Jatbula Track NT

[Tom10360]

Hi elinekl, I am finishing the walk on the same day as you and am happy to pay a share if available to get transport back to start. Tom

[Fuses1]

Hi Everyone, I have 4 spots available as one group of our party pulled out. Start walking the 29th June 2013 for the usual 5 days. There is only two of us at the moment and will be flying from Sydney then either getting the usual bus etc or if there is a few of us we will hire a car as it is cheaper and easier. I need to know ASAP, even if you are the slightest bit interested let me know. bretttaylor00 gmail

[Jason68]

Hi All, I'll be on the track from the 12 Jun, current cost for the ferry is $7 and yes you used to just walk across below where the old Information Centre/now Ranger Office is, guest there's more $ to be made and more control to be exercised with this current arrangement. At least they upped the numbers per section and allow you to do it faster now! It is a beautiful a track and really looking forward to doing it again.
See you out there, say gidday, Jason.
Green Columbia l/s shirt and osprey hornet 46

[Jason68]

Hi All, I'll be on the track from the 12 Jun, current cost for the ferry is $7 and yes you used to just walk across below where the old Information Centre/now Ranger Office is, guest there's more $ to be made and more control to be exercised with this current arrangement. At least they upped the numbers per section and allow you to do it faster now! It is a beautiful a track and really looking forward to doing it again.
See you out there, say gidday, Jason.
Green Columbia l/s shirt and osprey hornet 46

Ps... Since you blokes are stuck on an identifier marking as members of this forum I will anointing myself as an honorary member of the Ministry of Silly Walks... That should flush out any members... They'll be the ones on the ground wetting themselves

[Jason68]

Hi all, just a quick comment on the booking system.
It's a rather frustrating & archaic system & I live here! They allow 15 people per day/section, now I was told when I booked (early June) that there was only 1 slot available until end of jul! I turn up on the day and find that 10 slots were wasted because a school group of 10 didn't show up?! I jump ahead 1 day & find 15 people missing?! There is a high proportion of people booking, taking up a slot just in case, then not turning up :-/
Solution? Take a deposit over the phone on booking? Short of living here & being there 30 min prior 2 cut off (1300 h) I don't see how else they could discourage phantom bookings?
Cheers Jason

[Steve_Phelps]

We just completed our second walk over the Jatbula Track - a bit drier than last year but still plenty of water along the way, we took five nights/six days. This time I took some spare batteries for the GPS to track the whole walk and found that the distances of some sections vary from the white information sheet by up to a few kms for the days walk. The frustration with bookings not being available and then tour groups not turning up at all was voiced by other walkers we talked to - although we didnt strike the problem ourselves.
We didnt book a return from Edith Falls, but managed to get a seat with Gecko back to Nitmiluk on the day we finished (15th June), paid by credit card when the bus arrived. There is a spot at Edith Falls where Telstra mobile has reception (but didnt have our phone with us anyway - it would have been useful to have it as the phone box takes Telstra cards only and the kiosk hadnt been set up for the season yet so there wasnt anywhere to buy one). It's likely that reception from up above the top pools would be OK. The bridge at the end of the "scenic" route down to campground has been moved and was still under re-construction when we were there so that section was closed, but the direct route down the escarpment is open.
We also spent a week or so in Kakadu doing a few walks and some sightseeing - a bit drier there too however the late rain around Easter caused some road damage and flooding etc which has left a few areas closed later than usual.
All in all, the walking was wonderful ... and the cool dry season weather just perfect.

Steve & Karen

[Raymondo]

Booking early for this trail is now almost impossible. I tried today and it is unavailable for 2 people until the 22nd of August!!!! The problem is all the commercial companies book all the places in advance and then if they don't use them they MAY cancel them-but never before one month before the date. This makes it impossible to get a cheap airfare in advance.
Has anyone done the trip illegally??? It may be worth paying a fine to save 5-600$ on airfares for 2 people

[photohiker]

Booking early for this trail is now almost impossible. I tried today and it is unavailable for 2 people until the 22nd of August!!!! The problem is all the commercial companies book all the places in advance and then if they don't use them they MAY cancel them-but never before one month before the date. This makes it impossible to get a cheap airfare in advance.
Has anyone done the trip illegally??? It may be worth paying a fine to save 5-600$ on airfares for 2 people

I haven't, but I met someone who did He was a skint New Zealander. The biggest problem he had was getting across the river at the start.

Given the circumstances, I'm wondering if a suitable strategy would be to turn up and make yourself known and ask if a place isn't taken by the last boat if you can have it. You might need to camp a day or so but by the sound of it you'll be on the walk on the first day. The rangers may take pity and let you go anyway, it's not like the place is crawling with tourists...

[baronessbunyip]

I've also left it too late apparently to get a booking. It's booked out until September now. They told me I could go on a waiting list so I sent through my preferred dates (in July) and this is the reply I got:


"Please provide a phone contact to call if spaces become available as we call down the list.
With that is mind if a date anytime in July becomes available I call each person on the list if someone doesn’t answer I move on to the next even if they did not request that date.
At this stage the waiting list for July is quite small."

Has anyone else had luck with their waiting lists?

We will be driving around that way during July so I am hoping for the best, and making sure my phone is on at all times. If we don't get a call we might just turn up and see if there's a no show. Not an ideal way to plan your trip though, and I thought I was being organised booking 5 months ahead.
They wouldnt tell me how many spots were taken up by tour companies but I assume this takes out a decent chunk of the places, especially if they are pre-released. I looked some up on the net and was astounded to find they are charging on average $1800 per person per trip. Hell I could kit myself out with high-end gear for that kind of money!

[bigkev]

Far be it for me to encourage any civil disobedience but......

As photohiker says the biggest problem is the river at the start, the usual way is on one of the tour boats, they drop you on the opposite bank before taking the tourists up into the gorge, they are run by the N.P so I'd reckon you would have to do some fast talking to explain why you and your pack needed to get dropped of on the opposite bank. One option would be to swim the river, there's virtually no current and the river has normally been cleared of salties by June/July, you would have to float your pack and its a fair swim, maybe 80 metres, its doable, I've done it myself, er I mean a friend of mine has done it! Probably the better option would be to wait around the canoe hire area for some back packers to hire a canoe and then offer them some form of inducement to row you across the river before they head upstream, I would think that would be pretty easy.

Once on the track you would be unlikely to have any trouble, but you would have to be discreet when you get to Edith Falls as all walkers normally report to the kiosk to get there $50 deposit back, they would think it odd if you walk in with packs but don't want your money back.

Of course all this is hypothetical as it would be against the regs.

Jatbula is a great walk, especially early in the dry, the permit system seems very unfair especially if your coming from down south and have to organise time off work, airfares, logistics, etc. Like Kakadu, they make it very hard for independent walkers.

If it all seems to hard you could consider the Tabletop Track in Litchfield, early in the dry there would be plenty of water for swimming and there's no hassle with permits, I wrote up a trip I did a there a few years ago, it has a few photo's that will give you an idea of the country, keep in mind I was there at the end of the dry so there wasn't a lot of water. This is the link for the journal http://hiking.topicwise.com/doc/tabletop It was my first try at writing a report so take it easy on me!

Cheers

[baronessbunyip]

Thanks bigkev, tabletop walk in looks like a goodalternative if the jatbula doesnt go through and we have 5 days to kill. Definitely going to pay litchfield a visit anyway. I noticed they say in the brochure they prefer you to pay the deposit with credit card because otherwise you have to go back to the visitor centre to get your cash back. Maybe that could be an out if anyone at the kiosk asked.

Unfortunately biggest problem for me would probably be convincing my boyfriend as to why we have to swim our packs across the (potentially croc-infested) river or pay an inducement to hitch a canoe ride with backpackers. It's hard enough getting him out on long walks let alone illegal ones. Anyway I'll play the situation by ear when we get there and if it is indeed booked out maybe they'll take pity on us.

What were the tents were you using? I am thinking of getting a lighter 3 season option for our nt trip as we are also doing part of the larapinta.

[bigkev]

Hi baronessbunyip,

I use a Mont Moondance 2 which is light and roomy, my friend Belinda was using my old Salewa Micra which is slightly heavier and not as roomy. Skip was using a MacPac tent from memory, which was bullet proof but fairly heavy. I find the Moondance perfect for the warmer climates as it has a lot of mesh on the inner, perfect for stargazing or spotting satellites whilst drifting of to sleep.

There is another option at Nitmiluk for overnight walking and that is to head out to Eighth Gorge. You could easily stretch the walk to 4 or 5 days exploring all the side gorges and swimming spots, the camping spot at Eighth Gorge is my favourite in Australia, the tracks are well marked up until Eighth Gorge, if exploring any further up stream you are off track.John and Lyn Daly have some notes in his NT walks book http://www.takeawalk.com.au/

Don't underestimate how cold it can get on the Larapinta in winter, you will definitely need a bag that's good to below zero, once up near Katherine you will want a very light bag.

Cheers

[philm]

Does anyone have any pictures to post. Thinking about doing the walk next year and interested in the scenery.
Did you manage to have a swim every day?

[Snowzone]

Does anyone have any pictures to post. Thinking about doing the walk next year and interested in the scenery.
Did you manage to have a swim every day?

Hi Phil,
I did this walk a couple of years ago, I'll see if I can hunt out my photos. We got a relatively cool walk compared to most but still swam everyday except one. The camp sites are lovely and all at places where you can swim.
Vicki

[Snowzone]

Hope these photos help inspire you Phil.

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[philm]

Hi Vicki

Thanks for posting - they look great. A swim at the end of each day is a bonus. In early stages of planning for next June/July.

[Lizzy]

Looking at doing this in a couple of weeks but finding it very frustrating logistically. Getting to start and from finish is certainly not easy... Or cheap. Possibly easiest to hire a car but then still have to get back to it...?...
Called Gecko & they have other things booked when I need them. There is also currently no shuttle out to the gorge. Anyone have anything that worked for them, suggestions, tips?
Cheers
Liz

[eaglehawk]

Hi Lizzy, We had to use a combination of hire car and private transport.

Hubby left myself and the kids at the start, drove our hire car car to the end, left it, and used Gecko to get back to us at the start.

This could also work in reverse. Sorry if this doesn't help because Gecko is full at both ends, I just thought you may be able to snag a lift one way rather than both.

Good Luck.

[Lizzy]

Good thinking Eagle hawk! Will look into it. Thanks
Next question- did anyone filter/ treat the water?

[eaglehawk]

We didn't.

Sandstone filtered by nature.

Bit of a shock to the palate to taste the bore water after filling up at a tap at Edith Falls though!

[jahalpin]

Hi Lizzy,

We did this walk in 2011 and used the local taxi service from Katherine (Katherine Taxi service) to the start of the walk, and then organised to have them pick us up at Edith Falls at the other end. They have a minibus that works for groups and packs (we were 7 and fitted fine). I can't remember prices exactly but the trip was pretty economical - say, $35-40pp return for the group of 7 - certainly a good option if you have a group. We also got the Greyhound Bus to/from Darwin/Katherine and that was pretty convenient - the taxi met us right at the bus stop in Katherine, and dropped us back there from Edith Falls.

Enjoy - love this walk - I'm currently wait-listed for July but it's not looking likely!

Cheers,
Jacqui

[baronessbunyip]

If anyone is interested, apparently they have a place for 1 free on the 1st July - I emailed them to ask whether there had been any cancellations.

Two of us are also on the wait list but it's likely we'll be heading elsewhere unless a place opens up in the next week or so.

[Lizzy]

Just did this & have posted a trip report. Was the only one... So much for no spaces hey! Ended up leaving a hire car at the gorge & getting a lift back with Gecko. Ferry was $7, camping $3.30/ night- what a bargain don't think the visitors centre sells gas. Got mine in Katherine at a camping shop. Thanks for the advice. Had a fantastic time!

[kathyk]

Have just came back from doing Jatbula and I was a little disappointed. We booked back in November as this walk very quickly books out. They now allow 15 ppl a day to start the walk so each night you share a small area with the same 15. On the 2nd night 3 ladies walked in after dark ( silly really as they were stumbling around and falling over ) as they had done 2 sections in one day which is not allowed because you prebook your campsites. So for the next 2 nights there were 18 ppl walking the day with you and almost camping on top of each other. Not my idea of a wilderness walk . I suppose I have been very spoilt living in Far North Qld where I do true wilderness extended walks where you dont see a soul for up to 25days, no cars, cook on an open fire, fish, etc etc. The logistics - we were ripped off lol. If you book a cab from Katherine it costs you $76 regardless of whether it is for one person or a maxitaxi. The bus charges $55 per head so I would use a cab (but wont be doing it again)
The permit system is really disgusting - ie you can only get it on the day of departure and the boats dont start until 9am - cost is $7 per head which I thought was ok. We were very lucky in that we had done all the paperwork the day before (recommend you do this) and be there before 8am on the day of departure. You then pay your fees, and race down to the jetty where you ask at the office if somone can take you over. The boat folk were lovely and we were able to start our walk by 8.15am. All the other walkers didnt see us until the first night and were amazed that we were able to go over early and beat some ofthe heat. We met a group that were doing it for the 4th time - why I dont know. The only reason I could see was that they were from Melbourne and to them this walk was on the wild side - it didnt cut it for me. There is a side walk called the ampitheatre which has 3 rock art paintings - if you have the time and have some bushskills walk across to the other side of the Ampitheatre and there are some amazing caves with proper rock art in them. The kiosk at Edith Falls is FANTASTIC and serves the best burgers, salads, icecreams. In fact the best part of the trip was the food at the end.

[elambers]

How busy is the road to and from Darwin in April from Edith Falls carpark?? Is it a popular tourist attraction that will have friendly people visiting?

I'm a young 24 year old and will do the hike on my own (current plan). And then hitch hike back up to Darwin. Only catch is that if I can't get back to Darwin i'll be in the $#*% with work....

Also intending on hitching into nitmiluk or at least katharine then walk into nitmiluk visitor centre. If anyone has any prior experience hitching around these areas in late April please let me know!

[philm]

The road from Darwin to Katherine is the main highway so plenty of traffic. Not sure about hitching though - we didn't see anyone.
If you start the walk you need to go from |Katherine to Katherine gorge - probably better getting to the gorge the day before you want to go if you are hitching.
At the end the road between Edith Falls and the main road is fairly busy depending on the time of year - everyone going in or out is going to the camp ground or falls (its a dead end)

Good luck - its a nice walk not too hard but enjoyable - especially the swimming at the end of each day.

[nicktobin]

Its an awesome track and i had a brilliant time , however its hot especially for someone who flew out of Melbourne in October
i took some powdered gatorade to chuck in my bladder for the first day to help keep me hydrated , worked well and i felt fine ( the first day you have to wait till about 8.30 9ish to get the boat over and every other day id start walking at sunup.
if i had my time again id take my tarp to string up for shade in the arvo
walking and navigation is easy , trail is well marked
swimming , amazing every day is great , sandy camp would be in my top 5 campsites ever ,there was even a rope swing and great rock art , really worth doing

[elambers]

@philm and @nicktobin sounds like it will be a good time! i've allowed quite a bit of time to get in and out if hitching doesnt work out...will update in two weeks time with a few piccies and a trip report!

[elambers]

haha i guess the "@" doesn't tag / quote previous contributors to the thread )

[philm]

Look forward to hearing about it. Hope it goes well its a nice walk.