Day: 059
Date: Saturday, 29 August 2020
Start: Jabiru
Finish: Mary River Wilderness Retreat
Daily Kilometres: 141 (click for Julie's Strava and photos)
Total Kilometres: 6117
Weather: Hot, sunny and breezy
Accommodation: Tent
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Peanut butter & pita bread
Lunch: Trail mix
Dinner: Soup, macaroni cheese, ice-cream
Aches: Nothing significant
Highlight: As we neared the South Alligator River around 9am, but sometime before we reached it, we could smell its damp swampy aroma, and then, suddenly, the forest ended and we were crossing its vast, mostly treeless, floodplain. The river itself, which was bordered by trees, was wide, opaque green, and flowing strongly northwards. We had a look for crocodiles, but couldn't see any, though there were some clear tracks up the muddy bank into the undergrowth in one place. It was interesting to see the same river we had taken our Yellow River sunset cruise on two days ago, completely transformed as it neared the sea.
Lowlight: The only two roadhouses along our route today were closed because of COVID-19. We weren't counting on them being open, but it would have given us some cold drinks and food options on another hot day's ride.
Pictures: Click here
Map and Position: Click here for Google Map
Journal:
Having had another late night, by our standards, we slept in a little and didn't leave our Jabiru campground until 7:15am. Our goal for the day was the Mary River Wilderness Retreat, 140km to the west along the Arnhem Highway, and we were hopeful that at least one roadhouse along the way, the one where we hoped to buy breakfast, would be open.
Most of the first two hours riding was through dry woodland, with the occasional dried up creek crossings, and a couple of recently burned sections which we could see (and smell), two of which were still smoldering close to the road. Later in the day, when we looked back along the highway, we could see a plume of smoke rising on the horizon. Maybe the fires we had passed were worsening.
We reached the South Alligator River (see above) around 9am, and a couple of kilometres further on, the South Alligator Roadhouse. It was disappointingly closed, though was clearly still being looked after, with sprinklers watering nice lawns outside. We had been hoping to buy some breakfast, and maybe lunch to take with us, but settled for a break on the grass in the shade. While we rested, the roadhouse owner came by and had a chat, telling us he planned to reopen soon (but too late for us!).
Back on the road it had become hot with a fickle wind that was mostly from behind or across, but occasionally against. The roadside was cleared of vegetation for a good margin on either side, meaning there was zero shade, and we baked as we rode, going through our fluids quickly. Along the way, we exited Kakadu National Park, marking the end of a superb visit.
Fortunately, despite the conditions, we were making good time on the relatively quiet undulating road, and after a couple of routine breaks, and one more closed roadhouse, we reached the Mary River Wilderness Retreat around 3pm. We toyed with the idea of riding a further 25km to another roadhouse with camping and cabins (would have phoned first to make sure it was open!), but we were hot and tired and decided this was far enough.
We checked in, asking whether they had any cabins available (they did not), and settled for a grassy tent site. The place is a little upmarket, and quite busy (Julie was told by another guest that Northern Territory (NT) residents are eligible for a $200 matching government grant for money spent on NT tourism, which may explain it), with spacious lawns, recreation facilities, bar and bistro, and bordering the Mary River, another we had crossed upstream in Kakadu when it was just a creek.
We were early enough to do laundry and for Julie to have a dip in the pool before microwaved dinner in the camp kitchen and a welcome earlier night.
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