need help planning 2 days in Kakadu
Aug 7th, 2008, 05:02 PM
#21
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andrewdavid,
Looks like we were posting at exactly the same time. The Arnhemland tour sounds fabulous. I'd heard that it's possible to do those--I had just discounted it because of time constraints. I'm starting to feel like it's a bit silly to spend so little time in Kakadu. Guess we'll work on it.
But--just to let your know--I've already eaten a grub--alive and wiggling!--out of a log in the back country of Yosemite. No desire to eat another! Ha!
Looks like we were posting at exactly the same time. The Arnhemland tour sounds fabulous. I'd heard that it's possible to do those--I had just discounted it because of time constraints. I'm starting to feel like it's a bit silly to spend so little time in Kakadu. Guess we'll work on it.
But--just to let your know--I've already eaten a grub--alive and wiggling!--out of a log in the back country of Yosemite. No desire to eat another! Ha!
Aug 7th, 2008, 07:02 PM
#22
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So little time, so much to do -- so you do what you can and don't regret anything! Your itinerary for the 5 weeks sounds great.
If you decide to go to Litchfield and stay overnight, I can recommend the cottages at the Litchfield Tourist and Van Park not too far from Batchelor--very convenient, clean, and reasonably priced. The restaurant there was good as well, and the staff were friendly and helpful. We drove to Litchfield from Cooinda -- about 300 km, which I admit kind of felt endless.
I think you'll be glad to have 5 days in Uluru and Alice Springs. We spent 3 nights in Yulara (near Uluru) and didn't run out of things to do, though with the late arrival of our flight from Perth and the 10 a.m. departure to Darwin, even 3 nights didn't give us all that much time. Did the base walk (loved that--it's great to get up close to the rock and see all the amazing natural features on what appears from a distance to be so uniform, and the walk itself is a breeze) and the Valley of the Winds hike at Kata Tjuta (gorgeous!). We didn't climb Uluru (the climb was closed, but I probably wouldn't have done it anyway, for a couple of reasons), nor did we do the shorter walk at Kata Tjuta, which we would have done if we'd had more time. With the heat you'll want to do the active stuff early in the day if you can. I attended a dot-painting workshop at the cultural center near the rock--that was kind of interesting. We didn't get to explore Alice Springs or any of the other features of the area, so I'm sure you'll have plenty to keep you busy for your 5 days.
We also spent 10 days in the Daintree-Atherton-Hinchinbrook area. Could have spent a month there and been very happy! That area was my favorite place on the whole trip.
We had 6 wonderful nights in Sydney, and our 10 days in the Southwest were delightful. We didn't get to Tasmania, only because of the season -- we figured it would be too cold (beginning of winter). Instead we stopped over in New Zealand for a week on our way back to the States--no regrets there, but in retrospect we probably should have spent the time in Tasmania and saved New Zealand for another trip. Again, such tough choices!
We'll just have to go back, won't we?
About the packing dilemma--you're right about the layering. I managed to get everything I needed into a carry-on size bag. When I got back I made a list of what I actually wore, so my bag will be even lighter next time. For the colder weeather I brought a hooded sweatshirt, a fleece pullover, a lightweight rain jacket, a pashmina, and also a cotton scarf that I could wear around my neck or as a shawl (that was indispensable). I didn't need anything other than these pieces to keep warm. For the warmer areas it was t-shirts of various sleeve lengths and a couple of light cotton blouses, along with a khaki skirt, capris, and black cotton slacks that served me well at night. I also brought a black skirt but never used it. (I also packed a swimsuit.) Everything was in the same general color scheme so it was easy to mix things up. It worked for me!
If you decide to go to Litchfield and stay overnight, I can recommend the cottages at the Litchfield Tourist and Van Park not too far from Batchelor--very convenient, clean, and reasonably priced. The restaurant there was good as well, and the staff were friendly and helpful. We drove to Litchfield from Cooinda -- about 300 km, which I admit kind of felt endless.
I think you'll be glad to have 5 days in Uluru and Alice Springs. We spent 3 nights in Yulara (near Uluru) and didn't run out of things to do, though with the late arrival of our flight from Perth and the 10 a.m. departure to Darwin, even 3 nights didn't give us all that much time. Did the base walk (loved that--it's great to get up close to the rock and see all the amazing natural features on what appears from a distance to be so uniform, and the walk itself is a breeze) and the Valley of the Winds hike at Kata Tjuta (gorgeous!). We didn't climb Uluru (the climb was closed, but I probably wouldn't have done it anyway, for a couple of reasons), nor did we do the shorter walk at Kata Tjuta, which we would have done if we'd had more time. With the heat you'll want to do the active stuff early in the day if you can. I attended a dot-painting workshop at the cultural center near the rock--that was kind of interesting. We didn't get to explore Alice Springs or any of the other features of the area, so I'm sure you'll have plenty to keep you busy for your 5 days.
We also spent 10 days in the Daintree-Atherton-Hinchinbrook area. Could have spent a month there and been very happy! That area was my favorite place on the whole trip.
We had 6 wonderful nights in Sydney, and our 10 days in the Southwest were delightful. We didn't get to Tasmania, only because of the season -- we figured it would be too cold (beginning of winter). Instead we stopped over in New Zealand for a week on our way back to the States--no regrets there, but in retrospect we probably should have spent the time in Tasmania and saved New Zealand for another trip. Again, such tough choices!
We'll just have to go back, won't we?
About the packing dilemma--you're right about the layering. I managed to get everything I needed into a carry-on size bag. When I got back I made a list of what I actually wore, so my bag will be even lighter next time. For the colder weeather I brought a hooded sweatshirt, a fleece pullover, a lightweight rain jacket, a pashmina, and also a cotton scarf that I could wear around my neck or as a shawl (that was indispensable). I didn't need anything other than these pieces to keep warm. For the warmer areas it was t-shirts of various sleeve lengths and a couple of light cotton blouses, along with a khaki skirt, capris, and black cotton slacks that served me well at night. I also brought a black skirt but never used it. (I also packed a swimsuit.) Everything was in the same general color scheme so it was easy to mix things up. It worked for me!
Aug 9th, 2008, 09:59 AM
#24
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This is a sweet little blog I just discovered...written by a couple who moved from the US to Darwin about 9 months ago. They have visited some of the places you will be going in and around Darwin, so thought you might want to check it out.
http://boxshapedworld.blogspot.com/
http://boxshapedworld.blogspot.com/
Aug 10th, 2008, 08:18 AM
#25
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aprillilacs:
Thanks for all of the insights. I'm glad that you enjoyed your time at Uluru--and didn't feel that 3 days was too much. I know that we will definitely feel rushed in Alice Springs. But it just couldn't be helped; I've already stretched our 4-week trip to 5 weeks (I switched out Kangaroo Island for Tasmania, and then of course couldn't really see just going there for only a couple of days).
And thanks for the packing advice. I hadn't thought of the scarf. That's a great idea. I will definitely include that. Did you bring actual hiking boots? We are planning to, because we will do quite a bit of walking--it's just that they're so big! They take up half a carry on!
andrewdavid: I think I'm going to assume that all grubs taste alike--no need to try another! Although, if ozzie ones are cooked somehow (or even just no longer alive), I might be willing to sample that! Maybe nicely seared with a bit of olive oil?
LynAK: I enjoyed that link. Thanks!
Thanks for all of the insights. I'm glad that you enjoyed your time at Uluru--and didn't feel that 3 days was too much. I know that we will definitely feel rushed in Alice Springs. But it just couldn't be helped; I've already stretched our 4-week trip to 5 weeks (I switched out Kangaroo Island for Tasmania, and then of course couldn't really see just going there for only a couple of days).
And thanks for the packing advice. I hadn't thought of the scarf. That's a great idea. I will definitely include that. Did you bring actual hiking boots? We are planning to, because we will do quite a bit of walking--it's just that they're so big! They take up half a carry on!
andrewdavid: I think I'm going to assume that all grubs taste alike--no need to try another! Although, if ozzie ones are cooked somehow (or even just no longer alive), I might be willing to sample that! Maybe nicely seared with a bit of olive oil?
LynAK: I enjoyed that link. Thanks!
Aug 10th, 2008, 04:14 PM
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I didn't take hiking boots, and I didn't wish for them while I was there. We did LOTS of walking/hiking, and I was just fine with sneakers. I took brown ones, which looked good despite the dust! I also took Teva hiking sandals, which did double duty on our kayak trips and at the beach, and a dressier pair of sandals for restaurants, etc. That was it, and it certainly sufficed.
