Litchfield National Park
MONDAY 29 SEPTEMBER
On our way back down to Katherine we decided to visit the Litchfield National Park (I’d read about some lovely waterfalls that still flowed at this time of year). We called in at the Information Office in the small town of Batchelor, just before the park and then headed for the main attraction, Wangi Falls. We were a few kilometres into the Park when there was an almightty BANG. “What the f— was that” says me, thinking someone was shooting at us. “Sounds like we’ve blown a tyre” says Jeff, calm as you like!! Now he’d thought about going back into Darwin to call in at a scrapyard we’d spotted yesterday, to see if he could get another spare wheel for Betty, but decided not to bother as we don’t much like going back on ourselves too often. Oh dear does he regret that decision now. We gingerly carried on to Tolmer Falls where there would be a car park where Jeff could attempt to change the tyre – nowhere safe to stop on the road. There were already several cars and campervans there, but we managed to find a flattish spot and Jeff proceeded to empty the cavernous boot to get at the jack and the wheelbrace. It was also quite a performance to get at the spare wheel. A group of three European tourists appeared with an Aussie guide who remarked that it wasn’t a very good time of the day to be changing a tyre (11am), got in his 4-wheel drive and buggered off. A little while later a tourist in a hired Maui camper pulled up almost alongside and just sat there looking at his map with the engine running, obviously to keep his A/C going. In the meantime I was standing over Jeff with a brolly trying to keep the boiling sun off him (there was no shade whatsoever) He remarked that the fumes from the Maui exhaust were really getting to him so I waved the brolly at the exhust pipe. The driver got the message and turned off his engine, then got out of the van and said with a strong European accent “Flat tyre”? and went on his merry way to the Falls!
By this time we were both sweating buckets and Jeff was still having difficulties as the tyre that had blown was the inner one of the pair of nearside rears. There had been several cars and coaches coming and gong all this time and NOT ONE person offered to help or even to phone for help. Not one of the miserable buggers did anything but look. And then to cap it all some fat Australian woman came up to us and asked which of the Falls in the Park had pools that you could swim in as Tolmer Falls was just to be looked at. I must say I was very restrained and told her about the ones I knew of. I think Jeff just stood there with his mouth open, the perspiration just running down his face. So much for helping others in difficulties on the road. The age of Chivalry and Knights of the Road have long gone out the window.
Finally Jeff decided that he couldn’t get the inner wheel off so we limped back to Batchelor and found a garage who’s tyre man would be back later and should be able to help. Almost next door to the garage was a Big 4 Caravan Park so we booked in there and Jeff took Betty to be fixed up the following day.
We stayed a couple of nights here – Batchelor itself is a very pleasant little town and the Big 4Park ticked all the right boxes. Also, every evening a member of staff fed the local birds – quite a sight.
TUESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER
We resumed our tour of the Litchfield National Park after the tyres had been sorted. Surprised that the total cost was only $189.
On our way to Tolmer Falls we had a look at the Magnetic Termite Mounds, huge structures pointing north/south – apparently to create their A/C, the Falls were good but as it’s the end of the Dry Season it was more of a big dribble than a falls. Then on to Wangi Falls which were a bit more spectacular and there was a big pool with quite a few people swimming. Unfortunately I didn’t have my cozzie on and it was a bit of a walk from the carpark and back to the waterhole (it was, once again very, very ‘ot) so we decided to go on to the next place. This was called Buley Rockholes – and this time I put me cozzie on before we left Betty G. Just a short stroll and we came across a series of pools linked by small waterfalls. In I went into the lowest one, while Jeff walked up to the top pool and made his way back down through all the pools and waterfalls – collecting a few bruises on his rear in the process. We stayed there for a couple of hours, thoroughly enjoying ourselves.
Evening back at the campsite we had a loverly pizza in the site bar and prepared the van for leaving early next morning.