The Internet is so big, so powerful  that for some people it is a complete substitute for life. Andrew Brown

Oh no…there is no Wi-Fi!
My last few days here in the Northern Territory are now without technology!
What am I going to do…how am I going to keep in touch and post ‘selfies” of us on Facebook??

Driving into the Lichfield National Park the phone service drops out and I am completely isolated from my internet family of Facebook, of skype, of pictures and of instant messages. I mean it really drops out…nothing! The words “no service” clearly displayed on my phone. Even though I tried various spots…nope it was dead! At first my initial thoughts are – “oh dear, no contact with my friends and more importantly no daily ‘conversations’ with my daughter, my son, my grandchildren – the outside world-not with anybody!” Then I gaze at my surroundings and think, “ok Lyndell, this is time out with my husband in the last few days of our short 14 days here in Northern Territory.’

It is quite amazing how technology and the use of the smartphone ensnare your day, consume your waking time and encapsulate your thoughts into messages, emails, pictures, texts of communications! Once upon a time, in my past anyway, we did not have a pocket phone that came everywhere with us, we did not have the ease of contacting someone by mail when we wanted to at any time of day and receiving an almost instant response, we had to leave the house or the cabin to find that public phone box. We waited till we got home from holiday or where we were to process the many photos we took, find the best one and show our friends and family ‘the print’, or we simply wrote a letter the snail mail way and waited for the receiver to respond on its arrival. Today life, (and my life at both work and home definitely is ), is consumed by these wonderful advances in technology but can take up valuable real time of communicating with those we work with, we talk with and importantly we love!

Today, in the natural surroundings of Lichfield National Park, no one had Wi-Fi, no one was talking on a mobile phone, and no one was posting on Facebook. We were all walking, swimming or looking at the beautiful Wangi Falls and other areas around.

Now our stay here has been something entirely different from the past week. The other national parks and waterways we have seen have all been about keeping you out of the water! ‘Don’t go anywhere near them, don’t stop to wade through water ….just stay on the road or in the boat! Advise crocodile warnings which were everywhere.’ I was more than happy to do that believe me! But here in this part of the Top End we have been highly urged to do the opposite, to jump in the water, to get wet and the contrast is so different from our previous week at Darwin, Kakadu and Katherine areas.

When we were in Darwin at the medical conference, we saw abundant advertising for day trips to this park and I can see why! It is really an environment if you wished to see a national park in the NT that did not mean endless driving or long treks to; being only 1500 square kilometre area and 1.5 hours’ drive from Darwin then this is the one where you go to…and of course many visitors do. However, it appears from the locals here in Batchelor where we are staying for our last few days, many ‘DARWINITES’ attend here through week days and in the holidays – particularly in the dry season. Weekends apparently are the busiest times for the park. However, it is not a park where you can walk from one area to the other. The first day we drove 69kms to see Wangi falls – but it was well worth it. After walking the 1.8km track around the top of the falls in this hot dry heat,( no hat, no sunscreen, here I go again…following Marc…)  we enjoying swimming or plunging in as they most befitting call it a ‘plunge pool’. This is probably Lichfield’s most popular and easily accessible attraction (that could be seen by the amount of tourist buses that were there) but the two waterfalls fall into a huge pool which could be surmised at about 100metres plus by 100 metres wide across from the steps to the waterfall itself.

Of course we swam it…the plunge pool simply held out its cool arms and welcomed us into the water and we obliged… and back again and then of course Marc went under the waterfall …but it was far too’ hard’ as in water spray and far too cold (in this heat?).So instead I swam back to the centre of this huge plunge pool and trod water waiting for my husband to desist playing on the rock wall of the falls! Many other areas like Buley Rockhole ,Florence Falls and the Cascades is basically about water viewing and play; of waterfalls and plunge pools for the hot human to cool off within, which we definitely did !

However, there were other activities which did require off road and 4wd manoeuvring such as the Lost City, Blythe Homestead and Tjaynera Falls. We did two out of the three although our 2^nd attempt at doing so was thwarted by water across one of the tracks and we discovered, after Marc not being the typical cavalier male, actually read the manual and advised that the 4wd we had hired was more for city use and not harsher country!

Now normally when approaching a ford in a car- it is best to wade across to see the depth! Oh no, not this pair of tourists! Because, although accustomed now to being ‘safe in water’, the causeway was guarded by the sign of “no swimming, crocodiles”..(.ah now that is a sign I know!).But what a surprise as we were contemplating our next move, another vehicle draws up from the other side, and two males pursue a path in the water determining how deep it really was! Whilst we watched in trepidation and took the stunned obligatory photos of these two unknown males wading, we also took advantage of this stupidity to measure the depth on their legs to associate with what our hire car could handle. Of course then we left, not at all wishing to see what the eventual outcome could or would be in these crocodile infested waters!  What more can I say?

Now, here we are on this our last day ,we are enjoying the historic township of Batchelor and our cabin in the peaceful setting of Rum Jungle Bungalows not quite ready for our return drive to Darwin and the flight home tomorrow unfortunately back to reality.

There is still no internet, no mobile phones, nor any technological communications. All I have is the sun above, the trees bending in the heated breeze, the pool alongside me, an iced tea in my hand and knowing that the only contemporary device is the one upon which I am writing.

Have I missed the communication technology?

Honestly –I have to say -yes!
Yes, I am looking forward to sharing our last day’s photos. Yes I will enjoy hearing from my family and friends. Yes I will enjoy talking to the world again and of course posting up these, my final two blogs. That will happen tomorrow in Darwin! But I also hear that sad whisper that yes, in no time at all, the voice of reality will also come rushing up to meet us both as we re-enter the sophistication of busyness, interaction and consultation .The mad rush of life will regrettably commence once more!

So, I also have to say ‘no’. I have to be honest and admit that these few days’ loss of mobile phone technology has not been at all important, or even a high priority. Why? Because nature herself has allowed just us! And on this last day and night, it is simply about my husband and me; about two people alone without any intrusions, about sharing our own secret world away from existence, from the noise of life for one very last day.

It is simply about surrendering ourselves to nature where technology is not at all needed.