Exploring the Wide Open Spaces of Australia’s Northern Reaches, Part 2

After a quick visit to a ranger station, we get the code to a combination lock that grants access to the Western Lost Cities—an enormous rock formation well off the beaten path in remote Limmen National Park. The access track is slow going, with sandy seconds, dry sandy riverbeds, and plenty of corrugations to rattle our teeth. I aired down to 22psi all around not so much for added traction, but instead to dampen the vibrations and make travel easier on man and machine.

Formed roughly 1,500 million years ago, these giant sandstone pillars were part of an ancient seabed that cracked and split as it was exposed. Millions of years of erosion from wind and water have carved the incredible pillars, which defy belief. Each pillar is a stunning display of various colors caused by the mineral deposits in the sandstone and millions of years of sun exposure. We spend hours wandering around the entire site, discovering hidden aboriginal rock art, caves and beautiful trees and roots climbing all over the rock.

Putting the drone in the air, I simply couldn’t believe my eyes. We had only been able to see a tiny fraction of the formation, which is many miles in length and width. Leaving the stunning formation at sunset, we saw a herd of wild water buffalo on the track, another terrible Australian tale of an introduced species turned feral that now wreaks havoc on the native plants and animals.

Ivanhoe Crossing

After a quick resupply in Kununurra just over the border into Western Australia, we set out early in the morning to checkout one of Australia’s most infamous river crossings. At Ivanhoe, the Ord River cascades over a kind of curved concrete dam wall, and concrete blocks mark the edges of the driving surface. At this time of year the water is no deeper than a foot, although it is flowing fast enough that I concentrate carefully. Putting a tire wrong would result in a very bad day, especially given the river is teeming with man-eating crocs waiting below for any wayward fish or four-wheel-driver.

With low mountains in the background and Boabs on the water’s edge, the scene was spectacular and inviting, and I had to constantly remind myself this is not the place for a swim. I was also not sure about the group of locals standing on the bank fishing. The crocs are a constant concern, they say, but the fishing makes up for it. I think it helps to be nuts.

“… we have explored well over 3,000 miles on remote and dusty corrugated roads to see stunning natural wonders, plenty of beautiful wildlife, and more crocs than I care to count—both freshies and salties.”

After promising we wouldn’t give up the location, a local told us about a nearby “secret canyon” full of waterfalls and swimming holes, and so we immediately set out to explore. The access track has a few river crossings that lap at the hood, and a couple of loose rock scrambles that require low range 4×4, though as usual we know Hiluxes and Rangers are making the drive, so it is nothing the Gladiator can’t handle easily.

The canyon and surroundings were everything we were promised, and we spent an entire day swimming and climbing all over the waterfalls in the hot sun. The elevation changes and rocky waterfalls mean there should be no crocs to worry about, and I was very happy to not see one for the entire day.

The Mighty North

We spend a week resupplying and doing odd maintenance jobs in and around steamy Darwin—a city that feels more like Southeast Asia than Australia, which makes perfect sense given we’re only a stone’s throw from a dozen other countries.

Reflecting on our time across the top of Australia, we have explored well over 3,000 miles on remote and dusty corrugated roads to see stunning natural wonders, plenty of beautiful wildlife, and more crocs than I care to count—both freshies and salties. Though we are months from the peak of summer, the heat and humidity have been intense, and the red earth has taken on a special hue that makes sunsets brighter than ever before. All of this combined with tropical fruit, natural hot springs, waterfalls, and monster lizards made me feel like we’ve been exploring some exotic land far from where I grew up in southern Australia.

While the distances are huge, the rewards are equally as big across the top of this enormous continent.

ABOUT THE WRITER

Join adventurer Dan Grec on his expeditions around the world on YouTube and Instagram @TheRoadChoseMe.