Back Travellin': Lee Point, Darwin to Berry Springs

Lee Point – Darwin – 5 July 2012

This morning we hit the wave pool, which was freezing according to the kids. We weren’t silly enough to go in the water. It was quite a cool day with a chilly breeze blowing. The kids had a ball in the waves on the supplied tubes and boogie boards.

Having a blast at the wave pool

A bit of boogie boarding

After a quick splash in the lagoon we headed off to the Military Museum at East Point. This was very interesting and we all learnt heaps about Darwin’s involvement in WW2.

Georgia and Kelsey beside one of the exhibits outside the Military Museum

Next stop was an early arrival at the Mindil Markets (just for a change). With no planned rendezvous tonight, we enjoyed a quiet, family-only evening on the beach with about 5,000 others. The sunset was a ripper.

Another dinner at Mindil Beach

And yet another cracking sunset

Lee Point – Darwin – 6 July 2012

This morning we arranged for a TV aerial tech to visit our van and hopefully heal our sick TV reception. He performed as hoped, replacing a dodgy coax cable, and in the process sold us on the idea of a sat TV system. We previously discussed these with Bob and Margaret’s friends, John and Carol, so didn’t need too much of a shove to take the plunge. We did a bit more research online after he left and ended up ordering a system through Satplus (his recommendation), who happen to be just up the road from our place, in Caboolture. It would be waiting for us in Kununurra when we arrived in WA.

While Sue was making lunch the microwave chucked a hissy fit and started strobing wildly. Needless to say we switched it off and made plans to buy a new one.

After lunch we went to Casuarina Shopping Centre, got the girls hair cut and looked for a new microwave. The search continued to the Good Guys and Retravision. In the end we realised that the only microwave that was going to suit us was a small cheap one at the Good Guys, so we planned to return the next day.

We went back to the van, showered and changed, and then met John and Penny at Stokes Hill Wharf for a feed of takeaway. We enjoyed fish and chips and Thai, before feeding the mullet and batfish with bread that Penny had bought along for just that purpose. There was also a few large barra circling beneath the other fish. John and I had our casting arms twitching.

Lee Point – Darwin – 7 July 2012

We met Mandy, Nicholas and Samantha at Lake Leanyer as planned and enjoyed a couple of hours with them before heading back to the Good Guys to pick up our new microwave. There was a BCF in the same complex, so we picked up some new rod holders for the tinnie and an inverter for the car. After a stop at Bunnings for some hardware, we returned home where I installed the microwave. We had a bbq for dinner that night.

Our crew with Mandy, Samantha and Nicholas

Lee Point – Darwin – 8 July 2012

A day at home for me, fitting 12 volt lights to the van and a battery charger and 240 volt to the front boot. Sue and the girls went for a walk down to Lee Point in the morning and did some shopping at Casuarina in the afternoon. Heaven tonight, in the form of home made pizza. The first since leaving Brisbane.

Lee Point – Darwin – 9 July 2012

First stop this morning was an aluminium supplier for some angle to mount our new rod holders to the tinnie, then we continued on to Palmerston Shopping Centre. After the shops, I picked up some bolts from Bunnings and we returned home for lunch.

After lunch I fabricated the new rod holder brackets, fitted them to the tinnie and then packed up the boat. Sue and the girls spent the afternoon doing school work, followed by a walk down to the beach.

Berry Springs – 10 July 2012

We left Lee Point for Berry Springs today and set up the van at the Lakes Resort in about 85% humidity and 35C. We found out on arrival, that the Australian Water Skiing Championships were being held there on their private lake.

We had a bbq lunch and swim at Berry Springs before returning home to get changed and then drove to Humpty Doo for a final happy hour with Bob, Margaret and the rest of the crew. We got home at about 8.00pm.

BBQ lunch at Berry Springs

Swimming in the main pool, Berry Springs

Berry Springs – 11 July 2012

Litchfield National Park was our destination today, and we started with a stop at the magnetic termite mounds, which aren’t in fact magnetic, but are built in a north/south direction to take advantage of the warmth provided by the sun at different stages during the day.

At the magnetic termite mounds

A regular termite mound for comparison

Our next stop was Florence Falls. We took a few pics from the lookout and then descended over 100 steps to the pool below, where we shared the tranquility with about 60 others. You couldn’t hear yourself think. We didn’t swim here, but the girls waded around in the rock pools.

The lookout over Florence Falls

We tried Buley Rockhole next, but the car park was full, so we continued on to Wangi Falls. We found a nice shady piece of grass and ate our lunch before donning snorkels and goggles and entered the cool water. We all swam together and spotted many different fish before crossing the main pool (100m) to the waterfall. We climbed 5m up the rocks into the private pool, which is about 2m diameter and has its own small waterfall tipping into it. Sue just had to have a few photos for the scrapbooking album, so Tarzan swam back for the camera.

The main fall at Wangi

The girls in the private pool at Wangi

A closer shot of the private pool

Enjoying the private pool before handing it over to others

Another angle on Wangi's main fall

Georgia chillin' underwater at Wangi

Kelsey free-falling at lunch

We left Wangi and headed back to the Tolmer Falls lookout. A few pics were taken and then we went back to the car and gave Buley Rockhole another shot. This time we scored a car park and spent the next 1 ½ hours lounging in the rapids and bombing in the deep pool. The kids had a ball and didn’t want to leave.