Paradise Valley in 2013

Always hard to do a write up on these trips to PV, I’ve done so many that a lot of the stories blend into one. I remember getting a pretty good left infection from a bite, and the doctor and nurses in the ER (went there to get some antibiotics) were all paranoid about the strange stuff you can get from the NT, nope sorry, never had anything go wrong up here, a couple of days in dangerous Victoria and I’m in the Emergency Room.

As a result of this we didn’t manage to get the canoe trip in, but it was still a great trip. As long as it doesn’t rain, it always is…

Edith falls and dehydration

We decided to go down and stay at Edith Falls, it was in the build up, but we had plenty of water, and an easy accessible swimming hole, so we figured we’d be right.

We arrived and set up then spent the rest of the day in the lower pool, was a lot of fun. I really wanted to do the bushwalk and see see pool, but the trip (from memory) was about 10km. We took plenty of water, so much it hurt my back and I was drinking it just to lighten the load. I got a little concerned that Claire wasn’t drinking enough, and tried to get her to take more. The swim was great (if a little spooky – I am sure it was safe but that upper pool just LOOKS like a croc’s natural home) and we walked back and did the middle pool. The middle pool really is the best one, it’s such a nice spot.

I am sure you can guess the end of the story, nearly as soon as we got back to camp Claire wasn’t feeling that well and wanted to lie down. Soon I had packed up and we were heading back, stopping regularly for her. It just goes to show that despite drinking 2-3 litres of water and a few diet cokes on that trip, you just cannot underestimate these conditions.

Group Kakadu Trip

Awesome three day Kakadu trip.

Rowen, Claire and I went down and saw Nourlangie the first night, did some stargazing at Mardugal, before meeting up with the others the next day.

The next day we went to Gubara for a swim and a bushwalk, and onto Ubirr for sunset.

On the last day we had a sunrise cruise and fishing trip at Yellow Water, Chops managed to get an undersized barra, saw some big crocs and Jabiru’s.

Got some really good photos there two, probably my two favourite from Kakadu were taken here. Both got touched up as I needed to remove Claire’s annoying date stamp! Taught myself photoshop for that single reason, otherwise they are totally untouched, so I hope you like them.

 

 

Dugong Beach Trip

A good friend of mine was having a 30th, so they decided to do a camping trip at Dugong Beach on Whitsunday Island. It is home of the famous Whitehaven Beach, but it is a huge island, and one isn’t really accessible from the other. “Damn” I thought.

Well I turned out to be wrong. It was, and still is, the best place I have camped. The beaches were amazing, great sunset, fishing (I only managed a small bream, despite the all the effort), crabbing, a great bushwalk up to a lookout that could only seen to be believed.

Not trying to sound conceited but the photos taken are not photoshopped in anyway, taken on the “auto” setting of a Canon Powershot D10. It looked way better than they seem.

And the trip was great, great chat, lots of people, everyone just having a ball. How could you not? The place was paradise.

 

 


Sunset fishing, I just got a bream


View from the Beach at the camp site


Crabbing unsuccessfully


View from the top of the walk


Me at the top