We set out for Victoria River from Katherine about 1130 hrs after returning from the Katherine Gorge Cruise and found the road full of US Army convoys heading West. Bit hard to get around but they we very courteous on the road albeit that they travelled at approximately 60 kms per hour. They we obviously heading out for some patrol training work which had been reported as Drone experiments in the west of NW Australia. It looked a little different to that but lets leave that there for now.
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| US Army vehicles heading west out of NT to WA |
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| Camp set up at Victoria River |
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| Bats in the trees on the banks of the river. |
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| The river is quite narrow at this point. |
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| Australian cattle wait for live transport to SE Asia |
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| Just out of (west of it) Victoria River has a bridge over it to the Army reserve on the other side. |
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| The Victoria River |
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| Locals and their boat enjoying the Victoria River
We drove out to the Gregory National Park on the banks of the Victoria River to find the Boab tree that Gregory and his fellow explorers used as a base camp but also engraved the Boab. Quite incredible once we found it some kilometers off the main road.
Unsealed road access with about a 150 metre walk into the tree.
The area is incredible as it is on the banks of the Victoria River which is inhabited by salt water crocodiles. Gregory reports that one of the groups horses trod on a large saltie and the horse and the croc got one hell of a fright! both went in opposite directions and all survived! In 1856 Gregory set up a base camp around the Boab tree. It consisted on small buildings to house men, their horses and stores. Further back the track near the double Boab trees he established a forge and blacksmith's shed to tend the horses. The whole base camp was surrounded by wide trench and later a wired fence to protect the camp from aborigine and salt water crocodile attacks.
His Boab tree still bears his name and is clearly engraved 1856. The camp housed Gregory and his 19 explorers, their horses and stores. He was most successful in his exploration of this NW area of the Northern Territory.
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| About the Park |
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| About Gregory and his fellow explorers |
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| A description of the base camp |
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| The Boab Tree |
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| Fruit of the Boab Tree
On our return to Timber Creek we discovered a lookout on the SW outskirts of the town. We decided to explore and discovered a lookout over Victoria River and the Army base on the Northern side of the river. We also discovered something I have never heard of before, Australian History still owes us a lot!
Have you heard of the Nackeroos? I had not! This is an account of a WW 2 functional reconnaissance unit in the Australian Army that has never been acknowledged by the RSL or given much army support and worse still not known of by most Australians. Australian History lets us down again.
The North Australian
Observation Unit (2/1st NAOU) affectionately known as the Nackeroos
was established by the Anthropologist, Major W.E.H. Stanner on the 11th
of May 1942.
Major Stanner came up
with the concept of a group of “Bush Commandos” to watch over the North West of
Australia following the Japanese bombing of the Top End and NW [of Australia].
At its peak the unit
consisted of 550 men and employed 59 aboriginal people.
The first five month
season of tropical downpours made roads impassable, the climate became oppressive
and the shear frustration over whelmed everyone. Weather conditions could prevent
every method of transport including truck, motor cycle, pack horse, ship and
plane being used. It meant no supplies or mail for weeks on end.
In reality the Nackeroos
were fully occupied just trying to survive their first wet in the north.
In 1944 as the
Japanese forces were pushed back from the regions North of Australia the need
for the NAOU diminished and they were disbanded in March 1945.
The following
highlights some of their struggles.
“You always felt safe
when you had an aborigine with you. You wouldn’t starve.
Patrols were
essential to the NAOU’s operations because the men had to gain an intimate
knowledge of the land around them. The war against the Japanese was
overshadowed by the men’s daily battle with the harsh environment. The patrols
were often through unfamiliar and unmapped country. The Nackeroos with their aboriginal
guides were largely preoccupied with the daily search for fresh water. On
several occasions men almost perished through the lack of fresh water.
Aboriginal people
were employed for their horse breaking and tailing, clearing air strips, collecting
paper bark for hut construction and general labouring, but most importantly, they
served as guides for reconnaissance patrols.
Their bush skills and
efficient use of the environment were invaluable in helping the Nackeroos to
survive. They taught the soldiers how to supplement their army rations with
bush tucker. With out their knowledge and dedication, Stanner could not have
operated a functional reconnaissance unit. Had the Japanese invaded the North,
the aboriginal guides would have played a key role in NAOU operations.
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| This memorial at the lookout above Timber Creek recognises one of Australia's least known WW2 stories. |
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| This memorial at the lookout above Timber Creek recognises one of Australia's least known WW2 stories. |
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| I am walking to Victoria River in the dry and the track has been well cleared. Spare a thought for the Nackeroos and their Aborigine Guides battling through this in the wet! |
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| Another shot of Victoria River |
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| Now in WA after a memorable time in NT.
Soon after crossing the boarder we were on the road to Lake Argyle. This is a must see, it is a massive man made lake capturing the waters of the Ord to help irrigate the Kununnura farm and market gardening areas. It was the dream of the Durak's to do this and it looks a great success. I just hope the dream and the cost of the infrastructure serves Australia, our children and grand children. Not other nations who take out FTA's with us!!
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| Lake Argyle at sunset. |
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| Boats moored in Lake Argyle |
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| Our caravan site at Lake Argyle was on the wintering Chopper Pad! |
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| Our cruise boat to tour Lake Argyle |
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| The dam wall and the dam flood tower |
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| Yours truly having a swim in Lake Argyle |
After Lake Argyle we moved on to Kununurra and stayed at the Hidden Valley Caravan Park.
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| Our caravan site in Kununurra. |
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