“He’s turning into an Aussie….!”
September 2007
Mike O’Brien writes:
“Hi Rach. Have got a job in Halls Creek for a while, so thought I’d tell you about the climbing up in Northern Australia, or “the Top End”…
The Top End
The Top End of Australia is that really hot and sticky bit that not many people choose to inhabit. Temperatures range from 30 – 50 degrees, humidity is high most of the year, and the wild life thrives – the Top End scrub has the highest concentration of venomous snakes, scorpions and spiders in Australia. Bull sharks (simular to Great Whites) inhabit the coastal river systems, but generally you don’t have to worry about them, because the crocodiles get them! Sound unpleasant? It can be, but it is also beautiful, unique, and has quite a lot of climbable rock. In winter (the Dry season) it doesn’t rain (ever), making for great climbing and exploring weather. The land is truly ancient, and going for a walk in the bush will reveal rock art, amazing tropical water holes, and a landscape quite unlike any in NZ.
Location
The Kimberly (northern Western Australia) and Northern Territory have hundreds of gorges, gully’s and ranges made of obscenely good quality rock. It is totally unfair that all this great rock is so far from anywhere. Fly into Darwin or Broome and rent a 4WD.
Climbing
Natural pro. Very few bolted routes, and most bolted routes require some natural gear. While there are quite a lot of established areas and routes, the appeal of this area lies in the new routes to be had!
Grades
Take your pick. Not many routes over grade 23-24 have been established.
Season
The Wet season really is – it puts the West Coast downpours to shame! During the Wet (Summer) its humid, hot, and there are regular torrential down pours. Conversely, in the Dry it always is. It will absolutely, definitely, never rain in the Dry season. Early in the dry the roads can still be impassable, but there is more water to swim in.
Accommodation
A mozzie net will be your best friend. The climbing is remote, so you will need to be self-sufficient.
Services
There is not much of anything (not true – lots of flies, biting ants, etc) up here, so stock up before leaving the town you flew into. Once you leave town supplies from stores get scant and expensive.
Guidebook
Get ‘Top End Rock’ by Stuart Anderson off the Internet at www.chockstone.org. It’s recent and useful. ‘Northern Rock’ by Shane Richardson is out of date and very vague, but is a useful guide to climbable locations.
Restday Activities
Find a water hole/spring/river to sit in – preferably not one inhabited by salt-water crocodiles. The cultural history up here is astounding and well worth attention. And the bush is totally unique, making a tramp in the bush a very rewarding experience (get in touch for pointers).
And Remember…
..it might take a few days to acclimatise!