The Mays are offtheirMooring!

We were only 22 when we first met the Mays. 18 years and 25 magnificent holidays together later, and so glad we are still bring in the memories. With a Landcruiser each and our caravans in tow, time to check out the Top End NT.

Straight into the action, it was a Jumping Crocadile cruise to get everyone in the mood. There is something very sinister about being in a tinnie in the middle of a murky river and having these monsters glide up behind you.

• 

• 

Kakadu was next. The local intel had it that the thing to do was to grab a load of traditional and authentic Thai takeaway from the only tiny shop for miles around and then to climb the escarpment to catch the sunset. The suggestion, we learnt, was excellent.

• 

The region also featured some very impressive Aboriginal rock art. It was lovely to read the plaques and hear about what the stories were telling you, but slightly sad to find one where an elder lamented that there were no further generations from that clan to carry on the traditions or fulfill the role of custodian of the land.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Now we had all the gear….time to see if we were real outback explorers. Time to go off grid. We turned off the bitumen onto a stretch of dirt road, went about 50m on heavy corrugations and decided the ride was unbearable. Time to get the tyre deflator out of its plastic wrapping and let the tyres down ‘just like they do on YouTube’ for off-road travel.

Conveniently parked in a particularly deep bit of bull dust, the thermometer petering out at 34Deg…15 minutes later, and instead of letting down the pressure we had completely removed the valve and now had a flat!

• 

• 

• 

Luckily we had a tyre re-inflator (a compressor) at hand (also still in its box) and Andy hovering with his camera to capture the moment for Instagram!

A bit of hardship and a few laughs, but it was all worth it for the end of the track turned out to be what is easily one our top 3 locations (along with Fraser Island and Lady Musgrave Island) of the trip so far. Maguk.

The walk in was rough. Steep, sharp broken rubble at times having to clamber hand and foot, all in 32Deg heat.

• 

• 

And then this:

• 

• 

We easily deployed a whole day checking out this place, and we were still discovering new bits all the way up until the end. You start at the bottom pool (pictured above) which is lovely, but climb above the waterfall and there is a series of delightful plunge pools, above that you swim up a gorge with sheer rock faces on each side, then another small waterfall, another swim-up gorge, and the climax….the gorge ends in a tunnel you swim through to take you to the river on the plateau above.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Having bought lunch with us, there was plenty of time in the afternoon for jumping practice:

• 

• 

• 

• 

And on the way out, one more little surprise. A perfectly cylindrical plunge pool with a submerged tunnel you can swim through to get back to the main gorge. Like lemmings we all leapt in atop one another , then discovered that the walls were sheer and unclimbable and that it was very echoey so communication was hard. Then the little ones decided to support them selves on the older ones…when order was restored, and with the little ones human-craned out, it looked like this:

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

And with that we were spent. One last jump for everyone, then back on the track out. An outstanding place and a big win for Kakadu. Went back a second day for a quick swim, and then it was back on the road was to see what’s next. Phew! 5 days with the Mays down, 12 to go! Gosh.