I wanted a challenge and that’s what I got. From army crawling through a cave with bats above my head to finally seeing Uluru in all its glory, these two weeks provided me with a full-blown outback experience. Also, there were more flies.
Day 188: Monday, March 18th
The humidity in Darwin is unreal. I woke up early to go for a walk and explore the town before it got too hot, but within five minutes I was drenched in sweat. I did manage to find a cute coffee shop with fantastic coffee, a rarity on this leg of my trip. With the heat and humidity so overbearing, I found a café to work on my blog and plan more activities for when Mackenzie visits next month. I took another walk in the afternoon to check out the marina and lagoon while Facetiming mom. A few hostel guests said the sunsets in Darwin were spectacular so I watched from a lookout point over the water. There were bats everywhere and hundreds of these small black birds in one large tree that never stopped screeching.
Day 189: Tuesday, March 19th
Similar to yesterday, it was hot and humid so I spent a few hours writing at a coffee shop. After Mackenzie visits in April, I am moving north to Cairns to find a job that will earn me a second year visa in Australia. Knowing me, I will need some serious motivation to actually leave Sydney in April so I booked a flight to Cairns to force myself to leave. I called grandma and talked to her for an hour on the phone. In the evening, I watched a sunset for the senses: There was rain pounding on my head (I’m stubborn and refused to go inside), exceedingly loud birds screaming above, the smell of grass in the air, and swooshes of pink and orange throughout the sky. One of my roommates was from Columbia and taught me a little bachata and salsa dancing. Him and his cousin also showed me pictures of their favourite foods from home.
Day 190: Wednesday, March 20th
Got a quick coffee in the morning before my tour to Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks kicked off. Although the tour itself was great and the parks were even better, I am still trying to figure out which specific hikes and locations we visited because the guide didn’t specify when I asked. Nevertheless, the first hike we did was, by far, the most exciting hike I’ve ever been on. The entire trek up the mountain involved bouldering, walking through mud (RIP my shoes), and pushing through branches. At the top, the guide said there was a cave we could crawl through. Only myself and three men went. I was proud for army crawling through red sand and rocks, with bats right above my head (who knew they made sound?), down a cave through a mountain. Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t typically like rolling around in dirt, but I loved this. The view from the top of the mountain was jaw-dropping, with rolling hills and remarkable trees for miles. At the end of the hike back down the mountain, we stopped at a little waterfall for a swim. We later learned about aboriginal art through a guided walk at a cultural centre. At the campsite, we slept in eco-tents and even had access to an extravagant swimming pool.
Day 191: Thursday, March 21st
Day two in Kakadu National Park. I didn’t sleep well last night, making the 6 am wakeup arduous. But, it was all worth it for a crocodile cruise on Alligator River (it was named by an Englishman who thought the crocodiles were alligators). There was an abundance of wildlife I had never seen before, including strange ducks, tall and colourful birds, and of course crocodiles. Today’s hike was to Motorcar Falls. The hike itself was less exciting as it just followed a dirt path, but the waterfall and swimming area was outstanding. I didn’t leave the water for the hour and a half we were there. I climbed part of the rocky wall to jump off a ledge and the guide let me borrow his goggles to explore the area below the surface. We spent the night at the cutest little farm. There were wild pigs, donkeys, wallabies, peacocks, and more toads than you can imagine.
Day 192: Friday, March 22nd
I woke up at 7 and briefly checked my phone. Within five minutes, it began raining and quickly began dumping. And I mean dumping rain. It was wild. We left Kakadu National Park today and ventured out to Litchfield National Park. We began at Florence Falls where a lovely leach attached itself to my ankle. I opted out of swimming in that waterhole. We then visited Wangi Falls, where the guide said not to swim or you’d die. I finally saw a Golden Orb spider! This female hadn’t killed her male partner, which apparently she typically does. One of the roadhouses had a snake living there and before I realized what was happening, the guide was placing the snake around my neck. It was heavier than it looked. The last spot of the tour was a set of small waterfalls part of Florence Creek. I lost control sliding down one of the falls and rammed my knee into a rock pretty hard. I spent the night back in Darwin with my tour group because most of us were continuing on together the next day.
Day 193: Saturday, March 23rd
Early morning again to begin the road trip down to Alice Springs along Stuart Highway. A majority of the next three days was spent sitting in a bus and stopping at various highlights along the way. Today’s highlight was swimming at Edith Falls where we saw some dangerous snakes that looked similar to the garden snakes from home. I have the utmost respect for my guide on this tour because he respected veganism to the point that he ensured different utensils were used for the vegan options and even made a vegan salad dressing from scratch. Right as the group sat down to begin eating dinner, Cyclone Trevor hit. It was a bit concerning because there were evacuations in order and we were sitting in a medal box with sheer sides, but it was also exhilarating. After the storm moved on, I burst outside to watch the lightning storm from afar. It was so bright that I could see the ground and there were toads swarming the campsite. The lightening bolted across the sky like fingers. My tentmate Clara and I watched for nearly an hour. Luckily, our tent wasn’t soaked by the storm and we weren’t blessed with the presence of a pregnant huntsman spider like another tent was.
Day 194: Sunday, March 24th
Last night’s cyclone instilled a newfound admiration for storms. Today included two swimming spots, both different thermal rivers. The first smelled funky but the second was warm and welcoming. During WWII, walls were built along part of the river to create a recreation site for soldiers. We ate lunch at Daly Waters Pub, a bizarre place where people staple their bras, underwear, IDs, jerseys, photos, and so much more to the walls. I slept in a swag under the stars for the first time tonight. I wasn’t expecting to like being exposed to the elements, but I didn’t get any mosquito bites so it was a positive experience.
Day 195: Monday, March 25th
Arose right before my 6 am alarm because the flies had found a nice landing pad on my face. The flynet I bought barely left my head. There was seven hours of driving today. The main stop today was the Devil’s Marbles, which are enormous boulders near Tennant Creek. I took a few pictures and videos of the flies here because I was disgusted at the quantity. Lunch was a caravan park that calls itself the “UFO capital of Australia” and has the artwork to prove. The guide dropped me off at my hostel in Alice Springs in the late evening. The receptionist warned me not to walk alone to get food in the dark, so I ordered a pizza and ate the entire thing.
Day 196: Tuesday, March 26th
My roommates were gone when I woke up at 7:30 so I did a workout in my room. This was my only day to explore the town of Alice Springs and I wanted to take advantage of the daylight. I found some vegan dumplings, delicious coffee, a sticker for my collection, and a few postcards. I also discovered a health food store and went a little crazy for the vegan options there. I met up with my tour group for a few hours then went back to my hostel to cook dinner and do more planning for Mackenzie’s visit. I talked to Jamie on the phone in the evening and watched a movie before bed.
Day 197: Wednesday, March 27th
My next tour picked me up at 6 am for the drive to Yulara. For the next four days, I finally get to see Uluru, Kata Tjuta, and Kings Canyon. Standing at 348 metres tall, nothing prepared me for seeing Uluru in person. I feel so privileged to have had the opportunity to visit the cultural centre, hear aboriginal stories of how the markings on the rock were created, and learn about the different plants and animals that were used for food and medicinal purposes. We did the base and mala walks around Uluru today. Every tour group goes to one specific location to see the rock shine a fiery orange/red at sunset. Although tourists were everywhere, it was beautiful and I completely understand the desire to see Uluru at this time of day. My group for this tour was split between backpackers and older couples more than I anticipated, but the overall vibe was upbeat. The view of the stars from my swag was incredible, I had never seen so many at one time.
Day 198: Thursday, March 28th
Wakeup was at 4 am to go and see Uluru and Kata Tjuta at sunrise. Another striking sight, but I enjoyed the sunset views more. Yesterday was primarily focused on the cultural attributes of Uluru while today was focused on the ecological aspects of Kata Tjuta. We hiked to a viewpoint and saw Mt. Olga, the highest point of Kata Tjuta. At the campsite in the evening, I successfully made a type of bread called a Damper, which is cooked on the coals from a fire, all on my own. Everyone placed their swag in a circle around the fire to sleep.
Day 199: Friday, March 29th
Up at 4:30 am to hike Kings Canyon. The beginning of the hike is called “Heart Attack Hill” and even has a defibrillator at the top because there are over 500 stair to climb. Due to the varying fitness levels of the group, we took the hike fairly slow. Nevertheless, it was spectacular hiking on top of a gorge with a beautiful view of the sunrise and surrounding landscape. After the hike, we stopped at a salt lake and had a beverage at Curtin Springs Station. The campsite tonight was in the literal bush. No toilet, no nothing at all. Just one BBQ and a metal shack with the swags. It’s only fitting that my last night of this five week journey be sleeping in a swag on red sand with nothing but a cow mooing nearby (no joke, it woke me up in the middle of the night). My responsibility for dinner was cooking garlic bread over the fire. Naturally, I burnt about a quarter of the loaves. I struggled to sleep due to my excitement about flying back to Sydney tomorrow!!
Day 188: Monday, March 18th
The humidity in Darwin is unreal. I woke up early to go for a walk and explore the town before it got too hot, but within five minutes I was drenched in sweat. I did manage to find a cute coffee shop with fantastic coffee, a rarity on this leg of my trip. With the heat and humidity so overbearing, I found a café to work on my blog and plan more activities for when Mackenzie visits next month. I took another walk in the afternoon to check out the marina and lagoon while Facetiming mom. A few hostel guests said the sunsets in Darwin were spectacular so I watched from a lookout point over the water. There were bats everywhere and hundreds of these small black birds in one large tree that never stopped screeching.
Day 189: Tuesday, March 19th
Similar to yesterday, it was hot and humid so I spent a few hours writing at a coffee shop. After Mackenzie visits in April, I am moving north to Cairns to find a job that will earn me a second year visa in Australia. Knowing me, I will need some serious motivation to actually leave Sydney in April so I booked a flight to Cairns to force myself to leave. I called grandma and talked to her for an hour on the phone. In the evening, I watched a sunset for the senses: There was rain pounding on my head (I’m stubborn and refused to go inside), exceedingly loud birds screaming above, the smell of grass in the air, and swooshes of pink and orange throughout the sky. One of my roommates was from Columbia and taught me a little bachata and salsa dancing. Him and his cousin also showed me pictures of their favourite foods from home.
Day 190: Wednesday, March 20th
Got a quick coffee in the morning before my tour to Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks kicked off. Although the tour itself was great and the parks were even better, I am still trying to figure out which specific hikes and locations we visited because the guide didn’t specify when I asked. Nevertheless, the first hike we did was, by far, the most exciting hike I’ve ever been on. The entire trek up the mountain involved bouldering, walking through mud (RIP my shoes), and pushing through branches. At the top, the guide said there was a cave we could crawl through. Only myself and three men went. I was proud for army crawling through red sand and rocks, with bats right above my head (who knew they made sound?), down a cave through a mountain. Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t typically like rolling around in dirt, but I loved this. The view from the top of the mountain was jaw-dropping, with rolling hills and remarkable trees for miles. At the end of the hike back down the mountain, we stopped at a little waterfall for a swim. We later learned about aboriginal art through a guided walk at a cultural centre. At the campsite, we slept in eco-tents and even had access to an extravagant swimming pool.
Day 191: Thursday, March 21st
Day two in Kakadu National Park. I didn’t sleep well last night, making the 6 am wakeup arduous. But, it was all worth it for a crocodile cruise on Alligator River (it was named by an Englishman who thought the crocodiles were alligators). There was an abundance of wildlife I had never seen before, including strange ducks, tall and colourful birds, and of course crocodiles. Today’s hike was to Motorcar Falls. The hike itself was less exciting as it just followed a dirt path, but the waterfall and swimming area was outstanding. I didn’t leave the water for the hour and a half we were there. I climbed part of the rocky wall to jump off a ledge and the guide let me borrow his goggles to explore the area below the surface. We spent the night at the cutest little farm. There were wild pigs, donkeys, wallabies, peacocks, and more toads than you can imagine.
Day 192: Friday, March 22nd
I woke up at 7 and briefly checked my phone. Within five minutes, it began raining and quickly began dumping. And I mean dumping rain. It was wild. We left Kakadu National Park today and ventured out to Litchfield National Park. We began at Florence Falls where a lovely leach attached itself to my ankle. I opted out of swimming in that waterhole. We then visited Wangi Falls, where the guide said not to swim or you’d die. I finally saw a Golden Orb spider! This female hadn’t killed her male partner, which apparently she typically does. One of the roadhouses had a snake living there and before I realized what was happening, the guide was placing the snake around my neck. It was heavier than it looked. The last spot of the tour was a set of small waterfalls part of Florence Creek. I lost control sliding down one of the falls and rammed my knee into a rock pretty hard. I spent the night back in Darwin with my tour group because most of us were continuing on together the next day.
Day 193: Saturday, March 23rd
Early morning again to begin the road trip down to Alice Springs along Stuart Highway. A majority of the next three days was spent sitting in a bus and stopping at various highlights along the way. Today’s highlight was swimming at Edith Falls where we saw some dangerous snakes that looked similar to the garden snakes from home. I have the utmost respect for my guide on this tour because he respected veganism to the point that he ensured different utensils were used for the vegan options and even made a vegan salad dressing from scratch. Right as the group sat down to begin eating dinner, Cyclone Trevor hit. It was a bit concerning because there were evacuations in order and we were sitting in a medal box with sheer sides, but it was also exhilarating. After the storm moved on, I burst outside to watch the lightning storm from afar. It was so bright that I could see the ground and there were toads swarming the campsite. The lightening bolted across the sky like fingers. My tentmate Clara and I watched for nearly an hour. Luckily, our tent wasn’t soaked by the storm and we weren’t blessed with the presence of a pregnant huntsman spider like another tent was.
Day 194: Sunday, March 24th
Last night’s cyclone instilled a newfound admiration for storms. Today included two swimming spots, both different thermal rivers. The first smelled funky but the second was warm and welcoming. During WWII, walls were built along part of the river to create a recreation site for soldiers. We ate lunch at Daly Waters Pub, a bizarre place where people staple their bras, underwear, IDs, jerseys, photos, and so much more to the walls. I slept in a swag under the stars for the first time tonight. I wasn’t expecting to like being exposed to the elements, but I didn’t get any mosquito bites so it was a positive experience.
Day 195: Monday, March 25th
Arose right before my 6 am alarm because the flies had found a nice landing pad on my face. The flynet I bought barely left my head. There was seven hours of driving today. The main stop today was the Devil’s Marbles, which are enormous boulders near Tennant Creek. I took a few pictures and videos of the flies here because I was disgusted at the quantity. Lunch was a caravan park that calls itself the “UFO capital of Australia” and has the artwork to prove. The guide dropped me off at my hostel in Alice Springs in the late evening. The receptionist warned me not to walk alone to get food in the dark, so I ordered a pizza and ate the entire thing.
Day 196: Tuesday, March 26th
My roommates were gone when I woke up at 7:30 so I did a workout in my room. This was my only day to explore the town of Alice Springs and I wanted to take advantage of the daylight. I found some vegan dumplings, delicious coffee, a sticker for my collection, and a few postcards. I also discovered a health food store and went a little crazy for the vegan options there. I met up with my tour group for a few hours then went back to my hostel to cook dinner and do more planning for Mackenzie’s visit. I talked to Jamie on the phone in the evening and watched a movie before bed.
Day 197: Wednesday, March 27th
My next tour picked me up at 6 am for the drive to Yulara. For the next four days, I finally get to see Uluru, Kata Tjuta, and Kings Canyon. Standing at 348 metres tall, nothing prepared me for seeing Uluru in person. I feel so privileged to have had the opportunity to visit the cultural centre, hear aboriginal stories of how the markings on the rock were created, and learn about the different plants and animals that were used for food and medicinal purposes. We did the base and mala walks around Uluru today. Every tour group goes to one specific location to see the rock shine a fiery orange/red at sunset. Although tourists were everywhere, it was beautiful and I completely understand the desire to see Uluru at this time of day. My group for this tour was split between backpackers and older couples more than I anticipated, but the overall vibe was upbeat. The view of the stars from my swag was incredible, I had never seen so many at one time.
Day 198: Thursday, March 28th
Wakeup was at 4 am to go and see Uluru and Kata Tjuta at sunrise. Another striking sight, but I enjoyed the sunset views more. Yesterday was primarily focused on the cultural attributes of Uluru while today was focused on the ecological aspects of Kata Tjuta. We hiked to a viewpoint and saw Mt. Olga, the highest point of Kata Tjuta. At the campsite in the evening, I successfully made a type of bread called a Damper, which is cooked on the coals from a fire, all on my own. Everyone placed their swag in a circle around the fire to sleep.
Day 199: Friday, March 29th
Up at 4:30 am to hike Kings Canyon. The beginning of the hike is called “Heart Attack Hill” and even has a defibrillator at the top because there are over 500 stair to climb. Due to the varying fitness levels of the group, we took the hike fairly slow. Nevertheless, it was spectacular hiking on top of a gorge with a beautiful view of the sunrise and surrounding landscape. After the hike, we stopped at a salt lake and had a beverage at Curtin Springs Station. The campsite tonight was in the literal bush. No toilet, no nothing at all. Just one BBQ and a metal shack with the swags. It’s only fitting that my last night of this five week journey be sleeping in a swag on red sand with nothing but a cow mooing nearby (no joke, it woke me up in the middle of the night). My responsibility for dinner was cooking garlic bread over the fire. Naturally, I burnt about a quarter of the loaves. I struggled to sleep due to my excitement about flying back to Sydney tomorrow!!