Surprise Visit

Two weeks ago, I got a surprise text from a friend, Lava,  that she was coming down to Darwin with her two kids. She had planned to visit Darwin between 10 - 18 April and only told us on April 5. To be fair to her it was a sudden trip since the flights were on offer as well.

Anyhow, Sang and I had already planned an Easter trip to Katherine and Mataranka. Fortunately, Lava had not planned anything for that weekend and was up for the joining us on the trip down. We were disappointed though that Usof (husband and friend) was not able to join us in Darwin as he was teaching and unable to get leave. Besides, the long weekend in Singapore was 3 days as opposed to the 4 days in Australia.

We received Lava and her two kids on Monday morning at 5.50am and dropped them off at our apartment to freshen up and catch some sleep. As it was a sudden booking, Lava had already booked her accommodation for the first four days of the trip. The good think about living in Stuart Park was that we were close to the city and so was her accomodation. About 5 min drive to be exact.

Ice cream at Trampoline

They spent the first 4 days exploring Darwin on their own as Sang and I were unable to get leave off work. Midway through the week, we received a text from Usof with info that he was indeed joining us for the long weekend. It would be tremendously hectic for him considering that he had to fly down to Darwin, follow us on a roadtrip to Mataranka and back and then fly back to Singapore all in a span of 3 days. But I guess it would be all worth it for him to spend some time with his family on holiday.

We began the long drive to Mataranka on Friday morning at 7.45am. After multiple stops, we eventually reached Bitter Springs in Mataranka at about 2pm. Once there, we realised that Bitter Springs was not the most conducive place to be sitting in when you have two young kids without floats. Aiden was barely 5 and Emma was 1.5 years old. Both Lava and Usof had a tricky time clinging on to Aiden and Emma, who were having so much fun in the water, while hanging on tight to the rail at the entrance of the thermal pool.

A Night's Stay at Katherine Motel

Having said that, the water was really warm. I can't give a temperature but it was warm to a point where you almost feel like you are perspiring in the water. And for some unbeknown reason, the water was crystal clear and extremely blue. It was really interesting considering that bottom of the springs were filled with algae and weird looking plants and weeds. It was almost freaky to be honest and I kept thinking I was going to step on an unsuspecting freshwater croc. I am not sure if I would go back to Bitter Springs again anytime soon. It was quite a drive and given Darwin's hot climate, a thermal pool wasn't probably the best idea to start with. Maybe it would be a better option in the dry.

Scenery while driving

Katherine Gorge

The next day, we visited Katherine Gorge in Nitmiluk National Park. Sang and I did the cruise while Lava, Usof and the two young ones went for the thirty minute hike up to the viewpoint. Was the cruise worth it? Probably not. To do justice to Katherine Gorge and to really experience its splendour, you must hike up the gorge and camp overnight. The picnic grounds were nice though and it was an interesting sight to see the hundreds of bats hanging in the trees in pretty plain sight.

Staying tight

With Katherine Gorge out of the way, it was time to head towards Buley's Rockholes. That meant at least 2 hours on the road. Add in some stops and we were looking at a journey of not less than 2.5 hours. Welcome to Australia.
Here's a screenshot from Google Maps to put things into perspective.
We arrived at Buley safe and sound although I felt like I needed intravenous coffee. Thankfully, Buley, as it always is, was just the perfect reprieve that all of us needed after a total of almost 10 hours of driving in 1.5 days. The refreshing gush of spring water massaging our backs was exactly the type of therapy needed to remind us why we make such arduous journeys after all.

Katherine Gorge to Buley Rockhole

Termite Mounds at Litchfield

Hydromassage well and truly settled, Lava and Usof had to convince their two aquakids that it was time for us to make the final journey back to Darwin. Thankfully, Buley was only 1.5 hours away, which seemed like child's play after the incredible mileage we had covered. We event squeezed in a mini birthday celebration for Lava that afternoon. Choice of location was Grill'd ofcourse.

Fun at Cullen Bay

Back in Darwin, it was a quiet night in as Usof was departing for Singapore in less than 12 hours. Talk about a short holiday! However, we certainly hoped he had enjoyed himself. Besides, being with his lovely family would always mean that it was worth it after all. While the aliens emerged during twilight to create crop circles (and act as inspiration for M. Night Shymalam's next Hollywood flick), Usof, Sang and I headed to the airport to send Usof off. The thoughtful father did not want to disrupt his sleeping kids at 4am in the morning

Waterplay at Casuarina Square

The next two days, we brought Lava and kids to the jumping crocs cruise, Fogg Dam, Windows on the Wetlands. Some mandatory shopping at Kmart was done and Aiden and Emma finally got to soak themselves at the water feature in Casuarina Square.

All in all, they managed to see a large part of Darwin. Although a visit to Kakadu did not materialise, we are pretty sure that they will be back for more! After all, the NT has so much to offer in terms of nature. We had a fantastic time catching up with all of them and will see them in Singapore when we visit in June.