Saturday 28^th April, 2012

In November 2007 I visited the Blue Mountains National Park for the first time. Then all was dry and no waterfalls to see. Dominik and Konrad visited the park a few weeks ago. As everybody liked it, we went there again. Our first destination was Katoomba. Here we first bought a nice pick-nick. Then we went to the start of the hike. Along the Prince Henry Cliff Walk we walked at the top of the cliffs to the Katoomba Falls. For me the landscape looks quite different as I remember it then thanks to all the water everything looks much greener. A bit after the waterfall we had to leave the track then it was closed. So we had to follow the road until we could descend a few stairs to the Lady Darley Lookout. From here the track was open again. We continued to Echo Point and I realized that from here you may see the rock formation Three Sisters. A lot of tourists were here and wanted to enjoy the view. After we made a few pictures we descended to the Three Sisters. A wide path and a few chairs led down. Also here a few tourists were fighting with the stairs, but so bad it could not be yet. There are another 800 steps you can go down to the bottom track. As it was already noon we took a break at about two third of the stairs. We enjoyed the pick-nick on a bench and refreshed of the exertion. With new strength we continued descending, but the path does not lead to the very bottom of the valley. In the shadow if the many eucalyptus trees we walked towards the Scenic Railways Station. There we continued to explore the boardwalk through the trees and saw some birds we have not seen yet. One behaved very strange: it whistled and then twitched like it had been hit by electricity.

Here once coal was mined and now a few figures are showing how it was done. Then once again we realized that the Australians do not dispose old stuff. They put a sign, call it historical and make it to tourist attraction. Also a possibility and here they have sufficient space to do so. To get back to the car we had three options: walk up the stairs step by step, take a steep cable car or go by gondola. We chose option 2 and took the cable car. It was only late afternoon and Konrad would have liked to have a look over the countryside. So we drove to Mt. Wilson. As we learnt this is the name of a village and not of a mountain. The village was on the top, but it was surrounded by trees so we did not get a proper view over the valley. On the way back we discovered a road sign to a lookout. After a short hike we could look far over a valley of the Blue Mountain National Park. We saw also the sunset, but a bit hidden by clouds. In the dark we drove back to Sydney. I could drive the last kilometers as Konrad usually in the evening gets tired earlier than I. To finish the day I drove over the Harbour Bridge with its eight lanes. After I was glad to get out of the center as it is demanding to watch so much traffic.

Sunday 17^th June, 2012

During the night we experienced different noises. First our fire alarm started to beep and only calmed down after we removed the batteries. We guess it was the cold smoke from the fireplaces. Then there was the howling of the dingos and at the end the birds whistling their morning song. We just started to drive when a few wallabies jumped over the road. A bit further a dingo crossed the road. At Yurmilkmik we started to hike to a viewpoint. We just start as Konrad spotted moving rocks. At a second look they were wild pigs. Some of their ancestors must have been escaped. Then we crossed a suspension bridge and hiked through dry grass to the view point. Here again we had a wonderful view over the National Park. Here I got induced to walk another few kilometers to the Motor Car Falls. A wide path led nearly to the falls, only the last few meters we had to climb over rocks. The effort was worth it as we got to a waterfall with a relaxing ambiance.

Back at the camper we continued driving to Bukbukluk and a short walk allowed for another view over the park. Then we drove to the Gagudju Lodge in Cooinda. On the way we saw at times the flames blazing in the grass to clean the country. After a break we drove to Nourlangie. A walkabout passed different places with rock art. Then we walked up the nearby Nawurlnadja and enjoyed the view to Nourlangie. As the sun was about to set we drove slowly back to the camping site. On the way we saw a wallaby crossing the road. In the restaurant of the lodge we enjoyed a nice dinner. Our stock of food is going low and as we are soon flying back we did not buy much.

Saturday 16^th June, 2012

We made our first stop in Batchelor to shop. We could not send the postcards as the post office is only open in the afternoon. We continued to Hayes Creek. Here we got rid of the postcards and strolled through the small market. There were a few stands were everything from honey to clothes was sold. In Pine Creek we made a refuel stop. After we went without further stop back to the Kakadu National Park. 35 km of gravel road and two places with water we had to pass to get to the camping site of Gunlom. Arrived there we explored a bit the area. We wanted to do a small hike to the river, but there was too much water on the path and we were only allowed to walk to a billabong. Back a the site we went to the falls. In the pool below a few people were swimming, even if the risk of saltwater crocodiles was not eliminated. A warning sign state also that here live freshwater crocodiles. But these are not dangerous for humans. We decided first to hike up to the plateau at the top of the falls. After a steep climb a nice pool and a wonderful view over the Kakadu National Park welcomed us. I jumped into the water as it was quite warm. Later Konrad also followed. At the water we could also watch how small frogs were playing. With still wet clothes we descended. After we walked again to the waterhole in the hope to see wallabies there. Unfortunately we did not meet any.

Friday 15^th June, 2012

Our journey went back to the Wangi Falls. Here we hiked around the waterfall and enjoyed the view. But for a refreshing bath it was still too early for us and thus we decided to continue. Tolmer Falls we watched from above from a viewing platform as they were very high. Then we went to the Tabletop Swamp. Here a short hike lead to a small pond with trees in the water. We did not go too close as there could be crocodiles. At Florence Falls we put on the swimming suits and packed a pick-nick. We first hiked along a creek to the waterfall basin. We enjoyed a refreshing bath and I tried to swim to one of the two falls, but the drift was too strong and I did not reach it. After we had a nice pick-nick and let us dry by the sun.

Our last stop was at the termite mounds. On a field there are many mounds build like a slim wall in north-south direction. Thus they get in the morning and in the evening the full power of the sun, but not during noon when it is the hottest. On the other side of the carpark were other termite mounds of the more common round type. One was much taller than Konrad. With this experiences we drove to a camping and found there a place for the night. Today we saw from time to time some wallabies, but they always jumped away before I got a picture. In the evening we saw a few grazing in the pasture just next to the camping.

Thursday 14^th June, 2012

With the OK from Apollo we drove over a gravel road to the Litchfield National Park. We stopped at the Cascades. The hike lead to a creek which flows over the rocks to the valley. A few people were sitting in the water to enjoy a refreshment. We wanted to do this at Wangi Falls. But unfortunately the camping there was already full at 3pm and we had to go to another one a few kilometers away. But there was no such refreshment.