great view upon the Timor Sea , another interesting place to hang around are the Mindel Beach markets, for food, crafts and entertainment... Cooling off after a stinking hot day...Darwin Waterfront is the place to be with a large big waves swimming pool and a little beach...just what we needed... Around 16h00 we get a call from the Branch that"Coco II' is all fixed and ready to go...gives us just the time to pick it up and to leave Darwin, the most Northern point of our journey , behind us driving to the Litchfield National Park... At Batchelor ...what a name... the road train stops for the night... Thanks Beth for the wonderful service at your Branch, you did a terrific job...good on you!!!!!
Darwin
Darwin Waterfront
Cooling off
Jessie II
Sitting at the most Northern Point of my Australia road trip 2015
Waking up with a blue sky and already hot hot hot... but this is better then rain, as I heard in Belgium this weekend they had heaps of it. Riding out of Pine Creek my eye fall's on a new project...see photo below...isn't it lovely, I can see a lot of potential... Entering the National Park Kakadu we notice a lot of lookouts are closed because of the passage from our buddy "cyclone Nathan" ...somehow he keeps tracking us...lo's of flooded roads and a big risk and danger for crocodiles!!!! We visit the Bukbukluc lookout with a view over the swamps, a steap walk at the Mirrai lookout where while enjoying the sights a young man all sweaty come's up with a load of camera stuff, he works for SBS and is making a documentary about Kakadu on crocodiles and the Kakadu Plum, the fruit with the highest amount of vitamine C, but somehow a American company took a patent on that plum , so everyone that wants to sell it as a product has to pass that company and pay, so it doesn't get out of Australia...strange world...we say goodbye to the chap and walk down again in a bloody heat sun... Next stop at Nourlangie Rock and Nurwalandja also very important places for the Aborigines and back on the road to Jabiru, heart of Kakadu... After a coffee break high time to drive to Darwin, where we find a holiday park at Howard Springs , 28 km left to Darwin. Tomorrow "Coco II" needs to enter the workshop in Darwin...oillamp lighted up , airco needs to be checked and some small other things. From this occasion we will profit to visit Darwin, our most North destination in Australia... Last picture shows a map of Australia with our progress so far , 16400 km .
What do you think about my new little project, isn't it wonderful...
China Wall Halls Creek
Dirt roads
Look who I met in the bush
Nature at its best
Aborigines swimming in Fitzroy River
Fitzroy River
Geikie Gorges
Relaxing after a hot day
Warmun fuel stop
A new hat at the hat tree
Baobab tree
Ord River
Lake Argyle Dam
Lake Argyle
Our boat Kimberley Durack
Captain Jess
Crew
Apero 
Sunset
Roadtrain
Parked in Victoria River
Victoria River Gorges
Welcome at Timber Creek
Welcome to Western Australia, farewell Northern Territory
Infinity pool
Lake Argyle
Ord River
Termite Mouth
Termite Mouth as old as I am 50 years...wow...
Plunge pool Florence Falls...cool...
Rockhole Plunge pool
Tolmer Falls
Wangi Falls
Wangi Falls
Young French painter at work Butterfly Farm Batchelor
Darwin
Darwin Waterfront
Cooling off
Jessie II
Sitting at the most Northern Point of my Australia road trip 2015
My guardian angel
Stoke Hill Wharf
What do you think about my new little project, isn't it wonderful...
Gateway to Kakadu National Park
Nurwalandja
Nourlangie Rock
Martin challenging the crocodiles
Progress Map 16400 km
