We are finally making our journey north and it may take us until November to get into the top end Qld/ N.T. We would love to hear your view's about travelling with a caravan in the wet season in the top end ...is this to be avoided? At all costs? Should we stay and wait it out? or is ok to travel through on bitumen ok? thanks Brains trust
Invest in a couple of good Lashing/tie down straps just is case you can't get out of the way of an impending storm. Check BOM reports regularly, don't camp in low lying areas.
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Possum; AKA:- Ali El-Aziz Mohamed Gundawiathan
Sent from my imperial66 typewriter using carrier pigeon, message sticks and smoke signals.
We are finally making our journey north and it may take us until November to get into the top end Qld/ N.T. We would love to hear your view's about travelling with a caravan in the wet season in the top end ...is this to be avoided? At all costs? Should we stay and wait it out? or is ok to travel through on bitumen ok? thanks Brains trust
Hi Travelling on the bitumen should be okay unless the wet weather shuts off the highways near the rivers which run under the highway. If its a big wet a lot of the parks or gorges can be closed or partly closed but that also can be the best time to see the waterfalls and catch Barra.Its a bit hard to pick when the build up is but most locals say February to April you just gotta go with the flow
Cheers
.
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John
2017 dmax lovells upgrade full CSM trade aluminium canopy,3.5 m quintrex tinny and rear boat loader mangrove jack aluminium trailer
I was once a passenger in a Jeep in the area where the Darwin dam is now situated. The driver decided to follow a clearly defined track across a flood plain = the water was only ankle deep! But halfway across the Jeep went down onto its chassis with all four wheels turning and getting nowhere. By the time we managed to winch it out our feet were all white and wrinkly.
I would add another caution: when there has been heavy rain around be very careful approaching floodways. Water can often be up to a metre deep and flowing very strongly across the road.
Personally, I rather liked the wet season in Darwin. During a storm you can hear the lightning hiss through the air before the big bang.
Hi Mackavac,
If you want to see the Top (Qld, NT & WA) at its best - go in the Wet Season (mind you wet seasons vary depending on the el Nina, la Nina systems in the Coral Sea). This year looks like the return of the good ones. The creeks, rivers will be full, the waterfalls unreal BUT you might not be able to access some of these places due to too much water.
As pointed out above, it is hot & humid - very humid! You can have 100% humidity with NO rain or 100% with LOTS of rain.
Have a Plan B if a cyclone approaches where you are. In my opinion, staying put in a Cat 3, 4 or 5 cyclone is foolhardy - even with tie down straps & the most strongest of van construction. Study pictures of TC Tracey, Larry, Yasi for details. Most of Darwin's houses were Gerry-built at that time which is why most of the later built places blew away.
Don't take risks with driving through still water deeper than 600mm - BUT if it is flowing, forget it!
Also the Darwin tides have a significant rise & fall on spring tides - be careful if you go walking on low tide at Casuarina Beach. Qld tides are nowhere near as big. Swimming in the sea has nasty hazards too - box & irukandji jellyfish, stonefish & crocs.
And the most important WARNING - is beware of CROCODILES!! We've had three attacks in NQ in three weeks, the last one fatal! They are "watchers" - planning attacks when people get complacent, make mistakes. Just because you can't see one in a waterhole doesn't mean there are none there - they are masters of camouflage & can stay under water for quite some time. The last bloke went fishing in a 2.5m dinghy in a creek on Hinchinbrook Island - he didn't stand a chance. His attacker was 4.2m long; they also caught a 3m one - its mate.
And if you want to see lightning - as Murray said - Darwin is spectacular but Townsville put on a good dispay last week! But at the same time do not shelter under trees if you're caught out. Trees have disappeared with one strike - we had a lightning counter in a tree at work over at Cox Peninsula (Darwin). One night the adjacent tree exploded - the counter was removed!
I'm sorry if this seems like a BEWARE - STAY OUT - but care has to be taken.
Plan well, go & enjoy it!
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Warren
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If you don't get it done today, there's always tomorrow!
Thanks all some very good advise this is exactly what we were looking for we appreciate the effort and replies; love the idea of watching the lighting and thanks Warren for some very interesting and well thought out responses.
We were in Kakadu in May three years ago. Side roads that were unsealed were still closed.
Make sure you are inside by 5pm as the mosquitoes will carry you off. We have never heard anything like it. The outside of our fully sealed screen enclosure was covered in mosquitoes.
You need lots of ventilation or better still, air conditioning.
Almost forgot & spiders on the outside of the screen.
Yes, When Are We There - I had one of those spiders. We were at the Daly River Crossing sleeping in a small nylon tent and sometime in the early hours I was woken by a rustling sound - and there on the outside was the largest spider ever seen. I was nearly going to wake my wife up to show her but didn't feel like packing up right then to return back home.
Sandflies are another thing about Darwin that nobody mentions. For some people the bite causes unbearable itching. One of my friends used to drink a large bottle of sasparilla every day - claimed sweating the stuff through his pores kept the little beasts away.
(But don't let them stop you from going to Darwin - sandflies are only around mangroves and places like that. You won't find them in nice air conditioned hotels! Or inland places.)
We are currently in Kununurra having been in Darwin and Litchfield for the last month. Its been a wet wet season so far .Lots of rain but still wonderful and not many tourists, all the better. Sure some roads closed but still lots to see and do. Litchfield Park we camped for 8 days and didn't want to leave. Driving to Kununurra lots of water beside the road but no problems. Enjoy your travels.
Just a PS statement. Those of us who live in the north have to have some privacy, free from "winter tourists" who take over, are jamming up parks, etc - that's why we enjoy or put up with the Wet!
If it wasn't for the bities, humidity, they there would be millions of people living in areas that could not support them. You can get rid of sand fly bites easier these days than 50 years ago, or you just scratch (& scratch) for a while. I found in Darwin that once your legs bled a bit, then you whacked on the metho - all fixed! Of course the other treatment is to wipe mangrove mud over exposed parts, keeping an eye open for danger.
The worst thing with mozzies is Dengue & Ross River fevers - use quality repellants.
The waterfalls, you cannot compare the differences with Blencoe, Wallerman (Qld), Jim Jim, Litchfield & UDP (NT) during dry & wet seasons. Ok vs spectacular!
Take care & enjoy!
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Warren
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If you don't get it done today, there's always tomorrow!
No Ian, we didn't on that occasion. Wished we had now.
While the subject is on the wet season, I also remember the dry seasons. Every day is perfect, so much so you wished it would rain to break the monotony! We lived in Darwin for four years and got the camping bug there - although only in the dry season.
