Plitvicka Jezera National Park, Croatia  Week 108 May 3rd - 4th 2013
                       
So off we set again (after missing Europe's largest Stupa a Zaloszanta yet again).

Large fields of rape seed flowering well.

 
Everything green as we head south west a bit towards Croatia. 
 
Just down a side street is a convient Co-op shop.

Convenient for using up Hungarian Forints left from last time, of no further use, and of no value outside Hungary.

 
We crossed the Drava.

Customs and Immigration both sides of the border.

 
Smaller fields in Croatia. Some growing well, some yet to sow.

We even saw hay making in Spring.

 
The main road was a bit bumpy.

Part of it was closed so we took a bumpier detour.

Every house in this village had a storage building.

 
We avoided the motorway around Zagreb.

Which meant we didn't avoid Zagreb.

Standard of driving (their's not ours) was noticeably lower for the minority in a hurry.

 
And so to Plitvicka National Park.
 
A limestone valley with a series of lakes.

Held in by the calcium carbonate deposited by the water cascades are formed.

 

 
It of course reminds us of Erewon National Park in Thailand.

That was near the beginning of our journey west.

Not the same whiteness though.

 
We walked from entrance 1 at the north of the park to the southern end.

Then back halfway and took the bus provided back to the car park.

 
There's also a boat provided.

That and the boat are part of the 110 Kuna (about A$19) entry fee.

What Information didn't tell us was that while the park opens at 7am the boats and buses don't start until 9am.

 
So we admired the reflections before the boat destroyed them.

And walked round the side of the lake.

 
We were serenaded along the way.
 
Plus got our feet wet.

We are lucky and there is lots of water in the lakes, and lots flowing over the cascades.

 
Then dried our feet.
 
Beech forest.

We didn't recognise it at first.

 
The first boat arriving at the northen end of its lake.

We think they are electric - no oil or other pollution.

Swimming isn't allowed either.

 
Definitely beech forest.

The pics of the orchids didn't come out.

 
We by-passed the boat landing and headed further south.
 
A slightly rougher track but cascades and lakes through the trees.
 
And then some more.
 
Forgot to mention. This is the first time in shorts since the Moroccan desert.
 
Nice to be up high.

We started walking just after 7am and had the park to ourselves for the first couple of hours.

 
No-one to take a photo of us but ourselves.
 
But glimpses of cascades through the trees.
 
We reached the bus stop at the southern end.

And decided to walk back a bit.

There's a heron under the cascades.

 
At first we thought it was a statue.

But wait a couple of minutes and it moved.

 
Couldn't resist "blowing it up".

Perhaps time to mention that as well as wild camping being illegal in Croatia there's also the small risk of unexploded ordnance.

 
Did we mention the fish.

And the clear greenish water.

 
And the hordes of people that appeared later in the day.

These are getting on the boat to go north. To where we walked past.

The ashtray is just on the left. Upwind. (grrrrr).

We caught the next boat going the other way, towards entrance 2.

It took 7 people to tie/untie the boat and drive it.

 
What a waste of a good Unimog.

We caught the bus north, to near the car park.

As well as the drivers there were a couple of people to tell us, when asked, which bus was going north and which south

 
Here's a glimpse of the park. This poster (unlike similar ones) had the elevations of the lakes

No scale. North is sort of off to the right.

Come to think of it there was a scale on only one map - 1:10,000 but it was on a poster and we didn't have a ruler.

None of the maps had a compass rose.

The tracks were signposted A-K.But the key was on a separate set of posters, not on the maps on the back of the ticket.

 
After 5 1/2 hours walking, a 5 minute boat ride, and a 10 minute bus ride, we have about 20 minutes walk left.
 
Look carefully and there's a horde of people crossing the planks in front of the closest cascade.

The park has filled up with people.

 
The limestone is coarse and crumbly.

Its the fine stuff that forms places like the Stone Forest.

 
A last view of the most northerly cascade.

A bit like it looked when we arrived, though the sun has gone round a bit.

And a lot of water has flowed over the cascades (as they say).

 
The car park which was empty when we arrived was almost full.

There are four cameras, a ticket issuing machine for entry, and a ticket reading machine for exit.

Payment is at the office, occupied by at least 2 people.

 

 
Last night we stayed at the expensive camping ground at Autocamp Korana.

Headed south from the park after our walk we soon spotted a sign offering parking for motorhomes. Eko Udruga Jezerce.

Just exactly what we needed. With internet. And the icing on the cake would have been the included lift to the park and back avoiding car park charges of about A$12 for the day.

And a friendly welcome.

 
Salona and Zivogozce, Croatia Week 108 May 5th - 7th 2013
 
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