The Top End

For this entry I have special treat. Instead of the usual formula I've embedded a podcast in which I'm talking all about our trip to the Top End (Darwin and surrounds).  I had the good fortune of being featured on my favorite travel podcast recently, which is something of a dream of mine since I've been listening to the show for several years and credit it partially for inspiring me to get out and travel myself. I was a bit nervous recording the show and ramble on the bit, but it should make for a good listen if you have the time. So before I make the same mistake again, enjoy this episode of the Amateur Traveler :)

Amateur Traveler Episode 444 - Travel to Northern Australia

The Many Faces of the Outback

With our trip up the east coast of Australia having come to an end it was time to turn inland towards the setting sun and venture into the legendary Australian outback. A land of mythology, a land of thunderous road trains and giant termite mounds, of vast skies and open landscapes where every sunset seems to have exploded from a painter’s canvas before giving way to a symphony of stars whose song forces you to contemplate the nature of infinity. Yes, we were coming into what I feel is the heart and soul Australia, a place that is more of an experience than a destination.

We were in for a long haul, with nearly 3000 km of highway lying between us and our destination. We were headed to Darwin via the Overlander’s Way, which was to take some 33 hours over the course of three days.  We loaded up on food, fuel and water set off.  One of the most enjoyable things about traveling over land versus by air is that you get a sense of the lay of the land and you can watch it transform over time. In no time flat we’d traversed the narrow coastal range and had reached a flat and dry, lightly wooded savannah grassland which slowly gave way to an even flatter treeless prairie.  We were in cattle country, and the first day of our journey was spent crossing the north eastern portion of the Lake Eyre drainage basin which covers one sixth of Australia, one of the largest in the world. 

In the morning of the second day we came to Mount Isa, an isolated mining town on the western edge of the Lake Eyre drainage basin and the last major settlement before we were to reach Katherine just south of Darwin. We took the opportunity to resupply before heading over the pass between the rocky hills west of the city. If the first day was sparse, the second day was no man’s land, with even fewer rest stops and gas stations. It was commonplace to see warning signs posted on the highway just after leaving a settlement warning that there will be no gas for the next 300 km.  Not long after the pass we crossed into the Northern Territory and the grasslands gave way to alternating desert scrub and lifeless red earth. We’d been warned not to drive between dusk and dawn due to the overabundance of kangaroos who, seeking to avoid the oppressive heat of the day, become active at that time. It was a this point that we began to see quite a lot of supporting evidence laying around.  I'm talking about roadkill, and because of our time in the outback, to this day I can say with certainty that we've seen far more dead kangaroos than living living ones. Unfortunately enough I made my contribution, though fortunately it wasn't a kangaroo which certainly would've totaled our car. No, instead it was a snake, a creature which isn't likely to elicit the same sympathy from the majority of those of you who read this.  It was a large black snake that spanned nearly both lanes of highway and by the time that I realized it wasn't a mirage it was too late and I plowed over it.  I glanced horrified in my rearview mirror to see it flipping end over end before coming to stop, still and lifeless.  I was distraught for the rest of the day.

The absolute silence of night in the Australian Outback is permeated only by the rolling thunder of a passing roadtrain, which proves somehow a peaceful lullaby drawing you in to a slumber.

We'd been driving from sunrise to sunset for two straight days and on the final day of our journey restlessness was starting to get the better both of us. We’d reached the junction with the Stuart Highway and turned north for our homestretch to Darwin.  We crossed the Tropic of Capricorn and the landscape begin to change again, leaving behind the lifeless desert in exchange for a green and densely wooded to tropical savannah which would continue all the way to Darwin.  It was at this point we began to see something strange, pillars of hardened earth dressed in T-shirts and caps, dresses and bonnets. We later found out that the pillars were actually termite mounds, but why dressed up like people? Who knows. Anything to break the monotony of the drive I guess.  We also began to see massive birds of prey, wedge tailed eagles, feasting on the carcasses of the kangaroos. You just gotta love the Outback, in all its wild glory :)

Sunrise

Sunset

The Great Barrier Reef

We showed up early the next morning at the Port Douglas Marina to check in for our boat and soon shoved off on another lengthy boat journey to one of the most pristine sections of the Great Barrier Reef - the Agincourt Reef.  To get the most of out this pristine area of the reef Kayleigh and I elected to give Scuba Diving a shot.  Given that neither of us is certified, we were briefed on various safety protocol on the ride out and got suited up as we approached the reef and then…Whoa! Somehow the water was even clearer than at Lady Musgrave!  Fitted with the heavy tank and weights, when the time came for us to jump in we were both laughing in a fit of nervous excitement.  There were four of us in the group to one guide and we took it slow, getting used to the feel of breathing, descending and clearing our masks.  Unfortunately we were advised against taking our camera down on the first dive to make sure we were paying attention to safety - fair enough given how uncomfortable it all was for the first 15 minutes or so.  Just when we started getting the hang of it and paying more attention to the reef than our gear it was time to surface.

Back on the boat lunch was served and we waited while the second group completed their dives before we headed off to the 2nd site of the day.  At this site we elected instead to snorkel and boy am I glad that we did! Easily the best snorkeling in my life! The color and variety of the corals and abundance of fish on display was incomparable with anything we’d seen so far on the reef!  From starfish and sea cucumbers to giant clams and sea slugs, it was a veritable treasure trove of underwater life.  One lucky lady in our group even had the fortune to see a reef shark lumbering along the bottom of the sea floor.  

Once again back on the boat and moving to our final site for the day, Kayleigh and I were juggling whether or not to give scuba diving one more shot.  How could we top the snorkeling we’d just done? Luckily we decided to give it one more go and this time it was just the two of us and our guide.  We were allowed to take the GoPro along this time and got down into the water a lot more quickly.  Almost right away after nearing the ocean floor our guide spotted a giant manta ray and hurried us along catch a glimpse of it.  As we neared, the sand stirred and we managed to catch a glimpse of it fleeing the scene.  Shortly after as we were swimming along a coral wall I gained a true appreciation of intimacy that scuba diving allows over snorkeling.  Being down there so close opened a new world of experience that went beyond just the reef itself.  The sensation of floating, of staring up at the water’s surface while it shimmered like an underwater sky, all the while being surrounded by colors and life was a surreal and serene experience.  We managed to glimpse another graceful sea turtle as well as a puffed up lion fish before happening across a pair of clown fish frolicking through some soft coral, gently swaying in the “sea breeze”. 

Overall it was the highlight of our Great Barrier Reef experience, and definitely made scuba-diving-believers out of Kayleigh and I.  There may be a scuba diving certification in our future…

Ready! 

Kayleigh manages to look good even underwater :p

Heaven must surely bear some resemblance

Petting a giant clam!