Bye bye Northern Territories
Sitter i Darwins bibliotek, det ar sista kvallen i Darwin, och inatt flyger jag till Brisbane for en vecka dar. Senaste veckan har bjudit pa tre dagars resa fran Alice Springs hit till Darwin, sedan tre dagars aventyr i nationalparkerna Litchfield och Kakadu, och nu tre dagar i Darwin. Resan upp fran Alice Springs var lite av en transportstracka, men det var anda sevarda stopp langs vagen. Bland det minnesvarda finns stenblocken Devils Marbles, roda, stora och lustigt utslangda pa slatten; forsta natten pa mysiga boskapsfarmen Banka Banka, med en liten verandapub byggd av rester fran maskiner och annat fran garden; outbackpuben i Daly Waters dar vi stannade for poolbad och lunch; doppet i varma kallor i paradislik miljo i Mataranka; och batfarden upp langs vackra Katherine Gorge dar floden rinner fram i sick-sack-monster mellan branta hoga klippvaggar. Nationalparksturen bjod pa en krokodilkryssning av haftigare slaget, med stora krokodiler som med mat lockades att hoppa rakt upp ur vattnet. Hade man sträckt ut armen genom fönstret hade man kunnat ta på dem, men det var inte riktigt att rekommendera eftersom sidledsrörelser med huvudet lär vara krokodilens allra snabbaste rörelse. Och handen vill man gärna ha kvar. Vi gick ocksa en liten vandring vid Nourlangie Rock dar vi fick se mangder av aboriginska klippmalningar, mycket intressant. Och sa var det forstas en hel del bad, vi vandrade in langs stigar genom regnskogen in till sma vattenfall, forsar och laguner, dar vi svalkade oss i kristallklart friskt vatten. Vadret har varit ganska snallt for att vara regnperiod, vi drabbades inte av nagot monsunregn alls under de tre dagarna, nastan sa att det var lite synd for det hade varit kul att uppleva. Varmt, men inte outhardligt, fast luftfuktigheten gjorde att det rann om en konstant. Mycket vatten drack man. Darwin till slut. 120 000 tusen invanare, men en ganska somnig stad. Har kollat runt pa det som finns att se, men det var inte jattemycket. Riktigt bra museum med stor utstallning av aboriginsk konst. Gammalt fangelse. Och sa akte vi buss till en stad i narheten dar de hade en mango-vingard. Intressanta smaker, men ingen riktig favorit. Nej, Darwin skulle jag snarare rekommendera att besoka for att se de fantistiska omgivningarna an for sjalva staden.
Sitting in Darwin’s library for some free internetting. It’s the last night here, tonight I fly to Brisbane for a week there. The week that was offered three days of travel from Alice Springs to Darwin, three days of 4WD adventures in Litchfield and Kakadu NPs, and now three days in Darwin. The trip from Alice Springs was a bit of a transport leg, but there were interesting stops along the way. Worth to remember were the Devils Marbles, the giant red rocks apparently thrown out in the desert plains; the first night on the cosy cattle station Banka Banka with a tame emu and a small outdoor pub built of machine leftover from the farm; the outback pub in Daly Waters where we stopped for lunch and a swim in the pool; the swim in the thermal springs in paradise like Mataranka; and the boat cruise along beautiful Katherine Gorge where the river runs in zig zag between steep cliff walls. The national parks offered a spectactular crocodile cruise, with huge wild crocs jumping straight up from the water next to the boat. I could easily have stretched out my arm through the window and touched them, but I didn’t really feel like it. I like my hands. We also did a walk at Nourlangie Rock to look at aboriginal rock paintings, very interesting. And of course plenty of swimming. We walked through the rain forest in to waterfalls, whitewaters and lagoons, where we had refreshing swims in crystal clear water. The weather has been kind to us, considering that it is the rain period. We didn’t get any monsoon rain at all during the three days, it was almost a pity because it would have been fun to experience. It’s been warm, but not unbearable, althought the humidity made the sweat pour constantly. It took a lot of water drinking. Darwin finally. 120 000 people live here, but it feels like a sleepy town. Have checked out what there is to see, which isn’t too much. A really good museum with a large exhibition of aboriginal art. An old prison. And we took the bus to a town nearby where there was a mango winery. Interesting taste, but not a favourite. No, Darwin is a place I would recommend to visit to see the beautiful surroundings, but not for the city itself.
posted by Fredo @ 18:17
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