My Last Bush Trip of 2013

2manyknives

2manyknives

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Aug 9, 2006
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Many people will have visited or at least heard of Kakadu National Park in northern Australia. The Park is best known for its wetlands, waterfalls and escarpment country.
This trip was to one of the lesser known sites on the coastline – a place known as West Alligator Head.

This was my last camping trip for 2013 and will be my last for some time. It took place quite late in the year in the build up to the monsoon season. The rains have now well and truly arrived and most unsealed tracks will be closed until at least April/May

We were the only people there during our stay. Earlier in the dry season quite a few fishermen camp here – many of them arrive by boat after launching at the South Alligator River boat ramp. It is quite a long trip by boat and the big tides limit the times they can arrive and leave. The beauty of this time of year is that you see very few people. The downside is that it is bloody hot and humid.

The road in is subject to wet season closure. In 2013 it was open for quite some time but in other years following big wet seasons and early rain the opening time can be as little as 2 months.

On the way in we stopped for lunch at Four Mile Hole, a popular top end fishing spot. One of the local residents came over to check us out.



The track crosses vast flood plains between the Wildman and West Alligator Rivers. In the wet season this area will be like an inland sea. You can see the clouds that are part of the seasonal build up. Rain is still rare at this stage though spectacular electrical storms are regular events.





The track surface is like broken concrete. It is hard and noisy to drive on. Some of those cracks go down a foot or so.



Emus like the dry flood plains



see part 2 for more
 
Part 2

Once you hit the coast, the track leads through swamp country and monsoon vine forest.



Finally, the beach at West Alligator Head





The water was thick with Algae. Not sure what the cause is as last time that I visited it was relatively clear. This place is about as far from human industrial influence as you can get so it is related to some natural occurrence.



The colours on the beach were amazing.



Jellyfish washed up on the beach. This is a harmless one - the ones you have to watch out for are the Box Jellyfish, referred to locally as "stingers". They can be lethal and are common this time of year.



Dingo tracks on the beach.



Oysters on the rocks at low tide. The tidal movement in this part of the world can be as much as 8 metres.



see part 3 for more
 
part 3

Don't even think of swimming here. This croc followed us as we walked along the beach. At one stage, late in the afternoon I could see three crocs in the water just off the beach - two of them were around ten feet long and the other was more like 15 feet.



Plenty of bird life





And finally, I did have some knives with me

A Dozier Personal and Spyderco Salt 1 along with an old Mora fishing knife. The Cold Steel bowie machete and shortened trail hawk live in my truck.

 
awesome to be able to step out into such beautiful & varied isolation so easily!
 
Love seeing your photos from Austraila. Like that Dozier Personal! Very useful little knife.
 
The Dozier is great. I'm not usually a big fan of kydex sheaths but the Personal carries really well on a belt when driving and wearing a seat belt.
 
I agree. I have the same knife in G-10, CPM 154, and wharncliffe/sheepsfoot blade. The Dozier horizontal sheaths just WORK. It's my EDC fixed blade when I carry a fixed.
 
Beautiful country. The heat and humidity would keep me away, but it doesn't stop me from enjoying your nice pictures. :)
 
Incredible pics. I love the area I live in with all the parks/ woods/ trails but that is a different level no doubt. Thanks for sharing those.:thumbup:
 
The roads are part of what peaks my interest. It's like 1940 in the US. My Dad hitch hiked from San Diego CA to PA in the 1940's while on leave (I guess) and if I know my Dad, it was to save the cost of a train or bus ticket. There were few freeways (multi-lane highways) at that time except in the large cities. He later took a trip to Yellowstone NP when he and my mother got married in 1950. I recall the pictures from that time and there were few roads that were 4 lane, but most main highways were paved at that point.
 
Thanks for bringing that remote location on planet earth to my desktop. I love these threads.

15' crocodiles? That's nuts!
 
great pics. looks like a good time. pretty scary to see those salties out there... i take it they are salt water crocs right? i live in Tampa FL area and people here would absolutely lose their $hi7 if they saw large gators in the gulf.
 
Yeah they are salt water crocs. The term is a bit misleading as they are found in fresh water as well - in fact most of the fatal attacks here have been in fresh water. There is a separate species of true fresh water crocs found here and they are smaller and generally regarded as harmless unless provoked. The salties are true predators and humans are very much on the menu for them.
 
thanks for the awesome trip report! i watched a show in discovery about box jellyfish before - scary little creatures!
 
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