I decided to hop on another Groovy Grape bus tour to take me from middle of Australia in Alice Springs past the Tropic of Capricorn north to Darwin. There was only 5 of us in our group and once again our nights would be spent sleeping outside in swags.
We saw more of the outback including another great sunset at the Devils Marbles (Karlu Karlu). The Devils Marbles are a strange place where giant granite boulders are stacked up on each other. Our first night, after exploring boulders we actually camped in a location that I can only describe as... behind a truck stop... hey, it's the desert, and they have a bar.
The next day after a few sight seeing stops including a stop at a wild 'authentic outback' bar we approached the in the Katherine region and our driver took us to check out local river. As we walked to the trail to the river we noticed the signs:
WARNING
"Freshwater crocodiles inhabit this area. They can become aggressive and cause injury if harassed."
"Saltwater Crocodiles can move into this area undetected. Attacks can cause injury or death."
Enter the water at your own risk.
We made our way to the river and dove off the dock (following our driver/guide) for a swim. Later that night, as the drinks were flowing our guide revealed an enlightening comment, "Wow, what a rush that was at the river - I had never been to that area before and had no idea if there were any crocodiles in the water." Pass me another drink please.The next morning we took a dip in thermal heated Bitter Springs (which maintain a constant temperature of 34 degrees Celsius) followed by a guided tour of Cutta Cutta Caves. About a couple hours before Darwin we had a great hike and spectacular swim at Edith Falls - swimming at the base of a waterfall! Then, off to Darwin.
