• Does camping in the Northern Territory with your very own private waterhole tickle your fancy?  If so then Walker Creek in the Northern Territory's Litchfield National Park is absolutely not to be missed.

As the name suggests, the campsites are walk-in only. However, if thats not your thing don't be put off just yet. The hike is very short, with all 8 of the campsites being scattered along a 2km trail that follows the crystal clear Walker Creek, meaning the furthest site is still less than 2km from your car.

Each camp site has a table, water access and space for a tent or 2. Ours also came with a complimentary water monitor (a type of a swimming lizard). The creek is deemed croc-free in the dry season once it has been cleared, however as usual with all swimming spots in the NT it's best to be alert, but not alarmed.

You can walk along Walker Creek as a short 3.5km return day hike OR you can pop you name down on the blackboard on your way in and secure yourself your very own private campsite (complete with some form of plunge pool and maybe even a waterfall!).

All 8 sites are pretty spectacular! When we arrived there wasn't anyone else in any of the sites so we got to pick which one we liked the most. We chose site 3, which was our favourite due to the huge pool and small waterfall! There was also some shade which was nice during the day. Site 4 was also nice, and sites 7 & 8 were super private (at the very end of the trail).
Site 2 was probably our least favourite and also the least private as the trail walks straight past it (the rest are short side trips off the main trail).

For more ideas of things to do and see in the NT check out our 4 Week Northern Territory Road Trip Itinerary 

Nitmiluk National Park in Australia's Northern Territory is a real treat to outdoor enthusiasts.
With its variety of hiking and mountain biking trails, waterfalls, swimming holes and canoeing options it's pretty darn spectacular.

The park also hosts the famous 62km multi-day Jatbula trail. The trail can be completed over 5 or 6 days and books out months and months in advance. We were meant to do this hike at the end of August this year, however the trail was closed (for the first time ever) due to catastrophic fire danger. I was bummed, but it just means we'll have to head back another time. 

The park is split up into two main visitor areas; Leliyn (Edith) Falls and Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge. Edith Falls is 30km to the north of Katherine, where as the gorge is to the east of town. Both areas are accessible by all vehicles and there are campgrounds at both Leliyn (Edith Falls) and at the Katherine Gorge Visitor Centre, as well as plenty of campground options in Katherine town.

The Nitmiluk Campground at the gorge visitor centre is pretty pricey, at $23 per person for unpowered sites. They do have a pool and all the usual campground trimmings however, and at the time we stayed, free-to-use washing machines. What you're really paying for here is the proximity to the gorge and activities though which is very handy. If this is out of your budget though there are some cheaper options in town.

The campground at Edith Falls is far cheaper at $12 per person (there are only unpowered sites) and is a few 100 metres to the 'plunge pool' aka the giant swimming hole. Saturday nights at Edith Falls are pretty fun with opt-in well priced group meals and live music!

There are a couple of hikes here that you can do from the pool, both of which take you to a new and exciting swimming pool. Remember to start early in the day and take plenty of water as the temperatures here exceed the high 30's very regularly.

Leliyn Trail (Upper Pools) :
2.6km loop
This loop heads up and around the back of the main fall and takes you to the upper falls and pool. It then returns via the Bemang lookout.
The upper pools can be a little quieter and are a nice spot to spend the day.

Sweetwater Pools Hike:
8.6km return
This trail heads along the beginning of the upper pools hike before splitting off and following the Jatbula trail to the Sweetwater Pool.
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Nitmiluk National Park has over 10 stunning gorges. You are able to hike or canoe out to different areas and camp overnight. As well as hiking, there is a new network of mountain biking trails that was opened in July 2020. They are still under construction and when completed, will boast over 10km of trails through the park.

The hiking trails of the Southern Walks (the hikes at the Katherine end of the park) stretch out over lots of kilometres and all link up. The hikes all start at the visitors centre so depending on how big of a day you after you may need to camp out somewhere overnight to get to the furthest gorge (it's over 10km one way on foot if you take the shortest route).

A few popular day hikes are:

• Pat's Lookout
• Jedda's Lookout
• Butterfly Gorge
• Southern Rockhole 

We did a run one morning and visited all these spots in 15km, so it would be a nice day hike if you started out early!

Find a PDF from NT Parks of the Southern hiking trails ​here

Buckle up, this is an overview of our 4 day itinerary in Kakadu National Park and it covers a lot of ground. The park is spread over a huge amount of land, so resultantly there is quite large distance between places and a fair bit of driving time!

We'll cover waterfalls, wildlife and rock art, along with a couple of hiking trails thrown in for good measure.

It's also important that we mention our itinerary is by no means exhaustive. There are loads more campgrounds and things to do that we didn't get to. On our trip around Australia, we had our trusty little VW transporter which was wonderful, but not a 4WD which really limited some things we could visit in Kakadu. Head over to the Parks Australia - Kakadu website or more in-depth information on everything in the park.

First things first you'll need a Park Pass. When we visited (September 2020) entry was free due to COVID-19 and its impact on the tourism industry. The pass usually costs $40 in the dry season and lasts for 7 days by default, this can be extended to 14 days at no extra cost. 

​As always when visiting a national park ensure you check the parks websites for any warnings or closures. Trails can be closed for a variety of reasons including fire danger and extreme temperatures.

We visited Kakadu during our 4 week trip of the Northern Territory in August/September 2020. To see our 4 week road trip itinerary click the button below!

Like wine? and like riding your bike? Or perhaps you just like drinking wine and not having to drive a car. Whatever the reason you've ended up here we think the Riesling Trail has a little something to offer everyone. This post goes over our Riesling trail cycling itinerary along with the wineries we visited, the food we ate and the wine we bought! 

The trail is 35 km and runs from Auburn to Clare (or vice versa). It passes by a lot of great vineyards and wineries and passes through some beautiful countryside. Depending on the winery that you visit they may or may not charge for a tasting (usually around 5 wines). If they do charge, then they'll usually take the amount off any bottles of wine that you purchase.

Now we won't pretend that we're super knowledgeable about wine so we won't delve into the details of everything we drank. However, someone who is super knowledgeable about wines is our friend Chloe from Crush at Social. You can find her blog post on the regions best wines here.

Note: If you didn't come prepared with your own bike don't stress, you're not alone. There are a few bike hire places in town. We'd suggest hitting the visitor information centre in Clare and getting some info there!

First things first, you'll need somewhere to stay in the Clare Valley. There are plenty of Airbnb options available along the trail and in the towns it passes through. Or if you, like us, are camping then there are 2 good options that we checked out.

Our first stop was just down the road from the visitors centre. Shut The Gate Wines offers free tastings, and has a small goods store with a selection of meats, cheese, olives etc - everything you need for a picnic.

We purchased some 2018 "The Forager" Shiraz for $28. It is delicious.

Next up we headed to Tim Adams Wines. A tasting flight costs $10 per person and this $10 is taken off any money spent on wine (over a certain amount).

Worth noting is that they offer a wine and cheese tasting flight in which they match 5 artisan cheeses with 5 single vintage wines for $35 - this appeared to be pretty popular!

Here we splurged a little.
We bought 2 bottles, The 2016 Ladera Tempranillo ($40) and The Fergus, a blend of Grenache, Tempranillo and Malbec ($28). 

Next up we headed to Sevenhill Cellars. this one had been recommended to us by a few people, not only for it's wine, but also for its history and setting. Sevenhill Cellars was the first winery in the Clare Valley and there is a stunning church on the grounds, surrounded by vines. It's a pretty beautiful place.

Here again the tasting flight costs $10, but this is taken off any wine you purchase.

We bought The Inigo 2018 Malbec for $28.

Also worth a mention is Pikes Brewery. We visited here the day before our bike adventure and got a tasting paddle along with some hot chippies! The beer was great, we're told the wine is great and the setting is pretty special.

The Flinders Ranges are the largest mountain range in South Australia. Starting roughly 200km north of Adelaide at Port Pirie the range stretches for over 400km up to Callabonna. Given the vast area these mountains cover there are a lot of great spots to hike, run and explore so it can be kinda overwhelming deciding where to go, especially if you're short on time.

We visited the Flinders Ranges in a few spots and did a couple of great hikes. Our highlight however would have to be spending a few days at Wilpena Pound and exploring around there. There are hikes for all ages and fitness abilities

We stayed at Wilpena Pound Resort, and at $26 per night for an unpowered site - hot showers, coin laundry, IGA, camp kitchens, included on site we thought it was pretty good value. Apparently there is a pool on site too, although we didn't go looking for it as it rarely got above 10 degrees whilst we were there. Wilpena Pound was also in a wonderful location, close to plenty of trails for day hikes, as well as the super-long multi day Mawson and Heysen trails passing right through the campground here.

​There is also a large amount of national park campground available throughout the Flinders.

So far we've been super impressed by what South Australia has to offer and we can't wait to explore more of it!