Our first stop approx. 4 hours to the North of Sydney is Diamond Head in Crowdy Bay National Park. During the night serious wind gusts of up to 55km/h keep shaking at our tent. First a massive noise builds up in the treetops and 2 seconds later it feels like the tent gets blown away. We don´t get much sleep. As a small compensation we see Kangaroos literally 5m away from the tent when we crawl out in the morning. As it seems, they also didn´t sleep too well.
Tired Kangaroo at Diamond Head
We have set up camp at Nambucca Heads in the northern part of the state of New South Wales. Not far is the World Heritage site of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia. The main information centre is located in Dorrigo National Park. From the coast the road winds itself higher and higher up into the mountainous “Hinterland”. At Dorrigo we enjoy the Skywalk above the tree tops and take the 6.5km long “Wanga-walk”, which takes us through pristine rainforest and past fabulous waterfalls.
View from Skywalk, Dorrigo National Park (State of New South Wales)
Parts of the movie “Crocodile Dundee” were shot here at Kakadu. Does anybody remember it? Back then the area was more known for its Uranium that is still mined here. But by now it is also a National Park with more than 19.000 square km (approx. 1/2 the size of Switzerland) and dual World Heritage status – for its natural and cultural aspects. Well, we can´t wait to discover some of it!
Kakadu National Park, Southern Entrance
When thousands of (non indigenous) Buffalo walked into the wetlands of Kakadu, they stirred up mud and the water started to look murky and yellow. Hence the name Yellow Water. Not to be confused with the Yellow River in China. Apart from the name, nothing is really yellow. Most of the Buffalo were killed off to protect the natural ecosystem. The Yellow Water region boasts an incredible flora and fauna and is an absolute highlight of the Kakadu NP! Don´t go to Kakadu without visiting this area!!
Yawning “Saltie” (Salt Water Crocodile), Yellow Water Region, Kakadu NP
A nice day trip from Darwin! Litchfield National Park offers several water falls, that allow for a refreshing swim in their basin (please see photography section). It is also home to different types of termites, which are truly fascinating architects . Below you can see a mound typical for the Magnetic Termite. To control temperature, the narrow side of the mound is perfectly aligned from East to West, leaving the wide sides to face north (always sunny and warm) and south (always shady and cool). The result looks a bit like a tombstone.
Magnetic Termite Mounds, Litchfield NP
You can have endless discussions which of the two you prefer! Uluru is the largest single monolith on earth. But Kata Tjuta is even higher and consists of multiple rocks. So chose your own favourite! Both have their colour in common, which is caused by rust, as the rocks have a high content of iron. Hence people also call Uluru somewhat affectionately “the big rusty thing”. My favourite were The Olgas, they are a bit less hyped and it was easier to find a spot for my tripod. But back to the main attraction of the park, which is Uluru. There is an ongoing discourse if people should still climb it, which you currently can, but which is in conflict with the traditional law of the Anangu people, the traditional landowners. We decided to refrain from climbing to not cause any offence and enjoyed the views from the ground.
Kata Tjuta (Olgas) at sunset, Uluru-Kata Tjuta NP
Uluru (Ayers Rock), Uluru-Kata Tjuta NP
