13.  The Territory continues to marvel, as sights are set on new territories further west.

Bundy Station covering an area over 500,000 acres supplied us with some great views of livestock of all sorts, plus a chance to refill with water after 5 days off the grid.
We also heard first hand how crocodiles don't take any nonsense from dogs, with a barking dog being lost to a croc after the dog got too carried away with barking and not concentrating on foot.  The dog and its owners learnt a valuable lesson about how quickly crocs can strike.

Laugh like nobody is watching

Become embarrassed when you realise they are. 

Bumper to bumper traffic
Bull bar required at the back

Why the long face?
Depression is a serious issue in many rural areas with often the final outcome for many being 1.2 to 2.4 times that of  urban areas.
Raising public awareness and education at school level are some of the campaigns attempting to bring the level down.
Lifeline 13 11 14
Beyond Blue  1300 22 4636

More than a face lift is required.
A family pet!

Backing up to clean those difficult to reach areas.

Bundy Station also had some other unique features.

Buffalo bar design for our next vehicle.
The buffalo bar used for encouraging buffalo to move from one paddock to another.
Horses and motorbikes are not used.

Cyclone proof windmill.
Almost a flush. (Four spades, just needed one more spade.)

Not out of Africa. Out of Northern Territory 

The Stymphalian Bird of Greek mythology.
They are man-eating birds with beaks of bronze (or rusting steel), sharp metallic feathers they could launch at their victims, and poisonous dung.

Edith Falls has a wonderful reputation for being the place to set up camp, and is generally booked out by late morning, with pre-bookings not being possible.
Hence an early start to cover the 180km to the park, booking in to a prime camping location just before 10am.

After swimming twice the 150m to the falls, we didn't try a third after hearing the ranger say that sometimes saltwater crocodiles can remain undetected for months, as well as going up to a year between meals.

Another sign mentioned to avoid swimming between 7pm and 7am due to feeding time.
 They are out there!!
It doesn't give much confidence, but makes for quicker swimming.

Blending in with the environment.
Note the left hand lifted. 

Beautiful plumage!!
The bird on the right had two suitors pushing it further along the branch to the right.
(We don't know what the birds are.  Any ideas please??)

The Gouldian Finch from Blog 11 in the Darwin Museum was superglued to the perch as exhibit No.8.
Exhibit No.40 at Edith Falls is more free spirited and could come and go at will.

A great walk to the top falls gave more security for swimming, with crocodiles apparently being unable to scale the falls.

One of the mid falls at Edith Falls

When Don offered to throw her camera to a Chinese girl on the central rocks near the falls to take a selfie.
She said he was hummus.
He was feeling like a thick paste, but didn't realise he looked like it.

Emergency call station. 
These are located in some remote areas of the park.

Our own personal emergency device, weighing in at 250g.
A great insurance policy for under $300 one up fee for up to 10 years.
Plus being able to be found anywhere in the world.
If all folk going bush and out to sea had one of these, millions of dollars in search and rescue would be saved.  

Didgeridoo Tree.
We once thought that more work was involved in making a didgeridoo.
(There is also a french horn didgeridoo)

Views from our campsite.

Pacific Baza (Crested Hawk).
What a great looking bird!
Nice vest!!

Green tree ant nest

Watching the grass grow with Portuguese man o' wars. (Blue bottles) 

A talk by the Ranger at Edith Falls highlighted the main changes to the animal kingdom is the way cats and cane toads are changing the balance.
Cane toads can kill a 4.5m crocodile, or any other animal or bird just by being eaten. Perhaps we should all be armed with fence palings with 4inch nails through the bottom to help with eradication. Don's cousins on the Sunshine Coast practice this type of pest control.

Cane toad turning Don off his early morning swim earlier at Bundy Station

Crows have worked out how to turn over cane toads and eat the non-poisonous parts, plus some animals such as quolls are being trained in laboratories, by being fed small amounts of cane toads in order to make them sick.  They are then let out in the wild in the hope that they will train their young to avoid.

Heading south west, we stopped at Timber Creek, which has a population of about 250 and a police district covering the size of Tasmania.
Here we took a boat trip down the Victoria River for some incredible croc, eagle and sunset sightings.
The far side of the river is the Bradshaw Military Training Area, encompassing an area of 8,700 km2. Quite an area to become lost in with many hidden dangers.

Relaxing in the sun, but ready to either slide into the water without a ripple, or simply explode into action. 

Acting cool

A toothy grin with ever watching eyes.

The tail looks every bit a prehistoric weapon itself.

Hawks and Eagles put on quite a show.
The  Eagle looked just as formidable as the crocs, showing the hawks very much who is boss.

Easy meal from the tray for this sea eagle. 

Little Eagle
The epitome of showing power and style.

The sunset over the Bradshaw Military Training Area was impressive, with the best show saved for our trip back up the river in the last rays of daylight.  The ranges are all army territory, used as a training ground.

The sun setting not over a mountain range, but a rifle range. 

Bradshaw Military Training Area as night approaches

The high speed voyage back up the river in the fading light was an absolute delight in looking over the stern of the 42 passenger ferry, being pushed along by 400hp of outboard motors.

Superb beauty above the waterline
Incredible danger below

Tranquility, except for the drum of 2 x 200hp outboard motors

The Victoria River is up to 1000m wide in some parts.
Suitable for decent size powerboats, not recommended for capsizing sailing boats.

Beautiful but dangerous

Having readied ourselves in carefully packing and refuelling and are all set to take on Western Australia.
The Northern Territory has been a great experience with great sights, beautiful vistas on sunset, warm winter and an outdoor lifestyle.
As good as it is to be given awards, we are grateful we haven't been awarded a Darwin Award during our time in the north.

Loaded and watered ready to leave the security of the NT for WA. 

All packed and set for our journey west with possibly one more stop to consume fruit and vegies before entering mighty Western Australia, which covers 33% of Australia.

Happy travelling wherever you are heading!!

Next time we should be in Western Australia.

Cheers, Don and Carrol.