I'm sure many of you have done this trip, perhaps many times. I'd love to hear of your favourite places to see and camp. We've got an off-road camper-trailer and an old V6 petrol Pajero
We're in a CP in Tennant Creek, we're planning to leave tomorrow and drive to Daly Water's, then to Katherine, on the way is Elsey NP; is it worth a night or 2? From Katherine we'll go to Nitmiluk NP; can't decide if we'll go to Edith Falls or the CP at the gorge. I don't think we're up for the walk from the gorge to Edith Falls (the wife had a hip replacement last year and it's 34C here at the moment). And then maybe we'll go to Lichfield NP and then to Darwin; or we could go to Kakadu for a few days then to Darwin then to Lichfield. So many maybe's and it's hard to work it out from the information brochures, which seem to be selling boat cruises and helicopter rides rather than camping information and where to top up with supplies and water.
Any advice would be most appreciated.
Smiffy
Treecrest14 said
11:30 PM Jun 8, 2016
We did Katherine, Edith Falls & Leitchfield NP last August and really enjoyed it. I had a hip replacement some years ago and walked the round trip to Edith Falls. We used Wikicamps to locate camp spots and also Fuel Spy to compare the local Diesel prices. Both on an iPad.
Haji-Baba said
09:59 AM Jun 9, 2016
Try Olloo Crossing on The Daly River. if you get the chance. Bush camping, no facilities, careful of the handbags.
Have fun Haji-Baba.
wendyv said
05:55 PM Jun 9, 2016
Stay at Mataranka or Bitter Springs and swim in the pools. Edith Falls definitely worth visit/stay. Pine Creek area WW2 related things worth seeing. Litchfield - must do. Good CP's Batchelor area, but longish drive to the best parts of park. More basic CP just to west of Wangi. Or try NP campground at Wangi -esp if you can get there early-ish in morning, after day's travellers have pulled out and before most of the influx! Lots to see at Litchfield and some walks you could do - been done by The Driver with his replaced hip: around Buley Rockholes, to top of Florence Falls, to Tolmer Falls LO, Greenant Creek walk, Wangi circuit walk, Walkers Creek walk. Swim at Wangi and Buley Rockholes. If you can do gravel roads, can drive the direct way from Wangi area, through Woolaning, to join the bitumen a bit west of Berry Springs, and thence to Darwin. Could visit Territory Wildlife Park while on that road - well worth doing. Heaps of things to see and do in Darwin, of course. Howard Springs CP is a bit out of town, but not as dear as ones closer in. Do not miss - Darwin Museum & Gallery, for Cyclone Tracey feature and aboriginal art displays; wharf precinct - great meals; Indo Pacific Marine display; WW2 oil tunnels; the old historic end of the central part of town; check out if Star City Casino & hotel has cheap seniors lunch on I think Tuesday - used to be great value; ditto check out Yacht Club meals; Mindil Beach Markets on Thursdays; Parap Markets on Saturdays - more fresh produce there; if you can afford it and want a tour with a difference, check out the day trip offerings to the Tiwi Islands. From Darwin can do a loop through Kakadu to rejoin highway at Pine Creek - saves backtracking, road all sealed. On way to Kakadu is Window on the Wetlands. Aslo Jumping Croc cruise - but you will see plenty of crocs in a more "natural" way by doing a sunrise or sunset cruise on Yellow Waters at Cooinda. Go to Jabiru for overview of the park etc, then go up to Obirr for rock art - NP campground. After that could camp Nat Parks or commercial (Jabiru, Cooinda). Visit Nourlangie Rock rock art galleries, do Yellow Waters cruise mentioned. I believe that there are very good heli flights available over the kakadu area, but have not done one myself - reckon would be very scenic. Visit Maguk gorge, camp at Gunlom.
And all that should occupy you for quite some time!!
-- Edited by wendyv on Thursday 9th of June 2016 05:56:58 PM
OwenK said
07:12 PM Jun 9, 2016
Hi Smiffy. Daly Waters Pub is really great although it can be a bit crowed. It's a must do for a lot of folks. It's different but we love it. (Been there half a dozen times ).
Cheers Owen.
smiffy said
11:31 PM Jun 9, 2016
Thanks very much for your comments.
We've got wiki-camps on the wifes mini-ipad and use it a lot. We had a petrol price program (Fuel Map), but found it wasn't updated very frequently and always needed an internet connection, perhaps fuel spy is better; we'll give it a try.
I tried looking for Olloo Crossing; is it on the Olloo road? As this appears to be very close to Litchfield NP and there seems to be more to see there, we'll probably have to give that a miss; but thank-you Haji-Baba.
I almost need to print out wendyv's reply and tick off each suggestion; thank-you wendy for your very detailed answer; and thanks also for your camping suggestions in Darwin. We are going to leave Daly Waters tomorrow and camp at Mataranka.
By the way; the Daly Waters pub; there's a field adjacent to the pub, it's packed full with caravans, there's an "overflow area" over the road which is also packed, we're down the back of the field in an area reserved for campers/camper-trailers, but its so full there are caravans here too. The pub has a huge beer garden with live entertainment. They promote a "barra & steak" meal with a salad bar for $31. We didn't partake, but it was reportedly very nice. Unpowered camping is $9 per person per night. They say there's a pool, but you have to walk through the bar to get to it. I guess a lot of people like this sort of thing, we met a couple that have been here twice before and have come again! I can't dispute the attractiveness of this place for some people (a lot of people based on the number of vans here), but we're a bit more into crowd avoidance. We were going to stay 2 nights, but 1 night is enough for us!
Aus-Kiwi said
02:09 PM Jun 10, 2016
Stayed at Bitter springs . No power or elect banking . Cash only . At Pine Creek, Batchelor at present . We are more into pool and just relaxing in warm weather these days . We did stay at a road house west of Katherine over night ., very surprising how full they get around evening . There's a lot of Nomads / travelers up here !
smiffy said
09:29 PM Jun 12, 2016
Hey Aus-Kiwi; we stayed in Elsey NP campground; $9 pp pn, no power but hot showers and camp-fires and firewood supplied (for a limited time only apparently). We went to the Mataranka spring and Bitter Springs. Where you must have stayed was really convenient for Bitter springs! We thought that Bitter Springs was the better of the 2 we visited. So now we're at the Katherine Gorge park; $33 pn un-powered. We'll stay here 2 nights then give Litchfield a go for a couple of nights.
Dear Gn's
I'm sure many of you have done this trip, perhaps many times. I'd love to hear of your favourite places to see and camp. We've got an off-road camper-trailer and an old V6 petrol Pajero
We're in a CP in Tennant Creek, we're planning to leave tomorrow and drive to Daly Water's, then to Katherine, on the way is Elsey NP; is it worth a night or 2? From Katherine we'll go to Nitmiluk NP; can't decide if we'll go to Edith Falls or the CP at the gorge. I don't think we're up for the walk from the gorge to Edith Falls (the wife had a hip replacement last year and it's 34C here at the moment). And then maybe we'll go to Lichfield NP and then to Darwin; or we could go to Kakadu for a few days then to Darwin then to Lichfield. So many maybe's and it's hard to work it out from the information brochures, which seem to be selling boat cruises and helicopter rides rather than camping information and where to top up with supplies and water.
Any advice would be most appreciated.
Smiffy
Have fun Haji-Baba.
Stay at Mataranka or Bitter Springs and swim in the pools.
Edith Falls definitely worth visit/stay.
Pine Creek area WW2 related things worth seeing.
Litchfield - must do. Good CP's Batchelor area, but longish drive to the best parts of park. More basic CP just to west of Wangi. Or try NP campground at Wangi -esp if you can get there early-ish in morning, after day's travellers have pulled out and before most of the influx! Lots to see at Litchfield and some walks you could do - been done by The Driver with his replaced hip: around Buley Rockholes, to top of Florence Falls, to Tolmer Falls LO, Greenant Creek walk, Wangi circuit walk, Walkers Creek walk. Swim at Wangi and Buley Rockholes. If you can do gravel roads, can drive the direct way from Wangi area, through Woolaning, to join the bitumen a bit west of Berry Springs, and thence to Darwin. Could visit Territory Wildlife Park while on that road - well worth doing.
Heaps of things to see and do in Darwin, of course. Howard Springs CP is a bit out of town, but not as dear as ones closer in. Do not miss - Darwin Museum & Gallery, for Cyclone Tracey feature and aboriginal art displays; wharf precinct - great meals; Indo Pacific Marine display; WW2 oil tunnels; the old historic end of the central part of town; check out if Star City Casino & hotel has cheap seniors lunch on I think Tuesday - used to be great value; ditto check out Yacht Club meals; Mindil Beach Markets on Thursdays; Parap Markets on Saturdays - more fresh produce there; if you can afford it and want a tour with a difference, check out the day trip offerings to the Tiwi Islands.
From Darwin can do a loop through Kakadu to rejoin highway at Pine Creek - saves backtracking, road all sealed.
On way to Kakadu is Window on the Wetlands. Aslo Jumping Croc cruise - but you will see plenty of crocs in a more "natural" way by doing a sunrise or sunset cruise on Yellow Waters at Cooinda. Go to Jabiru for overview of the park etc, then go up to Obirr for rock art - NP campground. After that could camp Nat Parks or commercial (Jabiru, Cooinda). Visit Nourlangie Rock rock art galleries, do Yellow Waters cruise mentioned. I believe that there are very good heli flights available over the kakadu area, but have not done one myself - reckon would be very scenic. Visit Maguk gorge, camp at Gunlom.
And all that should occupy you for quite some time!!
-- Edited by wendyv on Thursday 9th of June 2016 05:56:58 PM
Hi Smiffy. Daly Waters Pub is really great although it can be a bit crowed. It's a must do for a lot of folks. It's different but we love it. (Been there half a dozen times ).
Cheers Owen.
We've got wiki-camps on the wifes mini-ipad and use it a lot. We had a petrol price program (Fuel Map), but found it wasn't updated very frequently and always needed an internet connection, perhaps fuel spy is better; we'll give it a try.
I tried looking for Olloo Crossing; is it on the Olloo road? As this appears to be very close to Litchfield NP and there seems to be more to see there, we'll probably have to give that a miss; but thank-you Haji-Baba.
I almost need to print out wendyv's reply and tick off each suggestion; thank-you wendy for your very detailed answer; and thanks also for your camping suggestions in Darwin. We are going to leave Daly Waters tomorrow and camp at Mataranka.
By the way; the Daly Waters pub; there's a field adjacent to the pub, it's packed full with caravans, there's an "overflow area" over the road which is also packed, we're down the back of the field in an area reserved for campers/camper-trailers, but its so full there are caravans here too. The pub has a huge beer garden with live entertainment. They promote a "barra & steak" meal with a salad bar for $31. We didn't partake, but it was reportedly very nice. Unpowered camping is $9 per person per night. They say there's a pool, but you have to walk through the bar to get to it. I guess a lot of people like this sort of thing, we met a couple that have been here twice before and have come again! I can't dispute the attractiveness of this place for some people (a lot of people based on the number of vans here), but we're a bit more into crowd avoidance. We were going to stay 2 nights, but 1 night is enough for us!