Australia So Much to See

Closures at Kakadu 2015

Merl Campground, the Bardedjilidji walk and the Manngarre rainforest walk are now closed.     

Yellow Waters access road and boat ramp are now closed.  Home Billabong boat ramp is still accessible.  Yellow Waters Cruises are still operating.  

Muirella Campground, Four Mile Hole Billabong and Two Mile Hole Billabong are now closed.

Malabanjbanjdju caravan campground and Burdulba campground are now closed.

Updated 2nd January 2015

Darwin remembered.  19 February 2015 and seventy three years since the first attack on Darwin. 

On 19 February 1942, Japanese headed towards Darwin with 81 medium bombers, 71 dive bombers and 36 fighters.  There were at least 45 vessels in the harbour at that time and 21 were sunk or disabled.  Many buildings, including those on the airfield and the Darwin Post Office were amongst those destroyed during the first air raid; the Post Office was on the site where Parliament House now stands.  Twice as many bombs were dropped on Darwin than were dropped on Pearl Harbour ten weeks prior, in two waves that morning. 

At least 292 people were killed with hundreds more injured.  These unexpected raids shocked the nation, although the magnitude of the damage was censored.  The loss of life on this first day of air raids was dramatically understated in the media, with press releases listing some of the property damage and saying that a few lives had been lost.  Any claims made by the Japanese were censored from publication.

By late 1942, there were 60,000 troops based in the Northern Territory.  Darwin sustained at least 62 more air raids to 12th November 1943, but none so severe as on the first day.

Read about our visit to Darwin and more about the bombing with the role Darwin played during the War on our Darwin Travelogue and on Facebook.  

19 February 2015

Western Australia – Fires and Floods. 

While there are road cautions due to flooding apply to many roads in the Pilbara and Kimberley, through the South West and Great Southern, there are cautions and closed roads due to numerous bushfires.  Lightning strike last week caused many of these fires, with a major fire around Northcliffe in the South West and at Lower Hotham in the Boddington, Collie and Williams Shires.  Drive with extra caution where there is smoke and if possible avoid areas where emergency services personnel are working.     

·         The South West Highway has been re-openend between Bridgetown and Manjimup following a bushfire north east of Palgarup in the Wilgarup area which is now under control.  Drive with caution as there may be smoke and follow speed restriction signage.

·         The South West Highway which was closed between Manjimup and Walpole due to a recent bushfire has been re-opened with speed restrictions and smoke cautions.  Many roads between the highway and the coast are still closed in this area.   The road to Windy Harbour is now open, but some roads and tracks from this road are still closed.   

Always be aware of the needs of emergency services working in areas where fires occur and do not enter a closed road under any circumstances.  Avoid these areas if possible. 

There are also closures on the Bibbulmun walking track and on the Munda Biddi bicycle trail in a number of locations.   A historic bridge along the Bibbulmun track was lost in the Hotham fire and at least on in the Northcliffe fire.  A number of campsites were burnt in both fires. 

See reports on News Page for road closures and restrictions in the north of the state.

Updated 27th February 2015