Anyway driving out of Darwin early this morning and not too far out comes the sign for the alternative route back to Katherine, via Jabiru and Kakadu and it is only another 242 kilometres on the direct distance. Since I haven't been to either place before I figured I may as well have a look and I have to be honest here I am not sure it was really worth the effort as you do drive through a heck of a lot of the Kakadu National Park, but it appears that anything worth looking at is off the sealed roads and require a dedicated few days in place just to do some of the walks and such things, thinking of popping in for the day without and pre-booked tours or anything really is not the most productive way to go, unfortunate, but there you go really.
Driving out you go through Humpty Doo before you know it and then past the "Jumping Croc Tours" home at Adelaide River before it is into the last fuel stop before Jabiru which is the Bark Hut Inn.
I am not too sure that it is a bark hut, though it may have been once, but it was worth the stop to see this
It's a German registered Mercedes Unimog (for those that don't know) and I had seen it on the way up to Darwin at Adelaide River. I had a chat to the guys about it and their experiences and they think that even though German bureaucracy is always something, it pales to importing, even temporarily, a vehicle to Australia. It is quite a beast and has a fully fitted "pod" on the back that can be removed whole and replaced with other configurations and the off road ability of the vehicles is stuff of legend. Mind it would want to be at 22 litres per hundred kilometres!
Then it was off into Kakadu, I must have come in the wrong way or something as it was 84 kilometres from the gates to the visitor centre and 85 to Jabiru.
I have to be honest here and say that while I did stop to have a bit of a drive through Jabiru and get the I've been there pic
there really wan't much happening and i just didn't bother trying to guess what might have been a main street as there didn't appear to be one, it seems to just exist for the mine close by and to provide accommodation to tourists that don't have any where else. Same problem with Kakadu, it is not a place to go for a quick look to see what it is about as you just can't find much. The visitor centre was all well and good but, it is limited for a quick visit. I'll have to come back at some stage to spend longer in the area to see and get a feel for it.
Just outside the park, well just is a relative term, they were doing their regular controlled burn off so as to get rid of the undergrowth but also to effect the regeneration of the plants that only happens when fire has been through. You have to admit we do a good burn off in Australia
Onwards yet again and it was into Pine Creek for a look, it was one of the towns I by-passed on the way to Darwin, driving in through Pussy Cat Flats (yes I am serious) where the race track is. Now you can't help notice this termite high rise
Note it is almost twice the height of the Count, amazing how these ants know that buttresses help with the structural stability, maybe they have little termite architects. Additionally worth noting that it is constructed around the outside track rail, so if you ever have a horse racing at Pussy Cat Flats best not to draw the outside lane
Pine Creek itself is quite a pretty well kept place and they seem to like their rail and steam heritage. The National Trust it seems owns the Rail Precinct and everything is in much better order than the Hangar at Daly Waters. The town is a small place and it had mining associations too with iron ore and gold both mined in the area,
Driving out you go through Humpty Doo before you know it and then past the "Jumping Croc Tours" home at Adelaide River before it is into the last fuel stop before Jabiru which is the Bark Hut Inn.
I am not too sure that it is a bark hut, though it may have been once, but it was worth the stop to see this
It's a German registered Mercedes Unimog (for those that don't know) and I had seen it on the way up to Darwin at Adelaide River. I had a chat to the guys about it and their experiences and they think that even though German bureaucracy is always something, it pales to importing, even temporarily, a vehicle to Australia. It is quite a beast and has a fully fitted "pod" on the back that can be removed whole and replaced with other configurations and the off road ability of the vehicles is stuff of legend. Mind it would want to be at 22 litres per hundred kilometres!
Then it was off into Kakadu, I must have come in the wrong way or something as it was 84 kilometres from the gates to the visitor centre and 85 to Jabiru.
I have to be honest here and say that while I did stop to have a bit of a drive through Jabiru and get the I've been there pic
there really wan't much happening and i just didn't bother trying to guess what might have been a main street as there didn't appear to be one, it seems to just exist for the mine close by and to provide accommodation to tourists that don't have any where else. Same problem with Kakadu, it is not a place to go for a quick look to see what it is about as you just can't find much. The visitor centre was all well and good but, it is limited for a quick visit. I'll have to come back at some stage to spend longer in the area to see and get a feel for it.
Just outside the park, well just is a relative term, they were doing their regular controlled burn off so as to get rid of the undergrowth but also to effect the regeneration of the plants that only happens when fire has been through. You have to admit we do a good burn off in Australia
Onwards yet again and it was into Pine Creek for a look, it was one of the towns I by-passed on the way to Darwin, driving in through Pussy Cat Flats (yes I am serious) where the race track is. Now you can't help notice this termite high rise
Pine Creek itself is quite a pretty well kept place and they seem to like their rail and steam heritage. The National Trust it seems owns the Rail Precinct and everything is in much better order than the Hangar at Daly Waters. The town is a small place and it had mining associations too with iron ore and gold both mined in the area,
They have the makings of s flying fox (fruit bat) problem too
Tomorrow is going to be another very long day of driving, it is 514 kilometres to Kununurra and the first time for the Count into Western Australia...
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