Bush Tucker – the ancient plants that need to be discovered by the young people and Australians

Bush tucker can be from animals (kangaroo, emus, turkey, wallaby, snakes, lizards, etc), plants and fruits (wild orange, bush passionfruit, bush fig, bush tomato, bush banana, bush coconut, lemon myrtle, bush plums, bush onion-yalke, native lemongrass, bush yam-sweet potato, seeds and spices (wattle seeds, mulga seeds, ruby saltbush), insects (witchetty grub, caterpillars) or honey and nectars (honey ant).

However, because of the climate, some wild food/animals, which are not originally from the region have thrived in Central Australia’s desert, such as camel, dates, quandong, feral cat and bush honey.

Being there I could try some bush tucker and learn a bit about them with Kungkas Can Cook. Bush tomato, for example, is considered a treat, which is given to children, however, rarely are they found in the arid parts of Australia. Interestingly their growth is stimulated by fire to break the dormancy and germinate. As they don't grow in abundance the aborigines made a fruit ball to be hidden and stored for several years gave in little portions for their children (maybe it was the beginning of the protein balls! Haha). But it is not every bush tomato is edible and even for the edible ones a particular technique is used to eat them because most of them need to remove the poisonous part (or maybe this is the secret to keep us far from this delicatessen). For my taste buds it was bitter and reminded me of Vegemite (now I understand why Australians love this!). Bush tomato was the only “chocolate” some children got from the desert and they couldn´t keep away from this treat.

Another indulgence which is very difficult to find in the wild world is sugar bag - the honey made by 

Australian native stingless bees from the Western Desert. I got one from the Warlpiri tribesman who hunted it from wild nests. It’s real bush tucker. Even though sugar bar is a natural sweet substance originating from the nectar of flower like honey, it has its own special flavour, totally different.  It tastes like burned caramel with honey and propolis (it is also a little bit bitter, but enough to mix well with the sweet caramel). The flavour is out of this word and it’s a highly prized food for Aborigines who hunt it from wild nests.  

I also tried quandong the wild peach, saltbush dukkah, native salty herb, and wattle seed, which only germinates after bushfires and is a rich source of protein and carbohydrate in times of drought.

Next time I’m keen to try honey ants and a witchetty grub.

Honey ant is an ant that stores honey in their stomachs to share it with other ants when food is scarce. Because of their size, honey ants cannot move. Who tasted it say that is a very strong honey with lemon. Aboriginal women grab them from the nest into the ground.

Witchetty grub is a delicacy found in the roots of the witchetty bush. Women dig for them. Some people say that they taste like scrambled eggs and almonds.

I wish I could share this experience with every friend I have and this is the reason I am writing this post. If you have the opportunity to go there, do it and try as much as bush food you can. You will not regret it J. (more experience to be made in outback on this post). 

I’m happy to have Rayleen Brown from Kungkas Can Cook to share her culture and yummy bush food with me.

More information: http://www.alicesprings.nt.gov.au/living/plants

15 Things to Do in Alice Springs and Region

Today, Alice Springs is the main town in central Australia. There are heaps of things to do there and I couldn’t do everything I was planning to experience. Surrounded by a sea of red sand the size of Europe, Alice Springs attracted many famous pioneering characters. Alice Springs began its modern history as Stuart, a telegraph station on the Adelaide to Darwin line. Before that, the region was inhabited by Aboriginal people believing in an important figure there, the caterpillar (MacDonnell Ranges), amazing view from the airplane. I spent there only 2,5 days that wasn´t enough for me but and I can suggest some activities, such as:

1. Alice Springs Desert Park

Great for the nature lovers! It’s a huge area introducing to Central Australia - plants, animals, landscapes and people of the desert. There are more than 10 shows per day!  Every half hour you can learn more about the animals, aboriginal survival in the desert, kangaroo, dingo, etc. My favorite was the free flying bird show.

2. Reptile Centre

There are shows with the pet snakes, lizards, crocodile where you can give it a go to touch and work on your phobia. This park enables visitors to get up close and personal with these creatures. Due to the fact I am freaky about snakes, I could at least try to not die in front of one of them and it reduced my fear of them just a little bit.

3. Kungkas Can Cook

Since I arrived in Northern Territory I was keen to eat bush food and I asked everyone how I could make it until I found Kungkas Can Cook cafe. OMG it makes me crazy!!! I tried fruits, bush honey, seed and heard the history how to get them, etc. It was so much new that I wrote in another post about bush tucker. I wish I could share this food with every friend I have.

4. The Didgeridoo Workshop

The workshop occurs every day in the city and explains how to play in one of the world’s oldest instruments. I’ve been playing wind instrument since I was a child and I confess that didgeridoo is not as easy to pick up as I was thinking.  Trying to make different sounds, vocalizing, harmony and taking in the tips on the rhythm, it is definitely something that you really need to practice much more.

5. Earth Sanctuary

It’s an amazing experience to learn about the stars over our heads. I had the opportunity to see the moon, Saturn, Antares in a stethoscope and ask as many questions as I could about our space.

6. Araluen Cultural Precint

20 minutes walking from the city, there’s a huge area to experience the Art & Culture of Central Australia. The Museum of Central Australia, Aviation Museum, Theatre, Expositions, Sculptures are held in this area that provides an integrated visitor experience. You can spend all day if you want, how many things you have in just one area.

7. West Macdonnel Ranger National Park

I didn’t go there but sounds like an amazing spot to see. The ranges stretch over 640km running east-west through Alice Springs. It is 250km west of town with many spots to climb and swim. In the desert there are not too many areas where you can find waterfalls, natural swimming holes and lakes so it is worth it.

8. Trail

It is a challenging 242km trek from Alice Springs towards the West, along the spine of the range, immerse in chasms and gorges. It is one of Australia’s most spectacular bushwalking and trekking experiences. No public transport runs to this area. I didn’t do it, maybe next time.

9. Olive Pink Botanic Garden

This itinerary you can do by yourself with a guided book showing you every wild plant from the desert (now boast over 600 plants). Don’t expect to see a huge rose garden but a lot of desert bush that maybe you’ve never paid attention to.

10. Anzac Hill Lookout

I don’t know what makes the sunset in the outback look like the moon so I wholeheartedly recommend you to see it in every opportunity you have there. One spot in Alice Springs is the Anzac Hill Lookout where you will have a great view of the town and the surrounding landscape.

11. Gem Cave Jewellery

This store in the city specialises in Australian Opal. It is so beautiful that I recommend 10 minutes to see the colourful and shiny Opal and the different types such as black opal, white opal, etc., which a little stone can cost more than AU$20,000 (Opal is one of the 10 most expensive stone in the World).

Apart from this, there are plenty of activities that I didn’t have time to do. Alice Springs is a modern town rich in history, attractions and offers different tourism. Each place has its own story to tell, for example, a doctor who had saved the lives of those living in remote areas with his airplane.  There is also an innovative project, which makes it possible for children living in remote central Australia to participate in school classes called the School of the Air.

What do do near Alice Springs

When people decide to go to the Red Centre, the most common place to visit is Uluru and the rest is plus, including the city Alice Springs. But there are too many things to do there that you can save more time to exploring the region. Ok, let’s start with the most famous icon of Central Australia.

12. Uluru

One of Australia’s most true blue Aussie icons of the outback is World Heritage-listed Uluru. You cannot miss seeing the sunrise and sunset on “the rock”.

Before the journey to Uluru, all visitors are invited to visit the Cultural Centre where you can understand about the importance of this region for the local environment and aborigines.

Uluru/Ayers Rock rises 348 metres from the desert (higher than The Eiffel Tower), 3,6km in length with a circumference of 9,4km and it is believed that Uluru extends for 5 km below the surface (Uluru is like an iceberg where most of it is under the soil).

At different times of the day the colours shift constantly, from pink to blood red to mauve, and the sky reflects also an indescribable colours composing with the rock. Looking how one big rock is in the middle of nothing make me astonished of the powerful God who put something so special there.

Uluru from the airplane

In Uluru you can find a hollow and the very scarce permanent water hole where animals and aboriginal people can survive in the desert and this is one reason that this location is so important. The rock also has plenty of symbology and signal; the aborigines don’t allow you to take picture to not “discover” their secrets. The rock count a big story about that woman should look after their children and have the right to defend them if necessary. Also there are sites with draws that means that is one area used to teach and spread their culture. You have some spots where only women are allowed or only men can visit (private area). Also you cannot climb the rock as well, in spite of this some companies continue to give tours to climb and people take their own risks.

Uluru is so far the World’s most famous monolith and this is the reason of thousands of people from all over the World go there every day. Everyone has a spot that is not in front of the others where you are be able to peacefully enjoy every moment.

13. Kata Tjuta – Valley of the Winds

Uluru and Kata Tjuta - separated by 30km

Kata Tjuta/The Olgas, literary means “many heads”. There are 36 rock domes of various sizes and the tallest dome is around 546 metres high. I don’t need to say there is a current of wind, do I? There are strong winds whip around the boulders and through the gorges. I spent there 4 hours doing the 7,4km hiking through creek beds, feeling the wind, domes and beautiful wilderness. I think walk between Kata Tjuta is more surprising than walk around the Uluru rock (both are separated by 30 km. In the middle and around them, nothing, ops, red sand.

Both of the complexes of rocks have water pool where animals come at night to drink it, which makes these areas sacred for aboriginals.

14. Kings Canyon

The Australia’s Grand Canyon in the Watarrka National Park reminds me again Chapada Diamantina – BA (Brazil). Walk around the rim of the canyon allows you to gaze down in awe at the sandstone chasm plunging 270 metres to the canyon floor. Into the depths of the chasm, there are luxuriant cycads around the permanent waterhole in the Garden of Eden with a tropical climate (only in this oasis, by the way). The Lost City is a breathtaking spot that looks like a huge beehive. The amphitheatre is also spectacular. Kings Canyon is my favourite track in Australia for sure.

I was impressed about the facilities in this remote area. You see stairs, bridge, signs, easy access into the valley of water holes and pool and smoking bins. The Garden of Eden is also a sacred place because of the pure water and people are not allowed to swim there.

15. Mount Connor/Atila

An imposing mesa located on a flat salt pan. The tourism bus stops there and I really wanted to walk in the salt dry lake but I couldn’t (no time for it). It’s look really nice and shiny in the distance. Some people commit mistake thinking that this pan is Uluru because is also something enormous in the middle of a big desert.

So, I described the famous spots and something I’ve learned there but if you know anything else, I’ll be glad if you share with me. I hope my purpose was achieved – share my experience in an inhospitable area in Northern Territory and learned a little about aborigines, history and ways to survive in the desert. I’m sure you will be surprised as I was after seeing it with my own eyes.

Ps: If you want to know 25 things to do in Darwin, see in this post.
And experiences in outback, click here. 

More information:

http://www.travelnt.com/

http://www.tourismnt.com.au/

http://www.parksaustralia.gov.au/uluru/index.html

http://www.ntlis.nt.gov.au/roadreport/

http://www.parksandwildlife.nt.gov.au/

Termite Mound – the tallest non-human constructions on Earth

When I first saw a termite mound (more than 5 metres) I was confused with ants. People normally think this as they try to make a connection with something they have seen before. After a while I realized that termites are what I know as a “cupim” in Brazil.

Because I’ve never seen such a tall non-human construction on earth, I felt really impressed by them. The “castle” is really hard to break as they build the termite mound using grains of sand and saliva. They are amazing architectural feats complete with arches, tunnels, chimneys, insulation and nursery chambers. People in the region make bricks from termite mounds to build their houses or pubs since it is so robust.  

It is easy to see termites when they came with winds in the summer burning them in the light. Termites don’t have eyes like ants; they are transparent and very sensitive when exposed to sun and light. Actually the queen of a termite colony has wings to fly and find a new place to create her castle. The secondary reproductive members don’t have wings. If you tried to kill the termite colony, it is only possible after killing the queen. It doesn’t matter how many termites you are going to kill, the colony will survive as the queen is capable of producing over 30.000 termite eggs per day! Over her lifetime, a termite queen can produce upwards of 165 million eggs.

The incredible little queen reigns for 50-60 years until she dies. She has the power of the throne. The queen is so big (almost the side of a human hand) and cannot move. So, the workers surrounding the queen take care of her basic needs. When she dies, the colony dies and the mound becomes a free house for ants or bricks for humans’ house.

Termite bricks for human´s house

In this pub,  the bricks is from termites

Litchfield National Park

Another impressive building is the magnetic termite mounds that look like gravestones on the grass (big cemetery). The mounds are flat and huge. Every mound is cleverly aligned north to south to minimize the exposure to the sun and keeping the mounds cold for the termites. It is possible to see the termite mounds all over the Northern Territory, but the “official” place is in Litchfield National Park.

You can’t believe your eyes as you survey hundreds of two-meter-high termite mounds standing upright in the same direction, like enormous magnetic compasses.

I couldn’t kick the bucket without seeing it.

Outback – more than 20 new experiences to be made, impressed and seen there

Starting at the end, I can assure that it was for sure my best trip in Australia so far. I am not telling you that I didn’t like the others, but I really loved the new experience I had there and also I wasn’t expecting so much beauty. My objective of this post is to encourage people to go there and see the marvellous treasure Australia has with your own eyes.

Before travelling to Outback, the first thing came to my mind when I heard the word “Outback” was the amazing international restaurant I used to go in Brazil (by the way it is not from Australia). The second thing was the big rock and red sand. Every tourism agency I went to I could see packages selling attractions to the big rock and one day without thinking too much, I decided to give it ago. When I researched what to do there, I was impressed by the number of things the Northern Territory has to offer.

Sunrise - Uluru (left) and Kata Tjuta (right) - separated by 30km

Outback is the colloquial name for the vast desert region that comprises most of Australia’s interior (the arid Red Centre in the Northern Territory) and some of the most iconic landmarks in the world including Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), Watarrka (Kings Canyon), Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles), the ancient Aboriginal rock paintings at Kakadu National Park and south of Tennant Creek. You will see hundreds of waterbirds and wildlife, the sandy red desert and lush parks and waterholes, vastness in land and diverse in culture.

The population is only 230,200 spread all over the Northern Territory, which means too much land for too few people. The number of males to females is the highest of any state or territory and the median age is the lowest in Australia (31,2 years). The proportion of aborigines is 30% (the highest proportion of all the states and territories).  Some research I did after the trip ;).

Northern Territory can be divided into 4 regions from North to South: Darwin Region, Katherine Region (Katherine Park), Barkly Region (Tennant Creek) and Central Australia Region (Alice Springs).

I did 10-day tour from Darwin to Alice Springs with Wayoutback Company. You can camp, track, cruise, spot wildlife with someone experienced. I also stayed 2 more days in Alice Springs and 1 more day in Darwin, but if I could do it all again I’d separate at least 3 extra days in Darwin and 4 extra days in Alice Springs not a part of the tour. During these “free days” you can get to know better the local culture, try the local food, visit aboriginal sites, explore the region according to your curiosities and I assure you (100% guaranteed) that you will be surprised by this experience. I confess that this region also reminds me a lot of my Country, Brazil. For example, places like Chapada Diamantina (BA), Bonito (MS), Mato Grosso (MS), Manaus (AM), Piratuba, (SC), etc.

It was in the Northern Territory where I had the opportunity to do and try many things that I’d never experienced before or at least it had been a long time since I had done them, such as:

1. Some of the most well-known and spectacular sights in Australia including Uluru, Kakadu National Park and Katherine Gorge and some of the sixty national parks and reserves in NT.

2. Spectacular breathtaking sunset and sunrise. OMG! I was on holiday, sure, but watching the sunrise and sunset was “a must do” every day. The colourful of the sky was indescribable. Every day, every minute, one unique show. 

3. Signs were everywhere. Seriously… even if I wanted to hide from them I couldn’t because I was surrounded by arrows. There were signs for lifts, stars, bridges, cigarettes bins, drinkable water, ecological toilets etc.  This really surprises me as I’d never seen such a good organization in such a remote area.

4. Eat green ants alive or if you are very lucky, the honey ants (I’ll be really envious of you if you could do it haha). For who wants to know the taste of green ants is a superpower citric which is impossible not to make a face while eating them. And the honey ants, people told me about, as I didn’t get a chance to try them, taste like honey with lemon, like a strong Chinese tea (Honey Lemon Tea). The aborigines eat honey ants as the honey ants stock honey in their bodies which is normally to be shared with the other ants if they don’t have enough food to eat.

5. Be shocked by the biggest castle of termites. I was so impressed that I wrote another post just telling a little bit what I learned about termites there. You will see thousands of them when you visit the Northern Territory and it is impossible not to ask questions about the tallest non-human constructions on earth.

6. Be surprised with the poorest and driest soils in Australia where plants, animals and people have created clever ways of surviving in such a harsh environment. Look outside the airplane how the desert looks like a big red ocean, which it once was in the past.

7. Sleep in the swag and wake up every hour to contemplate what my eyes couldn’t believe – the stars. I also couldn’t believe looking at people sleeping with ear plugs and eye patches!!! Waking up with a kangaroo near you in the middle of the night is amazing. 

8. Get a chance to know a little bit more about the stars, as you are in one of the amazing spots to look up the stars. Another point to make here is that the moon is different from my country. While Brazilian moon is a letter “C”, Australian moon is a smile J.

9. Ride a camel and learn the importance of this animal for this region, how people domesticate the wild camel. On this topic I can suggest the documentary “Track” about a girl that spent 10 months with 2 camels crossing the red centre. And there is also my favourite documentary called “Whipping Camels”.

10. See wild, pet, tiny and huge snakes all over the northern territory and witness the aborigines happiness when they find one to eat or show to the tourists.

11. See plenty of others animals in the wild or in the captive. See them in a way you’ve never seen before, kangaroos, wallabies, emus (the largest bird of arid Australia and well adapted to life in the desert), dingos, frogs that look like plastic or are fluorescent, touch lizards like blue tongue or the bizarre Thorny Devil, thousands of colourful parrots, visit a croc by taking a cruise along the Mary River or at night near your camp (their eyes are red with the flashlight). See the cane toad, a big pest that was introduced to Australia from Hawaii that spread all over the territory and neighbouring states killing native animals.

12. Cook food on the fire and try the yummy bread (called “damper”) in a pot on the fire. Eat fresh nuts from the Lily Water (aquatic plant looks like “Vitoria Regia” from Brazil) while you are doing the crocodile tour. Try bush tucker (bush tomatoes, quandongs, bush banana, etc. Learn more about bushtucker (another post) and how aborigines survive in the desert.

13. Be testimony to the numerous intentionally bushfires in order to manage bush and don’t feel bad about that. See many birds waiting to eat smoked BBQ.

14. Camp, find the best wood to make the campfire and assure that you are not going to be freezing at night.

15. Learn about aboriginal culture. Be reminded that you cannot explore all over the country as there are many areas that belong to Aborigines. Learn traditional dot painting and the symbology of the drawings.

16. Try to play or listen the enchanting didgeridoo. In this region one can do a workshop and realize that it is not as easy as you thought that it could be.

17. Learn how to throw a boomerang, the instrument used to kill animals to be eaten.

18. Stop and have a seat in the fascinating bush pubs and historic stock routes, talk with the owner, learn a little bit about the place.

19. Climb the gorgeous red earth bizarre rock formations as you are in a natural playground

20. Feel homesick. As I told you before, many areas reminded me of my country, Brazil.

21. Soak in the spectacular waterfalls or hot spring water.

22. Learn that Opal is not only a card to travel on transport services in Sydney but one of the 10 most expensive stones and from Australia.

I really encourage people to go there instead of focusing only on the coast. It is a true blue fair dinkum aussie experience for who wants to know more about Australia. The outback is unforgettable. And if you want some tips and keen on to give Outback a go, I wrote more a little bit (Darwin and Alice Springs) to be done and seen there.

Hope I could encourage you to visit Australia’s amazing red centre. 

25 Things to do in Darwin and Region

Darwin is known as “Top End” of Australia, being the most northern capital city The top things to witness or go to there include the temperature (between 30 and 33◦C), the sunset (the name “top end” makes sense at that time because the colourful sun set over the ocean and the markets. The worst part is that despite it being so hot you cannot swim at the beaches because of 2 reasons: salty croc and jellyfish also love the area, but they have created an artificial beach to give it a go and also a park with waves near the harbour.

Darwin suffered some cyclones and was attacked by Japanese during WW2, so, many buildings you can see the destruction. The last cyclone was in a Christmas day in 1974 and they have the sound recorded in the museum.

My first suggestion when you arrive in the city is to ask about the local market. It will be the first place where you can see a little bit of everything. The famous is in Mindil Beach but there are also other options depending on the day of the week.  

1. The Mindil Beach Market

To start, OMG! The view of the sunset from the beach is stunning! The market in front of the beach is held every Thursday and Sunday and I was lucky to have an opportunity to visit this enchanting place – sunset, music, art, food…  There are plenty of different options to eat, crafts to see, live bands, street performers, didgeridoo show, jewellery, fashion & artistic creations and many products made by croc and cane toads leather. There is a huge local commerce there.

2. Deckchair cinema

An open-air waterfront cinema that screens Australian, foreign and classic films during the Dry. Looks really cool and also has a good selections of movies.

3. Darwin’s Wave Lagoon

The lagoon is like a beach with no sand, where man-made waves of up to 1.7 metres are generated regularly. You pay to get into and you can use boogie boards and water tubes.

4. Waterfront Swimming Lagoon

This is a free saltwater recreation lagoon with a man-made beach and shady lawn beyond. This beach reminds me Airlie Beach in Whitsundays also man-made. The best part is to sunbake the grass but the water is not my favourite taste. I really prefer ocean current.

5. George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens

This garden established 130 years ago has survived numerous cyclones and the direct effects of WW2. It is one of a few botanic gardens in the world, which has a marine and estuarine plants grown naturally in its grounds (the site extends inland from the sea to a plateau providing a range of planting environments). If you don’t expect to see a garden of roses, you will be fine there J 

6. Other things to do in Darwin

Because I only spend 1 day free, I couldn’t get to know the city properly, but you can visit the new Defence of Darwin Experience, the WW2 Oil Storage Tunnels, Crocosauros Cove called “cage of death” crocodile dive, Crocodylus Park to see crocodile feeding, Jenny’s Orchid Garden (my father loves orchids and it makes me like orchid a little bit by osmosis. It’s a shame I didn’t see the largest variety of tropical tree orchids in the Northern Territory. In Darwin Harbour you can also take a ferry at Cullen Bay Marina and take a trip to Mandorah (20min) or Tiwi Islands (2h), join a tour to turtle nesting sites on bare Sand Island.

What to do near Darwin

In Darwin you can buy packages to visit all region or a guide tour from Darwin to Alice Springs stopping in some of the best parks and touristic tours.

7. Mary River Wetlands

The Mary River Wetlands remind me of the Pantanal River in Brazil. It is possible to do a cruise searching for Crocodiles all along Mary as it has the highest concentration of saltwater crocs, but I did a tour with Mary River Wetlands. On this cruise you can see crocs in their own habitat going about life as normal and you don’t feed them different from a crocodile show. Consequently you also can’t see crocs jumping from one side to the other waiting for the food that someone is going to feed them. Just to take note that saltwater crocs are very dangerous and totally different from fresh water crocodiles. One week before I went there, one crocodile grab a man from the boat and ate him. There are a lot of signs all over the territory to advise people where it is possible or not to swim.

This region is also home to over 250 bird species. So, you will see birds, parrots with different colours in along the river.

8. Kakadu National Park

World Heritage-listed Kakadu is Australia’s largest national park filled with waterfalls, rugged gorges, wetlands and massive crocs. It also has one of the highest concentrations areas of ancient Aboriginal rock art sites.

My wish when I visited Kakadu was to stay for longer and see more. There’s  so much to uncover. Bowali Kakadu Visitor Centre is one stop to know a little more what all park have to offer and to dream to come back next time.

9. Twin Falls

To see Twin Falls you need to take a ferry to cross the river. Unfortunately you cannot swim there which is a pity as it is a spectacular view but not enjoyable as a whole.  Before it was possible but due to too many accidents and it being a remote area which is only reachable via helicopter (there aren't any streets there) they don’t allow anyone to swim in this pure water. L Thank God that after Twin Falls we could go for a dip at Jim Jim Falls J.

10. Jim Jim Falls

Jim Jim Falls is considered the most beautiful waterfall in Australia. It’s really amazing and there is also “a fresh water beach” near the waterfall. My suggestion is not to stay only at the beach but try to reach the waterfall, which is really awesome. Many people from my trip didn’t go there because they were a little bit exhausted. It is literally just a few more steps and you will see an spectacular view where you can cool off. There is also a trip where you can take a helicopter to see Jim Jim Falls over the sky, which seems to be really nice as well.

11. Ubirr/Nadab Lookout

This place also reminds me “Pai Inácio” from Chapada Diamantina (BA – Brazil). There is a panoramic view over the floodplain and beyond into Arnhem Land. To see it, you need to climb to the top of Ubirr (it’s a stunning spot for a sunset). There you can also see many Aboriginal rock art teaching the abundant food to be found in the area.

12. Other spots in Kakadu

I didn’t go to the Gunlom Falls in Kakadu National Park (this option is given in the tour when it is not possible to go to Jim Jim and Twin Falls). The pictures of this waterfall looks also amazing. It’s a large plunge pool with a postcard backdrop of the Arnhem Land escarpment. It looks like you are swimming in the precipice.

13. Litchfield National Park

90 minutes drive from Darwin is Litchfield Park featuring a myriad of diverse environments including rugged sandstone escarpments, monsoon rainforest, magnetic termite mounds and stunning waterfalls. There was the centre of tin and copper mine until it was designated as a national park.   

14. Florence Falls                                                               

It’s a waterfall set amidst monsoon rainforest (approximately 120 steps to get to the bottom). It was the place where I was introduced to the green ant and gave it a go eating it for my first time (it’s not too bad. If you want a citric juice, maybe you can use just one ant and mix with a cup of water and you will be fine. 100% of citric guaranteed!).

15. Wangi Falls

Very easy to reach this falls and an enjoyable swim with a big pool and a picturesque natural playground to be reached – the waterfall J.

16. Magnetic Termite Mounds

A major attraction seen on driving into the park are the many Magnetic Termite Mounds found on the floodplains, standing up to two metres in height in a north-south orientation and also the huge termite castle mounds (more than 5 metres). It was so incredible that I wrote another post just about termites. I went bananas after saw the mounds!

17. Adelaide River Inn

An accommodation and also an iconic pub which is home to “Charlie the Buffalo” from Crocodile Dundee is a good spot to get to know local culture.

18. Other spots in Litchfield

As every park, there are plenty of attractions to be seen (The Lost City, Surprise Creek Falls, Tandy Creek Falls, etc) and also 39 kilometre circuit bushwalking. To see all spots it will take at least 4 days with a four-wheel drive only.

19. Nitmiluk/Katherine Gorge National Park

Katherine and Nitmiluk National Park is where the tropics meets the outback. The gorge is full of freshwater crocs (not as dangerous as salt water). It is a deep and picturesque gorge where you can take a boat cruise or paddle a canoe through the peaceful water. The Katherine River flows through 13 separate gorges that carve their way through the Arnhem Land Plateau. Waterfalls and rock pools are found along over 100 kilometres of walking tracks, beginning at the park’s visitor centre.

20. Edith Falls

Edith falls is another spot to be seen.  Cool off, do a picknick and have a break in Nitmiluk. Edith Falls is the finishing point of the 66km Jatbula Trail walking track.

21. Mataranka Camp

A camp where you have a structure to sleep, eat and take a shower.  But don’t stay more than 5 meters near the water as there are plenty of crocodiles in this river. We here slept in the swag surrounded by wallabies. Easily you can see crocs at night if you go near the river (no worries, they are too lazy to jump from the river up to 5 meters. But less than 5 you will be killed).

22. Mataranka Thermal Pool

Soaking in the Mataranka Thermal Pools is something unforgettable. It is a lush oasis fringed by paperbark trees. The best ever gift after days of walking, and the perfect way to soothe away those aches and pains after a hard day are travelling. I wish I could stay there longer. Crystal clear turquoise water reminds me Piratuba (SC) and Bonito (MS) from Brazil.

23. Daly Waters Pub

The quintessential outback watering hole famous for its bush hospitality and a great spot for a bit of history and a fair dinkum outback experience. It is famous for the memorabilia adorning the walls. It’s difficult to find “human live” in the desert, so, in this place is a chance to connect with the locals, aborigines, fuel the car, buy something to eat and relax.

24. Tennant Creek

It is biggest town with 3000 people builded when the telegraph line was opened in the region linking Australia to the rest of the world. People started to go there more after finding gold.  

25. Karlu Karlu/Devils Marbles

An outstanding geological feature, which is a collection of gigantic granite boulders magically balanced on top of one another. You can spend hours taking pictures playing around with your creativity. I felt like a child climbing in every stone I could, it’s a huge nature playground to be explored and have fun. Also the sunset is incredible there.

After looking all the main parks and famous local spots, I was in direction of the Red Centre, Alice Springs, Uluru, Kings Canyon, etc. So, if you want to continue reading more tips from the Red Centre, I divided in another post (Alice Springs). 

And please, if you know another amazing spot to be seen, let me know maybe to give it a go in the future.


Ps: If you want to know 15 things to do in Alice Springs, see in this post.

And experiences in outback, click here. 

14 dicas do que levar de lembrança da Austrália para o Brasil

Na minha primeira viagem da Austrália ao Brasil fiquei ensaiando por um bom de um tempo o que poderia levar de souvenir e compartilho a minha lista para quem também como eu precisou de inspiração. Talvez o primeiro item tenha controvérsias mas sobre fatos australianos não há o que discutir.

1. Vegemite

Sim, o vegemite. A pasta escura, fonte de Vitamina B, salgada e amarga feita com o extrato de levedura usada para passar no pão. A maioria dos brasileiros tem aversão ao gosto, entretanto nenhum australiano nega que é um símbolo nacional e super popular nos cafés da manhã. Os australianinhos desde cedo já ouviam a jingle que diz que quem come Vegemite cresce forte e deixa a bochecha rosinha:

“We're happy little Vegemites as bright as bright can be, 
We all enjoy our Vegemite for breakfast, lunch and tea, 
Our mummy says we're growing stronger every single week, 
Because we love our Vegemite, 
We all adore our Vegemite, 
It puts a rose in every cheek!”

2. Peanut Butter

O que a gente tem no Brasil é o Amendocrem que nada se compara com a pasta pura de amendoim dos Aussies que não vai nem sal ou açúcar e é uma delícia. Fonte de proteína, excelente substituto saudável para a manteiga, já adotei na minha dieta aussie de ser. Melhor que Vegemite, eu garanto.

3. Blu Tack

Sabe aqueles produtos que quando a gente descobre que existem não sabe como viveu a vida inteira sem eles? Me apaixonei desde a primeira vista. É uma massa adesiva reutilizável parecida com um chiclete azul. Serve pra colar qualquer coisa em qualquer lugar. Cartazes, quadros na parede, caneta, etc... Quantas vezes pensei em fazer um furo na parede mas desisti por ser ultra inconveniente. 

O Blu Tack resolve tudo isso e torna a vida de estudante muito mais fácil e prática. 

4. Heg peg

Power prendedor de roupas que customiza espaço através dos dois ganchos em cada lado, dá para pendurar tudo junto ao mesmo tempo: camiseta, calcinha, sutiã, etc. Super prático, o produto tem ganho alguns prêmios com o posicionamento “Heg Peg. No more peg marks, no more line marks, no more sun marks”.

5. Lucas Papaw

Creme com mais de 100 anos que resolve tudo é o substituto  da nossa Minâncora, Hipoglós, Bepantol e afins que também servem até para cara feia. Os australianos carregam este creme no bolso a tira colo e usam hidratar os lábios, cutícula, pele descamada, picada de mosquito, feridas, queimadura, rachadura, alergia... qualquer coisa que está estranha na pele é motivo pra usar Lucas Papaw que é feita da árvore do mamão, um excelente antisséptico.

6. Bumerangue

Objeto que os aborígenes usavam para caçar, cortar carne, cavar buraco, arrancar frutos das árvores e afins. De madeira curva, é arremessada com o objetivo de voltar ao ponto de origem quando não atingir o alvo. É divertido se considerar brincar naqueles campões abertos e não correr o risco de machucar a si próprio ou alguém. 

7. AFL Football

Antes dos ingleses chegarem na Austrália os aborígenes já jogavam essa bola meio deformada e de couro. As primeiras bolas comerciais eram bexigas de porco enchidas de barro com a boca ou um canudo.  O futebol é para o Brasil o que o AFL é para os australianos. No início é difícil jogar a bola no chão e fazer com que ela volte para a sua mão e não vá para uma direção totalmente oposta, mas australiano que é australiano sabe brincar com ela e a gente vê muitos australianos saírem para caminhar com a bola na mão pra jogar um pouquinho no parque.

8. Tim-Tam

Chocolate/biscoito popular tipo bizz, culpado por fazer a maioria das brasileiras engordarem na Australia. E sim, aprendi a técnica de se comer Tim-Tam derretendo o chocolate por dentro: morder as duas pontas transversais e usar o tim-tam como canudo com leite quente. É um dos sete pecados capitais da Australia, fato.  

9. Vitaminas

Aqui entra uma questão de oportunidade. Mal cheguei no Brasil dá pra ver anúncio de vitamina espalhado em tudo quanto é revista e loja. Tem poucos produtos que são mais baratos na Austrália do que no Brasil e a vitamina é uma delas. Então vale levar, pois tem pra tudo quanto é gosto: cabelo, unha, pele, Ômega 3, etc... Inclusive é super comum exportar vitamina também para outros países, não só no Brasil. Minhas amigas asiáticas comercializam direto.

10. Cangurus e Coalas

Acho que esse é o primeiro item que todo mundo pensa em levar quando o assunto é criança. E aí tem tudo o que é produto com os animaizinhos cute australianos: ursinhos de pelúcia, mochilas e penais de cangurus, etc. Não tem como não escapar de uma loja de souvenir australiana em qualquer esquina. E nessas mesmas lojas tem a camiseta australiana com cara de Brasil.

11. Camiseta

A camiseta de malha com bordado também de malha escrito Australia é super clássica e até confunde com as nossas camisetas brasileiras, pois elas também são verdes e amarelas. E as camisetas com as cores da bandeira australiana vermelha, branca e azul são usados secundariamente nos jogos, pode? 

12. Perfumes

Foi um dos itens que levei pois perfume importado também tem diferença de preço e compensa comprar na Austrália. Bem... não é australiano mas quem não gosta de um bom perfurme?

Opal Stone

13. Opal

Termino a lista de sugestão de presentes com a pedra australiana Opal que está entre as 10 mais preciosas/caras do mundo. Nunca tinha ouvido falar até vê-la reluzindo na minha frente pela primeira vez aqui na Austrália. Vira objeto de desejo só de olhar! Opal possui um jogo de cores único e pode variar entre preta, branca, incolor, azul, cinza, vermelha, amarela, verde e marrom. Às vezes essas cores podem ser vistas simultaneamente e o preço varia de acordo com a cor e difração da luz que passa entre as aberturas da pedra.  E como curiosidade, 98% do Opal é produzido na Austrália mas também temos produção em Piauí!!! 

14. Aromatizador de ambientes feito de Banksia e óleo de eucalipto

Banksia é uma flor australiana muito encontrada nas matas australianas. O cone da flor absorve o óleo que você escolhe a fragrancia que preferir. Minha favorita é o eucalipto por ser a árvore natina e ícone da Australia, perfeito como souvenir, além de ser uma obra de arte natural.Bem... se você tiver alguma outra sugestão de souvenir aussies que esqueci de enumerar, por favor compartilhe comigo para a minha próxima viagem. Obrigada! 

Anzac Day 2015 – A vision of a foreigner about the event

Since I arrived in Australia I’d heard about Anzac Day (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps), one of the most important holidays for Australians. And my question was why every city in Australia celebrates Anzac Day with so much passion, intensity and love? What makes them stand up in the freezing weather at dawn without seating? Why do they celebrate in smaller places across the country or travel to another city for the big event? And also what is the real meaning of this sentence that is written everywhere “lest we forget”? I went there to check.

25thApril, 2015, 3:30am. I was in the capital of Australia, Canberra, trying to get to the “Australian War Memorial” to commemorate with them the 100th anniversary of the landing of Anzac troops on Gallipoli in 1915. Dawn, in the morning darkness, was the time of the original landing and nowadays is when the first Service takes place.

It was freezing, packed, difficult to park. Everybody was walking to try to find a spot to stand. There were some chairs, not enough for a huge mass of people that was coming. There were families, young people, children, babies and elderly people waiting for the Australian Dawn Service to start. The Service began punctually at 4:30. A selection of images was projected onto the front façade. I couldn’t believe how thousands of people could suddenly become so silent. Seriously, it was really quiet and 
the only noise was a baby crying or some birds. 

Letters and diaries of Australians who experienced war were read aloud by a member of each of the Australian armed forces for one hour. It was impressionable, but I was exhausted, almost sleeping, frozen and hungry. Elderly people beside me fainted on the ground. Doctors came instantly with care and some lollies.

In the cold darkness, the sunrise was opening in the sky while the ceremony was being held. Trumpet, didgeridoo (a typical Australian aboriginal instrument), hymn, prayer, the laying of wreaths, a recitation, Anzac dedication, the playing of either the Rouse or the Roveille, the national anthem, the last post and finally one minute’s silence followed by “lest we forget”. And all of the people repeated: “Lest we forget”.

Because of the darkness I didn’t realize how many people were there until the service finished. After I walked around I could see the big parade suggested almost 130 thousand people. It surprised me how the people come out without comfort and entertainment (only to compare, Canberra has 360 thousand inhabitants).

After the ceremony, people gathered in the Memorial’s Commemorative Area where they honour more than 102,700 servicemen and servicewomen whose names appear on the Roll of Honour. People place red poppies at the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier or beside the names of relatives on the Memorial’s Roll of Honour creating an impressive curtain of flowers.

To understand a little bit about the origin of Anzac Day, 100 years ago, on 25^th April of 1915, Australian and New Zealand men who were volunteers, were in Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey to help British soldiers defeat the German Army (only to contextualize, when the war broke out in 1914, Australia had been a federated nation for only 13 years and the new federal government was eager to establish its reputation among the nations of the world).

In Gallipoli the Anzacs headed ashore after jumping out of their boats and quickly find shelter under the steep hills confronting them. They were on the wrong beach. Soon the Turks had rushed up and the fighting in the hills became wild and bloody. At the end of the day the order came – “dig, dig, dig, until you are safe”. A line was made, and there the Anzacs held on. Troops were constantly digging trenches and tunnelling for the rest of the desperate eight-month campaign.  They suffered many types of injuries, sicknesses and also orders to run from the trenches uphill in the direction of the enemies. A huge homicide and a failed campaign, from the beginning: difficulty in navigation, wrong beach, beach landing in darkness, combined obstacles, towering cliffs, dead-end gullies, dense low scrub on land, vulnerability to enemy fire and terrible command from the monarchy. A truly disaster. 

Although the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives, the Australian and New Zealand actions during the campaign left them all a powerful legacy. Anzac infuses their sense of who they are, how they relate to one another, and how they see their place in the world. The national spirit revealed in the courage, doggedness, and sacrifice of the troops on Gallipoli, and in their egalitarianism and support for each other. These men had given their young nation a story to be proud of.

In other words, Anzac Day is a time at which Australians reflect on the many different meanings of war. Is was touching to see people taking part in the dawn service, giving respect and acknowledgement to all soldiers and those who have served, suffered and died in all wars and conflicts.

To finalize, when a mortally wounded Australian asked: “Will they remember me in Australia?” The answer was: “Yes, Australia has been remembering since that day”. Lest we forget.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/australianwarmemorial/sets/72157651746619249/