Having fun in the top end of the NT!

Sorry for not posting anything on my blog for a while but we have been camping where there is no signal.  This is what I have been up to in the last few days.

After we left Tenant Creek we went to an old telegraph station built in 1875. 

Telegraph stations were built before we had telephones and they used special equipment to send messages that they tapped out on a machine.  There was a special code called morse code used for working out the tapped messages. 

Equipment used to send messages

  I learnt that the Overland Telegraph Line was built along a  3600km route from Adelaide to Darwin.  The station had old stone buildings and a food locker which had a little chimney and steps going down into it which would have kept the food cool.  There was also a smoke house for smoking meat so it would keep longer and not go off.  It was a very lonely life for the people on the station and they looked forward to travellers bringing them news. 

  

We travelled further north up the Stuart Highway and stopped at Larrimah.  Larrimah used to have a World War 2 military hospital there.  I saw a flock of Helmeted Guinea Fowls.  I saw one come out of the long grass and when I looked in the grass I saw a nest with lots of eggs in it. 

Helmeted Guinea Fowls

When we left Larrimah we went to the Bitter Springs at Mataranka.  The Bitter Springs were really warm like a bath because it is thermal water.   The springs were like a creek and the water was crystal clear and an amazing emerald colour.  When I was swimming Pop dived under the water and brought up a turtle to show me.  I also saw a shag swimming and diving right near me and yabbies.  It was really great and relaxing how the current in the springs took us down the stream for about 500 metres and there were beautiful smelling water lillies and I could hear lots of different birds calling.  At the end of the stream we got out and then walked back to the top of the spring to do it all over again.   This was a day I will never forget. It WAS A GREAT DAY!

When we were getting water at Mataranka for our motorhome I played with a small Indigenous boy at the park.  We had a lot of fun playing tag and showed me his home which was a tent in the park. 

That night we stayed at a camp spot and I saw lots of red tailed black cockatoos.

Today we drove to Edith Falls in the Nitmiluk National Park.  We went on a 2.5km walk up and down rocky steps to two huge freshwater rock pools.  There was a beautiful waterfall and when I went swimming in the pool with the big waterfall the current was pushing me backwards. 

 

At a little rock well I saw a big cane toad swimming around. 

At the second pool little and big fish nibbled at your feet and legs and one grabbed onto me and pinched me.  I was lucky it wasn’t a crocodile!

I am on a mission to find Australia’s biggest termite mound and I think I have found it!  What do you think about my finds?

Big

Wider

Taller

Biggest so far!

We are now about 30km south of the town of Adelaide River where we hope to go on a cruise to see the jumping crocodiles.  We are camping at Robin Falls campground which is on the Adelaide River.  While my friends must be freezing in Gympie it is really hot here and I have been swimming every day. We are next to the water and a rope swing that you can swing on over the water.  There are heaps of little fish in the water.

I went on a really rocky bush walk yesterday up to Robin Falls and the plunge pool under the falls. We had to climb up a steep rock wall to get into the plunge pool and the water was freezing cold. 

Next stop we are heading north west to Adelaide River and Litchfield National Park.  Should be great!

     

Till next time.

Adios J