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Pre brekkie stroll and a discovery

Gulfalan67

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On Saturday morning my wife decided to join The Boy and I on our pre- brekkie stroll. Rather than do the 'coathangar' which is what we call the airstrip circuit, we decided to strike out cross country along the lower slopes of the escarpment.

And we found a new rock face that we'd never seen before. After about eleven years this place is still throwing up surprises. This 'edifice' (what my wife christened it), lies less than 2km from our house, but we'd simply never passed it before.

Its vertical sandstone rock face is about 60ft high but unlike the smooth, water eroded cliffs along the escarpment its got lots of holes and fissures that would make it a perfect beginners climbing wall. I'm not a climber myself but can see the potential.

Its great to be so pleasantly surprised before brekkie!

The weather here is cool fresh and glorious!

Alan

Here's the new 'edifice'
IMG-20210619-WA0005.jpg

My wife at the bottom
IMG-20210619-WA0001.jpg

The rock face
IMG-20210619-WA0003.jpg

The view from the top down onto the tree tops

IMG-20210619-WA0006.jpg
 
Last edited:
Al

You or any others off the forum would be welcome, although God only knows when international travel ever gets back normal.

The crazy thing about having such wonderful country is we never really get to see it or appreciate it. Its not surprising that we are still finding new places, because I spend so much time doing the same mundane land management chores that we don't get time to properly enjoy it ourselves...or even explore thoroughly.

In eleven years of ownership we had only walked that particular section of the escarpment once before... and clearly missed that
outcrop.

Having occaisional visitors breaks our routine, gets us off the beaten track and allows us to see the country through the eyes of others... It reminds us why we do what we do...

Alan
 
On Saturday morning my wife decided to join The Boy and I on our pre- brekkie stroll. Rather than do the 'coathangar' which is what we call the airstrip circuit, we decided to strike out cross country along the lower slopes of the escarpment.

And we found a new rock face that we'd never seen before. After about eleven years this place is still throwing up surprises. This 'edifice' (what my wife christened it), lies less than 2km from our house, but we'd simply never passed it before.

Its vertical sandstone rock face is about 60ft high but unlike the smooth, water eroded cliffs along the escarpment its got lots of holes and fissures that would make it a perfect beginners climbing wall. I'm not a climber myself but can see the potential.

Its great to be so pleasantly surprised before brekkie!

The weather here is cool fresh and glorious!

Alan

Here's the new 'edifice'
View attachment 33624
My wife at the bottom
View attachment 33627
The rock face View attachment 33626
The view from the top down onto the tree tops

View attachment 33625
To think that you didn't know it was there...what a great find!
 
Great offer Al, thanks, who knows, might get to take you up on it, I don't mind a working holiday šŸ‘
 
We have been fortunate to have seen a great deal of Australia on four x five week trips since 2005, The Territories are certainly different for sure, was there in 2009. We have now visited ever state in Australia, having driven 1000s of miles, we just get flights to a chosen destination, book a 4x4 and off we go. By far the best way to do it, Aussie is a great country to tour and we have never failed to find somewhere to stay.

From memory we stayed in Catherine, Batchelor, Darwin and somewhere in Kakadu whilst in NT, mainly on campsites using cabins. Also done some great off roading with some Aussie mates in the Red Centre, and amazing bush camping in the high country of Victoria. I tend to buck the trend, I prefer Australia to New Zealand, I find it more diverseā€¦ā€¦ā€¦With some tricky creatures! But I love all that, seen amazing Crocs in NT and QLD.

It doesnā€™t beat the wildlife of Africa, but in all fairness, nothing does.
 
We have been fortunate to have seen a great deal of Australia on four x five week trips since 2005, The Territories are certainly different for sure, was there in 2009. We have now visited ever state in Australia, having driven 1000s of miles, we just get flights to a chosen destination, book a 4x4 and off we go. By far the best way to do it, Aussie is a great country to tour and we have never failed to find somewhere to stay.

From memory we stayed in Catherine, Batchelor, Darwin and somewhere in Kakadu whilst in NT, mainly on campsites using cabins. Also done some great off roading with some Aussie mates in the Red Centre, and amazing bush camping in the high country of Victoria. I tend to buck the trend, I prefer Australia to New Zealand, I find it more diverseā€¦ā€¦ā€¦With some tricky creatures! But I love all that, seen amazing Crocs in NT and QLD.

It doesnā€™t beat the wildlife of Africa, but in all fairness, nothing does.
Big Red.

Sounds like you've seen a lot more of Australia than I have! I'm envious -but interested to hear more.

Funnily enough, I spent much of my life in other places which kinda brought me full circle to living outback here in The Territory.

The smell of summer lightning here on the red dirt always reminds me of the exact same smell in equatorial Africa...

Like you, I love the iconic mega fauna of Africa but I really fear for its future -with such high and growing population densities, the competing demands of human development and the ineffective and corrupt regulation.

While wildlife parks remain an important economic resource, they will be protected. But wildlife outside parks is now virtually non-existent... In Africa wildlife now live in big zoos. If the COVID changes travel behaviours and tourism never recovers, the outlook would be grim. Let's hope not....

Loved your photos in another Post!

Cheers

Alan
 
Hello Alan. Yes, sadly you are dead correct!

We first went to Australia in 2005 as part of our first Antipodean tour, Aus and NZ, the Aussie part was Victoria as we have friends there.

A couple of years later we started in Adelaide, again staying with friends, then GOR to Melbourne taking a week stopping at various places, Robe, Mount Gambier, Port Fairy and Port Campbell them Melbourne with our friends. Onto Tasmania for a week, then Sydney, finishing with a few days in Hong Kong.

Then our next trip started in Perth, or a lovely place called Myalup, we donā€™t spend to much time in cities, not great fans of built up areas. Again, visiting a friend in Boyanup. We did manage to get to Albany, before flying to Uluru, where we met up with three families, hired a 4x4 and the adventure started! Off road to Kings Canyon, camping out, then onto Alice Springs and the MacDonald Ranges. A flight then took us to Darwin, picked up another 4x4 and after a few day, we hit the road and did a road trip around that part of the Territories. We stood right at the very edge of Arnhem Land, next to the Croc infested fording place.

Our last trip started off in QLD, where our daughter got married in Noosa. They went off on honeymoon, and we headed north getting as far as Cooktown, flew back to Brisbane where we saw Bon Jovi at the Sun Corps, which was a bonus for my wife. We then met up with the newly weds in Sydney for a couple of days! then onto our friends in Melbourne for Xmas and New Year, including taking in the Boxing Day Ashes testā€¦ā€¦.Sorry mate, we thrashed you on that day, 2010.

So that is WA, NSW, Vic, QLD, NT and Taz done, but just thought, we have not been to ACT, but from what we have heard it not really worth it.

Then my love affair with Africa started, have now been to Mozambique, Lesotho, Tanzania, South Africa and Swaziland. Amazing continent for sure. Had hoped to get to Mozambique this year for a tracking, bushcrafting and anti poaching course on one of the huge reserves, but C19 put paid to that, sadly.

Just hope we can get back to traveling again soonā€¦ā€¦ā€¦We need to do the Norther part of WA into the Territories! Also Namibia, Botswana, Zambia andā€¦ā€¦ā€¦ā€¦.

Take care my friend. šŸ‘

Mike (Big Red)
 
Hi Mike!

Nice to make your acquaintance.

Thats quite a tour you've taken.... And a daughter in the lucky country to boot... Can't be helped if she lives in Queensland...šŸ¤£

Our place is up in the Top End. Not too far from Kakadu- Our country is very similar, high sandstone escarpment and floodplains with some patches of rainforest around.

I think the croc fording spot you mention is Cahills on the Alligator River.

My wife and I have not travelled this great land much... not as much as we would like. We make occasisional day trips or overnight trips out, but most often when we're not working we have visitors in and so its a holiday at home...

Cant complain, we love the place and both knew what we were taking on when when we came here.

Cheers

Alan
 
Hi Mike!

Nice to make your acquaintance.

Thats quite a tour you've taken.... And a daughter in the lucky country to boot... Can't be helped if she lives in Queensland...šŸ¤£

Our place is up in the Top End. Not too far from Kakadu- Our country is very similar, high sandstone escarpment and floodplains with some patches of rainforest around.

I think the croc fording spot you mention is Cahills on the Alligator River.

My wife and I have not travelled this great land much... not as much as we would like. We make occasisional day trips or overnight trips out, but most often when we're not working we have visitors in and so its a holiday at home...

Cant complain, we love the place and both knew what we were taking on when when we came here.

Cheers

Alan
Hello Alan.

Pleasure to make you acquaintance also. šŸ‘

Actually my daughter and son in law live here in beautiful Devon, not too far from us. They just made the decision to get married in Aussie, which was fine by us, she is not one for fuss and could not face having the usual British type, over the top, wedding. It also worked out so much cheaper to have the wedding and honeymoon combined in Australia.

We definitely stood on the banks of the Alligator River, not too close though! Strange itā€™s named after the Alligator, when there are non in Australia, big mistake there I reckon. We got so close to a large Croc in a tinny on The White Water, such a wonderful looking beast, but too close and your dead in a second. But I do get a buzz being around, in a fairly safe way, dangerous animals, and you have your share in Australia for sure. When in Kakadu, we stayed in Jabaru for a few days.

We arrived at the top end right at the start of the dry, so the weather was perfect, dry and not hugely hot. We had a great time exploring the area, we are very independent people and always go it alone, but Aussie is such an easy country to tour with so much space.

Take care.

Mike
 
Alan.

Have a look at a couple of You Tube videos about Devon. We live on Dartmoor, but a 45 minute drive and your on the beaches. šŸ‘


ā€œWelcome to Dartmoorā€ Dartmoor National Park.

ā€œDevon 2019ā€ - Bantham, Hope Cove, Soar Mill Cove etc.

We feel so blessed to live in this part of the U.K, I was born here so very, very bias. šŸ˜€
 
Hey Mike
Alan.

Have a look at a couple of You Tube videos about Devon. We live on Dartmoor, but a 45 minute drive and your on the beaches. šŸ‘


ā€œWelcome to Dartmoorā€ Dartmoor National Park.

ā€œDevon 2019ā€ - Bantham, Hope Cove, Soar Mill Cove etc.

We feel so blessed to live in this part of the U.K, I was born here so very, very bias. šŸ˜€

Mike

Thanks for the You Tube channel links describing your local area... I will enjoy watching them this evening.

I have family and friends in UK and visited regularly. I've been to Devon. We have mates 'bunny farming' at a place called Helston which is quite near... We visited the fossils coast with them. Fascinating.

We reckon the UK countryside is so picturesque and love those pastoral scenes of rural areas. Charming and almost otherworldly, relicts of a byegone age.

Dartmoor has little horses, right? We call 'em brumbies here....

Mike, you are indeed lucky to be born and bred in the West country. It seems to me the western shires have escaped the mad pace of development occurring elsewhere....Last glimpses of 'ye old englande'
 
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