Top End Travels - Ngukurr to Lorella Springs

It has been over a week of little or no internet access and for at least 8 days without phone access, even though I am with Telstra. During this time I have not been able to update my blog or pay my Telstra bill, I am now able to continue. It has been a most frustrating time with technology.

Sunday 26 May 2019 (B to C on the map)

We started our travels again today retracing our steps westward, re-crossing the Roper River out of Arnhem Land then turning south to see the old Roper River crossing at Roper Bar, originally a natural rocky bar in the river. We drove over and back and saw lots of Valisneria in the salt side of the crossing. Then we had a short time exploring the old police station ruins.

I walked back down to the river to see if the freshwater croc I'd seen as we crossed was still there. It was!

We then turned onto the Savannah Way and headed east along the south bank of the Roper River passing opposite Ngukurr.

Morning tea was at the Limmen NP camping area on the Roper River and were warned it was our last toilet for home hours and our last phone reception for a few days.

We passed a few beautiful waterlily ponds but far too quickly to photograph. The one I did get was as we slowed to cross the Little Towns River.

We took a detour to see the huge Towns River just after crossing it.

On through a lot of scrub country to the Limmen Bight River where I started to see Triodia.

We had lunch at Butterfly Springs, a beautiful waterhole. Unfortunately, although I saw a few Grass Yellows, Grass Blues and red-brown butterflies, the thousands that are usually roosting on the rocks in the shade were not there.

Our next stop was the Southern Lost City. This is amazing! Like a smaller version of the Bungles Bungles again but because we could walk through it, the scale was quite awe inspiring, in fact quite breath taking at every turn.

Karen found a sedge she had named, Cyperus microcephalus ssp saxicola, and we also saw Triodia, Grevillea and other unusual plants. There were butterfly pupae that we were told were from the Common Crow butterflies. They were covered in all sorts of plant bits to disguise themselves.

After arriving at Lorella Springs, Karen and I did our washing and strung it up in our rooms.

Then over to the bar for a beer and chat with Vicky (quilter) and Ross (photographer) from Gosford. Dinner was delicious corned beef. Our evening of chatter was cut short by the fact that the generator was about to be turned off for the dining area as the owners were retiring for the night. Back to our rooms to find our washing close to dry.