Adelaide River, Northern Territory - April 2021

We stopped at Adelaide River for lunch on our way from Katherine to Darwin, and thought we would come back to visit Litchfield National Park from Adelaide River rather than from Darwin. There are two caravan parks in Adelaide River, one is at the showgrounds, a little out of town, and the other is behind the historic Adelaide River Pub on the main street, at $28 a night. It has two camp kitchens and a pool. We had a grassy site next to the road to the war cemetery. The food at the pub was ok, as were the prices.

There is a huge beer garden, petrol station, and bistro. Located on the Stuart Highway, the pub is famous as being the home of the Crocodile Dundee water buffalo. Apparently the buffalo came from the Adelaide River area, and it is now preserved in the pub.

As the park is an un-fenced park, I had my own experience with a vary alive water buffalo. We were setting up after arriving and through the window I saw a water buffalo casually walking down the footpath.

I grabbed my camera and went outside to take a better photo. Big Mistake! I stood to the side of a bottle tree and as I raised the camera to take the photo, the buffalo lowered his head, pointing his enormous horns in my direction, snorted, and charged at me! I jumped behind the tree, and told Peter the buffalo charged at me - AND at the same time I realised there was only a small bush between me and the charging animal. Peter heard the charging, opened the van door and said get inside quick. I looked at the bush and there was the buffalo staring at me not even a metre away. Talk about scared!! I jumped in the van, we signaled Jonnie to get back into the car, and Peter watched the buffalo walk slowly around the car. No one at the park believed there was a buffalo there until we showed them the photos. Well that was an experience. Jonnie and I spent the rest of the time wearing black, just in case we should see another one.

The first peoples in the area were the Kungarakany and Woolna people. The first Europeans to explore the area were Lieutenant John Stokes and Masters Mate L.R. Fitzmaurice in 1839. They named the river after Queen Adelaide, the widow of King William IV. In 1862 John McDouall Stuart passed through the area - the highway is named after him.

The first settlers came as workers on the overland telegraph in 1871, at the same time gold was discovered around pine Creek and as miners travelled through the town, the town grew. By 1886, the construction of a railway line between Darwin (then known as Palmerston), and Pine Creek. The rail bridge and railway station were completed in 1888-89. Today the historic railway precinct, can be found on the south side of town and houses many photos and much memorabilia of the old railway days. We were hoping to see the Ghan travel through, as the tracks are still used.

 The main attraction in the town is the war cemetery and relics of WWII. 

After the bombing of Darwin, Adelaide River became the headquarters of a large base and the war cemetery was created for the burial of servicemen and women who died in the Darwin bombings.

The cemetery is looked after by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and they are doing a great job. Next door is the civil cemetery, where 63 civilians were killed in the bombing of Darwin. 

There is also a memorial to those Australian forces lost in the Timor Sea and Northern Australian waters.

We did a drive on some dirt roads to find the remains of the hospital and the base buildings, with little success. We did find ruins, but nothing to say what they were.

We used Adelaide River as a base to visit Litchfield National Park. The town also has a grocery store and police station. 

 

See PetalliTravellers YouTube video on Adelaide River and Litchfield Park.