Voyages of the Banyandah - Berkeley River

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Berkeley River
from Darwin, NT August 2007

Fanny Bay anchorage Darwin

Croc display at Milindi Beach Markets

'Parting of the Ways' party

Passage across Joseph Bonaparte Gulf

The short one metre swell running as we approached

Voyage from Darwin to the Berkeley River
Day 1 to Tapa Bay, 20 miles; Day 2 to Point Blaze, 40 miles;
Day 3 to Cape Ford, 35 miles; Day 4 to Berkeley River, 140 mile passage

The Berkeley Sandbanks
The green lines are suggested tracks - the boxed 'i' are True North's Waypoints
the black dotted line Banyandah's track (out) and the note in green where we almost hit bottom going in.

We found ourselves in calm water,
a strange flat top hill at the end of the river

Past the first tributary sneaking out
the gren wall on our right

A mini-liner turned the far bend, looking out of place,
it was sleek and all white instead of pink and craggy

True North

Casuarina waterfall in distance

Jabiru ==>

Oval green island lay in basin

Directly below, Banyandah appeared suspended upon a pool of blue, strung like a jewel between island and rock face.

Mount Casuarina 220 metres high (720')

A strange flat topped hill rose above
stunted eucalypts and spinifex grasses.

Looking back towards the sea we noticed a wide flood plain of white sand alongside the Berkeley,
but separated by a margin of green mangroves.

Casuarina Creek upstream of falls - The Berkeley above - Taken from Mt Casuarina
We explored this section for rock art, but came up empty.

we sallied on until a breadknife of jagged rock
marked a side channel

From out of nowhere a huge white bellied sea eagle swooped down,
its black fringed wings the width of our ship,
its talons extended from plump white downy legs

Gill talking about their huge mud crab

Matt describing their Tasmanian Voyage

Banyandah - Red Amphitheatre

Wooshee & Banyandah at the Red Amphitheatre w/ Mount Casuarina behind

The Berkeley River at our feet. Lucky I had a remote


Brendan, Jayden and Dylan Reach for the heavens	Till next time. Jude and I wish you happiness & good health, Love you heaps, hope all is well with you,	Emily's flowers Pretty flowers for a little princess