Thierings on Tour

Follow along our journey as our family of 5 from Sydney travel around Australia for 30 weeks.

recent posts

    • Day 79 – Standley Chasm

      Today was a new day and everyone had a decent sleep, so I was hoping the good vibes wouldn’t fall apart on us too quickly… 

      After breakfast and some work/homework we set off on our morning walk through Standley Chasm.

      It was absolutely freezing! 🥶 the older girls bravely walked the track, whereas Scarly just wanted to be carried the whole time. Luckily she made a warm cuddle buddy, so Chris and I didn’t mind too much taking turns in carrying her.

      The cliff edges either side were just beautiful and impressively high. What a remarkable place! It was alap interesting to see the vegetation around the rock and how lush and green it seemed. 

      Whilst the sun perhaps wasn’t high enough to fully appreciate the chasm yet, it was still absolutely spectacular! The sheer size of it was overwhelming, the colours and texture of the rock impressed everyone. Although the only down point was it was a complete wind tunnel.

      From there it was onto Ellery Creek Big Hole, another beautiful gorge and normally a lovely swimming spot, had it not been so cold. We had lunch and then went for a walk around. On our walk we got chatting to a friendly family and it turned out their little girl Vassundra was celebrating her first birthday. The girls were lucky to be invited to help decorate her cake and we all got to enjoy a slice of homemade carrot cake – what a treat!

      We made another stop at Serpentine gorge, another beautiful spot along the ranges. Scarly even walked most of it herself.

      Our camp for the night was at Ormiston Gorge, one of my favourites from my Larapinta Trek 4 years ago. It was a tiny caravan spot, but a spectacular backdrop!

      Kms travelled – 113

    • Day 78 – Driving and Admin Day

      Last night and this morning was freezing! It’s definitely the coldest we have been on the trip so far and all the layers came out.
      It also made everyone cranky and grumpy, which is not a great way to start the day or week for that matter…

      We hit the road at a good time and were in Alice Springs by lunchtime to run all our errands. All the girls needed new runners as everyone’s feet seem to have grown since we left and we have some big walking weeks ahead.

      The food shop was an even trickier affair as we need enough to last us but not too much before we cross into the WA border where fresh fruit & veg as well as honey are to be discarded. Plus where we could park the van was nowhere near the Click & collect area and the trolley wheels locked up trying to push it out to the van. Luckily some friendly centre staff told us a spot for Chris to bring the van to block the loading dock while we quickly tried to transfer everything. 

      It definitely earned lunch points and what better way to treat the kids to lunch than – sushi. The sushi train in Alice Springs was delicious!!

      We also found out the hard way that no bottle shops are open Mondays or Tuesdays in Alice Springs, which was going to be problematic as we were planning on this being our top-up point before heading to Kings Canyon and Uluru. The same kind centre staff member suggested that the brewery still operates and sells take away beers.

      We made a quick stop to enjoy the samples out of it, but didn’t stay too long as the kids had a big fight and meltdown and we still had to drive to our final destination for the night in the West Macdonnell Ranges.

      By the time we arrived at Standley Chasm everyone had well and truly lost the plot and we attracted all the unwanted attention with our loud arrival. Let’s hope tomorrow is a new day!!

      Kms travelled – 190

    • Day 77 – Gemtree Roadhouse

      This morning Jazzy and I woke up early to go and watch the sunrise over Devils Marbles. We probably even got up too early as it took a while to see the beautiful pinks and purples appear in the sky. It was a lovely way to start the day and we got to see a few different parts of the Karlu Karlu park.

      The mornings have been so fresh, but once the sun comes up it’s not just a lovely, golden light, but also much warmer! We walked around for a couple of hours in total enjoying all the various views. What a special morning treat 😊
      By the time we got back the others were up and having breakfast, which we gladly joined as Jazzy was STARVING from the morning adventures.

      Then it was back on the road as we headed closer towards Alice Springs. We had heard great things about Gemtree Roadhouse where you can learn about Zircon and Garnet fossicking and the rocks themselves. 

      I organised for the girls to get a bucket of garnet in its original state. This basically meant a full bucket of dirt, with a number of different trays/sieves so that you can first shake out all the excess dirt, then transfer to the next pan which gets washed in the bucket and that’s when you can hold it up to the light to see what gems you have collected. 

      Now this kept the girls busy for a good hour and everyone got involved. They each ended up with a small sandwich bag of garnet rocks, which they will try to turn into treasures when back home.

      Then we headed to the communal fire pit (conveniently located next to a bar), where we enjoyed meeting plenty of other travelers. It’s always so interesting to hear where people are from, where they are headed/where they’ve been and how long they are on the road. The girls didn’t care too much for the fire chats so busied themselves with playing in the field and collecting kindling in the wheelbarrow. Whatever keeps them busy!

      Dinner and bedtime was a bit of a disaster though as everyone very quickly turned from OK to over-tired. It didn’t help that we had the coldest night of the trip so far and that made for a terrible sleep for all as well. Let’s hope for warmer weather again in a few weeks!

      Kms travelled – 414

    • Day 76 – Devils Marbles

      Everyone woke up on the wrong side of the bed and it was a hard time to get everyone dressed, fed and ready for the day. To top it off the washing machine decided to swallow my coins and die… Some days it would be great to have extra space to get out of the van routine and to get back to a level mood more quickly 🫣🤪

      We decided to venture out to the local waterhole before we set off on our drive. A few hundred metres into the walk Izzy announced that her runners were just too tight and she couldn’t bear it (she has been living in Crocs for quite a few weeks) so her and Chris headed back to camp. Jazzy, Scarly and I persevered however and saw some cool bugs along the way and just enjoyed the trek.

      It was a lovely walk and the gorge itself was nice. There were a dad and daughter swimming there, but it certainly wasn’t warm enough for me to let the kids jump in. So instead we took our shoes off and just dipped our feet, which was perfectly refreshing!

      After a quick snack it was back on the trek to meet up with Chris and Izzy. Then the road south was calling us. We went through the Threeway roadhouse, which had a cool wall of lost & found licence plates. Then we briefly stopped at the entrance to Tennant Creek for a lunch stop and to have a look around the welcome sign.

      Although we have been questioning our choices of going down into the cold lately, when it would have been so much nicer to stay up north…

      Today we were staying at Devils Marbles, one of my favourite places from our last trip. A natural wonder of giant boulders, with some balancing on each other in the most mind-boggling way! We set up camp and set off for a walk around the biggest boulder formation. There were some sections considered sacred by the local Aboriginal clans so no photos of those sections are allowed, and I would say some of these looked even more spectacular. However hopefully the photos of the ones we could photograph give an idea of the scale and natural beauty.

      As we walked around there was a lookout area with great views over the formations. It was a nice spot, so much so that later we headed back there at sunset. The little girls loved it!

      As the sunlight faded, the Devils Marbles illuminated in the dusk light with beautiful pinks and purples. My photos really don’t do it justice, but it’s a place worth visiting! The stars were also amazing and the girls saw some shooting stars again.

      Kms travelled – 208

    • Day 75 – Bitter Springs and Banka Banka

      We were all set for more adventures and were looking forward to a dip in Bitter Springs this morning. I vividly remember this place from our tip 11 years ago and I was excited to bring the kids here. It did not disappoint!

      The water was crystal clear and so warm. We floated down, enjoying the serenity and scenery. Even Scarly had the best time leaning right back on her life jacket and floating that way while I held her.

      Then we had to hop out at the end and walk back to the start (that’s when it feels super cold!) but it makes jumping back in the water even more appealing. We floated down 3 times in total and the girls would have happily done it again if we didn’t have a long drive ahead of us…

      It was a long, but pretty easy drive compared to what we’ve done recently. Lunch was a grab a wrap out of the back of the car with options of ham & chicken. It’s really not very glamorous doing lunch stops out of the car when you’re on the move!

      Our final destination for the evening was Banka Banka station. A lovely homestead with two friendly donkeys who enjoyed munching on the green apples we had to feed them.

      There was also a lovely spot on sunset hill with a wonderful 360 degree vista. We enjoyed the view from the top as the sun set and then made our way back to camp.

      Everyone was a bit wired tonight so we had to deal with some meltdowns before it was finally peaceful enough for Chris and I to enjoy some stargazing.

      Kms travelled – 480

    • Day 74 – Driving back to Mataranka

      Chris was very apprehensive this morning about driving the remaining (rough) 250kms back to Mataranka with the broken CV shaft boot. He wrapped it as best as he could to stop further grease from escaping, but it was going to be a stressful drive.

      After speaking with the mobile mechanic Jorden it turned out that he was in Katherine heading to Mataranka today, which meant calling around for parts has an expanded search area. Luckily the universe looked after us and there was one in Katherine that Jorden kindly agreed to pick up and drive down.

      There were plenty of animals on the road again to make it more interesting and the girls loved seeing wild water buffalo for the first time along the road.

      We made it slowly along the road and doing the best on the rocks, corrugation and potholes/dips that threaten to break and shake the car & van further.

      I don’t think either of us have been that grateful to see bitumen before once we finally got close to Mataranka…

      We quickly stopped at the shops (most alcohol sales in this part of the NT start at 2pm so you have to be strategic about when you go past shops). I even towed the van a whole of 300m to move it from one car park to another while Chris ran to the shops. It was terrifying 😂

      Then it was on to Mataranka Homestead to stay near the thermal pools while Chris and Jorden worked on the car again. 
      The big girls were excited to have a swim, while Scarly was a bit apprehensive jumping in at first. She enjoyed it so much once she was in the water though! The pools were lovely and warm, although a bit crowded in the afternoon.

      Chris and Jorden got everything fixed and even did some preventative work for good measure to stop this happening again, hopefully. That meant the girls got to take Chris down for another dip in the pools.

      Our dinner plans fell through as it turned out none of the meat we had planned to eat had defrosted, so it was an impromptu dinner out and the opportunity for the girls to enjoy some more dancing to country music.

      Kms travelled – 260

    • Day 73 – Leaving Yolngu country

      I got up early this morning and enjoyed some peace and morning sunlight at the jetty. 

      We also spotted lots of black cockatoos in the tree above our campsite. Some interesting background on beliefs of the Yolgnu people and in particular on the black and white cockatoos:

      Everything in the Yolŋu universe – Spirit Beings, plant and animal species, clan groups, areas of land and water are either Dhuwa or Yirritja. The Djang’kawu Sisters, the morning star, the water goanna, the stringybark tree, and the land in and around Yirrkala are Dhuwa, while such things as the evening star, stingray, cycad palm, and members of the Mangalili clan are all Yirritja.

      Within each moiety, people belong to smaller groups called clans, each having its own language. Children belong to their father’s clan (and moiety), while their mother belongs to another clan (of the other moiety). In the Gove Penninsula and the surrounding area, most Yolŋu belong to one of sixteen clans, of which eight are Dhuwa and eight are Yirritja.

      The white cockatoo, Ngerrk, is from the Yirritja moiety while the black cockatoo, Natili, is from the Dhuwa moiety. These animals have strong characters, being friendly and very intelligent. 

      Today was the long return back along Central Arnhem Road and no one was particularly looking forward to it… 

      The red dust road seemed even redder today, or maybe I just know how red everything gets and am panicked at the thought of opening the van up on the other side of the trip.There were a few donkeys on the road today to grab the kids attention and we actually managed to make it through a bit faster and smoother, taking only 8 hours this time with breaks. 

      Sadly when we got to Mainoru store Chris discovered that the same CV shaft boot had cracked again after only just being replaced 2 days ago. Arghhhhh! Now this was going to be an issue for the road ahead tomorrow and trying to source parts in the next place, which is only a small town without a Toyota service centre.  A headache to solve tomorrow morning when everything opens!

      Kms travelled – 491

    • Day 72 – The amazing beaches of East Arnhem Land

      Today was going to be a big day of exploring the beaches and natural wonders of East Arnhem Land. There is so much to see that you could easily base yourself out here for a few weeks to make the most of it, but we only had limited time and the accommodation didn’t have any dates beyond the ones we had booked.

      Our first stop was Daliwuy Bay, which was serene and picture perfect. It’s just such a waste to have all these beautiful beaches and croc warning signs, which of course means no swimming!

      Next up was Macassan Beach with a beautiful rugged red rock coastline. It was great to have a walk around the beach and rocks, Chris had a fish (to no avail) and Scarly and I explored the sacred site of stone arrangements. It was super hot though!

      We stopped at Turtle Beach next, which was small and pretty. The sand was a glorious colour and the cliffs on each side made for a dramatic setting.
      Our nature lover Jazzy found the same cool rocks that we had seen at Rainbow Cliff, so many amazing colours.

      Then it was on to our lunch stop for the day – Little Bondi Beach. This was a long stretch of gorgeous beach, more colourful cliffs either side and some nice shady spots to enjoy our lunch. Roast chicken wraps for the win! This is an easy staple meal whenever we are out and don’t have the van with us. 

      After lunch we enjoyed a dip in the water, which the locals said was safe for swimming. Gosh it was so nice and refreshing! The girls had the best time splashing around for ages and it was a hard task getting them out.

      We headed back to town to get a top up of fuel and supplies before the big drive back tomorrow. Since the girls didn’t have enough of swimming for the day, we took them to the town pool and they had the best time swimming and splashing some more. The pool also had a great playground that Scarly loved exploring!

      Back at camp it was back to the monkey bars and more fun for the girls. They’ve improved so much in the 5 days we were there, so proud of them.

      Then it was early nights all around for everyone as tomorrow was our 8/9 hour driving day.

      Kms travelled – 96

    • Day 71 – Goanna Lagoon

      Today started with a flurry of mechanical activities, including calling around for spare parts (thank goodness what we needed was in stock!). So we drove into town to grab parts and Izzy was very excited to see mention of Hogwarts on the destination location signs in town. 

      Luckily we saw a couple of days ago that a fellow travelling family had a mechanic dad, who kindly agreed to help install the new CV shaft. Jorden actually came back into town from their stay elsewhere in the area was so kind and gracious! It’s been incredible to meet so many people who are willing to help out and make things work. 

      Once everything was fixed we could explore some of the natural wonders that Yolngu country has to offer. 

      First stop was Goanna Lagoon, a beautiful waterhole with nice shallow spots for the kids, rope swings into the water and clay at the bottom to use as sunscreen or for general fun. 

      There was also a really cool rock formation where the water cascades from the top pools to the lower pools. You have to swim into it as it’s too deep and too strong to jump/slide in, but it was really nice to sit in the jet-like water at the end. The girls loved just being half way along where the current wasn’t as strong but still had all the amazing rock formations.

      Then we moved onto Wathawuy, another creek, where the water wasn’t as deep but it still looked pretty. The girls decided it wasn’t worth swimming in for long…

      Last stop for the afternoon was Rainbow Cliff, a beautiful spot with just the perfect afternoon light hitting it. The colours looked spectacular and it made for a lovely walk, even though some members of the family were in a huff… Luckily for us it was low tide and we could walk right down and around to stand under it.

      There were beautiful shells and everyone found a few goodies, but Jazzy outdid herself by spotting and digging out the hidden part of a large (Cowrie I believe) shell. She was so proud and she should be, what a find! 

      Then it was back to camp for dinner and relaxation.

      Kms travelled – 95

    • Day 70 – Bremer Island (paradise)

      Luckily we didn’t need the car to travel anywhere today as we were heading out on a boat trip to Bremer Island. 

      It was a lovely trip out and we had a fun group of young ladies who had the tunes and seemed to be sitting on some hard water so provided lots of fun times. Izzy was horrified that someone might be drunk at 9.30am, but we assured her that we won’t judge if that’s her with her friends in a few years 🤭

      The boat trip was a great way to see the area from the water, there are so many beautiful beaches, rock formations and inlets. 

      When we arrived it felt like we were in paradise! 
      There were beach huts along the sand and a restaurant with pool at the top of the hill.

      With a maximum of 20 people on the island it was really lovely to enjoy the scenery in relative peace and privacy. We grabbed some snorkel gear, but then some big clouds came over and it started drizzling so we decided to head up for a walk around the island instead. 

      We had been warned that the other side of the island gets a lot of rubbish wash up from Indonesia and just ocean waste in general, but it was really sad and shocking to see just how much rubbish there was. It was a good lesson for the girls though on sea pollution and why we need to look after the beautiful places we are lucky to live in!

      When we got back we decided to dry off and have some drinks and lunch. There was a French chef working in the kitchen and the food was sensational! The spicy margaritas also went down a treat…

      While we were eating we saw two pods of dolphins getting close to shore so Jazzy wanted to run back down to the beach to get a better look.

      The weather changed into glorious sunshine for the rest afternoon and we got to enjoy swimming in the ocean and pool, some kayaking and even attempted snorkeling. The water had poor visibility, but Izzy and I ended up being about 2-3m from the dolphins as they came up close again, which was very special.

      I must say it was hard to say goodbye to Bremer Island after such a perfect day. Next time we’ll bring the grandparents who can whisk the kids back to Nhulunbuy while Chris and I stay on the island (it’s adults only for overnight stays).

      All in all a magical day!

      Back on land it was back to perfecting flips on the monkey ropes. Chris was trying to show the girls up…

      Kms travelled – unknown distance by boat

    • Day 69 – Fishing and Chilling

      Everyone was exhausted after the big day of driving yesterday and when Chris’ alarm went off to wake up for fishing I couldn’t imagine waking the kids up to drop him off. So instead he took the car and we had a slow morning at the campsite.

      We made pancakes, called a few people for FaceTime catch ups and played at the rope swings. It’s amazing how quickly these little monkey kids her the swing of things and learn all new tricks. I also discovered by chance that the boat club does coffees in the morning so I had my caffeine fix while watching the kids.

      Izzy still had a homework piece left from last term so we created her own “medicine” just like in the Roald Dahl book “George’s Marvelous Medicine”. The other girls loved trying it and getting involved. It was actually rather fun for all!

      Chris came back with his victory haul from fishing and some great memories. We had red emperor, sweet lip and a jewfish in the collection and I couldn’t wait for dinner – yum! (Not all the fish in the photo were Chris’, just to show the overall boat haul).

      In the afternoon we headed into town to grab a few supplies and to stock up for the next few days. The town itself is rather small and compact with not much to see. 

      We headed back to the Boat Club and had a really relaxing afternoon enjoying some drinks whilst the kids did their thing.

      Unfortunately Chris did however find a nasty surprise under the car when he did his usual checks and found oil all over the CV driveshaft. I will show pictures for those less mechanically minded like me. Needless to say it really worried Chris and we were thinking of options on what to do when things would open again on Monday but before our big drive back on Wednesday…

      It’s never a dull moment on this trip!

      Kms travelled – 22

    • Day 68 – Central Arnhem Road

      Today was the big driving day! I’ve been researching this part of the journey for weeks, joining various groups and tracking road conditions. My only hope was that as it gets closer to Garma, the roads are being graded and improved. 

      The kids have been prepped on it potentially being a 10 hour driving day, which was a frightening prospect for both parents and kids alike… it also doesn’t help when you type it into Google Maps and it tells you it’s going to take 18 hours and that you will arrive at 2.27am 🤪🫣

      Screenshot

      Pack up was as fast as we could get it and we rolled out of the park at 7.50am. There were some nervous faces and grumpy looks from the back, but it’s all part of the journey. 

      We had heard that the first part would be some of the worst, because a lot of it is rock and you just can’t be silly. So we took it slowly and got through the first 80kms of rocky road in about 90 minutes. Chris said we would try to stop every 100kms today for both passenger and driver sanity.

      The iPad limit rule went out the window today and we also had all the snacks for kids and adults. 

      It was a wonderful moment when we had finally ticked over the halfway mark, but it still seemed like a long way there. 

      Another hard part of the journey is the dust. Some inconsiderate people coming the other way just don’t slow down and the dust is insane, you literally have to slow right down until the dust settles and you can actually see where you are driving. We were lucky we didn’t encounter too many road trains on our drive up, as you wouldn’t want to be eating their dust!

      We had a longer stop for a late lunch to enjoy frankfurters and noodles (not the finest nutritional dish), but one that is quick & easy to do. 

      Then everyone was determined to see it through and we finally pulled up to Manyimi campground at 16.40. So all in all, I reckon we probably had a solid 7.5 hours of driving today with the 3 stops we made. 

      I must say I was scared to open the van and see what the inside would look like… needless to say, there was red dust everywhere! Our mattress was a next level of red on the outside and the fan on my side of the bed had completely ripped off the wall🫣

      After a quick set up we decided to go next door to Gove Boat Club for dinner and a few drinks. Gosh that first sip of ginger beer tasted good! Cheers to enjoying the next 5 nights here and exploring the area.

      The girls were also in their element enjoying the beautiful fig tree playground in the pub garden. The big girls were climbing and swinging for hours.

      Kms travelled – 486

    • Day 67 – Starting the long drive

      We tried to be as efficient as possible this morning to get on the road at a reasonable time, as today was the day we were starting our trip to Nhulunbuy in East Arnhem Land. Now, this is quite the detour and a lot of planning & fluking has gone into this part of the trip.

      Nhulunbuy (and the coastal sections of East Arnhem Land) are around 700 kilometres off the main highway, travel here requires a permit for the Central Arnhem Road, you can only get a permit once you’ve confirmed your accommodation (of which there are only 2 spots in town), to visit any areas you require a recreational permit and to drink/buy alcohol you require a liquor permit. So it’s a real logistical juggling act, but it’s been one that came together in a wonderful fluke for us and I’m so grateful we get the opportunity to explore this part of the world!

      The road is notoriously bad and to make it worse, you can’t just break it up and free camp as you please because the condition of your permit states that you can’t. So we knew that we would be travelling 250kms of bad dirt today to Mainorou store and around 480kms of rough dirt tomorrow. In fact we’ve been psyching the kids up for days… 

      Chris was pleased to see every kms of bitumen along the way until it finally turned to dirt. And dirty, dusty and bumpy it was. We started off with Tyre pressure of 35psi to make it a bit smoother, but corrugation and rocks are never your friend.

      Screenshot

      We took it easy and took our time. The girls did pretty well, especially Scarly and we finally rolled into Mainoru Store for the night. Seeing Chris Hemsworth’s photo on the wall gave me confidence – if he can do it, so can we 😉 (although he probably had a private helicopter or something!)

      We set up camp for the afternoon and the red dust was already starting to seep in everywhere… 
      I think everyone was glad to stretch their legs and explore. The water behind the caravan park looked ideal for crocodiles, but so pretty. Jazzy also spotted a hawk nest in the tree above with both parents coming back to feed the little bub all afternoon.

      As a reward for the big trip, we enjoyed steaks for dinner, yum! 

      Kms travelled – 253

    • Day 66 – Katherine Outback Experience

      It was another cold start to a hot day, which is what keeps throwing everyone and means the girls are still snotty and coughing… I was hoping we would escape this winter sicknes issue with our travels, to be honest! 

      Today I was at the RAAF Base at Tindal for a training session and presentation for a few hours whilst Chris had the girls. They were lucky enough to get a video call from a group of their friends at GPAC, which was so special to them!

      Then they dropped me off and headed to grab a few supplies and bits and pieces for the car. I loved the vibe at the RAAF base and was really impressed by how even the mix of female to male recruits was. We had some more legendary lifesavers sign up ready to give hope to those living with blood cancers and blood disorders. Honestly, my job is so fulfilling!

      Back to real life, Chris and the girls picked me up and we headed to the Katherine Outback Experience. It was a show highlighting Outback life – from breaking in horses, to dog training to general farm life and all the animals it brings. 

      It was fascinating to watch a horse who had only been ridden once before being broken in and all the steps involved.

      The girls loved meeting all the friendly goats, cows, donkeys, dogs etc

      Tom Curtain, the owner is also a country singer and busted out quite a few songs, which Scarly absolutely loved dancing to. She really feels every beat with her whole body, I love watching her dance!

      Back at camp it was a quick dip in the pool and an easy dinner before state of origin antics disappointed the masses.

      Kms travelled – 42

    • Day 65 – Nitmiluk Gorge

      We had a slow morning at the campsite, I did a bit of work and the girls made a new friend so played nicely. 

      Slow days also involve all the usual boring bits and pieces like trying to get a washing machine at 7am to do a load of washing early enough for it to dry. It’s a real battle! 

      Today we were headed to Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) for a boat tour through the first gorge with a cultural learning from a local Aboriginal guide.

      It was a scorching hot day and it was nice to be on the water. We were also very lucky to be the only ones booked for the tour, I actually think it was meant to be Susie’s day off, but lucky for us we got to go. 

      As we cruised along, Susie told us all about the local clans that make up this nation and how it’s gone from 52 clans to 16 over the years. Only a handful still retain their native language, but they all try to maintain as many traditions as possible.

      In particular we loved hearing about the smoking ceremony for new babies, which is done before they can see any male members of the family. It is done to cleanse off any bad spirits, to set them on their life path with the protection of the land and good spirits of ancestors past. I love that idea!

      Susie also shared about the 5 seasons that her people have, which help the traditional owners know when to hunt for certain animals and when to eat certain bush foods. Such as the bush apple, the black plum and many others.

      Along the cruise we saw a couple of crocodiles and before we knew it we were at the end of the gorge.

      We got out and Russell, the skipper and male guide took us up to the gorge to look at the rock art.

      There were depictions of mimis (spirits) both good and bad as well as various animals and of course the rainbow serpent. Dreamtime stories tell of the Bolong, the river serpent creating the gorges and resting in the second gorge, with its depth of around 30m. This is the reason why a lot of Aboriginal locals won’t swim in the second gorge. It is also said that he dug tunnels to Edith Falls and Gunlom in Kakadu. With Gunlom being the Aboriginal word for waterfall. 

      Other rock art included hand prints. Russell said that for the hand prints, these were done by crushing ochre (of all colours) and then mixing a bit with saliva and spitting the colour spray out around your hand. Apparently there are also some ancient caves in France that have very similar hand prints in them. So fascinating!

      Cruising on the way back we learnt all about the spears and weapons from Russell, this being men’s business. We learnt about boys initiations, making weapons, including how a special beeswax is used to glue the sharpened rocks to the iron bark handles of the weapons. The beeswax itself is collected from special trees by following specific fruit flies feeding off it. The local knowledge of how to live off the land is truly incredible! 

      Susie then shared more with us about the art of weaving. Whilst her nation were known as the healers with their bush medicine and practices, she had learnt to weave from other clans to share the knowledge with travellers like us. The girls loved getting involved and having a look at all the beautiful creations. Scarly loved the handbags and baby baskets in particular.

      Once we were back, the girls enjoyed some delicious ice creams to cool off at the visitors centre and learn a bit more about the gorge and culture of the Jawoyn peoples.

      Kms travelled – 70