• Jemma Wilson

    NT Diary

  • When Jemma Wilson presented a week-long riding trip with her father and her husband Jon, travelling from Darwin in Western Australia to the Kimberlys in the Northern Territory. We knew she had all the elements for a monumental adventure and one that would be action-packed and full of fun.

    With no unsupported adventure riding experience but armed with Jemma's lengthy off-road riding expertise - seven International Six Day Enduros, twelve Australian Four Day Enduros, five years of Wolrd Enduro GP’s plus countless hours of motorcycling fun - her fathers "she'll be right" attitude and her husband Jon's moral support and backing. The trio set off to the starting point in Palmerston, just south of Darwin in the Northern Territory.

    Read along as Jemma recounts her amazing experience, highlighting some of the key points that you can follow on an adventure of your own.

     

    Day 1.

     

    Tuesday 20 July
    DARWIN – TIMBER CREEK (570km/26.1L)


    We left my friend’s house at Palmerston (just outside Darwin) a day later than planned. Dad arrived in Darwin on strong antibiotics for a massively swollen and infected middle finger on his left hand. He almost didn’t come up to Darwin, as he hadn’t slept for the past couple of days, and his finger was not in a good way. But he got himself on the plane and according to him, was ready to roll out on Monday as planned, but we decided to hang around another day and give the antibiotics more time to do their thing and give him a good nights sleep.

    So, Emma sent us off with a belly full of scrambled eggs, and we smashed out kilometres of bitumen. We stopped at Katherine for lunch and spotted some thrown knobs off our tyres. Apparently, we had selected an incorrect tyre for the riding that we were doing. 

    We were lucky to spot the missing knobs on Dad’s and Jon’s bikes in Katherine where there was a well-stocked moto shop. They had three tyres that would do the trick and got it all sorted in minimal time. 

    We pinned it West to Victoria River which was a nice change of scenery. The red cliffs were breathtaking after all the hours of not a lot (although to be fair, I’d never been to the Northern Territory so all the scenery was still new and great to look at for me). It was so hot by the time we got to the Victoria River Roadhouse, so we had an iceblock and got asked to work there (free board and food if anyone's keen) and then onto Timber Creek.

    We refuelled, got some water for the nights dinner and did our G2G border passed to get into Western Australia. 

    Kimberley’s here we come!

    We pulled into a rest stop ten kilometres west of Timber Creek and were directed to a good spot on the river by the hosts, set up camp for the first time and made some dinner. We thought we might have a little wash in the river, but Jon and I were deeply petrified of saltwater crocs so we stayed smelly. Dad went a little way in, and we thought he was dead for sure! 

    We checked our emails to find that, unfortunately, we were not able to cross the border. Entry denied!

    "Western Australia had recently made Queensland a moderate risk and if we entered, we would have to quarantine for two weeks. We applied for the border pass again, just in case I did something wrong in my hurry. But sure enough… we were unsuccessful. What to do…???"

    STUPID THING SOMEONE DID

    At Victoria River, Jon was looking for his lost gloves. Looking and looking, turns out… they were in his helmet, that was on his head. We noticed a finger sticking out the front.

    Jon’s excuse: "We are five hundred kilometres in and it’s hot!"

    SPOTTED

    Water buffalo
    Wild pig and piglets
    Black cockatoos
    Bulk roadkill
    Eagles and kites
    Anthills dressed as people
    No crocs

    STATS

    Darwin – Adelaide River 100km/4L
    Adelaide River – Katherine 200/10.4L (130km/h)
    Katherine – Victoria River 190km 7.7L
    Victoria River – Timber Creek 80km 4L

    Day 2.

     

    Wednesday 21 July
    TIMBER CREEK – BULLITA HOMESTEAD (158km/5L)


    First-time pack up was great. Our little tent is a ripper! We also weren’t eaten by crocodiles overnight, which was a real bonus, I think. We have officially been denied access to WA, which means that the trip we planned cannot happen… but I’m sure we’ll find something to ride here in the NT. We’re right next to Judburra/Gregory National Park, so we decided to start there!


    We had the most rad day! Finally, hit some dirt! We filled our fuel bladders this morning and they’ve gotten us through the Bullita Stock Route and back to the Bullita Homestead and campground. 

    We went three-wide on the bigger dirt roads so that no one had dust and I rode with Jon all day. Sometimes Dad went out front, but the man needs reigning in, so other times we slowed him down by putting him at the back. Haha. The stock route was one hundred kilometres of proper rocks, bulldust and creek crossings. We stopped at Dovers Rest for lunch, turned the bikes off and rolled down to the creek to try to see some crocs, but nope.

    Oh and… first crash was had... by me. Riding over flat rocks in a big river crossing, I thought I’d go a slightly different way and dropped the big girl – caught on camera too!  Overall, it has been a really great day and we’ve done some very cool riding. Thanks for the denied access WA, we're having a blast. 

    The campground was really quiet and just up the road from a historical homestead. We actually found a sneaky cold shower in one of the outbuildings. Yay us! Dinner, Monopoly Deal, a cuppa and bed for us all!

    P.S. I hate my pillow (it’s a $4 love heart cushion from Kmart).
    P.P.S I won all the Monopoly Deal.
    P.P.S Donkeys are loud!! They made the craziest noises all through the night. 

    STUPID THING SOMEONE DID

    We’re ready to roll out of our lunch spot and Jon puts his goggles on… upside down. 

    Jon’s excuse: "We’ve just adventured through the craziest rocks i've ever ridden..."

    SPOTTED

    Five donkeys
    Huge bull
    Jabiru bird
    Pink galas
    No crocs

    STATS

    Timber Creek – Bullita Homestead 58kms 2L
    Bullita Homestead – Bullita Homestea via Bullita Stock Route 100km 3L 

    Day 3.

     

    Thursday 22 July.
    BULLITA HOMESTEAD – LUPAYI CAMPGROUND (175km/6.5L)


    We did another loop-ish today. Because we can’t get into WA we are still kind of deciding what to do, and we think we have a plan. 

    We also did some cool riding again today. Bulldusty, rocky, dry creek crossings and interesting twists and turns out of Gregory National Park, via the Humbert Track, to Yarralin. Yarralin is an Aboriginal Community that we stopped into to refuel, get water and grab some lunch. 

    Anyone would think we’d been in the wilderness for weeks the way I was stoked to eat some fresh watermelon. We were heading to Top Springs, but the guy at the General Store told us Jasper Gorge was worth a look. So, we headed up, back towards the Victoria Highway and Timber Creek. To be honest, the gorge was average but Dad did swim again which brought on a nightmare at 3am where Dad was savagely eaten by a croc.


    The road back up to the Victoria Highway was the Buchanan Highway and it blows my mind that a dirt road with rocks, washouts and dips can be called a Highway. The Northern Territory really is rather remote. 

    "We had a good dinner and made friends with the neighbours who offered us a shower. YES PLEASE! And slept well. I’ve sorted out my pillow drama, only minimal donkey noise (they were further away tonight than last night) and it was cold overnight. Perfect for sleeping."

    STUPID THING SOMEONE DID

    I guess… Dad and his ‘she’ll be right attitude’ when it comes to crocs.

    SPOTTED

    A mega cool whirly wind that went super high up into the sky!
    No crocs

    STATS

    Bullita Homestead – Yarralin. 100km 4L
    Yarralin – Jasper Gorge. 75km 2.5L

    Day 4.

     

    Friday 23 July
    LUPAYI CAMPGROUND – KATHERINE GORGE (330kms/8L)


    We were up early this morning and packed up ready to ride out as soon as it was light enough. We wanted to get as much of the riding done before it got too hot, however, the morning ride was COLD! Which was a nice change from the yesterday afternoon heat. It gets flipping hot in the afternoons up here. 


    We pinned it along the remainder of the Buchanan Highway to Victoria Highway, three wide, so no dust. Then two hundred kilometres back along the bitumen to Katherine. When we arrived, we got some (non-dehydrated) food, phone service and went to the info centre to make some plans. We were contemplating heading to Gove Peninsula, but after talking with some people, we decided seven hundred kilometres of red corrugated road, one way, would not really be that fun. 

    Dad recommended a tourist day at Katherine Gorge. He went up the Gorge forty years ago on his solo trek around Australia on a road bike and said it was one of the best things he did (what he could remember of it anyway). So, I’m writing this from Katherine Gorge camping area. It’s busy and the first time we’ve paid more than $12 for camping, but we’ve got a pool, bar, phone service, pizzas and a washing machine. So, one night of camping at tent city won’t hurt us. And we’re booked in for a two-hour Gorge Tour on a boat tomorrow. 

    STUPID THING SOMEONE DID

    No one did anything silly

    SPOTTED


    More donkeys
    Mangey dingo (not like the beachfront dingos of Fraser Island)
    Dead donkey
    No crocs

    STATS

    Lupiya Campground – Katherine. 300kms 8L
    Katherine – Katherine Gorge. 30kms 

    Day 5.

     

    Saturday 24 July
    KATHERINE GORGE – UMBRAWARRA GORGE (121kms/6L)



    We had a casual morning waiting for our boat tour, chilling out and eating at the Gorge Café. No sleep in for us, as Dad decided he’d roll up his little self-inflatable air mattress in the dark. There was a ‘bush-doof’ on somewhere close by, and Dad didn’t sleep much so he thought he’d wake the ravers up early... but that also included us. Haha! Being in a flimsy little tent, and Dad with no tent at all means that you cannot sleep in a busy place like the Katherine Gorge Campgrounds. I really missed my sprinter van last night. 

    The Gorge was MINDBLOWINGLY MAGNIFICENT! So so so brilliant. Natural wonders are truly the best! And we got to swim without the deathly fear of crocs. 

    By the time we got back from our tour, we were gearing up in the hot part of the day to ride onto our next stop, we were aiming for Kakadu National Park. We stopped in at Pine Creek for fuel and water and were told by a young fella about a little gorge just up the road that we should head to. It was already 5pm so Umbrawarra Gorge it was. 

    It was a really fun thirty kilometres sitting three-wide to the Gorge. We arrived at the campground, and I was sure that the guy had stitched us up. We set up camp and made our way up the kilometre walk to where you can swim. And… there was no stitch-up. It was so beautiful. 

    To have pretty much desert, dry, hot, barren land for hundreds of kilometres and then these brilliant gorges is spectacular!

    We had a quick Mi Goring dinner, a few games of Monopoly Deal, which Dad won… WHAAAAAAT!

    And then, the best sleep so far!

    STUPID THING SOMEONE DID

    I stopped to fix my saddle bags in the middle of the bitumen road, overbalanced and dropped my bike. Jon came running to help pick it up and left his goggles on my bars. I then attempted to put both pairs on. 

    SPOTTED

    1 x sea eagle
    100000 flying foxes
    1 x turtle
    Heeeeaaaaps of fish
    And wait for it…. 7 freshwater crocodiles

    STATS

    Katherine Gorge – Katherine. 30kms
    Katherine – Pine Creek. 95kms
    Pine Creek – Umbrawarra Gorge. 26kms 6L

    Day 6.

     

    Sunday 25 July
    UMBRAWARRA NP – JIM JIM FALLS (270km/13.5l)



    Up and at ‘em to get to some 4WD tracks in Kakadu before the heat. But… Mary River Roadhouse, where we planned to top up fuel and fuel bladders was temporarily closed. It looked like Jurassic Park 2, when everything was all closed and grown over. So we had to ride past all the Southern 4WD tracks to get fuel at Cooinda, which consequently looked like Jurassic Park in the first movie, when everything was new and flash in the middle of the jungle.

    So our plans changed once again, and we decided to head into Jim Jim Falls. Dad rode through the Kakadu National Park all those years ago, but never got to the falls as that road was too rough for his road bike. He was very wary of how busy it would be but happy for us to head in there for a swim in the arvo and the night at the camping area.

    And… you have to go to Jim Jim Falls!!!!!!! It was breathtaking - waaaaay at the bottom of the creek, where the walking track starts, and as you get closer and closer to the falls it just gets better and better! I don’t care who you are, you will be awed by Jim Jim.

    We got a little confused about where we were allowed to swim and ended up swimming where we could have been eaten. I feel that the salty croc trap off to our right should have been a dead giveaway. But other than that potential of being savagely ripped to shreds and drowned, it was an AMAZING ARVO! The best part of the trip so far!

    The track in and out from the campsite to the Falls was a tonne of fun too! Sandy and lots of water crossings. If only it were longer than ten kilometres. We also removed our bags and left them at camp, so no luggage for the round trip!

    The campsite was a cracker. It even had grass, but holy moly it was HOT! I was alright, as I don’t really feel the heat (I super duper feel the cold though) but Jon barely slept a wink and Dad (with his no tent) spent the night in a battle with mosquitos.

    STUPID THING SOMEONE DID

    Jon was riding close to me to get a little bit of footage of me riding. And… I soaked him! Proper! With thick red muddy water.

    SPOTTED

    Water buffalo
    Brilliant bird life
    No crocs – thankfully!

    STATS

    Umbrawarra – Cooinda 190km/8L
    Cooinda – Jim Jim Falls 80km/4L

    Day 7.

     

    Monday 26 July
    JIM JIM FALLS – FLORENCE FALLS (451km)



    Holy macoroly the temp is out of hand. This is winter?? It was hotter yesterday afternoon and last night than we get at home in the height of summer. Sleeping was rough. But I did a good job of it. Dad and Jon… Not so much.

    We got up in the dark, packed up and were half way back along the red dirt road to Kakadu Highway before the sun peaked it’s head out from behind the stunningly red cliffs. We pulled into Jabiru for some fuel - for the bikes and for us! Fat Sams at the Golf Course was a gem. I thoroughly enjoyed a T2 New York Breakfast Tea, with milk!

    Back on the bikes and along the Arhnem Highway towards Darwin. I just know that Jon was looking at the Darwin signs and imaging aircon and a comfy pillow… but alas. He stayed with us!

    Every single bridge we crossed, both Jon and I slowed down and stood up and looked for crocs… AND IT PAID OFF!! I saw a big salty swimming against the current in the South Alligator River. A few kilometres later, we turned into a little-used 4WD track to old Jim Jim Road. 

    It was sixty kilomtres of variations of sand, bulldust, whoops, open stuff… straight-up awesome.

    Then three wide again along the red corrugation back up to the Arhnem Highway. We were only on the highway for a few kilometres (with a stop at the Bark Tavern for a parmy) and then turned into an even less used track. Some may have been scared off by the No Entry signs, but they technically weren’t for the gazetted road. They were for the Boral Quarry and the Station, which we were not going to. Without Dad, we wouldn’t have made it… and even then, I feel there was some luck involved. There were so many branches, forks, turn-offs and gates, but we got exactly where we wanted to go. Only to find ourselves locked in. But, Dad found a spot where could easily unwrap a few wires, sneak the bikes under and redo the fence good as new. We were out of water, and bloody hot too, but it was an adventure!

    Fuel and water at Bachelor, then onto Florence Falls. The camping grounds were full, so we stopped at a day-use area for a swim and never left. We’d been geared up for ten hours and it was dang hot, so Florence Falls (unbeknown to us at the time) became our final camping spot on the trip.

    STUPID THING SOMEONE DID

    Jon followed Dad and I into the unknown.
    I suppose we could argue he was silly for doing that everyday though. 

    SPOTTED

    Blue winged kookaburra
    Loads of cool birds
    Head of little wallabies with beautiful faces
    A BLOODY SALTWATER CROC!

    STATS

    Jim Jim – Jabiru 102kms/4L
    Jabiru – Bark Tavern (via Billabong 4WD Track and Old Jim Jim Road) 167km/7L
    Bark Tavern to Florence Falls (via ‘who knows’) 182km/8L

    Day 8.

     

    Tuesday 27 July
    FLORENCE FALLS – DARWIN (163kms/7L)



    We woke up in the dark again. Not because of the heat - although it was another scorcher of a night and Dad, once again, lost his battle with the mozzies. We were up early to pack up from the day-use area before we got into trouble. 

    Then we strolled to the falls. WOW! They are really something. We went for an early morning swim, and we were the only ones in the pool and under the falls. It was a wonderful way to start the day.

    We also had a little team meeting and decided that this would be our last day riding. We were going to head down a 4WD track from Litchfield National Park to Daly River and back up it again, with a stop or two at some of the falls and attractions, then onto Darwin for some luxury!

    We turned into the 4WD track. Decided who would go first etc. etc. Then two hundred metres in came across a murky river crossing, six hundred plus centimetres deep. I was NOT keen to head into the croc-infested waters. Did you know that Saltwater Crocs are attracted to the sound of engines?

    Dad, however, decided he’d head through…

    He got a few meters in, and dropped into a wheel rut. Probably saw his life flash before his eyes and turned back.

    So, there you have it… one hundred and sixty or so kilometres of bitumen back to Darwin. We booked into a Hilton, hired electric scooters, and had some beers/ciders and celebrated a trip that, although was not what we had planned, was one to remember!

    STUPID THING SOMEONE DID

    Dad's trip through the deep murky water might take the cake with this one. 

    SPOTTED

    No Crocs

    STATS

    Florence Falls – Darwin 162km/7L

    Disclaimer: We have no unsupported adventure riding experience. Dad did a ride around Australia in his 20’s (the 80’s) on a road bike but he has the most ‘she’ll be right’ attitude that his experience doesn’t count. If it were up to him, we’d have ridden into the wilderness with nothing but the clothes on our backs, some nuts, seeds and teabags and a sleeping bag each.

    I have done a tonne of riding. 7x International 6 Day Enduros, 12x Australian Four Day Enduros, 5x years of Wolrd Enduro GP’s, bulk trail riding and rode from Cairns to the Cape in 2019… so it’s not the terrain that I’ve got no experience with, it’s the carrying everything you need. I knew I could manage whatever obstacles we came across but packing for nine days of riding and camping and carrying it safely was utterly new to me.

    Then we’ve got my husband Jon. Poor Jon (this is something that gets said a lot in my circle). Riding for more than two days in a row was not something Jon had ever done before. He had also never ridden his new Husqvarna 701 before we rode out of Darwin fully loaded. And the icing on the cake; Jon is not the camping type, nor does he handle the heat. My hat truly goes off to Jon for allowing me to drag him along on this adventure!

    Until next time.

    - Jemma Wilson