Sunrise at Katherine Gorge

June 1, 2022June 1, 2022 / brisbanefrannie / 3 Comments

An early start for our Katherine Gorge trip. It really is the best part of the day. I’m not usually a morning person but when I do get up early I love it.

We drove for 30 mins out of Katherine to the entrance of the Gorge. We were early and we beat the guides there.

An early morning cuppa and some fruit and we boarded as first light was coming.

It gives off a very spiritual feeling being in the gorge this early. Sadly the sun was hidden behind clouds that looked remarkably like rain clouds. And surprisingly for June it did rain!

Our Guide gave us a detailed description of the make up of the rock formations. It’s all sandstone.

It floods during the wet season. It’s made up of 9 gorges.

We heard the story of the explorer Stuart who was sponsored by a man called Chambers who was hoping he would find some valuable things like gold/ silver. They weren’t found but several of the place names came from the Chambers family. Katherine Gorge. Flora river, Edith falls.

We changed boats to get to the second chamber. There was walk of about 800 metre. It passed some rock art about 10,000 years old. It’s still clear on the wall. Amazing as it’s in the open and is covered with water during the flood season. The colours used have leached into the rock so deeply it’s imprinted.

The 2nd chamber is as impressive as the first. It comes to a corner where it then straighten up like a highway until the next chamber.

This would be magnificent flying over in a helicopter.

We finished the tour & returned to the hotel packed up and headed out of town on A1 road towards Kununurra . We were a bit sorry we were missing the Junk Festival.

The road to Kununurra is very good. Straight and not much traffic. A light refreshment stop at A petrol stop at Victoria River – with a very funny sign . A long way from anywhere!

Loved this sign of what NOT to take into WA.

Lunch stop at Timber Creek. A big stop and last petrol before Kununurra. There were all types of vehicles there. Caravans, mobile homes, a group of jeeps, a garbage truck on a semi trailer, lots of 4 wheel drives, and the odd motorbike rider. Dress is optional. Singlets are a big favourite with the men. Thongs are popular , shorts in all lengths, sizes and colours for the women. It’s a western fashion parade.

There’s a lot of land out here. And a lot of nothing. But you can see there are cattle stations like Bullo River Station made famous by Sara Henderson who wrote a book about reading naming the station after her husband died.

We made it to WA disposing of the fruit we hadn’t managed to eat. Then into Kununurra. We went to the view point overlooking the town.

We drove through the streets which looked unkept and just rather sad. Groups of people sitting around amidst the mess. So many businesses closed.

Jill and I went for a walk to Lilly Lagoon which looked towards a rock formation called reclining Buddha.

Back to our hotel – the Country Club hotel for a swim and dinner on the verandah. The temperature is beautiful though a little more rain is predicted tomorrow. We hope not as we are heading out early for a scenic flight to the Bungle Bungles.

Farewell Darwin

May 31, 2022 / brisbanefrannie / Leave a comment

Thrifty have provided us with a brand new car with plenty of room for our bags. Very comfortable which is good with the Gibb River coming up.

Coffee , ✅ , lollies for the driver and we farewell Darwin.

First stop is the Adelaide River War Cemetery. Like all our war graves this one is well set out and maintained with gardens and shrubs at each headstone. There are 434 burials.

We were looking forward to the swimming at Edith Falls. And we weren’t disappointed. It’s got some beautiful grassy areas leading to several entry points into the large water hole. Only Jill & I went in and we were so pleased it did. The temperature was just perfect.

The sign said there were no crocodiles so we believed them. We paddled and swam around a small island and passed the waterfall on the other side of lake.

People were floating around on noodles and one lady was paddling a canoe.

It would make the perfect place to stop for a few days if you had a caravan. Peaceful and safe.

After changing we drove the 20 minutes into Katherine.

Lunch was a tasty wrap from The Finch cafe. We just made it before they closed and took took it to the park adjoining the information centre.

We headed out if Katherine past the Tindal airbase to the Cutta Cutta Caves. Jill had found this tour of the caves and booked ahead.

They are millions of years old and still growing and changing. Cutta Cutta in Jawoyn means lots of stars. The Jawoyn people wouldn’t enter the cave but believed the bats gather the stars and take them out at night to put up into the sky.

Inside the caves you can see sparkling limestone formations of stalactites and stalagmites and five different species of bats including the rare ghost and leaf-nosed bats.

There are also brown snakes, spiders and other varieties of the eco system. James our guide assured is they hadn’t seen any snakes for awhile.

You can walk deep into the cave along metal walkways. The caves are closed during the wet when the flood!

The air inside is hot and humid. Unlike other caves there are no openings so no air can circulate. It gets hotter and more humid as you walk in.

An hour was enough and I felt for James having to do around 5 tours a day. Breathing that stale air wouldn’t be good.

Back to Katherine and a 5 pm check in to our hotel Contour a big but we’ll planned hotel with a large pool and an outdoor restaurant.

We passed this old engine near Katherine

So another full busy day

Museums of Darwin

May 30, 2022 / brisbanefrannie / 3 Comments

Today it was back on the tourist trail to see three museums on our list.

First up was a walk out along Stokes Pier.

It curves out around the bay across from the waterfront park. It was hot walking but lovely and cool as we entered the Royal Flying Doctor building. It’s also home to a display about the bombing of Darwin in 1941.

We’ve been to RFD museums in Charleville, Alice Springs, Longreach and now here. All great displays of such a wonderful service. Here there was a virtual display. Fantastic! For the plane flying and then the bombings of Darwin. I love these 3D headpieces.

There was a RFD plane which brought back memories of my son’s flight from Cambodia to Thailand after a bad accident. Although that wasn’t a RFD plane it was similar.

Next stop…… the Museum of Darwin. We caught the bus. Seniors free ….. thank you very much! but our navigational skills let us down and we got lost going from the bus to the museum ! We walked and walked in the heat until , passing Darwin High School the grounds man saw us, took pity and gave us very good directions. He asked did we need water! Like we were explorers lost in the desert! I was hoping he would offer us a lift!

We made it …….somewhat hot and sweaty.

It had some very good displays. The animal life of the NT, a cyclone Tracey room and a meeting with Sweetheart – the huge croc – 780 kilos, 5.1 metres and around 80 years old. They tried to capture him to bring into a crocodile enclosure but in doing so he died.

A little further out through Fannie Bay was the military Museum. Another good display with a film about the bombing of Darwin. We now feel very informed on that piece of history.

By now we were ready for a cold drink and a sit down. The Trailer boat club had been recommended so we made our way there and it was a great spot. Lots of tables all facing out across the water. We couldn’t pass on an Aperol Spritz – it’s the colour of a magnificent sunset.

We watched the sun sink & enjoyed some seafood.

It took us back to another shared sunset with the Wilsons in Santorini!

Good Morning Darwin

May 29, 2022 / brisbanefrannie / Leave a comment

Our day had a alarming start to it. At 5am there was a loud beeping noise. Awaking suddenly I thought we had a bird in the room!

No it wasn’t………. it was the fire alarm outside our bedroom. We all came stumbling out half asleep to both alarms beeping loudly. And this was meant to be our sleep in day after two early touring days.

No fire. So we quickly rang reception. “Send help we called.” Jill appeared with a broom and Steve thought she was going to do a little sweeping. No, it was to push the off button.

It took at least half an hour of ear piercing alarm before the maintenance man arrived and removed the battery !

After a cup of tea we headed back to bed for another 2 hours sleep.

A little treat this morning. A lovely walk back to the waterfront precinct where we had dinner last night. This area really has added a lot of life to Darwin.

There are gardens with lovely seating and lounges, restaurants, a wave pool, a protected swimming area, a very long jetty out to the Royal Flying Doctors, and new apartments.

Looking toward the long jetty with the RFD

We enjoyed brunch and a little people watching before continuing our walk out to Mr Barra for prawns for dinner.

We decided on a quieter day. The Wilsons have been out touring Kakadu and are ready for a ‘down’ day.

We got very hot walking so headed to the pool for a swim and another walk up to Mitchell Street and to seek out some street art.

We finished the afternoon on our verandah having a few cool glasses of Prosecco and beer and playing cards! Great fun

Let’s hope we don’t have the alarm go off again tonight!

Litchfield NT. Waterfalls & Waterholes

May 28, 2022 / brisbanefrannie / 4 Comments

Another early start. Touring is not for the lazy! A 7am pick up at our apartment for day out of Darwin to Litchfield National Park and a swim at the falls.

Our driver Mel arrived and we went to a few pick up stops and suddenly the bus was full. A big group off the Ghan joined us. I hope they haven’t got covid. Most were wearing masks!

The driving was good along well maintained roads. Mel gave us a little introduction and then in an hour we arrived at Batchelor for morning coffee. The coffee was good.

Batchelor had a big uranium mine which has closed and the town is more an area for camping and a jump off to Litchfield.

Next stop was a viewing of the giant termite mounds.

They are generally a honey coloured mound until they’ve reached the end of their life they become grey.

Litchfield is a favourite waterfall & water hole for swimming.

There are 120 steps down – all steel steps with a rail so quite safe. There is an alternate route a 15 minute flat walk which crosses the stream several times.

We decided to walk the steps down and walk the track back yet dry out.

Good decision.

There were two falls dropping into the waterhole and easy steps down into it.

It was delicious! Cool but not cold. Under the waterfall it was like a pins & needles massage.

We were told there would probably be a few saltwater crocodiles around but they wouldn’t bother us. Ok!

Fortunately no scary sightings.

The walk back along the slate path was just lovely. Shaded and quite tropical it criss crossed the creek and back to the car park.

Wangi Falls was our next stop and it’s a beautiful little oasis. Access to the swimming hole is easy. Only problem is there was at least one big crocodile spotted recently and there has to be at least 21 day without sighting a croc. So no swimming.

It would be great to have a swim. It is very beautiful. The walk to the outlook was easy.

Lunch on the verandah of the cafe was fine.

Last stop : fish feeding at Howard Springs.

Howard Springs became famous as a good place to do quarantine during covid. Perhaps not in summer. But the weather today is absolutely beautiful.

It’s a lovely little place with beautiful gardens and a fish sanctuary where we did some fish feeing. Lots of turtles, barramundi and all other types were plentiful in the water.

Tiwi Islands. A land of smiles.

May 27, 2022 / brisbanefrannie / 8 Comments

An early start today with an Uber pickup to take us to the Cullen Bay ferry terminal. We’re off to the Tiwi Islands.

Tiwi is made up of Melville Is, Bathurst Is and nine smaller uninhabited islands. There are about 2,500 people living in the two main islands.

If you’ve seen the movie Top End Wedding you will recognise it. That’s where the wedding took place!

It took 2.5 hrs by Sealink Ferry to get there but it was a very comfortable ride. It’s interesting to note the foot wear of locals and tourists alike. Thongs!

We were greeted at the dock by Bibian a 38 yr old local. He was just lovely.

After a warm greeting we made our way to the cultural centre for the Welcome and Smoking ceremony. Some locals welcome us with smoke and dance. They had us up walking around the smoking iron wood leaves.

Tiwi is known for it arts & crafts – they are bought from all over the world. So we moved into the art shed and were given a lesson in screen printing.

Choosing one of the screens was like a sport! It was the quick or the left behind. I was checking the screens out and decided to wait for the screen I wanted. This proved to be an advantage. I got to see what people were doing. The colours they choose and how to best apply the paint.

Jill also used the turtle. Chris the crocodile

I waited and chose the all over pattern of animals.

I had one of the most helpful guys help me. He had quite a sense of humour and was full of good advice.

While the finished products were drying we were able to explore the gallery showroom. Lots of carved birds decorated the floor and we walked around seeing one if spoke to us. Or rather squawked.

The printed fabrics were gorgeous but not being a sewing expert I passed on that.

Lunch arrived and it was fresh and lovely. We sat at the mahogany tables and I thought how I’d love to have one of those at home and the stools. They were just stumps carved with a face and very comfortable.

Our finished screen printing flapped in the breeze and we’re just about ready to be ironed and packed.

Next door was the carving shed with a man called Mario telling us about the paint and how they make the colours. The ochre is a yellow when found but after heating turns orange. The black he said ‘comes out of a can!’

The bird we selected had been carved by him.

We walked through the streets ready to explore the village. it’s one of two main villages in the island.

The school is very neat and well cared for. And is next door to the museum.

The museum is small but contains a lot of photos of early days on the missions on the island. It tells stories of it part in the bombings in 1942 in Darwin during the war. The Japanese planes were seen flying over. There was a cartoon style film explaining what happened with some very cute graphics which downplayed the seriousness of the bombings and the ship that was sunk off Darwin.

Bibian gave us a good run down of the tribes / families. There are 28 tribes with four groupings. Bibian is a member of the Pandanus group. The families don’t intermarry.

If you’ve seen the movie Top End Wedding you’ll know the church used for the wedding. We climbed the timber stairs into the airy shuttered church beautifully decorated with paintings.

We made our way back along the waterfront to the jetty for our 2.5 hr trip home

This time the ferry was full. Lots of the local aboriginal people, families who squished into seats together, spread out on the floor and caught up on some sleep. The trip was quite rough in some patches but it didn’t seem to worry anyone.

A quick turn around after we arrived back at 6.15 and out to Tim’s restaurant. It was just around the corner and was set in a very busy courtyard. Food was good but slow arriving. I found myself eyeing off the little crocodile swimming around a small tank.

Darwin- Arriving at the Top End

May 26, 2022 / brisbanefrannie / 2 Comments

Excitement this morning as we headed to the airport. Once again Brisbane was grey & rainy. We left home in short sleeves carrying sun hats as Darwin our most northern capital is still hot.

The plane was crowded and nearly four hours of wearing a mask is not fun!

Darwin is a very different capital. Even from the air it appears laid back , tropical , slightly dusty, low level buildings, a bit of the Wild West feeling about it …..and lots of water. Bays, beaches, rivers – all of them unsafe for swimmers. This is the outback – by the water.

Stepping out of the airport the heat feels tropical. I love these airports. Small, casual , lots of greenery and lots of thongs. That is the footwear of choice.

A very long taxi queue had us on the Uber app which worked well and we reached our apartment around 3pm.

The Argus Apartments are huge but a little tired looking. But the bed is good, it’s cool,the view is great and it’s big enough for 4. Our friends Chris & Jill are at Kakadu and will join us tonight.

We unpacked changed into more tropical clothes- shorts & tshirts and went exploring. What struck us at first was how empty the streets appeared. No one around. Like a sleepy Sunday… but it’s Thursday 3.30. Coming up to peak hour.

We searched for somewhere to eat something light. Lunch was served in the plane but at 10.30am I didn’t feel like sausages.

We walked into the mall. It was not crowded. I’m fact we barely saw anyone. After walking into an arcade we found a cafe and had a berry smoothie. We didn’t want to fill up because tonight we are heading to the Mindel Beach markets. They are famous for their food and flaming sunsets.

We walked to the waterfront and found a few of the older buildings in town.

Cyclone Tracey back in 1974 flattened most of Darwin. It was Christmas Eve and 71 people died There are just a few buildings left. One being Lyon’s House one of the only stone houses in Darwin. It was used during WW2 by the Americans. Darwin was bombed during the war and again suffered a lot of damage.

Across the road another old building Admiralty House today houses a restaurant.

The streets have some great trees providing pedestrians with some much needed shade. And there is some great street art to catch the eye.

We found a Coles for a few supplies and a Liquorland for some refreshments. A few mini bottles of Prosecco and some beer. Steve needed to show his ID to buy the alcohol. Later he realised he’d bought Zero alcohol beer! Not sure that will be a taste pleaser!

After dropping our supplies back to the apartment we caught the bus to the markets. The Gov here in the Northern Territory provides free bus travel for over 65’s. I knew there were benefits and this is one !

The markets are set under shade tree along the beach. The food handicraft and clothing stalls run for around a kilometre. And they were super busy. If you visit Darwin these markets are a must. The food is a reflection of the cultures which make up this northern tropical city. Asian, including Chinese, Vietnamese, Sri Lankan, Thai, Greek, Italian even the Aussie crocodile burger were attracting big lines. The smells were incredible. A heady mix of spices and bbq along with a dose of sweat.

People were buying food and drinks and heading over the low dune to sit on the beach. There seemed to be a no alcohol policy so the blenders were whirring madly making smoothies and juices.

In a crowd this size it’s hard to know if you should be wearing a mask. Covid is everywhere in Australia at the moment and we are trying to avoid it for our holiday. So far so good.

The build up to sunset was filled with anticipation. Crowds were sitting on the beach picnicking on their food stall delights. Children played, local aboriginal people sang as we all looked over the ocean watching as the sun dipped and its colour changed.

Watching the changing scene was magical.

When the sun disappeared the crowds did as well. After a hearty round of applause then it was …..Back to the markets for more food.

There was music and children playing in the candlelight.

Back to the apartment by bus and a glass of Prosecco to welcome Jill and Chris.

Plans were discussed about our trip to Tiwi Island tomorrow. And so our adventure begins.

Adelaide you are THE Festival City

March 16, 2022 / brisbanefrannie / 2 Comments

Last year was my first Adelaide Writer’s Week, Fringe and Festival visit.

It was so good I came back this year – and brought friends for Writer’s Week if you read my earlier blogs you’ll know how much we enjoyed that week.

This week is I’m spending time with the family. My niece Vashti is a musician but isn’t in any festival shows this year, unfortunately. But we’ve been to a few great shows.

Last week we saw a band playing Blues & Soul , for women comedians and a very funny choir.

This week we went up to the Adelaide Hills to Ukaria. This cultural Centre is purpose built for chamber music.

Today we went to a play called Blindness.

It was a very different experience.

Based on Nobel Prize-winner José Saramago’s dystopian novel Blindness, England’s Juliet Stevenson’s gripping narration unfolds around you through headphones handed out on arrival.

The theatre goes dark, the seats are grouped in twos around a large warehouse space. The story is about a city facing an epidemic of blindness. Those affected are moved to a disused asylum. The city panics.

There are strobe lights that flash occasionally, surround sound so you feel like someone is whispering in your ear.

I listened mostly with my eyes closed!

The end is hopeful – but what an experience.

Later tonight. In fact st 8.30 we went back to the city for a cabaret jazz show.

In 1956, acclaimed jazz vocalist Ella Fitzerald did a season at Zardi’s Jazzland in Los Angeles. Tonight sublime jazz singer Louise Messenger and her band recreated the show at Zardis.

What a great night. This Festival is great. It’s well supported by locals. It’s struggled a little during covid probably more with this years very contagious omicron. Some shows cancelled during to the performer catching it.

But the show goes on.

I can recommend visiting Adelaide during this time. There is so much on at such a variety of venues. It never feeling over crowded.

Last Writers to Last Laughs

March 11, 2022 / brisbanefrannie / 2 Comments

We are rather enjoying our walk to the Pioneer Women’s Gardens. We walk down Melbourne St past the Lion Hotel then across some parklands to the pedestrian bridge and along past the Uni.

A lovely flat walk that I will miss. Unfortunately Lindy left her phone at home so had to retrace her steps! I’m fancy by the end other day she has walked 18,000 steps! She definitely deserved her ice cream treat this afternoon.

While Lindy walked back we started the first session. It was a look at Charmian Clift. I’ve been very interested in Charmian and her husband George Johnson since I visited Hydra island in Greece.

They were Authors – Australian , which ended up living on Hydra during the 70’s at a time when it was a place where creative bohemian types lived there. A young Leonard Cohen spent many summers there writing poetry.

Anthony Doerr author of All the Light We Cannot See talked about his new book Cloud Cuckoo Land in which he writes an imagined novel written by historical author Diogenes for his recuperating niece.

Doerr had us eating out of his hand. Such a great person. So engaging. He talked about his writing, his family and how life is here to be enjoyed. We shouldn’t sleep walk through it. And that we will never be as young as we are today!

Next up was Shelia Fitzpatrick

She is a leading historian on Russian history. She is one very knowledgeable lady who is able to explain things very succinctly. So if you want a book The Shortest History of the Soviet Union, is a lively, authoritative distillation of seventy-five years of communist rule and the collapse of an empire, and an examination of Russia’s ongoing influence on global politics under its current president.

Had a quick listen to Hannah Kent talking about her book Devotion. A change of pace for her.

Highlight was the duo of crime writers. Christen White and JP Polmare. Crime writing, Australian style. Young, sharp and engaging. These two are the ‘almost’ newcomers to the crime writing scene.

You have to check out their books. there are quite a few of them.

Christian wrote Clickbait for TV. You may have seen it ? Clever writer. Christian’s wife proof reads and advises him. Josh’s mother in law proof reads his! I was going to offer but it seems they have proof reading covered.

My sister in law had met up with us and I drove her home before heading off to the Fringe again

A great comedy show with four women comedians. Not Lizzy Hoo unfortunately! We missed her but had Mel Buttle, Claire Hooper, Nikki Britton and Zoe Coombes.

A good laugh to a small audience. I think covid is making a bigger impact this year. Shows are being cancelled with performers getting it.

I’m moving to my sister in law’s tomorrow so I’ll have to be careful around her teenage grandchildren. They have lots of friends at school catching it!!!

To my friends : Jill, Lindy and Ros – farewell and thank you for coming along to the Writers’ festival. I talked you into coming and I think we all loved it

Eating, Drinking Adelaide Day 5

March 9, 2022 / brisbanefrannie / 3 Comments

Today a day off the Writers’ Festival.

Not because we’re not loving it – we are. But we want to be tourists as well.

The David Roche House & Museum is a favourite of mine. Located in Melbourne Street not far from our Airbnb we decided on a tour of the house then a visit to o the museum.

Arriving right at 10 we were disappointed to hear that the tour was full.

So we regrouped and went into the museum. It was a collection of fashions by designers who were up and coming in the 70’s then died of an AIDS related illness.

Some great fashions by well known designers Halston, Moschino. A great exhibition.

Home

Like any tourist we decided to get the free bus. It’s a great service that travels quite some distance around the city in a clockwise and anticlockwise direction.

Next stop the wonderful Adelaide Markets. If you visit Adelaide these markets are a must. We explored each aisle. Coffee and a pastry called so a visit to Skala

We stopped for lunch at a delightful Colombian restaurant. The waitress was just gorgeous and before we knew it we had a Pisco sour in our hands and we were ordering some tapas.

A great lunch. We just wish we were here Friday night for their live music with dancing.

Back home on the free bus with a few bags with fruit ‘ vegetables as well as a gorgeous frittata – in case we get hungry!

Oh and a lovely bottle of Pinot Noir.

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