Pine Creek - to - Adelaide River, 13th June, 2022.

Left Pine Creek early this morning to arrive up at Adelaide River. Being very popular with campers, buses and tourist as it just another little settlement but has everything here. Camp ground, hotel and two fuel stations. During the day the street was very busy with so many caravans cars trucks etc. I should have taken a photo. Amazing for such a small place to be so popular. We got here by 9.30am as you cannot book and it’s such a small campground. So first in first served. So I had our site organised by 10.00am giving us the full day here. Still not as hot as further south when we were experience all that heat but still hot enough when out walking. Had a good walk around the area as you will see below. The place is a real buzz.

As soon as we settled into camp we took this 1km walk from our camp to the  Adelaide River War Cemetery.

This is the entrance to the Adelaide River War Cemetery which was established in 1942 for the burial of servicemen and women who died in Northern Australia during the Second World War.Adelaide River was the headquarters of a large base and the Adelaide River War Cemetery was created especially for the 436 burials at least of servicemen and women including 63 civilians. The cemetery grounds are also the site of the Northern Territory Memorial to the missing. Adelaide River is a township lying 113kms south of Darwin on the main highway road that runs from Darwin to Alice Springs.

As you walk through the entrance there is a wall of remembrance with all the names of the personnel that lost their life’s during WW11.

A very quiet, peaceful place. Such immaculate grounds. Nice to see the lush green after all the dry areas we have travelled through.

From the top looking through to the back where the tall trees are.

We spent time reading many plaques, majority of men were only early to mid twenties. The rest in their thirties. I read the youngest was only sixteen. I looked for him but couldn’t find his plaque but the youngest I saw was eighteen. Very sad 😢 

PT taking time out to remember.

Post Office Staff.

Nine people were in the Darwin Post Office when the Japanese air raid began on the 19th February 1942 including the Postmasters daughter, who was visiting that morning. They took shelter in a trench outside the building and were all killed by a direct hit from a Japanese bomb. All nine were individually buried in this grave in the above photo. The Postmasters wife also worked there as a telegraphist who was included in the nine.

 

The bridge we crossed over to Adelaide River Township.

After our morning of sadness we walked back to camp for lunch. Shortly after we went for a walk down to the Main Street. By now it was buzzing with people, caravans, buses, trucks, motorhomes and anyone who was a tourist. Such a popular town to stop at for a night or just passing through. Hence why we had to arrive early to get a site as they don’t take bookings. We walked back over the bridge just to have a look.

In the middle of the bridge looking down over the side where the Adelaide River flows under. Not a lot of water but just imagine what it would be like in the wet season. Naturally not all the river is this narrow, upstream or downstream there would be areas where it widens and a lot deeper where they use boats on it. Also in this photo we are looking down on the old original bridge, one lane, on the no 1 highway. And so low near the water, it must have flooded over in the wet seasons. No wonder they built this high bridge we are standing on.

Looking over the other side of the bridge looking at the existing railway bridge in the foreground and the old one behind that with the rusted looking sides.

Off the bridge now walking down to the single lane old bridge although not really used much but we saw the odd car use it. Probably mainly to have a look.

Standing down on the old bridge looking up to the existing bridge. Don’t think that one will flood. Can see how low to the water it is. The old one is just in the foreground of the photo.

Looking up stream PT said look there’s a crocodile, knowing that he was joking as he wouldn’t have still been standing there if it was. If you look up over the stone ridge where the water is flowing through there is a piece of tree stump sticking up in the water where the water is calm and reflecting. In the reflection the tree stump looks like the jaw of a crocodile.

Back to camp for a very refreshing swim.

Just before dinner went back to the Main Street to see if the buzz of activity was still there but no, it had all calmed down and people had moved on. I sure wish that I had got a photo during the day.

This is the Pub next door which the camp is part of.

Sitting having a cool drink on our site looking through this nice small camp.

I only posted yesterdays blog this afternoon then the above tonight. If you missed yesterdays just scroll down to catch up.