Australia’s Northern Territory has a big reputation to live up to.  Having spent a year travelling the entire continent and hearing nothing but good things about the Top End and its numerous National Parks, I decided to save this part of the huge country until last.  Now that I was here, I could hardly wait to see what all the fuss was about.  My mother had joined me for this part of my trip, and admittedly, we were both slightly nervous about the five day tour I had booked, as it involved camping. But the Top End’s highlights are all about nature, and there is truly no better way to experience the Northern Territory’s National Parks than to immerse yourself in them.  Adventure Tour’s 5 Day Top End Safari seemed to be the perfect way to explore this highly praised portion of the country.  I’d travelled with Adventure Tours before and liked everything about them; from their prices, tour guides and itineraries to their small group philosophy.  Day One We meet the tour group in Darwin very early one sunny morning in July.  Immediately, any fears my mother had about being “the oldest one” on the tour are put to rest.  Our group consists mainly of older couples near my mom’s age, a single gray haired lady travelling on her own, and only three people who are younger than my 31 years of age.  Celia, our energetic (even at 6 a.m.) tour guide, rounds the group onto the bus and talks nearly the whole way to Litchfield National Park.  Our first stop is Florence Falls and Celia makes sure we have our swimsuits on before we start the short hike to the first of many waterfalls.  Even though it’s winter in Australia in July, the heat up here rivals any Canadian summer I’ve experienced.  As we walk down the rocky path, sweat drips down my forehead, but I don’t mind; this is my kind of winter. I can hear the falls roaring already, and soon enough we arrive at a viewpoint.  I’m standing taller than the top of the falls and can see the water pouring over the reddish rocks and crashing into a pool of still water about ten stories down.  Besides this one open spot, the rest of the area seems to be covered in trees.  When we arrive at the waterfall, I postpone any photo taking until I can cool off.  The pool at the bottom of the falls is surrounded by slippery rocks, but everyone in our groups makes it into the chilly water for a dip.  I swim up to the base of the falls and feel its spray on my face. By the time we return to the bus, I’m hot and sweaty again, and pleased to hear Celia tell us that the next falls aren’t far off.  Within minutes we arrive at Burley Rock Falls, and although they are not as tall and powerful as Florence Falls, they are beautiful in a different kind of way.  Burley Rock Falls is a series of small waterfalls cascading over rocks that cover a gently sloping hill.  Every few metres the land flattens out and the waterfalls fill rock pools before flowing down the next slope.  We spend about an hour exploring the pools of deliciously chilled water before Celia leads us back to the bus. After lunch we have a longer drive to our afternoon activity - crocodile spotting on the Mary River Wetlands. When we arrive, I note the “Caution, Crocodiles” signs posted near the water.  As we climb onto the flat, metal boat, I eye the water cautiously, but my fear doesn’t stop me from taking a seat at the edge of the boat:  I just make sure I keep my arms and legs safely inside! As we glide along the thick stretch of calm river, the guide fills us in on the differences between saltwater crocodiles or salties, and freshwater crocs, or freshies.  All I really need to know is that salties are much bigger and more dangerous, whereas freshies, apparently, don’t attack humans. Still…. Not long after we leave the dock, the first saltwater crocodile is spotted sunning itself on the river’s edge.  I can barely make out the five foot long shape amongst the thick greenery that lines the river, but our guide sees it immediately.  He brings the boat closer and all the tourists stand up with a collective, “Ah!” Before we get too close, the croc senses our presence and slips into the water without a sound.  As we drift down the river, a group of wallabies near the water attracts our attention.  A crocodile sleeps nearby, and I wonder briefly if crocodiles eat wallabies. Within seconds, a pure white egret lands within feet of the crocodile’s mouth, and National Geographic unfolds right before our eyes as the croc jumps up and snaps at the bird.  He misses, but to see that sort of action in the wild has our hearts pumping nonetheless.

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We arrive at our campsite in the dark, but I’m pleasantly surprised to find a screened-in eating area, proper bathrooms and tents that far surpassed my camping expectations.  Each tent is built on a wooden platform with two bunks on each side.  There’s not much room, but I’m quite happy to be sleeping on a hard surface, up and away from any creepy crawlies, because let’s face it, Australia has plenty of those. 

Day Two
Day two of the tour finds us on the road again, heading straight into the heart of Kakadu National Park.  A World Heritage Area, Kakadu National Park is one of the rare areas that have been listed for both cultural and natural heritage.  Rare plants and animals, and protected habitats form the basis for the natural heritage listing.  The cultural aspect comes mainly from the presence of Aboriginal rock art.  The National Park is home to one of the best and most extensive collections of rock art in the world.

Our first stop is the Ubirr Rock Paintings.  We walk for about five minutes before reaching the first site.  A huge cliff to our right is covered with brown, red and orange markings.  They look primitive, but their presence attests to the intelligence of their creators.  As we stand under the shade of a single tree, Celia points out hidden meanings in the drawings that would have completely escaped my eyes.

She tells us that the best way to date the drawings is by what they represent.  She points to one picture of a man with his hands in his pockets and a painting of a ship, and explains that these drawings were completed after the Aboriginals had contact with white men.  Another representation of the extinct Tasmanian Tiger or Thylacine, dates the paining to at least 4000 years ago when these animals still roamed this part of the country. 

We walk for about ninety minutes, stopping at other art sites, and seeing detailed drawings of turtles, wallaroos and fish.  A short climb brings us to rocky lookout that gives us unbeatable views of the Nardab floodplain.  It’s the dry season, so there isn’t much water left, and as far as my eyes can see, grass of the greenest shade covers the land.  Celia tells us that part of Crocodile Dundee was filmed here, and I make a mental note to rent the movie when I get home. 
We pay a quick visit to the Bowali Visitor Center which sheds even more light on the Aboriginal people who have inhabited the area for thousands of years, their way of life and how they live off the land.  And then it’s time to do a bit more of exploring on our own.  The walk to the Barramundi Gorge Plunge Pools that afternoon is the toughest yet, but the views at the top are worth it.  We walk along the lip of a small gorge, with little waterfalls and perfectly shaped swimming pools beckoning us from the bottom.  The climb down is treacherous in my bikini and bare feet, but the cool water makes it worth my while.

Because the water is so deep here, cliff jumping is safe.  I watch the braver ones jump about five metres into the deep pools, but decide to give them a miss.  Just to prove to myself that I’m not a complete wimp, I scramble up to the smallest ledge and contemplate jumping into the tiny, dark pool.  The problem here is not the jump – it’s only about two metres, but getting out might prove to be difficult.  The pool is completely enclosed by rock, and to get out, I’ll have to swim down about two metres, and swim out through a hole in the wall. 

I watch four people jump and exit effortlessly, and decide to jump before I lose my nerve.  That’s the easy part.  Once I’m in the pool, I can see only the sky and the two poor souls who will have to coach me out of my watery prison. “Stick your feet down along the far wall, you should be able to feel the hole,” Chris, one of the younger men on our tour, advises. 

“I can’t feel anything!” I yell back, thinking that if the hole is farther down than I am tall, we’re in big trouble.  Chris’s next advice is to swim as far down as I can and open my eyes.  He’s positive I’ll see the big patch of light and be able to swim through, but by this time I’m panicking and all I get is a big lungful of water.  I can hear Celia and some of the others hollering from the opposite side “Are you okay? Do you want us to come and get you?”

No, I want to be able to get out myself.  I’m a certified scuba diver, and a bone fide water lover.  I am not about to get rescued from a tiny pool.  Chris jumps in with me, and we swim down together, where I finally manage to open my eyes and see the patch of light he was talking about; its there, just a lot deeper than I thought.  I take a huge breath of air, swim down with all my might and head for the light.  Mere seconds later, I pop out the other side and am greeted by a round of applause.  We spend some time lounging in the pools and soaking up the sun before heading back to camp for an early night.  On the way, we stop at Yellow Waters to watch the sunset.  It goes down in history as one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen.  Egrets fly across the orange sky as the calm water ripples from the batting of their wings.  No one speaks until the sun has disappeared below the horizon. 

Day Three
Australia’s Top End really has only two seasons; wet and dry.  The best time to visit Kakadu is during the dry season, which runs roughly from May to October. On the way to our first waterfall, in a 4WD vehicle extraordinaire, Celia tells us that the wet season has run late this year, which is actually good for us.  She stops talking for a few minutes as she maneuvers the 4WD through a puddle of water covering part of the sand road; the water is so high that we have to lift our feet as it starts slopping in through the doors.  This is one of the disadvantages of extra water in the dry season, but when we arrive at Twin Falls, one of the most famous waterfalls within Kakadu, the advantage of the extra water is obvious.

We’re standing in a valley completely surrounded by rock cliffs.  A river runs to the right, complete with the usual signs warning of crocodiles in the area, and directly in front of us is Twin Falls.  The top of the waterfall is so high that I have to tilt my head back to see where the water starts its rapid descent.  Two separate streams of water cascade down the black rock, but the water is almost transparent white as it tumbles down into the river below.  Where the other falls had thick torrents of water, Twin Falls has a thinner, spread out flow of water, making it seem more delicate than the others.

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Coincidentally, this is night we get to sleep under the stars.  There are no tents at Gunlom Falls, so we get to sleep in swags.  A swag is basically a one-man tent with a built in mattress . A canvas cover zips over your sleeping bag to keep you warm and dry. It’s really quite comfortable. But the best part is the stars.  As we lay around the campfire that night, all tucked up in our swags, I don’t even want to close my eyes and sleep.  The stars are so bright and look so close and I know they’re better than any dreams I might have.  I even forget about snakes.

Day Four
In the morning, we hike up to Gunlom Falls.  We swim across the small pool and lean against the rock wall where the waterfall gently massages our backs.  From where we sit, we can see the water drop off the cliff and disappear out of view.  After a long drive, we finally arrive at our destination for the day; Katherine Gorge. After lunch at a picnic table surround by kookaburras, honey eaters and huge, soaring kites, we embark upon another cruise.  As we glide down the river, the reddish walls of the gorge surround us, providing a passageway into the unknown.  It’s stunning.

Day Five
On our last morning, I decide to take part in one of the optional parts of the tour – a helicopter ride over Katherine Gorge.  On the boat, we were only able to see two of the 13 gorges, but the helicopter takes you to the top of the 13th gorge.  Before we get in, we have to decide if we want the doors on or off.  In hopes of getting better pictures, I opt for doors off, while some of the others want theirs on. 

As soon as we take off, I’m accosted by the wind.  I mentally curse myself for my decision, but once I get used to my skin, hair and clothing flapping in the forceful wind, I’m glad of my choice.  I have incredible views of the 13 gorges.  From up here, I can see how the river has gouged out the long gorge, and the cliff walls which looked so big from the boat, look miniscule from up here.  The pilot swoops down for a closer look at some water buffalo running wild on the plains, and gives us a closer look at a waterfall on the way back.  This ride offers a much more comprehensive view of Katherine Gorge, and even though I’m tremendously wind swept and slightly trembling from fear of falling out of the helicopter, I’ve enjoyed every second of it.

On the way back to Darwin, we stop at Edith Falls for a final swim.  I luxuriate in the cold water as I know it will be a long time before I’m swimming in the midst of one of the world’s most renowned National Parks.  Still, that doesn’t stop us from heading straight to the Best Western on our arrival in Darwin.

My wife and I finally made it through the lengthy, nerve-wracking hassle of immigrating to Australia . . . largely because we were fortunate enough to find one of the top five immigration lawyers in Australia, David Stratton. I was so thankful for making it through the ordeal that I vowed to do what I could to help others who wanted to migrate to this beautiful country. So I approached David with a proposition: that we create an e-book that delivers answers to the most frequently asked questions about migration to Australia . . . and that provides a clear, concise explanation of everything you need to know about immigrating here.!  And that´s exactly what we did - Everything You Need to Know About Immigrating to Australia