Newsletter 30, August 2007

It's now more than 20 years since I did a walk in Kakadu where I happened across something that was so amazing it left me on a high for days. It's still there and I'm going back. Read on.

In This Issue...
A Magical Moment

Those of you who are regular bushwalkers would have your own stories of magic moments. My single most magical moment happened over 20 years ago in Kakadu. I was one of the teachers accompanying a group of high school students. We got to a small waterfall on a little creek I was visiting for the first time. I decided to go exploring upstream while the others had a swim. I walked through a nice patch of monsoon forest and there it was, something I had never expected to find.

It was a truly magical spot, awe inspiring in a way that I've never found elsewhere. (You might find similar places in other parts of the world, but it is one of a kind in this type of landscape.) No photo could ever do it justice, so I won't put one on the website. Nor will I try and describe it. It is better when it is so unexpected.

Over the years, I've taken many groups there. My next visit will be on Kakadu Highlights No. 8 which begins on 26 August and runs to 8 September. The trip consists of three separate sections, any of which can be done on its own. My magical spot is on section two.

It's a small group, so far only three clients. I expect to have a trainee guide along so participants will have more personal attention than we can offer to larger groups. I'd like to share the experience with a few more people and save some money for those who agreed to pay extra to guarantee departure for only three.

Special Offer. 25% discount, maximum four more people. No other discounts apply with this offer.
The Most Laid Back and Relaxed Trip We Offer

Kakadu Highlights No. 12: 25 October - 2 November
This trip combines one of the nicest, most relaxed walks in Kakadu with a day and night on a houseboat on the Mary River. It's a trip I really enjoy so I've guaranteed the departure for a small group and will lead it myself.

The main walk will be in the Graveside area. This is an area full of cascades and waterfalls, of deep shady gorges and fern-lined pools. We've even got the best natural water slide in the park. If you'd like to see more photos, have a look at our Kakadu Circle No. 1 photo gallery and scroll down to days 14 to 16.

The houseboat is a completely different experience. We cruise slowly along the Mary River, watching the hundreds of birds that line the river banks and enjoying the changing scenery around us. Those who wish to try their hand at catching a barramundi have a chance to do so. Camping on a houseboat on the water will give you the coolest night of the trip.

Special Offer. 15% advance purchase discount, applies to the next three people who book. Our normal membership and past client discounts apply as well.
The Wet

I've been extolling the virtues of walking in our wet season for years. The link in this paragraph says far more than I can put in a short newsletter like this. Have a look and see just how different the reality is from what most people believe.

Some of the wet season trips require advance preparation. Our Kakadu Super circle No. 1 which begins on 13 January can't run unless we have put out a food drop in November. If you think you might like to do this trip, you should start thinking about it now.

The 2008 wet season trip which excites me the most is the Bungle Bungles in the Wet: 17 February to 1 March 2008. Two people from the UK who did our last New Year in Kakadu trip liked it so much that they want to come back and do this one. Two other people have booked as well so it's definitely going to run. It's true that it will be hot and that it will be humid, but it will be spectacular! Our Bungles in the Wet Photo Gallery gives you a hint of what you can expect.

If you fly to Darwin in peak season, you often can't get really cheap airfares. If you fly up in the Wet, the prices can so low they're almost unbelievable. Our newest airline is Tiger Airways. They've got direct flights from Melbourne for less than $100. Jetstar is matching Tiger's prices. If you get in early, you're going to be a big winner on the cost of the flights.
Climate Change or Just Strange Weather?

The previous section tells you what the wet season should be. Our dry season should be ideal for walking. I began the early June newsletter with the following.

"The DRY is here. We are enjoying weather that's just about as good as it gets, cool (not cold) nights, warm (not hot) days. low humidity and clear blue skies. Why not come up and see what makes our dry season so special."

Little did I know....

The climate records for Jabiru go back 31 years. A single rainstorm in June dropped 100 times the monthly average. (This sounds much more impressive than it was. 100 times an average of 0.1 mm is only 10 mm.) In the Kimberley, things were rather wetter.

June rain in the Kimberley is rare, but not unheard of. When it happens, you get a day or two of rain and it's over. At least that was what used to happen. Large areas of the Kimberley copped six consecutive days of rain this June; 50 mm fell on our Drysdale No. 1 group on one night.

The cloud was so low and so extensive that light aircraft couldn't get out of Kununurra for two days. Our Drysdale 2 group couldn't get in and our Drysdale 1 group couldn't get out. Those doing both trips were out of food. What could I do? The weather cleared from the west so I was able to charter a helicopter from the Mitchell Plateau to get to the group and ferry them all to Kalumburu where they enjoyed a dry bed and a warm meal. Our normal perfect weather was back the following day and the rest of the Drysdale Expedition went well. I wish I could say the same for my bank balance. Helicopters aren't cheap.

We've been offering wet season trips for 22 years. No wet season trip has ever finished late because of the weather. We've now had two dry season Kimberley trips finish late: a King George charter in late May 2004 and the Drysdale No. 1 trip this year. Climate change? Have you got a better explanation?

Wet or Dry, I've always carried at least a lightweight fly for shelter. Something like a plastic painter's drop sheet weighs only about 100 g and costs next to nothing. We now strongly recommend that anyone doing a dry season walk in the Top End or Kimberley carry at least that as an emergency shelter.
South America -- It's Happening

When I sent out my last newsletter, we didn't have the bookings we needed to run the trip. The last couple came in and the trip is on. See our Patagonia trip notes for details of what's on offer this year. The most likely start date is 2 December.

See our Patagonia photo gallery for pictures of some of the places you'd visit on this trip. But note, the gallery includes photos of places we won't be going to this time and doesn't include photos of others we will visit.
Arctic Adventure

We have two arctic trips on offer next year.

  • The Western Arctic Spring: March 2008 trip is a repeat of the trip I did in 2006, short walks in southeast Alaska combined with ten days on dog sleds in the Yukon. If you'd like a better idea of what it's like, see the photo galleries.
    Southeast Alaska, March 2006
    Yukon Dogsled, March 2006
    Everyone who did the trip thought it was fantastic. We've had a couple more expressions of interest since the last newsletter, but this trip takes a lot of organising. We will have to cancel it if we don't have at least four deposits by 9 September.
  • High Arctic Summer: July - August 2008. We are considering two possibilities
    • Hiring a car and doing 1 to 5 day walks in the Yukon and along the Dempster Highway
    • Baffin and Ellesmere Islands. We'll charter aircraft and get as far as 80º N if we do this. If it runs, it will cost at least $10 000 in total and we'll be doing at least one walk of 10-14 days.
    The trip notes have been completely revised since the last newsletter. Please have a look if you think you might be interested.
    Both of these have people who want to do them. (The Baffin-Ellesmere option has slightly more so far.) We can't do both. Have a look at the web page and see if you might be interested in either one. Whichever goes, it is likely to be the only time we ever run it.
Our 2008 Program and Prices.

I like to think that our trips offer value for money. However, I also feel that many of the trips are quite expensive and about to get more so.

Time or money? Many of the trips use helicopters to cut down on the driving time and/or the amount you have to carry. Helicopters are expensive and getting more so every year.Our Mitchell Plateau No. 2 where we fly in both directions and use helicopters is almost double the price of Mitchell Plateau No. 3 where we fly one way and don't use helicopters at all. On the Drysdale trips, if I had planned to use helicopters from the beginning, the price would have been close to $1000 higher.

What do you think? Value for money? More helicopters? More driving? Have you got any other suggestions for trips we should offer or drop?

Your comments and suggestions would be a great help in working out next year's program.
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