ROAD TRIPPING THE BARKLY

In a rare turn of events I was let out of the office last week for a work related trip down to the wide open spaces of the Territory's Barkly Tablelands region. It's been an embarrassing number of years since I've been down this way.

BITTER SWEET

A couple of weekends ago I finally got around to heading down the track for a Territory-style minibreak. Though some may wonder why people living in the tropics would crave the experience of immersing ourselves in thermal pools, rather than say, waterfalls, the numerous thermal pools in the region are quite popular with both locals and tourists alike.

MAGNETISM

While termite mounds are a pretty common sight across the Territory, there are only a few spots where you can see the more unusual magnetic termite mounds. These occur only in open treeless plains and are aligned on a north-south axis to minimise their exposure to the harsh Australian sun. I've seen a few on private properties around Fogg Dam but the best place to get a viewing of these architectural marvels is in the very popular Litchfield National Park (about 100km south of Darwin, a popular recreational spot for locals and tourists alike).

TURKISH DELIGHT

One of nature's main signposts that heralds the onset of cool clear dry season days is the abundant and vivid florescence of Calytrix shrubs, colloquially referred to as Turkey Bush (after the bird, versus the country - despite the somewhat misleading title of this post). There are several Calytrix species across the Top End, with the larger, pink-hued flowers of Calytrix extipulata (pictured above) being the most visible. Common along roadsides in the less horticulturally manicured areas in and around Darwin, their scraggly overall appearance belies an exquisitely delicate spray of feathery blooms.

KINGS OF THE ROAD

Road trains are the most common forms of goods transport in Australia. Huge trucks cover large distances every week, and travel the length and breadth of the country.

BURNING SEASON

Every year from around May until July is when most of the annual burning is done in the Top End. Once a landscape that was managed according to a long and unbroken tradition by the indigenous peoples of this nation, these days it's more of a ramshackle affair that tries to tie in modern science, traditional knowledge, diverse land practices and the problem of increased fuel loads from invasive grasses.