The Blues

NT: Jackson & Batchelor Edition

On May 17, 2011, in Australia, Travel, by Rosie

Hi all. This is the first in a quick series of travel posts from the Northern Territory of Oz.

Unlike my mate Amy from Pitstops for Kids (and NTT) I don’t tend to write much about travels or venues, unless it involves something like using an older sister for a human shield (thereby teasing a sibling AND getting some humourous travel material to write about).

However, before I get into travel war stories, I’d like to write a rave review for Jackson and his hospitality at the property Batchelor Historic Retreat. Batchelor is tiny. Jackson’s ability to make guests feel comfortable and at home in his gateway to the outback is NOT.

Arriving after a four hour plane flight and an hour drive, the visitor may feel hot and weary. Grumpy, even? Once you set eyes on your Bed and Breakfast accommodation, all thoughts of travel flies out the (small) plane window (hopefully, not mid-flight). His property sits in the midst of green, lush vegetation of the area just east of Litchfield National Park, boasts amazing birdlife (like the quirky Barking Owl – woof!) and provides a haven. A veritable haven!

The floorboards are wooden, the six bedrooms and two bathrooms are practical and inviting, and the living spaces are like steps into modern history. You could be walking into the tropical, non-airconditioned, louver-windowed, overhead fan, hot spot of the 1950s. Yep, the Duke of Edinburgh once stayed here (it’s the old Rum Jungle Uranium Mine Manager’s home). Robert Menzies visited too.

Jackson describes it as his work in progress. Perhaps the retreat could be described as such, but his breakfasts CANNOT. Oh, dear. Tropical fruit, fresh tea and coffee, bacon, eggs, mushies, toast, roasted cherry tomatoes, capsicum salsa, sausages …

I We were in love.

Some members of our touring party may have even asked Jackson to accompany us on the rest of the trip! He declined, with a laugh, but did he not know that I wasn’t joking?

The Batchelor Historic Retreat is highly recommended if you’re ever considering a trip into the beautiful Litchfield National Park. It’s not located within the park, but it’s only a short drive away. You can take take the entire place of six bedrooms if there’s a lot of you, or book one if there’s only a couple. You can pretend you’re the Duke of Edinburgh … um, perhaps not.

Then, you get to see and swim in places like this:

More soon, including bats, crocs, inguana, spiders, water holes, termite mounds, using a sister as a human shield, photos, cockroaches, sun, spirit of place, croc warning signs.