My sources had nothing but good things to say about Victoria so I had to do it justice. I rented a car for two weeks and made my way across the beautiful state. The mixture of farmland, mountains, and cute towns offered plenty to keep me entertained.
Since my tour through The Kimberley was such a success I was depending on Adventure Tours to duplicate the experience for The Outback. After a bit of research I went with a 6 day tour from Alice Springs to Adelaide. The first three days would be spent touring the iconic sights of the outback. The last three days would be making the long drive down the South end of Stuart Highway. If the awesome itinerary didn’t fully persuade me, the fact that the tour was on sale sealed the deal.
Plans will change no matter how perfectly detailed a travel itinerary is. I hoped to spend several days in Kakadu National Park, but due to the weather I had to scratch that plan. Instead I cut my time short in Darwin, and after getting a last minute flight to Alice Springs, found myself in the red center. The guide from my Kimberley Tour continuously praised West MacDonnell National Park. After discussing our shared love for hiking she told me I had to spend more than just one day there. She gave me a list of things to do and I promised to spend at least 3 days in the area. I’m very glad I took her advice because it’s been one of the most memorable parts of my Australia trip.
Can you believe I’ve been in Australia for 2 months? I can’t, but I’ve sure gotten used to the travelling lifestyle. I’m constantly discovering things and meeting new people. There’s always another adventure around the corner, and I never know what to expect. Sometimes I may sleep in a tent or a cozy hostel. I could get drinks with friends or eat by myself in a crowded restaurant. Maybe I rent a car and explore alone or go on tour and meet tons of new people. Every day is different, and I love it.
A month ago I made the post 12 Things After 1 Month in Australia, and it’s already time for the second installment. I could title this “50 things after 1 month in Australia,” but I’ve managed to narrow it down to the 12 things that stand out to me the most. So here’ goes.
There are two trips from Darwin that both locals and tourists recommend. Kakadu and Litchfield National Park are known for beautiful scenery and fantastic waterfalls. Kakadu is a much bigger park known for it’s aboriginal artwork, while Litchfield is smaller and more low-key. My plan was to do both – 2 days in Litchfield and 4 days in Kakadu. Due to unseasonable rain I had to scratch Kakadu off my list as most of the roads were closed due to flooding.
I directed my full attention to Litchfield National Park. The guidebooks recommend just one full day for Litchfield, but I was intent to make it at least two. I had a week to kill before my flight to Alice Springs and was getting antsi to move on. So after getting some advice from MeanderWithMeg‘s Blog, I rented a car and drove the hour and half to Litchfield National Park.
When I was in Northern Australia everybody talked about the saltwater crocodiles. There was an abundance of warning signs and stories of people losing their lives due to crocs. I couldn’t swim in the ocean, I couldn’t go near river banks, and I couldn’t randomly stroll near any body of water. Saltwater crocodiles seemed to be everywhere. It’s impossible not to see an advertisements for a saltwater crocodile tour in Darwin. There is even a saltwater crocodile exhibit in the smack dab middle of downtown.
After all this anticipation, I had been in crocodile territory for nearly a month and still had not seen one. I decided it was time to remedy the situation and go on a crocodile tour. After sorting through fliers, looking at reviews, and asking for recommendations, I opted for the infamous Jumping Crocodile Tour. It’s an hour’s drive out of Darwin and I managed to get the last spot on an 11am tour.
This is the continuation of My Tour Through The Kimberley. I left off at day 4 in the Bungle Bungles. If you haven’t read Part I yet, you can find it here!
Day 5
We got up with sunrise as usual and began the bumpy ride out of Purnululu National Park. The drive was full of excitement as we saw lots of different wildlife including emus, a big wallaroo, and a Wedge-Tailed Eagle, which is the largest bird of prey in Australia. It was wonderful seeing these beautiful creatures in the wild. After driving for the entire morning we turned onto the famous Gibb River Road. The Gibb River Road is an unpaved, red dirt road that goes through some of the most beautiful parts of The Kimberley.
I had a few hours to kill before my flight to Darwin. That was plenty of time for me to head to Kuranda and see the (drumroll)… butterfly sanctuary! I’m obsessed with butterflies so the excitement mounted as I headed back into the rain forest. Kuranda’s main attraction is a gondala that goes from Cairns to the little rainforest town, but I didn’t think it was worth the $50. The other main attractions are a series of sanctuaries; birds, koalas, and butterflies. Learning that this butterfly sanctuary is the largest in Australia, I knew I had to go.
I have a travel story for you. One of those stories that isn’t funny while it’s happening but gives you a good giggle after. So I would happily like to present….
My 1st travel story that is sure to make you pack your bags.
I was recently in Litchfield National Park, an hour drive from Darwin, Australia. I forgot it was a weekend and unfortunately there were people everywhere. I spent the day checking out some beautiful waterfalls like Buley Rockhole and Wangi Falls. While these spots were refreshing they were not relaxing. There were too many people. By the time I drove to The Cascades and saw the jam-packed parking lot I decided to call it a day. I didn’t want to sit in another waterfall with a hundred other people. I was going to save The Cascades for early the next morning.
Unbelievably I’ve been in Australia for 1 month, but it feels like I just left California yesterday. Time is flying by! I’ve done so much and already made many great friends. I’m starting to get used to life on the road, but a month isn’t long enough to get used to everything. Minor differences between California and Australia still pop up and surprise me.
I say “California” because the US is huge and I’m not going to group all of it into my judgments. The same goes for Australia. The country is as big as the US and I’ve only been to a few parts of it. So I thought it would be fun to go over the differences I’ve noticed so far, and perhaps update my list as the months go by.
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