Newsletter 27, February 2007

Rain, rogaine and Africa again. Read on and find out why this is going to be a very special year. If you click one of the links below, please be patient as some are a bit slow.

In This Issue...
Rain, rain and more rain

Compared to this time last year, we're doing well.

  • In January 2007,
    • Alice Springs got 8 times the rain it got in January 2006.
    • Watarrka got 10 times the rain it got in January 2006.
    If they get more, this will be an especially good year for a visit.
  • In the first seven days of February, Darwin, Jabiru and Katherine all had more than half the rain they recorded in all of February 2006.

You can see the last 13 months rainfall on the Met Bureau website at Met Bureau NT Charts
From that page, click on the relevant letter for the weather station, then on the particular station you want to see.

The Met Bureau website has a map comparing January's rainfall to the average. This shows that most of the Top End received average rain while much of the Kimberley and Central Australia were well above average.

Sadly, despite the good rains, our last wet season trip with space available in 2007 left on 7 February. It's already time to think about 2008. We already have three people interested in Kakadu Super Circle No. 1: 13 January - 2 February 2008. If they confirm, we only need one more to guarantee departure.

Australian Rogaining Champrionships

For the first time ever, the Austrailain Rogaining Champtionshops will be held in the NT. They will be held near Alice Springs on 28-29 July.
In addition to the roagine, two orienteering events will be held in Alice Springs during the week before the rogaine.
Want more?
The second week of our Macdonnell Ranges trip begins the day after the rogaine finishes.
Our Watarrka (Kings Canyon) trip begins the following Sunday.
Both trips get you off the beaten track and take you places you might not be able to get permission to visit on your own.

Last Chance for southern Africa

Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and South Africa by 4WD and foot: 28 February - 16 April
We still have one place available on this amazing trip which includes five nights in the Okavango.
If that's too soon, you might want to check out our September trip to South Africa.
Have a read of one or both and see why we have such a high repeat rate on our Africa trips. (Five of the eight people on the first trip have been to Africa with us before.)

Amazing April -- Now or Never

Last year we had the wettest April on record. This year ... who knows.

Last year we had at least one trip running for the entire month. This year ....

At this point, we have bookings on only two April trips. Both are close but neither has the nunbers we need to guarantee departure. If you'd like to walk with a small group at a time when the waterfalls and creeks are all still near their wet season best, you should consider one of the following.

  • Kakadu Highlights No. 3: 8-21 April
    Section one is the only trip we offer on Dinner to Motorcar route, the best long distance walk in Kakadu south of the main road. Section two gets you to beautiful Koolpin Gorge long before the road opens for the Dry.
    Note. Although we've had six people express an interest in one or both sections of this trip, only two have made a firm commitment. Time is running out so we will have to guarantee departure or cancel the trip by the end of Monday, 12 February.
  • The Bungle Bungles and Osmond Range
    This trip is divided into three sections, any of which can be done on its own. There is a lot more water in the Bungles at this time then you'll find later in the year.
    Note. This trip will either be a definite departure or will be cancelled by the end of Friday, 16 February.
Magic May

My greatest regret this year is that I can't possibly do two of the May trips myself. May is when the tail end of the Wet turns into the Dry, a time when rain is very unlikely, when the rivers and waterfalls are all still flowing well. Kakadu Circle No. 1 is full but there are four other May departures which are either already definite departures or nearly so.

  • Mitchell Explorer: 14 May - 10 June
    What we learned on our first Mitchell Explorer last year will make this even better as we combine old favourites with a river system we will be visiting for only the second time. This is one of the best areas for Aboriginal art in the whole of the Kimberley.
  • Carr Boyd Explorer: 20 May - 2 June
    You begin with a boat across the inland sea that is Lake Argyle. The first week takes you through the amazing gorges of the southern Carr Boyds. After a helicopter food drop, you spend the second week exploring the northern range with its many waterfalls and pools.
  • Kakadu Highlights No. 4: 20 May - 2 June
    A dream come true at last? The second section of this trip visits what, from the air, appears to be one of the most interesting parts of Nitmiluk National Park. Aboriginal guides will explain the things you see in a way that non-Aboriginal guides could never do. In one form or another, I've offered this trip every year since I first flew over it in 1993. It's never run, but we only need one more booking to make it a guaranteed departure.
  • Kimberley Highlights No. 1: 27 May - 23 June
    This trip is divided into five sections, any of which can be done on its own. Together, they give you a taste of almost everything the East Kimberley has to offer.

Note. If you are interested in any of our other May departures, please get in touch with us as soon as possible. Trips with no bookings will have to be cancelled so the guides can make other arrangements.
Take a Walk in the NT's National Parks

It's here at last. All you ever wanted to know about where to walk in the Northern Territory.
Take a Walk in the Northern Territory's National Parks is the title of a new book by John and Lyn Daly. The book includes about 1000km of walk descriptions, access and camping information for national parks and reserves throughout the Territory. The walks include 63 Easy, 39 Moderate, 17 Hard and 9 Overnight walks. It includes track notes and planning details for the complete Larapinta Trail.

I've had a quick browse through the book and wholeheartedly recommend it. Even after 33 years bushwalking in the NT, I found a few things I didn't know about.

The Dalys have written a whole series of bushwalking guide books. Their home page lists all the books and gives links to a large amount of other useful information.

Of course, if you want to get really off the beaten track and go beyond the places listed in the book, you should consider one of our trips. The link at left will get you a four-page PDF listing all our trips.
Looking Further Ahead

We've already got bookings as far ahead as July 2008. Here are some trips which deserve a special mention.

Coming soon. I hope to add at least one more photo gallery before I head off to Africa. Have a look at the What's New page every so often to see what's been added or updated.
Naturally Books

I just received the latest catalogue from Naturally Books, a mainly mail order bookshop at Charles Darwin University here in Darwin. They specialise in books about northern Australia and have a variety of titles that might be hard to find elsewhere. As well as new books, they have a variety of sometimes hard to find second hand titles.

Special discounts -- combine them and save even more.

Book now and save! As in the past, if you are one of the first three people who quote this newsletter when booking any Australian trip within two weeks of when we sent it out, you will get an extra 10% discount on any trip where your total discounts are 10% or less. You'll get an extra 5% off if your total discounts are 15% or more.

Note. There has to be a limit. The maximum total discount on any trip is 35%.

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Best wishes to all.
Russell Willis