DARWIN, CAHILLS CROSSING & MANNGARRE JUNGLE WALK
CURRENT DARWIN FIVE DAY FORECAST
DRIVE DARWIN TO CAHILLS CROSSING
Darwin is the largest city and the capital of the Northern Territory of Australia. To the north is the Timor Sea. A population of over one hundred and fifty thousand. Darwin is the most northern of the Australian capital cities. Two seasons, wet and dry. It's the wettest and smallest capital in population.
During World War Two, Northern Australia was bombed approximately 100 times by the Japanese. To safeguard from air raids six underground oil storage tunnels were completed before the end of the war. The longest, Tunnel 10, 184 metres. The tunnels are open to the public. Tickets are available onsite. Tunnel entrance on Kitchener Drive. A great way to avoid the hot daytime sun and take in some history. Darwin flight time from Melbourne 4 hours. Sydney, 4 to 5 hours. Devastated by Cyclone Tracy, Christmas Eve 1974. 30,000 people of the population of 46,000 were evacuated to the southern states. Subsequently rebuilt into a modern city. Easy to drive about.
Accommodation in the Oaks Elan, Darwin CBD. Great view. Excellent service. Sign in room said never turn off air conditioning. Each floor level has natural flow through air.
Tims Surf & Turf restaurant. Since 1994. In a small street, 10 Litchfield Street, it’s one of Darwin’s favourite dining spots. Meals are big and reasonable priced. Tim is often on hand. Steak, seafood or crocodile. Your choice.
I remember my first visit to Darwin. A long solo drive from Victoria. A Sunday afternoon visit to the Nightcliff Hotel. Floor to ceiling chicken wire out front of the empty stage area. Patron's tossing the odd empty glass stubbie against the wire and a few small bar scuffles. All in early afternoon.
Cahills Crossing in Kakadu National Park approximately a three and a half hour’s drive east of Darwin on the East Alligator River. Sealed road. Bordering Arnhem Land. Australia’s most dangerous water crossing. I had been there twice before. Both times shortly thereafter fatal crocodile attacks had occurred. Popular fishing spot. Croc viewing platform. The Border Store is nearby for supplies and food. A permit is required to cross the East Alligator River into Arnhem Land. I was told, risk a spear thrown through the window if no permit is displayed and shown on demand.
Manngarre Rainforest Walk
Easy loop walk of about one hour near to the East Alligator River close to Cahills Crossing. I only partially did the walk. Along the riverbank. Meandering through a Monsoon Forest of scrub, vines and trees. Apparently home to the Scrub Fowl and the Drongo Bird. Metre wide crocodile mud slides frequent the river embankment. On a bend in the river on the opposite side of the river were flat outcrops of rock with large saltwater crocodiles motionless on top. Their jaws open in the hot sun. Would not want to do the walk in crocodile nesting season. No other people about. No dogs are allowed on the walk. I understand why with frequent crocodiles in the wild proximity. Dangerous to detour from the walking track. The track is not an elevated boardwalk. Only a cleared dirt walking track barely wide enough for two walkers side by side surrounded by scrub close to the river embankment. The forest floor floods every wet season.
Traveldriven
ENTER CLICK/TAP
CYCLONE TRACY, DARWIN 1974
DARWIN CBD BY TOURIST BIKE
DARWIN TUNNELS WORLD WAR TWO
CAHILLS CROSSING KAKADU
CAHILLS CROSSING, WORLD'S DEADLIEST
CAHILLS CROSSING GOOGLE MAPS
