Darwin 4wd tracks???

Submitted: Thursday, Jul 10, 2003 at 23:11

ThreadID: 5916 Views:11709 Replies:1 FollowUps:2

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Hardy

Hi all

Does any one have any good sugestions for serious off road tracks in the northern half of the top end.

Cheers Hardy

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Reply By: Member - Willem- Friday, Jul 11, 2003 at 12:06

Friday, Jul 11, 2003 at 12:06

G'day Hardy,
Most of the serious tracks which we did in the 70's and 80's are now included into National Pqrks.
Don't know if you can still go this way. Drive to Adelaide River township. Take Dorat Road and turn off to the Rubbish Dump. Follow that track past the dump and follow through till you find the river again. Now make your way over the river and stick to the left hand escarpment. Find a way to drive up the escarpment. Took us two hours to do 200 metres. Once on top the country is reasonably flat but there are lots of trees. Look for the source of Robin Falls. Now head south and make your way towards the Daly River Road. Drop in to Ida Hot Springs for a soak.

If you can get access through Tipperary Station and cross the Daly River there is good track that leads to Collah Tin Mine. You may return via Oolloo Crossing if you can find the track.

Then there is Depot Creek on the Stuart Highway. Turn off through the scrape and follow your nose due west to the top of the Douglas River. There is a nice flat piece of rock on the river that one can slide down when the water is running over it. Lost quite a bit of skin there once sliding down the rock with a can in my hand:-)

There are lots of mining tracks in and around Hayes Creek and Cosmo Howly Mine. There is also a rough track from the Fergusson River bridge along the river to numerous campsites. This area could still be boggy, even in July. Another good track runs from just past Claravcale Crossing on the Daly River to the east and eventually meets up at the junction of the Katherine and Daly Rivers. From there you can also access Flora Falls and Kathleen Falls.

Hey, I don't know how much has been closed off since I was there last in the late 90's. Good luck.

AnswerID: 24685

Follow Up By: Hardy - Friday, Jul 11, 2003 at 22:11

Friday, Jul 11, 2003 at 22:11

Thanks willem

I have done most of the tracks you have mentioned. Unfortunately some of them seem to be on some sort of tourist road map. What you call ida springs almost always seems to have a caravan there now.

Fish river through Tipperary is v. good. Was too scared to swim in Collah water hole (too spooky)

Oolloo crossing is all but impasable until at the very end of the year.

Funny you mentioned slidding down that rock in Depo creek. I did the same with the same results!!! We must think alike

I don't know of this Fergusson track and will have to investigate

I will let you know how my fitzmaurice trip goes

Cheers

Hardy

FollowupID: 16641

Follow Up By: Member - Willem- Saturday, Jul 12, 2003 at 18:23

Saturday, Jul 12, 2003 at 18:23

Hi Hardy,
Yep, the good tracks are hard to find. Yep, Collah Waterhole has sometimes had a rather large resident Saltie.

Pity your family do not own Gimbat any longer. Did a memorable trip to the headwaters of Jim Jim Creek in the wet season through Gimbat and on to the top of the Arnhemland Escarpment in 1977. There used to be a couple of wings off an old DC3 plane lying out in the scrub. Did another trip around 1979 past Big Sunday and Sleisbeck Ruins through the Katherine and up to Snow Drop Creek to a magical unnamed place. Saw some fearsome freshwater crocs and some stunning paintings.

There are a few back tracks into Kakadu. If you can get past Moline Mine and find a track that skirts Mary River Roadhouse, then you can get into some very nice country on the northern bank of the Little Mary River. I see that Katherine Gorge NP borders on to Kakadu NP but that the area to the west of the park boundary is still part of the mining leases. There are some interesting tracks in there. The original track into the Mary River spot was just north of the Mary River crossing on the Kakadu Highway but NPWS buldozed the entrance some years ago. Check out Mt Evelyn Map 1:250,000 Topo.

FollowupID: 16672