Category Archives: The Best!

Long weekend in Wagiman Country

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Just got back from an amazing long weekend away.

On the first day we got to Douglas Hot Springs to find the camping ground was packed! I guess you can’t really expect much else on a long weekend. We found a nice spot and then went to the thermal springs. I was expecting them to be like the luke warm pools of Mataranka, but I was wrong. Parts are hot enough to burn you! Everyone sits up a bout 20 metres downstream and the water temperature is fantastic, ranging from a hot bath to cool.

Claire and I had a swim and a drink, before heading back to camp. We were treated to an amazing sunset. I used this to take some snaps of Suzi with her new roof rack. (And everyone knows bullbars double as clotheslines).

The next morning we went to Butterfly Gorge, and I managed to leave my camera at the campsite! We had been there before it wasn’t so bad. It is one of the best places to swim in the NT. I have to admit the rock hopping can get quite difficult – I am always a little relieved that Claire manages to get out uninjured.
We went back and hit the thermal pools again in the afternoon, it was much needed, as the water at Butterfly Gorge was freezing.
The Sunday night was slightly less crowded but unfortunately it brought out the camping behaviour that makes me avoid busy periods. A shame, but I would still recommend the campsite, especially to those with young children.
Got up on the Monday and headed to Umbrawarra Gorge. It took a bit of finding, but it was a really lovely spot, a nice beach next to a striking gorge. You could have spent a lot of time moving up it, but we only had a few hours, so we just had a swim and some lunch, before having to head back home.

Shady Camp Madness!!

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The drought is over!

An insane fishing trip. We went for the day to Shady camp for the day, which is over 3 hours from my place, meaning we only had about 4 hours fishing in the day for a 6 to 6.5 hour drive. We hit the barrages… In about the first 5 minutes Mud had us a 62cm keeper. Great stuff. It got bigger from there. Mud got a 60 something one soon after. And then another. Okay, good stuff Mud. Then BANG I am on… I think the excitement got to me – soon I had reeled in a nice, large, silver… catfish!

Soon Mud had pulled in an undersized barra, and not long after I was on. I won’t play it up (that will happen later) I knew it was small as soon as I got him, a 50cm barra.

We moved about 5 metres down to give us better access to what looked like a hotspot. Mud soon hooked up a 70cm barra, which was great, but I was getting a mite frustrated. I was using the exact same lure, technique, and spots as he was, and not much to show for it. There was a 30 minute lull after that, but soon BANG Mud was on again… this time with a 74cm fat barra. I netted it (despite my urge to crack Mud over the back of the head an leave him there… outfishing the captain like that is plain rude) and soon lost my white squidgy.

I decided it was time for my “lucky lure” the gold Starlo hardbody with the terrible hooks that I hadn’t gotten around to changing. As well as my custom rod (a present from the fiancee) I had set the drag a tad loose as there weren’t any snags… what could go wrong?

I tried and tried to get something, 30 minutes later I was starting to lose heart, about 1 metre from the boat a massive barra inhaled lucky and started peeling off line. It had a massive run before I brought it back to the boat. Soon it went on its second massive run. At this point I realised the drag was too lose, so I thought on the third run I would tighten it. It jumped on the wind back and I saw the lure was on the outside of the mouth, and I hate adjusting on the run, so I scrapped that plan. Soon it was on its third run away, and I was thinking “man this is fun!”, you’ve got to enjoy these moments. I got it back to the boat for a third time…. it was off again of its forth run. This time I got back it decided it should hide under my boat, that made me tighten the drag, and the fish was spent. Booyah!! He straightened 2 hooks in one treble, 1 in another, but it held him.

(If you think this paragraph is a bit much for a single fish, read over what I’ve done this year to get him)

I was going to release it… I tried to revive it for about 5 minutes but it was done, it had given everything to the fight, ah well it will get eaten and enjoyed.

Oh yeah, we then hit the main barrage and had a crack at the huge school of tarpon there for some fun

Got:
Mud: 5 keepers, 3 rats, 62cm smallest keeper, 74cm biggest, 2 tarpon
Me: Catfish, 50cm barra, 72cm barra, 4 tarpon
(I won the tarpon-off at least)

Story of the trip:
My 3 goals for 2015 was to:
1) Get a metery
2) Bag out
3) Release a keeper (I never do that unless I have very, very good reason)

So that is item (2) done. Bagged out in 3 hours! Most people at the ramp said it was a poor day…

Boat problems:
Nothing. Barely used it though, went about 500metres

Snap:
Very happy (the red is from my esky)

Mary River Houseboats

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Mary River houseboats is one of the best things you can do in Darwin. See the wetlands, fish a little, crocs, birds, have a few drinks, it is fantastic. It is one of those trips that you always take visitors on but never gets old.

Make sure you don’t use any lights! Finish dinner and clean up well before sunset. Wetlands is another name for a swamp, getting every single mozzie and midgee in your boat is what will happen if you leave the light on.

Life is a bit easier if you have a small boat with it. Easy to tow, but you don’t have to worry about getting stuck against the wind, as you can just tow yourself out.

A single night really is enough to see everything, more is good, but it isn’t necessary.

Butterfly Gorge – Location

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Butterfly Gorge is amazing, and relatively unknown.

It is about 2.5 hours from Darwin, and you get to do a little 4WD track too that is a lot of fun, but fairly easy. It takes a little bit of finding, even once you are there. My biggest tip for this place is that, because you need to swim around to get there, you should figure out what you are going to do with your car keys. Unless you have an old car you probably can’t get it wet, if you want to leave they on the beach well… look I have never heard of anything happening, but I haven’t done it.

Personally I use a combination lock to my car that I put my car key in. You could (depending on your car) get a metal only key cut and put it in your pocket, and keep the real one inside.

Anyway. You will be getting up and out of lots of water holes, and walking over rocks, some wet, so wear proper footwear. A bottle of water or two is handy too, so you can spend a few hours there.

It is a great place to visit, I’ve been there a few times and only once had the ‘loud jerks with an esky’ that love to ruin swimming holes, usually it is pretty empty. It is also very hard to photograph, so trust me, the snaps don’t do it justice.


Me at the entrance

Tjaynera Falls (Sandy Creek Falls) – Litchfield

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Tjaynera Falls is amazing.

In Litchfield so easily accessible for a day trip, it has rudimentary camping facilities, though I have never stayed there.

It is down a 4WD track that is moderately challenging, you need to cross some water.

The bushwalk is moderate when you get there it is definitely worth it.

A great waterfall that flows all year round, a great swimming hole, and usually only a handful of people.