PAT'S BIG ROAD TRIP WEEK 11+12

PAT'S BIG ROAD TRIP WEEK 11+12

Hey guys I know haven't written in a while because we haven't had the time or we've been at the pool
or something else.

Crossing the border into the NT

We're in Darwin at the moment and we've been to the Darwin War museum, Crocasaurus Cove, Darwin Aviation Museum and Litchfield National Park.

Loving this view, there were so many war ships in the harbour!

Back when we were still in Kunnanara we did the Ord river cruise and I helped remove a lizard from the visitor information centre! We also went to El Questro and had a swim at Emma Gorge and the Zebedee Hot Springs!

I loved being up the front on the Ord River Cruise

Me and Dad on the Ord River Cruise

Trying to rescue a Gilbert's Dragon from the Kununurra Tourist Information Centre

Ahhh Zebedee Hot Springs!

Emma Gorge

My dad is obsessed with ripple rocks

After Kununurra, when our car was finally fixed, we went across the border into the NT and went to Katherine Gorge.

Learning about Katherine Gorge

Katherine Gorge

The reason I wanted to come to Darwin was because of the bombing of Darwin during World War 2 and that my great grandfather was on the ship the SS Zealandia when Darwin was bombed and helped rescue people from the hospital ship the MV Neptuna.

The Oil Storage Tanks from WW2 - Darwin

The war museum is really good

At the aviation museum me and my dad saw a B52 Stratofortress the largest bomber aircraft ever made.

And at Crocasaurus Cove I went fishing for crocs, saw snake feeding, held a blue tongue lizard and a snake and wore a baby salt water croc as a wig.

Blue tongue lizard

Centralian Carpet Python

Fishing for Crocs

Baby Croc

At Litchfield we went swimming at both Florence and Wangi Falls and Buley Rock Pools which was very good. We also saw the magnetic termite mounds, the Lost City (a bunch of rocks in the middle of nowhere). But my favourite was the Darwin war museum.

Wangi Falls

Buley Rock Pools

Jumping in at Buley Rock Pools

The Magnetic Termite Mounds - they all face North/South!

The Lost City rocks

Next we go to Kakadu for 2 nights then we head to Alice Springs, Uluru then home!

See you in 2 weeks!!!!!!😃

PAT'S BIG ROAD TRIP WEEK 10

Hey guys we have had a productive week because we broke down on the Gibb River Road!

The corrugations are big around here!

Here is where we broke down! Look at the back wheels! ooops! Rear diff is no more!

 We stayed at a road side camp where we broke down (Rollies Jump Up) then we borrowed a satellite phone from some friends and mum and me got a lift to Elembrae station where we stayed the night. Dad got towed to Kununurra then the rangers from Mitchell Falls gave us a lift to Kununurra.

I loved it here!

Mum and I slept in this really cool cabin!

Kunanara which may sound like a national park is actually a big town which is where we're staying right now. The caravan park we're staying at is Kimberlyland Waterfront Park and its here I went on my first fishing trip and I caught my first fish a big cat fish called a cobbler!

Whoo Hoo!

We went on a sunset cruise at a place called Lake Argyle, went to a place called Wyndam and saw this amazing look out, went to Mirima National Park which is just outside Kununurra.

Me enjoying the Infinity Pool at Lake Argyle 

Me jumping off the boat at Lake Argyle

And again ....

We swim in the pool every day as it is really really hot and humid here. It looks like we'll be here until Monday or when my dad's car is fixed as the part the mechanics need is coming from Darwin which is 850 kilometres away! After this we're off to Darwin - can't wait to get there!!.

Me and some friends after a big swim in the pool!

Mum is now a bird watcher and loved that I spotted this Jabiru at our campsite!

See you in 4 weeks!

PAT’S BIG ROAD TRIP WEEK  7+8+9

Week 7

Hey guys I know I haven’t posted in a while because we have been out of reception for awhile (almost 3 weeks)! 

But anyway we have been to the Dampier Peninsula (north of Broome) where we stayed at Pender Bay for almost a week. Our camp site was right on the beach and we could watch whales from our camp site. They were also very noisy overnight too! They were tail slapping and snorting while we fell asleep most nights. Here we went snorkelling, whale watching (from our camp site and the beach!) went to Cape Leveque, and the 100^thanniversary of the Beagle Bay Church (this church is made from pearl shells!) then we went back to Broome, I really liked the Dampier Peninsula but Broome was my favourite.

View from our Campsite on the Dampier Peninsula

The Mother of Pearl Alter at the Beagle Bay Church

Dad and I having a sunset swim at Cable Beach in Broome

 Week 8 

After we left Broome we started the Gibb River Rd. The first place we went to was Winjana Gorge where we saw lots of fresh water crocs. Also at Winjana we went to Tunnel Creek which is a big cave with a creek running through it. We had to carry torches while walking through it because it gets really dark in there. Next we went to Silent Grove camp ground/Bell Gorge, where we could finally have a swim. Next we went to Mornington Wilderness Sanctuary where we went Canoeing up Dimond Gorge (this was really really good). We could swim every day here at different spots. Mum loved the birds and did lots of bird watchcing. I really liked Winjana and Silent Grove but Mornington was my favourite.

Me and a Freshwater Croc at Windjana!

Tunnel Creek - this was really cool

My dad trying to heard some cows out of the rubbish tip! ha ha ha ha ha!

Bell Gorge

Canoeing up Dimond Gorge at Mornington

My lunchtime view, Mornington

Afternoon swim at Cadjeput, Mornington

Week 9

The first place we went to was Mt Barnett Road House /Manning Gorge. Apart from the gorges at Mornington, this was our favourite gorge to swim in. I saw a Water Monitor Lizard when we were swimming there! Now (but again we might be in Darwin by the time you’re reading this) we are at Drysdale River Station Homestead which is approximately a 4591 square kilometre property!! Here we went on a scenic flight on a plane over the Kimberly (including Mitchell Falls) and drove to see some really really cool aboriginal art. Now were stuck here for an extra day because my dad has to fix our car. I really really liked Mt Barnett/Manning Gorge but Drysdale River Station is my favourite because of the energy here.

Enjoying a swim at Manning Gorge

Jumping off the rocks at Manning Gorge

The Water Monitor Lizard that I found!!

The pilot showing me how to fly the plane!

Birds eye view of Mitchell Falls

The Aboriginal art was amazing and some dated from over 50,000 years ago!!!!

Next we are off to El Questro, Lake Argyle and the Bungle Bungles.

See you in 5 weeks!

Pat. D.

Addit from Pat's mum - we have had a hiccup in our trip! Once we left Drysdale River Station our car fell apart - the rear diff fell off (long story!). Patrick and I are waiting for a lift to Kunnara from Ellenbrae Station and Les is with the car and trailer in Kunnara!! Hopefully we will be reunited and back on the road soon!! 

Pat's Big Road Trip Weeks 5+6

Hey Everyone I know i haven't posted in a while because we have been at the beach most of the time but anyway we've been having a lot of fun in Broome and Karijini National Park at the moment we're in Pender Bay on the Dampier Peninsula, just north of Broome.

Here are some of the walks and gorges we did at Karijini NP!

At Karijini we went on a lot of gorge walks and swam in some water falls the coldest was Circular pool the warmest was Fortesque falls but my favourite was Fern pool because it was warm and had aboriginal connections. We also did these really amazing walks to Handrail Pool where we had to climb down this wall hanging onto a handrail, and to Kermits Pool where we had to do the Spiderman walk to get there - legs on each side of this wall above this river!

Me at Cable Beach - Broome

From Karijini we drove to Broome and it was hot good thing there was a pool at the caravan park that we were staying at... oh and the beach was like two metres away and it was one of the top five beaches in the world.

We went on a hover craft to see dinosaur foot prints in the rocks that were over one-hundred and fifteen million years old!!!

Me and Dad waiting to get on the Hover Craft

Me with the Dinosaur Footprints near Broome!!

As you know we're in Pender Bay on the Dampier Peninsula for a week and it is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!! We are camping right next to the beach, can see humpback whales from our camp, just a 10 metre walk to the beach!! The whales make noises at night and the water is great.

This is the view I wake up to every morning here in Pender Bay!

Here are some whales that we watch from the beach or our camp site!  This is a mum teaching her baby to tail slap!

In a few days we head back to Broome to restock for our trip along the Gibb River Road, where we will meet up with friends from home.

and so far we've traveled 9,530 kilometres see you in seven and a half weeks😀