Homeward Bound

I'm sitting at the Auckland International Airport, waiting to board my flight in 2 hours, so thought I'd do my first blog for 2018. Happy 2018 everyone, I hope this year will be your year, bringing you all happiness, contentment, love and laughter.

I have had a wonderful 3 and a bit weeks in NZ with my family. Pete and I had Christmas at my daughter's with my parents, my brother and his family and of course my daughter and my grandchildren. We spent the afternoon packing ready to go camping on Boxing Day, but more about that in another post.

My grandchildren and Mum.

I'm sad to leave, it's hard to leave behind family and friends, even though I'm going home to family and friends. New Zealand will always be home and one day, we'll live there again. My mum brought me up to the airport and is now driving the 1.5 hrs home again. I've asked her to text me when she gets home - hope she remembers!

Mum and I went blueberry picking one day - picked just over 6 kg - of which I free flow froze 3.5 kgs's for my daughter to use in smoothies. Both Mum and I ate quite a few while we were picking - one must taste test each bush to ensure they are worth picking.

I got upgraded to business class - a first for me and I'm excited. Silly isn't it, to be excited about sitting in business class for three hours, but I am, and all because I asked if I could possibly have an isle seat. There were none available in "cattle" class, and I obviously got the hostess/check-in person at a good time.

Pete flew home on the 1st January and was meant to return to work on the 3rd, however the spike of a palm frond he got in his foot on Christmas Day put paid to that. He had surgery to remove a 16.4mm piece of it that was still in there on Monday night - only after insisting to the Dr that they do an ultrasound to check that there was nothing in it as it was still very sore and inflamed. So I'll have him home until the 23rd when he will be cleared to return to Darwin.

My morning walking companion - Millie

Grandkids got hold of my phone!

1 comment family, Holidays

NZ for Christmas

Pete and I flew to NZ on Monday and I brought along a head cold, courtesy of Pete - yah! My mum picked us up from Auckland airport and we drove back to Hamilton. My daughter was waiting for us at Mum and Dad's along with my nephew, where we all had tea. We were fortunate enough to hear some of the residents and staff going around the village singing Christmas carols. 

Mum has this beautiful pink delphinium out in her garden at the moment. Last time I was here, she had a gorgeous blue one out, it is now finished and she is waiting for the seed pods to ripen.



We are staying with my daughter, just out of town. It is lovely to wake up to country sounds, instead of traffic and street lights.  The first morning we woke up to a good old Waikato fog. It didn't stay long and burnt off to a lovely sunny day. The Jacaranda's are in flower here at the moment.

Tuesday it was my grand daughter's 13th birthday. We went out to tea at Mexicano - which was really, really yummy. We also bought her a Chocolate Mudcake from the Cheesecake shop, which she was very happy about. Here she is cutting her cake.  Pete and I went for a walk one afternoon and came across a hedgehog. They are quite common in NZ. I guess the Echidna is the closest we get to them in Australia. 

We have been getting ready to go camping - pulling out all the camping gear from the shed, cleaning it, sorting it and buying a couple of new solar showers and some gas canisters for the cookers. We are heading way up North to Matai Bay to stay at a DOC (Department of Conservation campsite. My eldest son and his partner are coming up from the South Island to join us. We won't have power or internet up there, so I'll wish you all a Very Merry Xmas and the best for 2018. I'll be back here writing my blog after the 8th January 2018. 

I'll leave you with a photo of the breakfast I had yesterday morning. 

1 comment family, Holidays, leisure

Nitmiluk National Park (Katherine Gorge) - Sunday Part 1

The most photographed part of the gorges

We drove out to Nitmiluk (Nit-me-look), meaning Cicada Country. Nitmi - cicada, Luk - country in the language of the Jawoyn people, who have spent generations on this land.  When the land was handed back to the Jawoyn people in 1989, they leased this part of the land back to the Northern Territory Government to operate as a National Park in a partnership between the Jawoyn people and the Parks and Wildlife Service.


After talking to the pilot of the helicopter tour, he persuaded us to first do the boat trip up the first two Gorges of the Katherine River. There are 13 gorges, and each is divided from the other by a natural rock barrier. There are boats anchored on each side of these barriers, necessitating a short walk over the rocks to board the next boat. In the wet, these natural barriers are covered, however, the current is so strong, some of the larger tourist boats do not have enough power to get them up river. Instead, they run a power boat, which carries much fewer people at a time and only takes 20 mins to travel what the other big boats would take 4 hours. We will go back to experience this thrill ride.

However, on Sunday we took the more sedate ride and walked the 400 meters between Gorge 1 and 2. Our boat operator and guide, Darcy was very informative about how the gorge formed and some of the legends associated with that. He also pointed out and explained some of the aboriginal uses of the trees and shrubs growing alongside the river. Once again, photos do not capture the majestic-ness of the gorges, the colours of the sandstone rock faces, the beauty of the waterfalls that are starting to appear after a good dumping of rain on Saturday night, that saw the river rise 1-1.5 metres overnight.

If you are interested, here is the link that explains how the gorge was formed: Katherine Gorge was formed by

One of the many waterfalls

One of the 'beaches' where fresh water crocs lay their eggs

The slant of the rock shows how it was thrust up during formation

The lower rock formations are under water during the wet

She's a long way up

The tenacity of vegetation to grown wherever it can get a hold

Jedda Rock - featured in the movie "Jedda" 

During the wet, the bottom cave is mostly under water.

The black rock is where water leaks out of the sandstone, sometimes travelling from way up in behind the top of these cliffs. The red/brown rock face is oxidised minerals that have leached through the sandstone with water, then on contact with the air, oxidised to colour the rock face.  

Both Pete and I would recommend this tourist boat ride to everyone. We were so pleased we did this as it gave a whole different perspective of the gorges enormity. 

Leave a Comment Holidays, Katherine Gorge, leisure, Nitmiluk National Park

Saturday, Part 2, Edith Falls, NT

The second part of our journey to Katherine involved a side trip to Edith Falls, which eventually join the Katherine River or is it the Katherine Gorge??  Pete has been to Edith Falls before and was really keen for me to see them. There are lots of big rocks alongside the road and in the fields - how they get in some of the positions they are in, makes me wonder if someone with a huge sense of humour hasn't come along with a big crane and gone "let's balance these rocks in funny ways to amaze the passerby's". I guess erosion has caused it, but you never know...... Edith Falls are spring fed so they do not dry up in the "dry season". Swimming is allowed all year round in the upper pool, however the lower pool is closed during the wet season due to the fact crocodiles can get into it during this time. We were happy to obey the signs that said the "pool is currently closed".

By now it was about 33 degrees and 300% humidity - not the best for walking up to the top pool as the lower one was closed.

So off we went, the long way to the upper pool as I had told Pete I needed to try and get over 3 km of walk in today. We saw a lizard on the way up, it scurried off the path and up a nearby tree, where it blended in perfectly and it took us a while to spot it. More rocks of interest, some with stones embedded in them and another with a pitch black seam running right through it. The path was mainly rocks too, which meant we had to keep an eye on our feet, so as not to trip. The views were quite stunning and boy oh boy, is it a BIG country out there.

Our car is parked in the brownish smudge in the drawn circle, way down there!

After going up, you go back down a way to the upper pool, where there were others already swimming. The water is a bit murky, but we had been assured croc's could not get up there, so in we got. It was so lovely. We had a play in a little rapid, jumping in above it and being swept down between two big rocks for about 4 metres. We stayed long enough to cool off, refresh ourselves, before admitting, even with assurances, it was a little unnerving not to be able to see what was in the water with you.

Where we swam - in the upper pool circled. 

Looks clear enough on this side.

Murky dark water we swam in.

Proof that I did get in. 

So out we hopped, took more photos, before completing the loop back to our car. The kiosk was closed by then, so no cold water and ice-cream for us.

Looking from the top swimming hole to the bigger bottom pool that is not accessible. 

A little water filled stone "bowl" I found. 

Waterfall at the top of the swimming hole we were in. 

We continued on to Katherine where we spent a very unrestful night at a motel where a Christmas function was also being held. It got a little rowdy and finally they settled at 4am. The owners were very apologetic the next morning and didn't charge us for our night's stay. I have to say, the meal we had at their restaurant was fabulous though.

Leave a Comment Edith Falls NT, Holidays, leisure

Saturday - Part 1 Robin Falls and Pine Creek

Pete and I had a marvellous weekend. I have broken Saturday into two entries and will probably do the same for Sunday, as both days were very full days. After breakfast, of which Pete partook enthusiastically, we packed an overnight bag and headed for Katherine, NT.  I told Pete, when he asked, that I was happy to divert off the Stuart Highway to see whatever he wanted to show me.

Our first stop was Robin Falls, which are on the way to Daly Crossing, not that we went to Daly Crossing, it was another hour or so passed Robin Falls. A short drive to a parking area on an unsealed track, passable in Pete's Nissan car is the start of a very unassuming, unmarked track. Pete said it was about 300 or so metres up this track, to the falls. The track follows alongside a pretty little stream, which in the wet, I am sure becomes a not so pretty little stream, but more of a raging small river, swallowing the ground alongside it.  If you walked slowly and quietly, you could hear lizards scurrying off the path and I actually managed to get quite close to this little fella.

The falls did not have a lot of water coming over them, as the wet season hasn't really hit yet, in fact, since I've been here, there has not been any rain in Darwin and usually at this time of year, it rains daily, even if it is only a downpour for 10 mins. Even so, the falls are pretty. We met and chatted to another couple at the falls, who are on the start of their 6 month trial "caravaning around Australia". The humidity up by the falls was horrendous, with my shirt ending up so wet from sweat, I took it off and hung it over the sun visor for a while to dry out in the car air conditioning.

We climbed half way up the falls, however Pete tells me when he came, he climbed right to the top. I had on very old, much loved shoes, that no longer have any tread on them, so they weren't really climbing safe, so we elected not to go further this time. 

From Robin Falls, we took the scenic route back to the Stuart highway and then diverted again briefly to Pine Creek, to look at the old mining equipment and an old steam train. We also had a snack from our pack lunch while there.  I love Boab trees and was so pleased to see these two young ones there. I can't wait till I get to see gigantic ones growing somewhere.  I have no idea what this equipment did, even though Pete explained some of it to me, went in one ear and out the other. I did think it would great in a garden though - make a real talking feature.

I'd love these in my garden. 

Build 1877 in Manchester, England

Pete and I both decided, when we do our big trip around Australia, we are going to divert off the main road whenever we see a sign pointing to something or road that looks like there may be something interesting at the end of it, instead of just concentrating on getting to our destination. We also agreed we will stop for photo opportunities whenever either of us sees something we want a photo of.

Leave a Comment Holidays, leisure, Waterfalls