28.5.2007 Monday - Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory

The further to the countryside of Australia you go, the longer the roadtrains get.

While in the NT, I had hoped to visit Katherine Gorge, known for fantastic canoeing. However, when I called them on Sunday, I heard that paddling in the Gorge was forbidden due to croc warning until the beginning of June. The second best option was Litchfield National Park. The park had two beautiful and - stop press! - croc-free swimming spots in Buley Rock Hole and Florence Falls.

Still, Litchfield wasn't devoid of danger.

I also bought me an instrument from the Didgeridoo Hut, located in the innovatively-named village of Humpty Doo! It makes noises.

27.5.2007 Sunday - Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory

Kakadu consists of alternating rock formations and huge flood plains, filled with water and birds after the Wet. Yellow Water boat cruises are an excellent way to see some of the critters inhabiting the area.

Cormorants and darters were drying their wings in the sunrise.

Jacanas are also known as jesus birds because they walk on water, thanks to their absolutely humongous feet.

Spot the croc! (Not that it would've been too difficult: if you threw a stone in the river, you hit one.)

The most famous of the inhabitants of Yellow Water is the jabiru, but the most magnificent ones were the white-bellied sea eagles.

26.5.2007 Saturday - Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory

Well-preserved aboriginal paintings were all over the park, this one is from the main gallery of the Nourlangie Rock.

25.5.2007 Friday - Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory

Kakadu National Park may well be the most bold and beautiful of all Australian national parks.

Kites and eagles just loved the bushfires. They circled above the fire and enjoyed five-course dinners as distressed marsupials were smoked out of their holes.

The termite mounds in the park were abundant.

The weather was sticky at its best, but swimming was, of course, strictly forbidden.

24.5.2007 Thursday - Darwin, Northern Territory

The winter is coming and the nights in Brissy are getting cold, but in the Top End the weather was still hot and humid. To my surprise, the town of Darwin really is named after Charles Darwin, albeit indirectly: HMS Beagle was the first European ship to land here, and the captain named the port after that weird bloke who had sailed with the crew on their previous voyage. The town itself was named Palmerston some time after this, but the name had already stuck, so Darwin it was.

The next question is - who the heck designed these park benches in the Bicentennial Park?

13.5.2007 Sunday - Royal National Park, New South Wales

It's time for the biennial renewal of Setec's ten-year passport again! While waiting for the Finnish Consulate in Sydney to open, I went hiking to the Royal National Park, an hour and a half from downtown Sydney. The ferry to the park launched from the suburb of Cronulla.

The coastal track in the park had some extraordinary cliffs.

There'a a site with aboriginal rock carvings displaying various animals on Jibbon Beach. All carvings seemed to be in scale 1 to 1, including that of a killer whale! Couldn't photograph that one without a helicopter, though, so you'll have to settle for an image of two small kangaroos.

6.5.2007 Sunday - Flinders Reef, Moreton Bay

Went diving on Flinders Reef. The visibility was nothing to write home about and the currents were pretty vicious (on the second dive almost everybody had to be picked up...) but the turtles were abundant and I spotted both yellow and blue trumpetfish.

3.5.2007 Thursday - St Lucia, Brisbane

I never participate in draws, but I made an exception this time, as Brisbane Times approached me with an email. Didn't win, though - bugger!