Day 25: From Cooinda to Pine Creek

Today we had a hearty breakfast at the hotel before we set off again.

Unfortunately, the rangers at the information center had informed us that the two places we wanted to visit today - Maguk and Gunlom, were closed. So we quickly replanned and decided to drive to Jim Jim Falls. Even though they would have little water at this time of year, there was a swimming pool below.

So we hit the road. Jim Jim Falls was accessed via a gravel road about 50 km long, marked as 4WD. No problem with our Mitsubishi Outlander. Or so we thought. The road resembled the Mereenie Loop and we made good progress. It had apparently rained a bit at night, so there wasn't much dust at first. However, that changed over time.

After about 40 km, we reached the Karnamarr Campground. From here, the road became significantly more adventurous.

After another 3 kilometers, we unfortunately had to stop - the road was too worn out and also led through a deeper water hole. We didn't trust our vehicle to handle both without risking significant damage.

So we reluctantly turned back and drove the good 40 km back.

In hindsight, we learned that most rental cars are not allowed to drive on this road. Although it was no different from the Mereenie Loop until the last few kilometers.
Back on the Kakadu Highway, we marveled at the huge termite mounds on either side of the road. Some were over 2m tall.

For lunch, we stopped at the Gungurul Campground's picnic area. Since it was again hot at 30°C, the motivation for further activities was rather low. We only took a short walk to the East Alligator River, which at that point had no water.

The next stop was at Ikaymarrwa Fall. Here, there are rock pools for swimming. We enjoyed them thoroughly, including the natural rock slides.

After this refreshing break, we continued to Pine Creek. There, we checked into our accommodation for today at the Pine Creek Railway Resort. The layout of the bungalow was a bit unusual - the bathroom serves as the connection between the living kitchen and the bedroom. During a short walk through the rather quiet town, which today only seemed to consist of the small resort and a campground with a bistro, we learned a bit about the town's history. In the late 19th century, it was a significant railway station due to the gold rush.

In the trees on the main street, hundreds of flying foxes hung, making a lot of noise.

For dinner, we used the grill right in front of our cottage.

For the statistics:

Accommodation: Pine Creek Railway ResortDriven: 298 kmWalked: 6 kmWeather: cloudy at 33°C