No Name Creek at last!

[SteveNT]

It is incredibly remote and VERY difficult to access, that's why it took 25 years from the time I saw it on a map to the time I got there. There are no roads anywhere nearby. Being escarpment there are no cattle and consequently no cattlemen enter the area. The tribe that occupied the area were wiped out in the 1890s. Apart from some very old paintings there is no evidence at all of people being there.

Without gps, crowbars and well set up 4WDs we could not have crossed the rivers and boulder slopes and ridges to get there. It's just not the sort of place you would stumble onto.

 

[imported_Varanus]

Excellent thread!! I hope it stays "no name creek" forever. Any Northern Quolls about?

 

[Stuart]

Im jealous, that looks like an awesome trip and a fantastic experience. Well done and awesme photos guys!

 

[SteveNT]

Excellent thread!! I hope it stays "no name creek" forever. Any Northern Quolls about?

We weren't in the Gorge at night (It's a cliff climb in and out from our camp) but there were huge numbers of scats in every shape and size. We heard medium sized animals around the camp at night but couldn't see them (too much grass and rocks). May have been quolls or bandicoots. Really need a trapping program to be sure what is in there.

I didnt carry a torch so didnt give a proper examination to the caves but they are clearly busy places.

 

[imported_Varanus]

Really need a trapping program to be sure what is in there.

OHHHH.... NOOOO....!!! Could be the beginning of the end?!! Next comes National Park and World Heritage status!

 

[SteveNT]

Not if I have anything to do with it (I have access to Elliot traps, etc so it would be discreet).

There were no fauna/ flora/ cultural surveys before Litchfield/ Gregory/ Umbrawarra/ Cobourg/ Mary River/ etc National Parks were declared and opened up to all and sundry. This is why it is so important to undertake the baseline surveys when the area is still untouched.

If you can provide evidence of significant anthropological sites and/or rare/ endangered/ undescribed species you are far more likely to obtain protection for the site. That is my goal.

 

[imported_Varanus]

There were no fauna/ flora/ cultural surveys before Litchfield/ Gregory/ Umbrawarra/ Cobourg/ Mary River/ etc National Parks were declared and opened up to all and sundry. This is why it is so important to undertake the baseline surveys when the area is still untouched.

That just sounds insane! Any idea what the reasoning behind that is/was? To the layman it sounds like politics rules over any good sense, though no suprises there.

 

[SteveNT]

NTP&WS is massively understaffed, especially field staff. The "upper echelons" would rather play at computer modelling (with hugely out of date data) in an airconditioned building and the Rangers are poorly trained and mostly empty bins and clean toilets. Now they have decided to move the whole department to Alice Springs because the new Minister lives there. As with Tourism NT 90+% of staff will simply quit rather than relocate. What little expertise there was will be lost and Park management will deteriorate even more.

Not a problem for the new CLP government. They hate "greenies" and have immediately lifted the moratorium on "fracking" and other henious mining activities on land and at sea. The coast of Arnhem Land has been declared "open" to all forms of gas and oil exploration.
And they brought back the Conservation Commission director from 11 years ago (when they last had power) Bill Freeland, who is guarenteed to give the nod to anything no matter what the environmental consequences.

They also appointed a bloke who designed a giant marina to stretch from East Point to Nightcliff (11 years ago) to the head of the Planning Commission. Surprise, the project is being considered again despite the inevitable destruction of world class sponge beds and coral reefs and the gifting of the last large public space (beaches, monsoon forest and mangroves) left in Darwin to commercial developers.

Things are going to get pretty crook around here as the CLP turns the clock back to the unfettered development and blatant kickbacks for favours style government we threw out 11 years ago. High population turnover means most people here now dont remember how bad it was. They will soon.

Their very first action was to sack Graeme Webb (crocodile expert) as head of the Environment Protection Agency so there will be no independant investigations into what they are planning. In fact they are disbanding the EPA all together and bringing back the Conservation Commission (again step back 11 years) which will be totally at their beck and call.

So the only way there will be flora/ fauna/ cultural surveys at all is for the work to be done by independant researchers or individuals with the skills and motivation and the Indigenous Ranger groups who are not politicised but genuinely "care for country"

Rant concluded

 

[Justdragons]

amazing thread, Cheers for sharing.

 

[imported_Varanus]

Thanks Steve....I think. Worth a rant. All sounds very bleak and, unfortunately, familiar countrywide.

 

[anthony91]

wow, this is an eye opening place, i love that it's so far away from anything & such a secret. even though i'll never make it there, i'm kinda bumed that you're not sharing the name... but it's fantastic you're doing that, keeping it a secret and not letting people destroy this beautiful place even if it is far away from everything and unlikely for it to happen any time soon.

you're doing a great thing, i one day hope to get to explore some of the territory if i'm ever up that way and wanting an adventure, sounds like you're the man to talk to!
keep up the great work, and sharing these fantastic photos!

 

[SteveNT]

Yea let me know if you're coming up, I can point you to places few tourists see. And "No Name Creek" is it's name. There is no European name and the Indigenous name is lost. When we couldn't get there we called it No Name and now we have been there we've decided to keep the name

 

[Skippii]

I know everyone else has already said this.. but wow.. That place is breathtaking.. where is it?

x

 

[Darlyn]

I know everyone else has already said this.. but wow.. That place is breathtaking.. where is it?

x

In the Northern Territory.

 

[damian83]

a little jealous of you guys!!!

 

[SteveNT]

Thanks Steve....I think. Worth a rant. All sounds very bleak and, unfortunately, familiar countrywide.

IV I get involved on issues that are dear to me, but really you can only achieve limited success without devoting your entire life to it (and even then...). I devote my life to taking one step beyond the folk around me. And reaping the consequences, usually damn fine! Politics is a choice between warm and cold poo, but life...... you get one! Enjoy!

 

[imported_Varanus]

Politics is a choice between warm and cold poo, but life...... you get one! Enjoy!

Very well put Steve....I like it!