Kakadu or Kakadon't?...
by Brian Norris
On one
of the really hairy stretches I glanced in the rear view mirror and
caught a glance of Ian's face with his lips moving soundlessly. Ian
is not a religious man but I suspect that he was praying!
Situated
in Australia's Northern Territory, Kakadu National Park is reasonably
well known overseas. It has been actively promoted as "Crocodile
Dundee" country, with spectacular waterfalls and extensive wetlands
teeming with birdlife and other fauna. However, what they don't tell
you is that the waterfalls and the wetlands are rain fed and quite a
distance apart, so that in the dry season (peak tourist time) the wetlands
dry up to a boggy morass and the waterfalls dwindle to a trickle. The
only time to see Kakadu in all its glory is the wet season - and therein
lies the problem. The access tracks are either washed away or under
several feet of water and the best waterfalls are completely inaccessible
by road. Sure, there are many scenic flights operating, but that's no
way to get up close and personal.
Fortunately
there is a little known alternative and in my humble opinion it's a
better one - I've seen both. Less than half the distance from Darwin
- that's the capital of the Northern Territory and the starting point
for places like Kakadu - is Litchfield National Park. Only "discovered"
about 20 years ago the Park has only been opened up with good access
roads in the last decade and is about an hour from Darwin. Like Kakadu
it contains magnificent scenery and beautiful waterfalls, but unlike
Kakadu no waterfall is more than about 15 minutes away from another
and all are spring fed, so they don't stop cascading in the dry season.
Litchfield also has no entrance fee - Kakadu costs just over US$8, and
that's not per vehicle, it's per person! Children under the age of 15
are admitted free.
Most of
Litchfield's waterfalls are accessible by conventional vehicles but
some require four wheel driving. Like Sandy Creek Falls, one of the
prettiest you could ever hope to see. When the track ends you're in
for about a one mile walk (not hard going) but the trek is worth it.
Framed by lush bushland the glistening falls cascade into a crystal
clear pool ideal for swimming or just floating. Apart from the big falls
there is also Buley's Rockhole, where a series of miniature waterfalls
bubble and gambol into a group of sparkling rock pools - the effect
is like a set of natural spa baths.
One of
the most eerie attractions in Litchfield is the Lost City, a valley
containing an expanse of sandstone outcroppings which have naturally
weathered and eroded away inside, during thousands of years, until they
look like a collection of derelict stone cottages complete with window
gaps and doorways. It's dead quiet, with not a breath of air - like
the entire valley is holding its breath, waiting - and the overall surreal
atmosphere makes the hair stand up on the back of the neck.
This little
trip isn't for everybody because it's on one of the few A grade rated
4WD tracks in the world. It's kind of hard to explain, but imagine a
giant's staircase which has been dynamited - the 4WD in low-low gear
literally hopping from boulder to boulder down into the valley. And
it gets better - from the Lost City you do the Camel's Hump, which means
the 4WD climbing out of the valley along a very steep, rough track to
the escarpment. This is the mountainous ridge separating Litchfield
Park from the rest of the world - drive up the escarpment until all
you can see is sky and then straight down the other side through a small
cutting (still boulder hopping and the clearance is less than a foot
either side).
We did
it in our long wheel base 4WD Mitsubishi Pajero and in the back seat
we just happened to have Mitsubishi's Fleet Sales Manager, Ian and his
wife Karen. The Pajero has a fuel injected V6 under the hood so it'll
just about climb a brick wall. The best technique on this sort of terrain
is to put it in bog gear (low-low), get it moving, then take your feet
off the clutch and gas pedal to let it "walk" over the boulders
at its own pace - and hang on tight for dear life!
I remember
saying to Ian, "This thing had better not break, mate, or I'll
send you some photos that you to won't be game to put in the company's
newsletter - but Landrover sure will!"
Anyway nothing broke, so Ian's prayers must have been answered.
Although,
after doing this trip I sometimes wonder what would happen should somebody
be coming the other way on that one vehicle wide track - best not to
dwell on that thought!
Cheers
from Downunder
Brian Norris is a freelance writer from Australia...
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