Limmen National Park - remote NT and beautiful - what a privilege.

Next we headed back through Borroloola into Limmen National Park – only made a national park in july 2012. There is only one road from south to north and we knew it would be fairly rough and slow driving but we hoped it would be beautiful and good fishing. First night was at Batten Creek where Russ caught 2 sooty grunter – what fun. The rivers are such an oasis in the NT where the surrounding countryside is so dry and dusty. The creeks are clear, surrounded by paperbarks and pandanus and just glorious…and very photogenic.

 

After hearing all sorts of reports about Lorella Springs, we decided to try it for ourselves. It’s expensive but it’s fairly understandable when they have to drive 3 hours over very rough roads  to Borroloola to get even the most basic supplies and 6 hours to Mataranka. Rhett is the only son still on the property trying desperately to make tourism pay, helped by his lovely new French girlfriend who worked in hotel marketing in London. The whole operation is very friendly from start to finish, happy hour is fun to catch up with other travellers and hear about their adventures for the day and to pick up your freshly baked bread from Crusty Dick.

Our morning walk to Crystal Springs revealed more new birds than we’ve seen on any single walk yet. And it was perfumed by flowering wattle and big bright gum flowers – of course, bringing out more honey eaters than ever.

 

Our afternoon drive to Inkspot Waterhole was a short drive (compared to the 8 hour return trip to Rosie’s fishing camp and the many other long drives to the various waterfalls, water holes etc) and was a beautiful clean peaceful swimming spot. At Eagle’s Nest Billabong we hopped in the tinny left there for guests and paddled around trying to catch barra or whatever we could get. Spotted the large White Necked Heron among the waterlilies.

To avoid bashing our car around too much, we made another big splurge and took the heli-fishing option with a bit of sightseeing thrown in. My first ever helicopter ride – was I scared with only a flimsy seat belt between me and the wind rushing past at 180km/hour!! No doors and nothing to hang onto. And it was a windy morning – pleased to land or what!! We caught a few fish but apparently the cold water and poor tides were to blame for us not getting some bigger ones. The helicopter pilot landed on a 20c piece on rocks at a series of pools at an inaccessible (by foot) and then disappeared for us to have a peaceful lunch and swim. We then flew over the Southern Lost City – bit like the Bungle Bungles and fascinating. Formed by erosion of the softer rock between the remaining pillars of rock.

We then continued on the dusty track through Limmen National Park, stopping at the Southern Lost City to wander amongst the stunning massive formations and Butterfly Springs.

 

Butterfly Springs is named after the thousands of butterflies that hang out on the rocks at the side of the pool.