One of the many buildings still standing at Snake Creek
Adelaide River we would have to say is maybe one of those overlooked places on route to Darwin,on the many occasions we have been to Darwin we hadn’t really stopped long enough to have a good look around,well that was until 2011 when we actually based ourselves at Adelaide River ,staying at the ARSS,the towns showground.It’s also the first showground we have ever camped at that has a swimming pool, a bonus in the heat! But be warned if you are coming through in the lead up to the wet ,once those rains start the ARSS is closed to Big Rigs for the wet season,some smaller vehicle's are allowed though! The view on a hazy day from up the top of one of the surrounding hills around the Adelaide River region
If you like anything to do with World War 2 ,definitely take a stop off at Adelaide River ,there’s a number of World War 2 sites in the area, with the most prominent being Snake Creek,a Ammunition depot hidden away in the bush where you’ll find buildings carved into the hillside and remains of old World War 2 camps,we found it intriguing looking around this place and mapping out what the original buildings once were
Old dumping grounds at Snake Creek
A Bomb Inspection Laboratory built in the mid 1950's.
Inside the laboratory
Just one of the many Armco Shelters constructed of Corrugated Steel and set back in the hillside to stay camouflaged against aerial observation back in the war days!
Around the Adelaide River area there are many remains of what would have been once busy Army camps.In almost nearly all directions you can spot a concrete slab or a rusty 44 gallon drum.This shot above taken from another army camp in the Adelaide River area.
For those of you who know Crocodile Dundee the movie and Dundee two,you’ll remember the scene when crocodile hunter Mick Dundee ,played by Paul Hogan,faces down the buffalo just as it’s about to charge him.Well that buffalo “Charlie” now stands on the 303 bar at Adelaide River Pub.He was stuffed after his death back 2005 and now stands there as a welcome to visitors.
And before I forget the 303 bar was named that after a disgruntle bloke walked in one day and opened fire with a 303!
“Charlie” in his earlier days,he lived beside the Adelaide River Pub, in his own yard and complete with his very own wallowing hole.He became a popular tourist attraction and they say you could often find tourists sitting on his back to have their picture taken ,he had a thing for carrot cake!
As you may have gathered by now, Adelaide River was quite a large military base back in World War 2 and after the Japanese bombing of Darwin in 1942 the Australian and American military headquarters were relocated to the Adelaide River township.This is the third largest war cemetery in Australia.On our visit to the cemetery ,our kids collected and placed a flower on each and everyone’s headstone.We read many plaque's that day and couldn’t get over how young allot of these servicemen were.It’s worth a visit if not just to pay your respects to those who lost their lives in fighting for our country.
A Bowerbirds nest! a pretty common site in this area
The siding at Adelaide River and a near by Railway Bridge were constructed to form part of the North Australia Railway.Back in it’s day this was the first main station on the line from Darwin to Pine Creek and played a significance role during World War 2, there’s also a small museum open for a look!
Sunrise from where we parked a couple of nights by the Adelaide River Railway Siding in "2012",the start of a warm day ahead!
Adelaide River holds some great memories for us and it will always be a stopping point on the way to Darwin
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The view on a hazy day from up the top of one of the surrounding hills around the Adelaide River region
