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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Mar 17, 2010 07:00 PM I will not see Horizontal Waterfall!
Boome, Western Australia, 38 deg Celsius during the day, 27 at night...
Area where I am is well known for the extremely high tides. Can you imagine? Just now they have "king tide" period and the difference between high and low water level is more then 9 meters !!!
You know how I love the falls. Just here they have something unussual: horizontal fall. There are two rocky barriers in the sea near the coast and the rising tide water is pushed to go through the little gaps in this rocky barriers. I saw it on the picture. Looks nice!
You can reach horizontal fall only by little plane or a plane+the boat. 3 companies offer the flights. The last expensive flight cost 465 AUD. Sorry, no discounts - this guys prefere to take empty seat on their flight then to give the substantial discount to the backpacker. It is priviledge of the rich people...
I will not see horizontal falls. I am sad.
But there are still other lovely places to see...
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Mar 16, 2010 07:00 PM Kimberley - Australian outback.
I am still in Kimberley. Australia. Hot Kimberley is bigger then Poland - my country. But only 30 000 peple live here, and 600 000 cattle. 20 cattle per one head - they are rich here!
It was already evening when I was was waiting for the one-per day bus at Wyndham junction. Sunset over the bush around was nice but just after the mosquitoes started their attack... Fortunately I had lond sleeves and trousers... The bus finally came in the dark and I survived.
We passed Derby town with a long line of boab trees at the early morning and few hours later I said bye to the driver in Broome.
They have nice hostel here. A bed in the 4-bed dorm cost 23 AUD for YHA member. They have little pool and Continental breakfast is included. But... It is hot, hot, hot. Fan in your dorm is free but if you want to switch on the a/c you have to put the 1 dollar coin into the machine. Then you have a leasure for some time and the machine ask again to put the 1 dollar coin in... Oh my God! I see such a polic for the frst time.... It is hard to survive here without a/c... So put another coin into the slot! My mate is terribly snorring...
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Mar 15, 2010 07:00 PM How to get to Wyndham? And how to get off?
Wyndham is second after Darwin port in the Northern Australia - in remote Kimberley... Years ago they sent through tropical Wyndham thousands of cattle. Now it is sleepyand very hot town with some abandoned old buildings and a crocodile farm. Nearest bus stop (bus only once a day at 6 p.m.) is 55 kms away - in the middle of nowhere.
I got a lift by car (very little traffic) and I am in Wyndham.
You can see here biggest boab (baobab) tree in Australia (that's what they say) close to the grocery shop, who acts also as a tourist information. It has some 20 mts in curcumference!.
It is worth to climb to the 300-m high Bastion Hill overlooking the town of 800 people and the big estuary. They call this point Five Rivers Lookout - you really see five rivers from the hill. One hour of internet in the empty telecentre costs 10 AUD - it is the highest price I found in Australia - another record!
Police officer gave me the lift to the crocodile farm (20 AUD entry fee) and I saw how they are feediding those creatures - some of them are 6 mts long! The show starts daily at 11 am...
Wyndham has no backpackers institutions - the last expensive option to stay was a cabin in the camp site - they want 50 AUD per cabin. And in the only hotel even twice more. Too much for me! I decided to hitchhike to the bus stop and to continue my travel by bus overnight. Let's go west!
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Mar 14, 2010 07:00 PM Bungle-Bungle - only by air!!
I am very close to the interesting national park - Bungle -Bungle. They use also Aborigin name: Purnululu bu I prefere Bungle-Bungle... It is so nice and different that UNESCO put it on the World Heritage List.
Sorry, sun is strong but it is still the wet season here and access to the park by land is not possible. Dirty roads are closed (4WD vehicles will start to drive in at the end of April. But there are flights over Bungle Bungle and beautiful Lake Argyleon athe small planes. Some locals say that the views of BUNGLE BUNGLE from the air are even more impressive then from the ground level. I have some savings in my budget and I decided to try the flight. Alligator Airways gave me little discount and in the early morning I boarded their plane. Two hours flight was definitely worth the price. We saw cake-like rock formations, great Lake Argyle and the biggest diamond mine in the world. But also cattle stations, rivers and waterfallsin the gorges. Jim-Jim in Kakadu NP was nice. Bit Bungle-Bungle is even more impressive.
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Mar 13, 2010 07:00 PM Guilty! How I smuggled an onion to Western Australia...
It is a long way on the Victoria Highway from Katherine to Kununarra... Hills, grass more then 2-m high, eucalyptus trees... Kimberley - the real Australian outback. Very few settlements. They act more like roadhouses then like villages... And after few hours of driving in the middle of nowhere there is the border sign of Western Australia. Check point. Officer is coming into the bus. -Do you have any fruits or vegetables. Oranges, bananas? - No sir! He looked into my camera bag. There were only 5 passengers in the big bus. We departed very soon.
In the youth hostel in Kununurra (bed in the dorm costs 25 AUD) I found in my backpack an onion (I like tomato & onion salad very much).
Guilty me! Should I take it back to the quarantine station?
Dear Western Australians! I honestly promise to eat this onion today to the last little piece. I believe that inside my body all those dangerous bacteries will be destroyed. And all the onion's skin will be fired in the gas (they have gas stove in the guest kitchen!) Ufff...
A lot of Aborigines on the streets. Welcome to Kimberley!. Do you remember the moovie "Australia" ? It was here! And the biggest diamond mine is just nearby!
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Mar 12, 2010 07:00 PM Camping in Katherine Gorge...
They asked me to be 30 minutes ahead of departure time, but Greyhound bus departed with 30 minutes delay... Only half full... We reached Katherine town on time (speeding up).
There is not much to see in Katherine so the decision to stay in the gorge was right. Minibus took me to the visitors centre. Tent city was just 200 m away. They provide bedding. Thents are roomy but it is so hot that it is hard to stay in your tent during the day. Fortunately there are nets in the dors and big windows! Keep them closed! It is tropics and the bugs are around...
I took a free map of the trails and start to climb to the viewpoints. First one is just overlooking the river jetty (boats will take you for 56 AUD - 2 hours excursion). Nice view of the gorge... Then I walked to the second viewpoint - Pat's Lookout - much harder but the view from the escarpment is even better. A lot of stones and sand on the path - good walking shoes required and at least 1.5 l of water...
I returned to the camp after 3 hours on the strong sun - satisfied but tired. They have great pool in the campsite so it was very relaxing to swim more then hour under tropical stars... Very hot, but great day!
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Mar 11, 2010 07:00 PM The top of Australia, welcome back to Greyhound!
I am still in the top of Australia. Darwin is neat city - rebuilt after 1974 cyclone "Tracy". Few historical buildings remained but you can see the WWII tunnels built after the Japanese bombing under the Stokes Hill - to protect the reserves of oil (5 AUD entry fee to pay).
There are interesting exhibitions of local pearl industry at the Wharf One (6 AUD entry fee). They also feed the fish at the Aquascene once a day (hefty 11 AUD entry fee). The center is not wide so it is possible to visit it walking.
I have been to the Greyhound agency. It seems that the only way to go to the remote Kimberley is to take one-per-day Greyhound bus and to make few few stops on the route to Broome. They have a special offer for the backpackers: 254 AUD with free stops and one free night in Katherine Gorge.
I thin I will took it. Years ago I was traveling around Australia with a Greyhound pass - and I have the nice memories. So - welcome back to Greyhound!
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Mar 10, 2010 07:00 PM Three new waterfalls to my collection...
If you travel alone sometimes it pays to take a tour instead to rent a car for the day excirsion...
There are two interestieng national parks to visit close to Darwin. During my first stay years ago I visited Kakadu NP. So now I had opportinity to see the Litchfield NP. It is famous for the beautiful waterfalls.
Few local tour companies offer the tour to the park, but only one (NT Escapes) will give you solid - 30 dollard discount if you book through internet. Final price: 49 AUD. Worth to try... And worth to to know that there is no entry fee to the park.
It was full day tour. We started at 7 am.
I saw and took a pictures of 3 magnificent Falls: Tolmer, Wangi and Florence. Every one is different, but two of them (Wangi and Floorence have a swimming pools at the bottom. Wangi pool was temporary closed (due to the danger of saltwater crocodiles) but it was possible to swim under the Florence.
In the heat of the day it is real pleasure!
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Mar 09, 2010 07:00 PM Darwin - Northern Territory...
When years ago I was going from Darwin to Alice Springs by bus the landscape was mostly red and yellow. Now, after few days of solid rains it is red and green.
Lucky me! Since it is still wet season at the top of Australia I was afraid that Darwin will welcome me by cloudy sky and heavy rain. Nothing like that! We had blue skies and strong sun when "The Ghan" ariived to the poor terminal on the outskirts of Darwin. Since we were so much delayed railways offered free transfer to the center of the city. Normally you will pay hefty 12-15 AUD.
Backpackers accomodations are located in the Mitchell street - there is a choice from 22 AUD for the bed in the 8-beds dormitory to 58 AUD for the private room. All with a/c - it is hard to survive in the heat of 40 deg Celsius or so without a/c.
Almost every hostel has little pool in the backyard... Sorry - internet is not free - you have to pay 4 dollars per hour... Shame... In the poor South America in most hostels it is free...
I have a rest after few days on the train and do my laundry - all is sweaty...
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Mar 08, 2010 07:00 PM Great Southern Rail is Great!
Since yesterday we stay at prze Alice Springs stations waiting when the track will be ready. But the rail company is not so bad, well - they are really great.
First of all they replaced all passengers from the red seats to red sleepers - I have now my privete, crampy cabin - like a cell, but there is a bed with a white linen...
Second - they offered us complimentary dinner. breakfast and lunch in the buffet car - little, on the plastic plate but...
Third - they organize for waiting passengers a half-day tour to the Alice Spring Desert Park on the outskirts of Alice (they paid transfer and 20 AUD entry fee) - I did not know this interesting place so I liked the tour.
Very hot day!
At 2.30 p.m. we will probably continue our adventure on the rails - hoping to reach Darwin on the top of Australia on Wednesday morning...
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