Darwin to Ayers Rock (Uluru)
Sunday 26th July. 60 km
Not a good night, it was incredibly hot and whilst lying awake, the phone went and I managed to get to it, but in the dark I managed to turn it off, so we never knew who it was that phoned, which was very frustrating. We did sleep a bit, as it got cooler as the night went on. Nevertheless, we were up early, had a cup of tea in bed which was nice as we hadn't had that for the last few days and breakfast outside. Then the morning just disappeared. I did the washing, but unfortunately the laundrette bit didn't start until 9 o’clock and we only managed to do one lot. I had wanted to wash the blanket, but the washing machines were just full or booked up after that. We did a lot of sorting out after our holiday, various bits of cleaning and organising, had coffee, cut Adrian's hair, went for swim in the pool and after had showers and hair wash. We decided to have dinner at lunch time and we cooked steak outside, which we ate in a little bit of shade.
We then set off in the van managing to locate Coles and then on a tour of the northern suburbs and the beaches of Casaurina and Rapid Creek, finally going to Nightcliff where there was a rocky bit on the beach and we had a short swim. It was a bit difficult because of the rocks in amongst the sand and it was quite shallow and also squelchy and muddy underfoot, but it refreshed us. We went on down and investigated East Point Reserve, including a boardwalk through the mangroves and then another pleasant swim in Lake Alexander, which was a bit more successful than the one in the sea, by which time it was almost 6 o’clock.
We proceeded to Fannie Bay to have a picnic beside the water and watch the sunset, but although there was a beautiful sky, the clouds beat the sun and there wasn't actually a sunset as such, but we did have our picnic sitting beside the sea and then left at 6.50. We had intended driving back to the caravan site but I'd read of a market down in the town, so we decided to head there. On the way we passed lots and lots of cars but realised to late, that the big market was one near the beach, which we didn't see, and the nightly market was very tiny. A few bits of local work, nothing much, but having just left that, we saw a dormobile in the road and there were a Brigitte & Jeff, the couple we had met twice before, the last time at Broome. They were trying to sell their vehicle and their intention was then to continue their travelling by boat. We stopped a long time chatting to them and compared our experiences since we last saw them but, eventually left them to drive back.
Somehow we seemed to have awful trouble with directions in Darwin and went completely wrong again and it was almost 10 o'clock by the time we arrived back at the KOA Caravan Park, to clear up our bits and pieces of the day and make up our bed. We tried doing this differently with the foam underneath the mattress as it was proving rather hot in this hot weather and we didn't really see the point of having it on top, so we had to wait and see how we would get on with that.
Not a good night, it was incredibly hot and whilst lying awake, the phone went and I managed to get to it, but in the dark I managed to turn it off, so we never knew who it was that phoned, which was very frustrating. We did sleep a bit, as it got cooler as the night went on. Nevertheless, we were up early, had a cup of tea in bed which was nice as we hadn't had that for the last few days and breakfast outside. Then the morning just disappeared. I did the washing, but unfortunately the laundrette bit didn't start until 9 o’clock and we only managed to do one lot. I had wanted to wash the blanket, but the washing machines were just full or booked up after that. We did a lot of sorting out after our holiday, various bits of cleaning and organising, had coffee, cut Adrian's hair, went for swim in the pool and after had showers and hair wash. We decided to have dinner at lunch time and we cooked steak outside, which we ate in a little bit of shade.
We then set off in the van managing to locate Coles and then on a tour of the northern suburbs and the beaches of Casaurina and Rapid Creek, finally going to Nightcliff where there was a rocky bit on the beach and we had a short swim. It was a bit difficult because of the rocks in amongst the sand and it was quite shallow and also squelchy and muddy underfoot, but it refreshed us. We went on down and investigated East Point Reserve, including a boardwalk through the mangroves and then another pleasant swim in Lake Alexander, which was a bit more successful than the one in the sea, by which time it was almost 6 o’clock.
We proceeded to Fannie Bay to have a picnic beside the water and watch the sunset, but although there was a beautiful sky, the clouds beat the sun and there wasn't actually a sunset as such, but we did have our picnic sitting beside the sea and then left at 6.50. We had intended driving back to the caravan site but I'd read of a market down in the town, so we decided to head there. On the way we passed lots and lots of cars but realised to late, that the big market was one near the beach, which we didn't see, and the nightly market was very tiny. A few bits of local work, nothing much, but having just left that, we saw a dormobile in the road and there were a Brigitte & Jeff, the couple we had met twice before, the last time at Broome. They were trying to sell their vehicle and their intention was then to continue their travelling by boat. We stopped a long time chatting to them and compared our experiences since we last saw them but, eventually left them to drive back.
Somehow we seemed to have awful trouble with directions in Darwin and went completely wrong again and it was almost 10 o'clock by the time we arrived back at the KOA Caravan Park, to clear up our bits and pieces of the day and make up our bed. We tried doing this differently with the foam underneath the mattress as it was proving rather hot in this hot weather and we didn't really see the point of having it on top, so we had to wait and see how we would get on with that.
This diary was transcribed from diaries Rosie recorded onto tapes, 25 years ago
Monday 27th July. 37 Km
Well, it seemed to be a good thing. Whether it was that, but we didn't wake until 7.45 even though we thought it was 8.20 and then Adrian realised it was the temperature at 81.9°F and not 8.19 am. Even so, we were certainly cooler, but there were other factors too that played a part. We had a cup of tea outside and did one or two things, then had breakfast on another clear, hot, sunny day. We had a lovely swim in the pool, Adrian had made a good job of cleaning the van and we handed the keys back for 10 o'clock, although we hadn’t quite finished showers and hair washing and left more like 10.20.
We drove back into Darwin and parked near the post office, we had more trouble parking this morning but still just parking on the road by the main post office. We had just got outside the vehicle and a chap said hallo and that would have been it but he then he started chatting. He was from Tasmania and had a new Winnebago, he had previously had a Kontiki but the engine had gone. It was about an hour later that we left having had a long conversation with him! We then made our way to the post office and were surprised and slightly dismayed, to find that our post hadn't arrived yet. It was a very busy post office with a long queue but you had to first look at a computerised list to see if there was any post for one selves and there wasn't. I then went to a photo shop there but they didn't do matt, so we proceeded to the one that did Adrian's slides before we went to Timor. Standing there at the counter was a chap who just got his pictures done and when he heard our name Bower, he said have you got friends in New South Wales, looked at us and there was some sort of recognition. It turned out that he was Tony who we'd met at Wyndham at sunset and we found that he was of Dutch extraction, which we'd guessed at. And, as we knew from before, he was very good about talking about himself and not listening much to what you had to say, but pleasant for all that. And he proceeded to show us his photographs. Two of the half dozen films he'd got there and ironically, one of the first pictures he showed us was one at Wyndham with our van in the picture. He didn't realise it of course, but we did. It turned out that his van had broken down and he was there in Darwin, which was not direction he was going in when we met him [he had trouble with his gearbox and the only garage that could mend it was in Darwin]. So we had a long conversation with him, he would have gone through and shown us all his other films, but we said we had to get back to the van, we'd been well over our hour by then. We did see during this time that they had little slide viewers in there, and we bought one so we can look at the slides more easily.
I had hoped initially that we'd been getting the post and having a cup of coffee, but this didn't happen as it was now midday. So we drove down to the Esplanade and made tea and coffee and a roll and sat there in a little shady bower and had our lunch. We then had a walk along the front there on the Esplanade, very pleasant looking out to sea although a beach didn’t exist, it was very mucky and muddy. And then on our walk we saw a large goanna which we photographed many times so hoped something would come out.
Well, it seemed to be a good thing. Whether it was that, but we didn't wake until 7.45 even though we thought it was 8.20 and then Adrian realised it was the temperature at 81.9°F and not 8.19 am. Even so, we were certainly cooler, but there were other factors too that played a part. We had a cup of tea outside and did one or two things, then had breakfast on another clear, hot, sunny day. We had a lovely swim in the pool, Adrian had made a good job of cleaning the van and we handed the keys back for 10 o'clock, although we hadn’t quite finished showers and hair washing and left more like 10.20.
We drove back into Darwin and parked near the post office, we had more trouble parking this morning but still just parking on the road by the main post office. We had just got outside the vehicle and a chap said hallo and that would have been it but he then he started chatting. He was from Tasmania and had a new Winnebago, he had previously had a Kontiki but the engine had gone. It was about an hour later that we left having had a long conversation with him! We then made our way to the post office and were surprised and slightly dismayed, to find that our post hadn't arrived yet. It was a very busy post office with a long queue but you had to first look at a computerised list to see if there was any post for one selves and there wasn't. I then went to a photo shop there but they didn't do matt, so we proceeded to the one that did Adrian's slides before we went to Timor. Standing there at the counter was a chap who just got his pictures done and when he heard our name Bower, he said have you got friends in New South Wales, looked at us and there was some sort of recognition. It turned out that he was Tony who we'd met at Wyndham at sunset and we found that he was of Dutch extraction, which we'd guessed at. And, as we knew from before, he was very good about talking about himself and not listening much to what you had to say, but pleasant for all that. And he proceeded to show us his photographs. Two of the half dozen films he'd got there and ironically, one of the first pictures he showed us was one at Wyndham with our van in the picture. He didn't realise it of course, but we did. It turned out that his van had broken down and he was there in Darwin, which was not direction he was going in when we met him [he had trouble with his gearbox and the only garage that could mend it was in Darwin]. So we had a long conversation with him, he would have gone through and shown us all his other films, but we said we had to get back to the van, we'd been well over our hour by then. We did see during this time that they had little slide viewers in there, and we bought one so we can look at the slides more easily.
I had hoped initially that we'd been getting the post and having a cup of coffee, but this didn't happen as it was now midday. So we drove down to the Esplanade and made tea and coffee and a roll and sat there in a little shady bower and had our lunch. We then had a walk along the front there on the Esplanade, very pleasant looking out to sea although a beach didn’t exist, it was very mucky and muddy. And then on our walk we saw a large goanna which we photographed many times so hoped something would come out.
We returned to the van and drove back down to the library so that we could get a copy of a map showing Timor in relation to Australia, but I knew this would take a little while and it was 2.30 by the time we had done that, but we also enjoyed looking at various maps. We did also discover something that we had puzzled about - there are two places called Christmas Island, one in the middle of the Pacific and one belonging to Australia just south of Java. We then made our way to Mindil Beach but it was very hot, the beach was wide and the sea was a long way out. We had a little walk around there and then drove to the Botanic gardens which were much cooler and had a walk through nice shady area they called rain forest. When we returned to the van, we found a message from Simon on the phone with his phone number in Holland, We tried ring lots of lots of times and didn't get an answer, so can only think he rang us before he left for work.
We then made our way up to Lake Alexander at East Point and the place that Jeff and Brigette had said they'd camped at, and tried to locate where other people might be staying, but couldn't, but we did see an area that looked suitable. So we went for a swim in the lake, which refreshed us and then had another look to see where people might be staying the night and then went just around to the beach opposite and had a quick look there. We then decided it was time to do our platypus letters on the front of the bus, which I had been meaning to do for the last six months and this we accomplished. So hopefully, we'll have a happy platypus to drive around in. We had another look around to see if anyone else was staying the night which we still didn't see, so we decided to go and cook a meal watching the sunset and ended up at the end of East Point itself, where we found a spot to ourselves. It was a bit of a race against time to get the meal going and watch the sun go down - which it did properly today. We enjoyed the fish that we cooked outside.
We then made our way up to Lake Alexander at East Point and the place that Jeff and Brigette had said they'd camped at, and tried to locate where other people might be staying, but couldn't, but we did see an area that looked suitable. So we went for a swim in the lake, which refreshed us and then had another look to see where people might be staying the night and then went just around to the beach opposite and had a quick look there. We then decided it was time to do our platypus letters on the front of the bus, which I had been meaning to do for the last six months and this we accomplished. So hopefully, we'll have a happy platypus to drive around in. We had another look around to see if anyone else was staying the night which we still didn't see, so we decided to go and cook a meal watching the sunset and ended up at the end of East Point itself, where we found a spot to ourselves. It was a bit of a race against time to get the meal going and watch the sun go down - which it did properly today. We enjoyed the fish that we cooked outside.
The Goanna
There were also Ibis in the park
Then as dusk is so short here we headed back for the parking area we had seen earlier and positioned ourselves down a little track as far away as we could possibly get. The evening was slightly cooler and at least there was a breeze but we still felt very hot, probably from the engine which takes hours and hours to cool down. We looked through one lot of Adrian’s slides and labelled them.
Adrian cooking our meal at East Point
Rosie watching the sun set at East Point
Tuesday 28th July 50 Km
We slept well but were woken feeling surprisingly cool at about 6 o’clock, so we had an early start to the day. We watched the sun just come up over the grasses and through the trees of the little wilderness that we were in and left after a cup of tea and drove round to the beach close to us and decided to have our breakfast there. But we hadn't got far with that when we had a phone call from Tom and had quite a chat to him and then completed our breakfast.
We slept well but were woken feeling surprisingly cool at about 6 o’clock, so we had an early start to the day. We watched the sun just come up over the grasses and through the trees of the little wilderness that we were in and left after a cup of tea and drove round to the beach close to us and decided to have our breakfast there. But we hadn't got far with that when we had a phone call from Tom and had quite a chat to him and then completed our breakfast.
So after an abortive effort to see the ‘tree of knowledge’, time had got on . We then stopped to get some diesel and gas and headed off. We then went in search of a 'do it yourself' shop which there seemed to be only one of and Adrian was able to buy some netting that he wanted for the windows. In the neighbouring shop which was rather like a Habitat, I purchased a wineglass which I had been trying to get for a long time, since Adrian inadvertently broke one of the two we had. We then had lunch on the edge of a little sports ground on a bit parched ground but which wasn't too hot, as it wasn't too sunny at that point.
We then shopped in Bilo which was more impressive than some of the other shops and headed out and turned off to Howard Springs Caravan Park, which was pretty chock-a-block, we were given a position there of an unpowered site, then very soon went to the swimming pool, which was pretty crowded - the most crowded swimming pool we'd seen - with people not swimming but just sort of sitting in it. We had a bit of a cool down in it and we returned to read through the post which we'd hardly read today and some of the long letters. We washed the blanket which had been looking in need of a wash, probably because it looked a bit moth-holey and were not quite sure why, so we had got that done and hung up to dry. Unfortunately, occasionality, there was a very unpleasant smell, probably from the campsite effluent overflowing onto the ground near us, which was pretty obnoxious. We did then manage to ring Simon at work and spoke to him and then cooked the steak outside. Just as we started eating, the people in the neighbouring caravan came back, Len and Isobel Mills from Adelaide and they sat down and we actually talked for the rest of the evening. It was about 10.30 and we still hadn't washed up. It was cooler than other evenings. It was now mid 70°F, so very pleasant.
We then shopped in Bilo which was more impressive than some of the other shops and headed out and turned off to Howard Springs Caravan Park, which was pretty chock-a-block, we were given a position there of an unpowered site, then very soon went to the swimming pool, which was pretty crowded - the most crowded swimming pool we'd seen - with people not swimming but just sort of sitting in it. We had a bit of a cool down in it and we returned to read through the post which we'd hardly read today and some of the long letters. We washed the blanket which had been looking in need of a wash, probably because it looked a bit moth-holey and were not quite sure why, so we had got that done and hung up to dry. Unfortunately, occasionality, there was a very unpleasant smell, probably from the campsite effluent overflowing onto the ground near us, which was pretty obnoxious. We did then manage to ring Simon at work and spoke to him and then cooked the steak outside. Just as we started eating, the people in the neighbouring caravan came back, Len and Isobel Mills from Adelaide and they sat down and we actually talked for the rest of the evening. It was about 10.30 and we still hadn't washed up. It was cooler than other evenings. It was now mid 70°F, so very pleasant.
We had a refreshing swim in the sea. Delightfully calm and there were showers in the loo just by us so we were able to have a shower afterwards and it was nearly 09.30 by the the time we left.
We drove down now to Doctors Gulley which is where hundreds of fish come in at high tide to be fed. One has to pay for this little pleasure, but it was very pleasant and we saw and fed lots and lots of fish with the bread that was provided. There were cat fish, mullet , huge milk fish and rays and several other fish too.
We drove down now to Doctors Gulley which is where hundreds of fish come in at high tide to be fed. One has to pay for this little pleasure, but it was very pleasant and we saw and fed lots and lots of fish with the bread that was provided. There were cat fish, mullet , huge milk fish and rays and several other fish too.
Rosie having breakfast at Fannie Bay
We spent longer than we'd initially imagined there and by the time we left, it was coffee time so we had coffee and biscuit in a bit of shade on a little bit next to this place, so it was 11.00 by the time we finally left. We headed back into the city and we had success this time, the photos were done, and quite reasonably priced at $11.50, and the post was there. We had letters from Emma, Simon and Tom and Val and Renee and Janet O'Gorman.
We called in next door to a little camping shop and bought another fly net and gas mantle which we needed and then we headed for the mall and we sat in the shade and read through all our post and looked at lots of photos and all sorts of long letters to read.
We called in next door to a little camping shop and bought another fly net and gas mantle which we needed and then we headed for the mall and we sat in the shade and read through all our post and looked at lots of photos and all sorts of long letters to read.
Adrian feeding the fish at Doctors Gulley
Rosie with our post at Darwins Shopping Mall
Wednesday 29th July 102 Km
I hadn't slept well. It wasn't that we were warm, but a bird or something making a lot of noise. There were quite a lot of clouds around so it seemed pleasantly cool while we had our breakfast outside. We went for a swim in the pool which we had to ourselves this morning so that was very enjoyable and afterwards had a shower. We ate a banana and I decided it was coffee time so I had a cup of coffee while Adrian filled the van with water. We collected the almost dry blanket off the line, by which time it was 10.45.
We drove a short distance to Howard Springs Nature Park and parked there and went for a pleasant walk through monsoon rain forest and more open woodland. There was a big pond here which was for swimming and also contained some gigantic barramundi and other fish, someone was feeding them some small fish when we arrived and they'd all come to the side. A little scene occurred when a little the boy dropped his McDonald's toy in from the fright of seeing the barramundi and a person swimming around had come to retrieve it for him. We returned from our walk and then went for a swim ourselves which was an absolutely wonderful swim. We took the goggles and Adrian took the underwater camera and tried to take a couple of pictures of me swimming with these huge barramundi.
I hadn't slept well. It wasn't that we were warm, but a bird or something making a lot of noise. There were quite a lot of clouds around so it seemed pleasantly cool while we had our breakfast outside. We went for a swim in the pool which we had to ourselves this morning so that was very enjoyable and afterwards had a shower. We ate a banana and I decided it was coffee time so I had a cup of coffee while Adrian filled the van with water. We collected the almost dry blanket off the line, by which time it was 10.45.
We drove a short distance to Howard Springs Nature Park and parked there and went for a pleasant walk through monsoon rain forest and more open woodland. There was a big pond here which was for swimming and also contained some gigantic barramundi and other fish, someone was feeding them some small fish when we arrived and they'd all come to the side. A little scene occurred when a little the boy dropped his McDonald's toy in from the fright of seeing the barramundi and a person swimming around had come to retrieve it for him. We returned from our walk and then went for a swim ourselves which was an absolutely wonderful swim. We took the goggles and Adrian took the underwater camera and tried to take a couple of pictures of me swimming with these huge barramundi.
I swam right down to the far into the lake which was lovely, the only annoying thing was that it left me feeling absolutely deaf afterwards which was very disconcerting. We were able to have a shower in the loos here and then we made up some rolls and sat eating these near the water. There were a lot of ibis around and it was very green and shady and all together very pleasant.
Ibis at Howard Springs Nature Park
One of the Barramundi in the pond which we swam in
We talked to a German man from Bremen for quite a long time, and we sat outside for a bit, but as the sun went down, the mosquitoes came out in profusion. So we managed to cook outside but ate and sat inside afterwards and wrote a couple of postcards. At bedtime, we went for a very pleasant swim in the lake.
Sunset at Annaburroo Billabong
Thursday 30th July 93 Km
We again woke late. We had intended getting up early, but it was pleasantly cool, and had been cool just towards morning. After a cup of tea, we walked right around the lake and then came back for breakfast. Adrian spoke to the German who was just leaving and we exchanged addresses and we then went for a very pleasant swim, in the lake. I swam across to the other side and Adrian photographed the waterlilies for the last two exposures on the underwater camera. By then it was gone 10 o'clock and we thought it was time for coffee, so we had our piece of bun sitting by the lake. There was lots of squawking of white parrots and there were mossies and flies still around. It was just after 10.30, when we left. We drove on until we came to the entrance to Kakadu National Park.
We paid $15 each for the entry fee which would last us all the time that we were there. We then continued until we came to Angadabal Billabong area. We stopped there as there was a walk but we thought we'd have lunch first as it was 12.30. We sat at a shady picnic table in a not particularly beautiful area but it sufficed - a large raven watched us. As we were finishing our meal, a vehicle drew up with a group of young people on tour, to have their lunch. Adrian spoke to one of them, another Swiss girl of a couple who was on honeymoon there, as we'd met a previous couple also doing. We then set off on our walk which took us just over an hour. The pleasant things were the butterflies some brilliant yellow, some vivid white and some that looked similar to white and red admirals and also some birds. We saw what we thought was a rose crowned fruit dove or pigeon, very colourful and also what we think was a forest kingfisher. We could view the billabong, with its big water lilies and egrets, not very many other water birds. Apparently there were crocodiles here. We also saw what was a red tailed black cockatoo which we thought we'd seen by deduction when we were in Gregory Park on a walk, but didn't see the red on it and on this walk, again we didn't see the red on it until it landed. We also saw lots of see-through dragonflies on this walk. We were beginning to feel very warm and had been aggravated by mosquito bites, despite the repellent we had put on and so felt extremely hot by the end of the walk, which was now 2.30.
As there was a caravan site adjacent to this place, a sort of hotel / roadhouse, we decided it would be sensible to stop here and have a powered site which we did. Have power will travel – no, we'll have the air conditioning. That was very important, as we found last night that we couldn't sit out because of the mosquitoes and at least with air conditioning, it would be cool to sit inside. We settled ourselves into the All Seasons Frontier Village caravan site, went for swim in the pleasant pool and there was a little Jacuzzi pool next to it and I found the switch for that. We then put the washing in and washed the rest of the curtains and enjoyed having electricity and warm weather. I wrote to Renee & Lena.
We again woke late. We had intended getting up early, but it was pleasantly cool, and had been cool just towards morning. After a cup of tea, we walked right around the lake and then came back for breakfast. Adrian spoke to the German who was just leaving and we exchanged addresses and we then went for a very pleasant swim, in the lake. I swam across to the other side and Adrian photographed the waterlilies for the last two exposures on the underwater camera. By then it was gone 10 o'clock and we thought it was time for coffee, so we had our piece of bun sitting by the lake. There was lots of squawking of white parrots and there were mossies and flies still around. It was just after 10.30, when we left. We drove on until we came to the entrance to Kakadu National Park.
We paid $15 each for the entry fee which would last us all the time that we were there. We then continued until we came to Angadabal Billabong area. We stopped there as there was a walk but we thought we'd have lunch first as it was 12.30. We sat at a shady picnic table in a not particularly beautiful area but it sufficed - a large raven watched us. As we were finishing our meal, a vehicle drew up with a group of young people on tour, to have their lunch. Adrian spoke to one of them, another Swiss girl of a couple who was on honeymoon there, as we'd met a previous couple also doing. We then set off on our walk which took us just over an hour. The pleasant things were the butterflies some brilliant yellow, some vivid white and some that looked similar to white and red admirals and also some birds. We saw what we thought was a rose crowned fruit dove or pigeon, very colourful and also what we think was a forest kingfisher. We could view the billabong, with its big water lilies and egrets, not very many other water birds. Apparently there were crocodiles here. We also saw what was a red tailed black cockatoo which we thought we'd seen by deduction when we were in Gregory Park on a walk, but didn't see the red on it and on this walk, again we didn't see the red on it until it landed. We also saw lots of see-through dragonflies on this walk. We were beginning to feel very warm and had been aggravated by mosquito bites, despite the repellent we had put on and so felt extremely hot by the end of the walk, which was now 2.30.
As there was a caravan site adjacent to this place, a sort of hotel / roadhouse, we decided it would be sensible to stop here and have a powered site which we did. Have power will travel – no, we'll have the air conditioning. That was very important, as we found last night that we couldn't sit out because of the mosquitoes and at least with air conditioning, it would be cool to sit inside. We settled ourselves into the All Seasons Frontier Village caravan site, went for swim in the pleasant pool and there was a little Jacuzzi pool next to it and I found the switch for that. We then put the washing in and washed the rest of the curtains and enjoyed having electricity and warm weather. I wrote to Renee & Lena.
It was slightly cooler today with a breeze and quite a lot of cloud which made it pleasant, but very humid.
We took the road towards Humpty Doo. We had to stop for a quarantine check, which meant we had to eat the remaining bananas between us - we had been told in the shop incorrectly, that bananas weren't subject to the check, but the pears were alright as we got them sealed in a bag, even if Adrian added one to it that hadn't been sealed in that bag! We were passing a lot of wetlands areas, but we didn't stop for the cruise on the Adelaide River to see the jumping crocodiles, there wasn't any more today anyway. We did stop at another wetland area and view multitudes of wetland birds beside the road - we saw another brolga and then we stopped by some huge cathedral termite mounds.
We took the road towards Humpty Doo. We had to stop for a quarantine check, which meant we had to eat the remaining bananas between us - we had been told in the shop incorrectly, that bananas weren't subject to the check, but the pears were alright as we got them sealed in a bag, even if Adrian added one to it that hadn't been sealed in that bag! We were passing a lot of wetlands areas, but we didn't stop for the cruise on the Adelaide River to see the jumping crocodiles, there wasn't any more today anyway. We did stop at another wetland area and view multitudes of wetland birds beside the road - we saw another brolga and then we stopped by some huge cathedral termite mounds.
Friday 31st July 83 Km
A surprisingly cool night and cool as we woke up. We woke early just as it was getting light and the mossies seem to be, as Adrian said, queuing up to come in and I found lots of them getting in despite all our means of keeping them out. We had our cup of tea and decided to have breakfast inside, it was surprisingly cool outside. I think it was about 67°F inside and we heard on the radio it was -1°C in Alice Springs. I then decided I would go for a swim, but had to wait a little while because the chap had just put the chlorine in. We both had showers and hair wash. Adrian had found that something had tried to eat right through the electricity wire, so he had to mend that, so it was just after 9.30 by the time we were ready to leave.
We stopped a few kilometres on at Alligator River, which was a picnic site, just to view the river which was very large and muddy and signs of crocodiles, so not very enticing, but a pleasant temperature and quite a cool breeze which I am welcoming, can you believe. As we left the car park a largish goanna ran across in front of us at great speed. We stopped a bit further on at the Mamukala Wetlands, had coffee first and then went on a three kilometre walk which was not madly exciting. It was just a dry path with some screw pines either side and we could only view the billabong, some of the time. We saw what we thought were magpie geese, lots of egrets and lots of water lilies and we then walked down to a hide and again saw more wetland birds, jacanas and other birds but nothing different from those we'd seen before.
It was 11.30 when we returned the van. We drove on for some distance through unremarkable scenery, although there were some good rock formations here and there. We turned off to Merle Campsite, which we quickly viewed and then went down to Cahills Crossing on the East Alligator River. We had our lunch here and viewed the wide, milky looking River. It was pretty hot by now. We drove the short distance to Ubirr where there was a kilometre long walking trail seeing lots of aboriginal rock art, hidden underneath rocks and so kept sheltered from the weather.
A surprisingly cool night and cool as we woke up. We woke early just as it was getting light and the mossies seem to be, as Adrian said, queuing up to come in and I found lots of them getting in despite all our means of keeping them out. We had our cup of tea and decided to have breakfast inside, it was surprisingly cool outside. I think it was about 67°F inside and we heard on the radio it was -1°C in Alice Springs. I then decided I would go for a swim, but had to wait a little while because the chap had just put the chlorine in. We both had showers and hair wash. Adrian had found that something had tried to eat right through the electricity wire, so he had to mend that, so it was just after 9.30 by the time we were ready to leave.
We stopped a few kilometres on at Alligator River, which was a picnic site, just to view the river which was very large and muddy and signs of crocodiles, so not very enticing, but a pleasant temperature and quite a cool breeze which I am welcoming, can you believe. As we left the car park a largish goanna ran across in front of us at great speed. We stopped a bit further on at the Mamukala Wetlands, had coffee first and then went on a three kilometre walk which was not madly exciting. It was just a dry path with some screw pines either side and we could only view the billabong, some of the time. We saw what we thought were magpie geese, lots of egrets and lots of water lilies and we then walked down to a hide and again saw more wetland birds, jacanas and other birds but nothing different from those we'd seen before.
It was 11.30 when we returned the van. We drove on for some distance through unremarkable scenery, although there were some good rock formations here and there. We turned off to Merle Campsite, which we quickly viewed and then went down to Cahills Crossing on the East Alligator River. We had our lunch here and viewed the wide, milky looking River. It was pretty hot by now. We drove the short distance to Ubirr where there was a kilometre long walking trail seeing lots of aboriginal rock art, hidden underneath rocks and so kept sheltered from the weather.
There were also some water buffalo in the wetlands area we stopped at.
We stopped briefly to view the Mary River, which was a wide river with signs about crocodiles and no swimming, but lots of flies, so we didn't stay long. But just past that, we turned off to a place called Annaburroo Billabong. The leaflet said that it was a bush oasis just over an hour's drive from Darwin and made it look very exotic. In fact, it was very primitive, but there was a beautiful swimming area - a small lake surrounded by trees, a couple of shack buildings as an office. The man said we could go around to the other side as there were virtually no facilities where we were. We had to pay $6 each for this, but on the other side of the lake there were crowds and crowds of white cockatoos, which were extremely noisy, so we settled ourselves this side. The first thing we did was go for swim. A group of young people had stopped off, not camping but just visiting and swimming and having fun in the lake. It was still warm, but perhaps not as hot as the last few days.
We stopped briefly to view the Mary River, which was a wide river with signs about crocodiles and no swimming, but lots of flies, so we didn't stay long. But just past that, we turned off to a place called Annaburroo Billabong. The leaflet said that it was a bush oasis just over an hour's drive from Darwin and made it look very exotic. In fact, it was very primitive, but there was a beautiful swimming area - a small lake surrounded by trees, a couple of shack buildings as an office. The man said we could go around to the other side as there were virtually no facilities where we were. We had to pay $6 each for this, but on the other side of the lake there were crowds and crowds of white cockatoos, which were extremely noisy, so we settled ourselves this side. The first thing we did was go for swim. A group of young people had stopped off, not camping but just visiting and swimming and having fun in the lake. It was still warm, but perhaps not as hot as the last few days.
Rosie by the Cathedral Termite mound, Kakadu NP
We were able to climb up to a look out, which was quite a scramble, but we could see 360 degrees of wilderness and flood plain of one of the Alligator Rivers. All these rivers all seemed to have same name but suffixed by, - East, -West, West Branch and East Branch. It was quite an impressive view, clear blue sky, it made one pretty hot.
Abroiginal Art, Ubirr
We'd both seen a little bird which we asked the Ranger about and was a crimson finch.
We then drove back to the Merle camping area and arrived at three o'clock. We both had showers just to cool us down and then we set off on a walk initially back down to the East Alligator River, where in fact we saw several crocodiles. We walked up beside the river starting at Cahills Crossing and the walk, called Manugarve walk, which was a monsoon rain forest walk, was very pleasant and very green with lots of little winding paths. It was very enjoyable and seeing the crocodiles was a real boost. We didn't see much other wildlife, but there were see-through dragonflies and one or two butterflies. We stopped off at the Border Store, had a look and bought a postcard and Adrian bought an ice cream and then we walked back. We had another shower to take the heat out of us, and set about preparing for the evening. I wasn't feeling too great, maybe too much heat. Adrian cooked outside but we decided to eat inside with the fear of mossies.
We then drove back to the Merle camping area and arrived at three o'clock. We both had showers just to cool us down and then we set off on a walk initially back down to the East Alligator River, where in fact we saw several crocodiles. We walked up beside the river starting at Cahills Crossing and the walk, called Manugarve walk, which was a monsoon rain forest walk, was very pleasant and very green with lots of little winding paths. It was very enjoyable and seeing the crocodiles was a real boost. We didn't see much other wildlife, but there were see-through dragonflies and one or two butterflies. We stopped off at the Border Store, had a look and bought a postcard and Adrian bought an ice cream and then we walked back. We had another shower to take the heat out of us, and set about preparing for the evening. I wasn't feeling too great, maybe too much heat. Adrian cooked outside but we decided to eat inside with the fear of mossies.
Adrian at the Lookout towards Arnhem Land, Ubirr, Kakadu NP
Saturday 1st August 65 Km
I hadn't slept that well, so it wasn't the early start we'd hoped for. We had breakfast outside in the pleasant temperature and it was 9.30 before we left and drove the short distance to do a walk by the river, called the Bardedjilidji walk. The walk was pleasant with little winding paths around interesting sandstone rock formations, beside the East Alligator River. We saw some tiny native bees and a cave with Aboriginal paintings in, but we didn't really see any wildlife - a pigeon that might have been the Torres Strait pigeon and the river, but no crocodiles this morning.
I hadn't slept that well, so it wasn't the early start we'd hoped for. We had breakfast outside in the pleasant temperature and it was 9.30 before we left and drove the short distance to do a walk by the river, called the Bardedjilidji walk. The walk was pleasant with little winding paths around interesting sandstone rock formations, beside the East Alligator River. We saw some tiny native bees and a cave with Aboriginal paintings in, but we didn't really see any wildlife - a pigeon that might have been the Torres Strait pigeon and the river, but no crocodiles this morning.
We returned and had our coffee and left at 11 o’clock.
We drove into Jabiru where we found a largish supermarket and amongst other things were able to get some ear drops, as it also had a chemists bit in it and hopefully they'll work, but we were spoilt for choice in the end and we didn't know which ones to get so hopefully made the right decision. We managed to get some money and post the post we had ready and buy a few stamps and got some diesel and gas for the lamp. We drove to the nearby Jabiru Lake and found a shady spot to have our lunch of some very nice rolls.
We then drove on to Bowali Visitor Centre which was modern and posey and had a shop full of lovely books, there were certainly lots of wildlife books on Kakadu, and the Northern Territory. We did find that one of the spiders we'd seen was a St. Andrews spider, it had a sort of white cross and there was a book on butterflies, but there was just so many.
Not far down the road was Burdulba Camping area which we pulled into and from here we went on a nice walk called the Iligadjarr walk which was alongside one billabong and then another, it was like a path cut through English wheatlands. We wore our flynets and saw several bee eaters, egrets and some waterlillies. We returned and had showers in the van We cooked supper early, veal and ate outside, and we managed it, but the flies were there and the mossies were coming out. So we came into the van and labelled another lot of slides and wrote a couple of postcards and I started reading my Roy Castle autobiography.
We drove into Jabiru where we found a largish supermarket and amongst other things were able to get some ear drops, as it also had a chemists bit in it and hopefully they'll work, but we were spoilt for choice in the end and we didn't know which ones to get so hopefully made the right decision. We managed to get some money and post the post we had ready and buy a few stamps and got some diesel and gas for the lamp. We drove to the nearby Jabiru Lake and found a shady spot to have our lunch of some very nice rolls.
We then drove on to Bowali Visitor Centre which was modern and posey and had a shop full of lovely books, there were certainly lots of wildlife books on Kakadu, and the Northern Territory. We did find that one of the spiders we'd seen was a St. Andrews spider, it had a sort of white cross and there was a book on butterflies, but there was just so many.
Not far down the road was Burdulba Camping area which we pulled into and from here we went on a nice walk called the Iligadjarr walk which was alongside one billabong and then another, it was like a path cut through English wheatlands. We wore our flynets and saw several bee eaters, egrets and some waterlillies. We returned and had showers in the van We cooked supper early, veal and ate outside, and we managed it, but the flies were there and the mossies were coming out. So we came into the van and labelled another lot of slides and wrote a couple of postcards and I started reading my Roy Castle autobiography.
Adrian on the Bardedjilidji walk , Kakadu NP
Aboriginal paintings in a cave on the Bardedjilidji walk , Kakadu NP
Sunday, 2nd August. 70 km
A really cool night and still cool in the morning because the sun hadn't got to us. We sat outside for breakfast, but were rather plagued by mossies, and didn't want to hang around, and so were ready to leave by 8.30 We drove first of the Nourlangie Rock Walk where there were a lot of Aboriginal paintings.
A really cool night and still cool in the morning because the sun hadn't got to us. We sat outside for breakfast, but were rather plagued by mossies, and didn't want to hang around, and so were ready to leave by 8.30 We drove first of the Nourlangie Rock Walk where there were a lot of Aboriginal paintings.
On the way along there, we met a ranger who had seen a little wallaroo and in fact, it was mother, father and baby. So we were grateful to him for pointing them out,and in fact, when we got to the top to the lookout, which is called Gunwarddehwarde, he was giving his talk of the day. There were lots of talks given in the National Park and it was to my mind, more of a sermon than a talk because we came in halfway through it, when he was saying a bit about the history of it and the Aboriginal people. He ended by saying it was a place for people to stop and think and to take stock of themselves as it were, which was a good thing to stop and think about. An enjoyable walk and lots to see particularly the wallaroos and lots and lots of paintings and wonderful views. We had coffee at Anbangbang Billabong and then went for a pleasurable flat walk around this shrinking billabong, where we saw many water birds and we think what was a darter sunning his wings, and egrets, Ibis, and black cockatoos in the trees.
We returned at 11.45. We turned down to Yellow Water, where we stopped in the parking area as there was no picnic area here. So we put the table up in a bit of shade and had our lunch and then we walked out on a long boardwalk to an observation point where we saw many more wetland birds similar to before but in addition, a couple of brolgas.
We stopped by Cooinda lodge where Adrian used the phone to ask Landbase to send our post to Alice Springs. He only got an answerphone, it being Sunday. We then stopped at the Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre, which gave us quite an insight into the Aboriginal people living here - a very state of the art type of place. Then we drove a little way down the road to a camping area at Mardugal and the first thing we did there was to have a shower to cool ourselves down. We then went on the pleasant, if unremarkable, very dry, woodland walk making us think of walks in Roebuck Woods sometimes.
When we returned, I had another shower and washed my hair. We sat outside, the Ranger came round for his money and we actually cooked outside and ate outside before the mossies got to us. I wrote to Clive and Rosemary, it was a beautiful evening and lovely as the sun went down, but we were just upset to think the mossies came and stopped this beauty. Inside we labelled the third lot of slides.
We returned at 11.45. We turned down to Yellow Water, where we stopped in the parking area as there was no picnic area here. So we put the table up in a bit of shade and had our lunch and then we walked out on a long boardwalk to an observation point where we saw many more wetland birds similar to before but in addition, a couple of brolgas.
We stopped by Cooinda lodge where Adrian used the phone to ask Landbase to send our post to Alice Springs. He only got an answerphone, it being Sunday. We then stopped at the Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre, which gave us quite an insight into the Aboriginal people living here - a very state of the art type of place. Then we drove a little way down the road to a camping area at Mardugal and the first thing we did there was to have a shower to cool ourselves down. We then went on the pleasant, if unremarkable, very dry, woodland walk making us think of walks in Roebuck Woods sometimes.
When we returned, I had another shower and washed my hair. We sat outside, the Ranger came round for his money and we actually cooked outside and ate outside before the mossies got to us. I wrote to Clive and Rosemary, it was a beautiful evening and lovely as the sun went down, but we were just upset to think the mossies came and stopped this beauty. Inside we labelled the third lot of slides.
Aboriginal Rock Art at Nourlangie, Kakadu NP
Monday 3rd August 119 Km
Awake early to what seemed like an autumnal misty morning with the sun just rising, a lovely cool time of day. So after a cup of tea we set off on a walk to the billabong. The best thing perhaps were two kangaroos that leapt across the campsite as we left. We first got to the boat ramp and then located the way to the billabong supposedly on a circular walk, but it took us to the billabong and we carried on some way after it but that was just a path somebody had made, it didn't go anywhere. So we came back the way we came - the reflections on lake were beautiful. It felt quite English, a lot of dead leaves underfoot.
Awake early to what seemed like an autumnal misty morning with the sun just rising, a lovely cool time of day. So after a cup of tea we set off on a walk to the billabong. The best thing perhaps were two kangaroos that leapt across the campsite as we left. We first got to the boat ramp and then located the way to the billabong supposedly on a circular walk, but it took us to the billabong and we carried on some way after it but that was just a path somebody had made, it didn't go anywhere. So we came back the way we came - the reflections on lake were beautiful. It felt quite English, a lot of dead leaves underfoot.
We didn't see too much but heard quite a lot of birds singing in the trees.
We came back and Adrian cooked bacon & egg outside, so it was 10 o'clock when we left. We turned off to Gungurul picnic area for our elevenses. This was on the South Alligator River and supposedly there was a footpath to the river. When we got to the start a couple of rangers were erecting a sign. Adrian looked at the sign and said, "so that's how far it is to the river then?", "No" he said, "don't take any notice of that. That's wrong, I don't know how far it is - not very far!". We walked perhaps half a kilometre and eventually found the river, the first bit of it was dry but we did find a shallow bit of water. Not madly exciting and we returned and had coffee. Adrian did briefly talk to a couple from Melbourne and we then continued south.
We reached the turn off to Gunlom (Waterfall Creek) at midday and had 40 kilometres on a rough road to go along. After half an hour so we came to Yurmikmik walks and there was a parking area. We went on the shortest of the walks about two kilometres around a creek, there was quite a bit of climbing as we had to get around the creek. And the noticeable thing on this walk were a whole myriad of butterflies flying out from the seemingly empty creek. We also had the backdrop of fine cliffs of conglomerate rock. To start this walk we had to go over a mini Capilano type of bridge which said one person on it at a time only.
We came back and Adrian cooked bacon & egg outside, so it was 10 o'clock when we left. We turned off to Gungurul picnic area for our elevenses. This was on the South Alligator River and supposedly there was a footpath to the river. When we got to the start a couple of rangers were erecting a sign. Adrian looked at the sign and said, "so that's how far it is to the river then?", "No" he said, "don't take any notice of that. That's wrong, I don't know how far it is - not very far!". We walked perhaps half a kilometre and eventually found the river, the first bit of it was dry but we did find a shallow bit of water. Not madly exciting and we returned and had coffee. Adrian did briefly talk to a couple from Melbourne and we then continued south.
We reached the turn off to Gunlom (Waterfall Creek) at midday and had 40 kilometres on a rough road to go along. After half an hour so we came to Yurmikmik walks and there was a parking area. We went on the shortest of the walks about two kilometres around a creek, there was quite a bit of climbing as we had to get around the creek. And the noticeable thing on this walk were a whole myriad of butterflies flying out from the seemingly empty creek. We also had the backdrop of fine cliffs of conglomerate rock. To start this walk we had to go over a mini Capilano type of bridge which said one person on it at a time only.
Early morning reflections, Mardugal Billabong, Kakadu NP
We returned to the van and in the bit of shade behind we had our lunch.
We continued on this rough road to Gumlom. In a few places there were road works and one particular place it was very difficult to get past and when we finally got to this hot little campsite, at the foot of what should be waterfalls, the waterfalls looked dry. We were very hot, so immediately went for a shower. It was about 2.30, when we arrived. We then walked across to where the plunge pool was, the waterfall was miniscule there, but obviously quite dramatic in the wet season. There was a nice pool at the bottom, much like some we'd seen in Litchfield Park. It was actually cold water but it was nice to have a swim.
There were quite a few people, either camping or staying,flies were still plaguing our face. I had come out with a bad throat this morning and lots of sneezes and feeling full of cold which was very annoying. We went back to the van and apart from my not feeling well it was a very pleasant evening, mostly because of the lack of mosquitoes. It was momentarily a beautiful sky as the sun went down. We cooked and ate outside. The ranger had come to collect the money and to say that there was a talk/slideshow at 8 o'clock, which we walked across to and sat under the stars with lots of other campers to watch a slide display of the local area. We came back and sat outside for a while.
We continued on this rough road to Gumlom. In a few places there were road works and one particular place it was very difficult to get past and when we finally got to this hot little campsite, at the foot of what should be waterfalls, the waterfalls looked dry. We were very hot, so immediately went for a shower. It was about 2.30, when we arrived. We then walked across to where the plunge pool was, the waterfall was miniscule there, but obviously quite dramatic in the wet season. There was a nice pool at the bottom, much like some we'd seen in Litchfield Park. It was actually cold water but it was nice to have a swim.
There were quite a few people, either camping or staying,flies were still plaguing our face. I had come out with a bad throat this morning and lots of sneezes and feeling full of cold which was very annoying. We went back to the van and apart from my not feeling well it was a very pleasant evening, mostly because of the lack of mosquitoes. It was momentarily a beautiful sky as the sun went down. We cooked and ate outside. The ranger had come to collect the money and to say that there was a talk/slideshow at 8 o'clock, which we walked across to and sat under the stars with lots of other campers to watch a slide display of the local area. We came back and sat outside for a while.
Rosie on the swinging bridge, Yumikmik, Kakadu NP
Tuesday 4th August 206 Km
A cool night. I was woken a bit by the grotty throat I'd got. We had breakfast outside in these pleasant surroundings - flies annoyingly stepped in to annoy us instead of the mosquitoes. When we were ready to leave, we went across and had another very pleasant swim in the pool there, followed by a shower. It was now 10 o'clock. We stopped at the Kambolgie camping area which also had picnic tables and we had our coffee beside a salmon gum tree there. We continued down the gravel road until we got back to the Kakadu Highway and then travelled down there 70 Km until we reached the Stuart Highway at Pine Creek at 12.30.
We headed towards Katherine but we soon turned off for a rough 4 kilometres to Copperfield Dam Recreation Area where we thought we'd have our lunch. This was an old Copper mine and this was a pleasant location with a small reservoir. Annoyingly they were watering the grass, so the pump was going which was noisy and we couldn't sit at the picnic tables because they were wet. So we sat on a rock and had our lunch and followed this by very pleasurable swim in the water. Just before we came back onto the Stuart Highway, Adrian was very amused to see a sign on a post at the side of the road in the parched earth saying "water not suitable for drinking - caution" but we didn't know what water and we couldn't see any and we were quite away from the dam. Soon after we approached not water, but a fire and we came to a large section of bushfire adjacent to the Stuart highway. No vehicles or fire engines or anything so whether it was intended or not we don't know, but to our English minds it seemed pretty scary.
A cool night. I was woken a bit by the grotty throat I'd got. We had breakfast outside in these pleasant surroundings - flies annoyingly stepped in to annoy us instead of the mosquitoes. When we were ready to leave, we went across and had another very pleasant swim in the pool there, followed by a shower. It was now 10 o'clock. We stopped at the Kambolgie camping area which also had picnic tables and we had our coffee beside a salmon gum tree there. We continued down the gravel road until we got back to the Kakadu Highway and then travelled down there 70 Km until we reached the Stuart Highway at Pine Creek at 12.30.
We headed towards Katherine but we soon turned off for a rough 4 kilometres to Copperfield Dam Recreation Area where we thought we'd have our lunch. This was an old Copper mine and this was a pleasant location with a small reservoir. Annoyingly they were watering the grass, so the pump was going which was noisy and we couldn't sit at the picnic tables because they were wet. So we sat on a rock and had our lunch and followed this by very pleasurable swim in the water. Just before we came back onto the Stuart Highway, Adrian was very amused to see a sign on a post at the side of the road in the parched earth saying "water not suitable for drinking - caution" but we didn't know what water and we couldn't see any and we were quite away from the dam. Soon after we approached not water, but a fire and we came to a large section of bushfire adjacent to the Stuart highway. No vehicles or fire engines or anything so whether it was intended or not we don't know, but to our English minds it seemed pretty scary.
We got to Katherine at about a 2.45 and I went first to the tourist information to locate the doctors and went next to take the films in which would be ready tomorrow morning and then proceeded to the doctors where we were lucky enough to get a consultation immediately - with a cancellation apparently - and the good result was that he syringed my ears there and then and I was able to hear again and he also took my blood pressure which disturbingly was rather high. At the third attempt we found someone who would do an oil change at 9 o'clock in the morning, so we would have to be out of Katharine early to go to this industrial area just a few kilometres away.
We returned to Katherine and went to Woolworths and did a shop and then went to the hot springs thinking that this was where we would stay, as there were people staying there when we were there before (only 3 weeks ago). However there was now a ‘no camping’ sign up and saying to stay on the showground -$10 unpowered and $20 powered, if there was no room in any other sites and as we didn't fancy traipsing around all the sites, after a splash in the Hot Springs, we went to straight round to the showground. We filled up with water and established ourselves there. It was a pleasant evening and we cooked and ate outside. We tried phoning Tom and got the answerphone and we rang Nicky and spoke to her and also to Ali. The temperature had got down to just above 70°F by 9.30 when we came in. There were NO flies or mossies!
We returned to Katherine and went to Woolworths and did a shop and then went to the hot springs thinking that this was where we would stay, as there were people staying there when we were there before (only 3 weeks ago). However there was now a ‘no camping’ sign up and saying to stay on the showground -$10 unpowered and $20 powered, if there was no room in any other sites and as we didn't fancy traipsing around all the sites, after a splash in the Hot Springs, we went to straight round to the showground. We filled up with water and established ourselves there. It was a pleasant evening and we cooked and ate outside. We tried phoning Tom and got the answerphone and we rang Nicky and spoke to her and also to Ali. The temperature had got down to just above 70°F by 9.30 when we came in. There were NO flies or mossies!
Fire on the Stuart Highway near Katherine
Wednesday 5th August 136 Km
I hadn't had a good night at all, being kept awake by catarrh and a bad throat. People were leaving early from about 5 o'clock. There weren't that many staying in the showground. We had a cup of tea watching the sun come up at 7 o'clock and then decided to leave like other people, presumably so they didn't have to pay and we headed for Katherine Hot Springs Park nearby and sat outside for breakfast. We prepared the van for the oil change and drove down there in good time for 9 o'clock. I was wearing my new shorts we bought yesterday. While the oil change was being done I wrote a postcard to Emma and by 9.15 we were heading back into Katherine. We stopped to fill with diesel and for Adrian to pump the tyres up. In Katherine we visited the post office and I posted the postcard to Emma and a card off to Olive for her birthday. I visited a chemist where I didn’t buy anything as I found any preparations for catarrh exceedingly expensive. We collected our photos and Adrian got some money, after some hassle of some Aboriginals having a discussion and taking a long time. We then drove just out of Katherine and stopped in a parking area that wasn't particularly beautiful but we found a bit of shade and had coffee and cream bun and looked through the photos by which time it was a 11.50. We left Katherine travelling south and finding difficulty to find anywhere for lunch, eventually getting to Mataranka. We stopped to have lunch there in a parking area under a huge banyan tree and were joined by two brolgas, a wee bit scary.
I hadn't had a good night at all, being kept awake by catarrh and a bad throat. People were leaving early from about 5 o'clock. There weren't that many staying in the showground. We had a cup of tea watching the sun come up at 7 o'clock and then decided to leave like other people, presumably so they didn't have to pay and we headed for Katherine Hot Springs Park nearby and sat outside for breakfast. We prepared the van for the oil change and drove down there in good time for 9 o'clock. I was wearing my new shorts we bought yesterday. While the oil change was being done I wrote a postcard to Emma and by 9.15 we were heading back into Katherine. We stopped to fill with diesel and for Adrian to pump the tyres up. In Katherine we visited the post office and I posted the postcard to Emma and a card off to Olive for her birthday. I visited a chemist where I didn’t buy anything as I found any preparations for catarrh exceedingly expensive. We collected our photos and Adrian got some money, after some hassle of some Aboriginals having a discussion and taking a long time. We then drove just out of Katherine and stopped in a parking area that wasn't particularly beautiful but we found a bit of shade and had coffee and cream bun and looked through the photos by which time it was a 11.50. We left Katherine travelling south and finding difficulty to find anywhere for lunch, eventually getting to Mataranka. We stopped to have lunch there in a parking area under a huge banyan tree and were joined by two brolgas, a wee bit scary.
We turned off to Mataranka Thermal Pools. Luckily we'd been told by people already about how the bats there had absolutely ruined it. So we weren't that surprised to find millions and millions of bats in the trees, the trees all desecrated and ruined palm trees, looking just sad. The stench was pretty obnoxious. We took the little path down to the thermal pools, the water was as clear as clear and warm and we joined the other people in there, putting up with terrible smell. Obviously some people were so off put they never even went in.
Brolgas at our lunch stop, Mataranka
We then left and headed on through Elsey National Park, and stopped to do the Botanic Walk, a one and half kilometres walk. What they hadn't told anybody was that the path should have crossed the river, but you couldn't get across the river, even though it was only a small river because of flood damage – there was nothing to tell you. So we returned the way we'd come and we then continued to the 12 Mile Yards Campsite. When we got to the campsite, the Roper River that it was on and we thought would be nice for swimming, canoeing and all sorts of things, had suffered extensive flood damage and looked pretty sad and wasn't really in use, but by then it was already 3.40 and we decided to stay. In fact, it wasn't a bad choice and we had a very pleasant evening. We positioned ourselves as it turned out fairly near to the loo and this made for an interesting evening as we sat down and we watched, particularly the men, coming across to the loo in procession. As we had time to sit outside, I got the photos sorted out and we cooked outside, some very nice fillet steak and after we'd eaten, Adrian lit a fire. It was too hot earlier to light the fire but as somebody had left a bit of wood around by the fireplace that was near to where we were positioned, we couldn’t resist and had a very nice fire, coming in at about 9.45. So all told a very pleasant evening.
Bats at Mataranka Thermal Pools
Thursday 6th August. 302 Km
We decided to walk to the Mataranka Falls early this morning and I woke about 6.30 and found I had no voice initially but we got off about 6.50 having had a cup of tea and went for this walk which was four kilometres each way. At first we wondered if we were going to continue or why we were even doing it, because with the flood damage, we were walking through a desolate area where all the trees were down and dead and looking most unattractive and the path had been covered with a deep fine sand which made walking very difficult as it was so soft underfoot and the first kilometre was really hard going. We watched the sun come up and it got better and the last part of the walk was very pleasant and the bad damage seemed to have missed out on this bit - the floods had gone in a different direction. When we got to the falls, they weren't high or spectacular but very pleasant. So we stripped off and had a quick skinny dip in the water which was very nice.
We decided to walk to the Mataranka Falls early this morning and I woke about 6.30 and found I had no voice initially but we got off about 6.50 having had a cup of tea and went for this walk which was four kilometres each way. At first we wondered if we were going to continue or why we were even doing it, because with the flood damage, we were walking through a desolate area where all the trees were down and dead and looking most unattractive and the path had been covered with a deep fine sand which made walking very difficult as it was so soft underfoot and the first kilometre was really hard going. We watched the sun come up and it got better and the last part of the walk was very pleasant and the bad damage seemed to have missed out on this bit - the floods had gone in a different direction. When we got to the falls, they weren't high or spectacular but very pleasant. So we stripped off and had a quick skinny dip in the water which was very nice.
Unfortunately I scraped the top of my leg on an underneath rock. We'd taken a banana for nourishment and muesli bar which were welcomed. Just as we were about to leave there, a young fellow arrived in his flip flops, so it was lucky he hadn't arrived a bit earlier - we'd thought no one would be around. We made the return journey and by now the sun was up and it was getting increasingly hot. We saw and heard quite a lot of birds but weren't able to identify any and we arrived back just before 9.45.
Rosie being modest after our swim at Mataranka Falls
We were both so hot we went for showers and then had some breakfast outside but it was still feeling exceedingly hot. By the time we were ready to leave at 10.45, I had found my voice but was still full of cold and catarrh.
We returned to the Stuart Highway and then headed south on it. This area is very hot and flat and not a lot of anything. There were some trees, but very few areas to pull off under and so there was no shade at any anywhere that we saw. There were one or two world war two sites, where there'd been an aerodrome or some such, and, in fact, we continued until one o'clock when we came to the turn off to Daly Waters. This was a few kilometres up the road to a tiny remote township where there was a pub, supposedly kept as a pub of the 1930s, and obviously on the tourist route, if you can call it that. The pub was just an old tin shack, but inside it was absolutely cluttered with all sorts of so called memorabilia, banknotes, pennants and various Lions Club bits, photograph, often rude ones, postcards, brass bits, nickers, all sorts of things hanging everywhere and in the corner was a little telegraph station bit. We had a drink - lemonade and a sandwich - we thought it would be cooler in there as was no shade outside anywhere we could find to park the van.
We returned to the Stuart Highway and then headed south on it. This area is very hot and flat and not a lot of anything. There were some trees, but very few areas to pull off under and so there was no shade at any anywhere that we saw. There were one or two world war two sites, where there'd been an aerodrome or some such, and, in fact, we continued until one o'clock when we came to the turn off to Daly Waters. This was a few kilometres up the road to a tiny remote township where there was a pub, supposedly kept as a pub of the 1930s, and obviously on the tourist route, if you can call it that. The pub was just an old tin shack, but inside it was absolutely cluttered with all sorts of so called memorabilia, banknotes, pennants and various Lions Club bits, photograph, often rude ones, postcards, brass bits, nickers, all sorts of things hanging everywhere and in the corner was a little telegraph station bit. We had a drink - lemonade and a sandwich - we thought it would be cooler in there as was no shade outside anywhere we could find to park the van.
Yellow shrub on the walk to Mataranka
Sulphur crested cockatoos at Mataranka
We visited the Stuarts Tree - Stuart had evidently come through here and carved an X on the tree. It was now just a dead stump, not really worth the viewing and absolutely parched all around it.
We then visited the Daly Waters Aerodrome, there'd apparently been the first international airfield built there earlier this century, as a stopover on the route from Sydney to London and then later, in the war, it was used for a while as a World War Two airfield against the Japanese and in the hangar there, were some photographs and some writings telling the history of it, which was quite interesting. There was somebody by the name of Lawson and an American airman saying what a godforsaken place it was - the heat and the mosquitoes and just nothing there. And really that’s how it seemed to us, just very hot and dry and dusty. We returned to the Stuart Highway and turned south, and made the way seem shorter by listening to tape 11 which went from Fitzroy Crossing to Litchfield National Park.
We stopped at Dunmarra for diesel and this was apparently halfway between Katherine and Tennant Creek – still 353 kilometres to Tennant Creek. We stopped to view the Todd Monument to the builder of the overland telegraph line, Charles Todd in 1872, and not that long after we turned off to Newcastle Waters, a sort of ghost town now, but a former droving town. This was three kilometres off the road and like so many places in Australia, it had a big 'do' for the bicentennial in 1988. There was a little park with a very nice statue and a National Trust building which amused us because it was an old hotel in corrugated iron. Lots of photos and memorabilia inside it, but not much like our National Trust buildings. Apart from that and a few houses, there was nothing here at all. Certainly it did seem like a ghost town.
On the way down to it, we had passed a little layby off the road and decided that it could make an overnight stop. Laybys were rather hard to come by in this area and those that there were had no shade. It was about 4.30 when we stopped. We spent a pleasant evening outside, we cooked some little lamb chops outside - the things that were not pleasant were the flies, which bombarded our faces as we tried to write. We sat out all evening and it was very very warm still until we came in about 9.30. I wrote to Val & Mike [What Rosie doesn't say is that because there was no shade, I had put the sunshade out, and we left it out at bedtime. In the night it got very windy, and I had to get up in the middle of the night and wind it in as it was rocking the van . It was always noted that this was the first of a syndrome that dogged us all our motorhoming life, that if we ever left the awning out overnight, the wind always got up during the night and I had to get up and wind it in!]
We then visited the Daly Waters Aerodrome, there'd apparently been the first international airfield built there earlier this century, as a stopover on the route from Sydney to London and then later, in the war, it was used for a while as a World War Two airfield against the Japanese and in the hangar there, were some photographs and some writings telling the history of it, which was quite interesting. There was somebody by the name of Lawson and an American airman saying what a godforsaken place it was - the heat and the mosquitoes and just nothing there. And really that’s how it seemed to us, just very hot and dry and dusty. We returned to the Stuart Highway and turned south, and made the way seem shorter by listening to tape 11 which went from Fitzroy Crossing to Litchfield National Park.
We stopped at Dunmarra for diesel and this was apparently halfway between Katherine and Tennant Creek – still 353 kilometres to Tennant Creek. We stopped to view the Todd Monument to the builder of the overland telegraph line, Charles Todd in 1872, and not that long after we turned off to Newcastle Waters, a sort of ghost town now, but a former droving town. This was three kilometres off the road and like so many places in Australia, it had a big 'do' for the bicentennial in 1988. There was a little park with a very nice statue and a National Trust building which amused us because it was an old hotel in corrugated iron. Lots of photos and memorabilia inside it, but not much like our National Trust buildings. Apart from that and a few houses, there was nothing here at all. Certainly it did seem like a ghost town.
On the way down to it, we had passed a little layby off the road and decided that it could make an overnight stop. Laybys were rather hard to come by in this area and those that there were had no shade. It was about 4.30 when we stopped. We spent a pleasant evening outside, we cooked some little lamb chops outside - the things that were not pleasant were the flies, which bombarded our faces as we tried to write. We sat out all evening and it was very very warm still until we came in about 9.30. I wrote to Val & Mike [What Rosie doesn't say is that because there was no shade, I had put the sunshade out, and we left it out at bedtime. In the night it got very windy, and I had to get up in the middle of the night and wind it in as it was rocking the van . It was always noted that this was the first of a syndrome that dogged us all our motorhoming life, that if we ever left the awning out overnight, the wind always got up during the night and I had to get up and wind it in!]
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The pub at Daly Waters (Wikipedia)
Friday, 7th August 292 Km
It was very windy in the night and we woke about 5 o'clock but then dozed off again, so it was 7 o'clock by the time we had our cup of tea. We actually had breakfast inside because of this high wind and we had put the table away last night and decided not to get it out again. We listened to a programme on the history of athletics which was interesting and were ready to leave just after 9 o'clock. We drove through very flat land, with low trees, reddy brown soil, yellowing grass and the blue sky. We passed through Elliott which was a cattle and sheep station - there was nothing much else. Not far after this, we passed the turn off for the Barclays Stock Route and the sign at the end of this dirt road said no fuel for 500 kilometres.
There wasn't a great deal to see on the Stuart Highway, it was all very much the same. In another 90 kilometres we passed through Renner Springs, which was just a roadhouse and the land just continued. We did manage to find somewhere to pull off for our coffee, where there was a little bit of mistletoe in the bush next to us, and we were quite pleasantly surprised to find that the temperature which was in the 80°F’s felt quite a bit cooler, particularly with a strong breeze that was blowing but we sat outside and enjoyed the clear blue sky and the vegetation and the remoteness of this road, which is the main north-south road in the centre of Australia. It was a bit like the M1 to Oz, but only a couple of cars passed while we were there and that was all. Renner Springs is regarded as the dividing line between the top end which is more monsoon climate and the dry of the centre of Australia. We continued south and turned off on a bit of the old road where there was a rock which supposedly looked like Winston Churchill. Soldiers in the war had thought so, but as Lonely Planet said, they must have been pretty drunk because it looked nothing like anything.
We had been listening to tape 12 which was the last one, which was Timor and Kakadu and again made interesting listening reliving our memories. The skies were still clear blue, landscape was a reddy colour and yellowy grass and very low green bush or shrub as we got nearer to the Red Centre. The temperature was less, Adrian said in the van it was 88°F whereas previously it had been 102°F and it's a much more comfortable temperature. Soon after this we pulled into Attack Creek , the place where there was the Stuart Memorial. This was a parking and picnic area with not a great deal of shade, but we decided to stop here for lunch, although it was only 12.30, as there was a picnic table in the shade. Although it was that bit cooler, it was windy which didn't please me as it was blowing my hair into my face and other stuff around. Just as we were about to eat a tour bus came in and after a while the people started talking to us and we thought it was like Bob's holidays mark 2 [Bob’s holidays was a one lady firm who took walkers by coach on cheap holidays in England of long distance walks, dropping walkers in the morning at the start of the next section of the walk and then picking them up at the end of the day to stay at youth hostels]. There were a group of a dozen or so people mostly older retired people who were on a 28 day camping trip and they mostly came from near Newcastle in New South Wales. Different ones talked to us, they were all quite keen to know about our trip, but one couple in particular wanted to talk and they were English and had come out 30 years ago when their boys were eight and six and now lived near Hobart. One son was still there and the other was in Sydney. They were originally from Derbyshire, but he had briefly taught at Portsmouth Tech. We could have gone on chatting a lot but it was time for them to go and as it was now 1.45, and we had been there an hour and a quarter, it was time for us to go too.
It was very windy in the night and we woke about 5 o'clock but then dozed off again, so it was 7 o'clock by the time we had our cup of tea. We actually had breakfast inside because of this high wind and we had put the table away last night and decided not to get it out again. We listened to a programme on the history of athletics which was interesting and were ready to leave just after 9 o'clock. We drove through very flat land, with low trees, reddy brown soil, yellowing grass and the blue sky. We passed through Elliott which was a cattle and sheep station - there was nothing much else. Not far after this, we passed the turn off for the Barclays Stock Route and the sign at the end of this dirt road said no fuel for 500 kilometres.
There wasn't a great deal to see on the Stuart Highway, it was all very much the same. In another 90 kilometres we passed through Renner Springs, which was just a roadhouse and the land just continued. We did manage to find somewhere to pull off for our coffee, where there was a little bit of mistletoe in the bush next to us, and we were quite pleasantly surprised to find that the temperature which was in the 80°F’s felt quite a bit cooler, particularly with a strong breeze that was blowing but we sat outside and enjoyed the clear blue sky and the vegetation and the remoteness of this road, which is the main north-south road in the centre of Australia. It was a bit like the M1 to Oz, but only a couple of cars passed while we were there and that was all. Renner Springs is regarded as the dividing line between the top end which is more monsoon climate and the dry of the centre of Australia. We continued south and turned off on a bit of the old road where there was a rock which supposedly looked like Winston Churchill. Soldiers in the war had thought so, but as Lonely Planet said, they must have been pretty drunk because it looked nothing like anything.
We had been listening to tape 12 which was the last one, which was Timor and Kakadu and again made interesting listening reliving our memories. The skies were still clear blue, landscape was a reddy colour and yellowy grass and very low green bush or shrub as we got nearer to the Red Centre. The temperature was less, Adrian said in the van it was 88°F whereas previously it had been 102°F and it's a much more comfortable temperature. Soon after this we pulled into Attack Creek , the place where there was the Stuart Memorial. This was a parking and picnic area with not a great deal of shade, but we decided to stop here for lunch, although it was only 12.30, as there was a picnic table in the shade. Although it was that bit cooler, it was windy which didn't please me as it was blowing my hair into my face and other stuff around. Just as we were about to eat a tour bus came in and after a while the people started talking to us and we thought it was like Bob's holidays mark 2 [Bob’s holidays was a one lady firm who took walkers by coach on cheap holidays in England of long distance walks, dropping walkers in the morning at the start of the next section of the walk and then picking them up at the end of the day to stay at youth hostels]. There were a group of a dozen or so people mostly older retired people who were on a 28 day camping trip and they mostly came from near Newcastle in New South Wales. Different ones talked to us, they were all quite keen to know about our trip, but one couple in particular wanted to talk and they were English and had come out 30 years ago when their boys were eight and six and now lived near Hobart. One son was still there and the other was in Sydney. They were originally from Derbyshire, but he had briefly taught at Portsmouth Tech. We could have gone on chatting a lot but it was time for them to go and as it was now 1.45, and we had been there an hour and a quarter, it was time for us to go too.
We stopped next at the Flynn Memorial at Three Ways, who was the person who was mainly responsible for establishing the Flying Doctor Service and the Inland Mission. He was a Reverend and it appears that in 1910, two thirds of inland Australia had no medical facilities at all. He was the person mainly responsible for rectifying this and setting up some medical service across this huge, vast, vast area of inland outback Australia. By the time we stopped to view the Telegraph Station just north of Tennant Creek, it was very hot.
On the outskirts of Tennant Creek we turned down to the Mary Ann Recreational Dam where we found the water was very low and it didn't entice us in for a swim. There were three minibus loads of Aboriginal people there, one at least seemed to have a white driver, so we imagined they'd come out on a picnic. While we were viewing the reservoir, three young Aboriginal children ran over to us and said do you want to take our photo - we like having our photo taken. When we didn't really comment, they said “have you got a camera? No, no, you take our photo, we're Aboriginal kids, but we don't mind our photo taken”. Before this went any further, they did offer us some of the fruit they were eating, but then they thought the bus was going, so they ran back across. But we thought they were pretty astute to know that Westerners or white people thought Aborigines didn't like their photo taken, they obviously didn't mind and thought they'd get a few coppers for it, but that didn't materialise. We went on into Tennant Creek and filled with diesel. We did stop in Tennant Creek briefly and went into a supermarket, where we saw one of the Aboriginal children again - we decided not to buy anything. We bought an ice cream in the shop next door, where the girl took forever scraping it up and putting it into a cone.
We then travelled south about 20 kilometres and pulled into a layby which wasn't ideal, too hot in the sun and too windy in the shade. Adrian did attempt to put out the awning to make a bit of shade. In fact with the wind blowing, it was pleasantly cool inside and I decided this was the time to write the William Lawson article [for the Family Tree Magazine about the Marquesas Islands], which I did. It took a long time and by the time I'd finished it and seen the sun go down in a beautiful sky, Adrian had taken in the awning in again, but it had meant that it was cooler inside and pleasant to sit in. The temperature dropped quite a lot this evening, quite different from last night. We made an omelette which we ate outside but actually put on trousers for the first time for a month or more, apart from one night when there were mosquitoes! We didn't stay out much after the meal, and came in at 8.45, deciding that we might as well come in as it was so chilly - chilly wasn't the right word - it had gone down just below 70°F!
On the outskirts of Tennant Creek we turned down to the Mary Ann Recreational Dam where we found the water was very low and it didn't entice us in for a swim. There were three minibus loads of Aboriginal people there, one at least seemed to have a white driver, so we imagined they'd come out on a picnic. While we were viewing the reservoir, three young Aboriginal children ran over to us and said do you want to take our photo - we like having our photo taken. When we didn't really comment, they said “have you got a camera? No, no, you take our photo, we're Aboriginal kids, but we don't mind our photo taken”. Before this went any further, they did offer us some of the fruit they were eating, but then they thought the bus was going, so they ran back across. But we thought they were pretty astute to know that Westerners or white people thought Aborigines didn't like their photo taken, they obviously didn't mind and thought they'd get a few coppers for it, but that didn't materialise. We went on into Tennant Creek and filled with diesel. We did stop in Tennant Creek briefly and went into a supermarket, where we saw one of the Aboriginal children again - we decided not to buy anything. We bought an ice cream in the shop next door, where the girl took forever scraping it up and putting it into a cone.
We then travelled south about 20 kilometres and pulled into a layby which wasn't ideal, too hot in the sun and too windy in the shade. Adrian did attempt to put out the awning to make a bit of shade. In fact with the wind blowing, it was pleasantly cool inside and I decided this was the time to write the William Lawson article [for the Family Tree Magazine about the Marquesas Islands], which I did. It took a long time and by the time I'd finished it and seen the sun go down in a beautiful sky, Adrian had taken in the awning in again, but it had meant that it was cooler inside and pleasant to sit in. The temperature dropped quite a lot this evening, quite different from last night. We made an omelette which we ate outside but actually put on trousers for the first time for a month or more, apart from one night when there were mosquitoes! We didn't stay out much after the meal, and came in at 8.45, deciding that we might as well come in as it was so chilly - chilly wasn't the right word - it had gone down just below 70°F!
The Platybus re-joining the Stuart Highway - I think it was taken to show the straight empty road for hundreds of Kilometres
Saturday 8th August 348 Km
The night in fact though, was cold. and in the middle of the night we had to get the eiderdown out of the cupboard, which we hadn't used for well over a month. Even so we awoke feeling chilly and hadn't really slept that well. Occasional bits of traffic went by as it is the main road that we’re just beside. The road trains were pretty loud, but we had shut the windows because of being cold. The temperature was about 57°F, but that was inside so it was obviously much cooler than that outside. We heard them on the radio say it was 4°C at 7 o'clock, but after our cup of tea we did sit outside for breakfast in the sun which was very pleasant, but much more an English sort of temperature than the ones we'd been experiencing for the last few weeks. There was quite a chill wind and I'd put on trousers and a jumper not worn for a very long time. We heard on the news of two bombings in Africa in US Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam and lots of people killed. We were ready to leave soon after 9 o'clock
We set off on the 350 Km south with a clear blue sky and pleasant countryside with the yellowy grass and low shrub. At one point it was a bluey green grass and red of the soil. We stopped briefly to view Bonney Well, an ancient well beside an old bit of road. It was very, very windy outside. Soon after this, we came to the Devil's Marbles, which certainly were very impressive. It was one of the things which one is supposed to see and we never know whether we're going to enjoy them or not, this one was a wonderful surprise. The chilly morning had now become a lot warmer, there still was a strong cool breeze, but the vision of these sandy coloured granite boulders against the pure blue sky and the odd little snappy gum tree was just out of this world and it was a much bigger area than we'd realised. We walked through a little area first, and then we drove down the road where they was a little walk around a section of the boulders explaining a little bit about how they were formed - we had our coffee here. It really was a highlight.
The night in fact though, was cold. and in the middle of the night we had to get the eiderdown out of the cupboard, which we hadn't used for well over a month. Even so we awoke feeling chilly and hadn't really slept that well. Occasional bits of traffic went by as it is the main road that we’re just beside. The road trains were pretty loud, but we had shut the windows because of being cold. The temperature was about 57°F, but that was inside so it was obviously much cooler than that outside. We heard them on the radio say it was 4°C at 7 o'clock, but after our cup of tea we did sit outside for breakfast in the sun which was very pleasant, but much more an English sort of temperature than the ones we'd been experiencing for the last few weeks. There was quite a chill wind and I'd put on trousers and a jumper not worn for a very long time. We heard on the news of two bombings in Africa in US Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam and lots of people killed. We were ready to leave soon after 9 o'clock
We set off on the 350 Km south with a clear blue sky and pleasant countryside with the yellowy grass and low shrub. At one point it was a bluey green grass and red of the soil. We stopped briefly to view Bonney Well, an ancient well beside an old bit of road. It was very, very windy outside. Soon after this, we came to the Devil's Marbles, which certainly were very impressive. It was one of the things which one is supposed to see and we never know whether we're going to enjoy them or not, this one was a wonderful surprise. The chilly morning had now become a lot warmer, there still was a strong cool breeze, but the vision of these sandy coloured granite boulders against the pure blue sky and the odd little snappy gum tree was just out of this world and it was a much bigger area than we'd realised. We walked through a little area first, and then we drove down the road where they was a little walk around a section of the boulders explaining a little bit about how they were formed - we had our coffee here. It really was a highlight.
We passed more than one Wedgetail Eagle at very close range coming to eat dead animals, and we also passed an interesting vehicle, possibly an old 30’s Ford. We stopped at Barrow Creek, this was just a roadhouse but there was also a Telegraph Station - we walked around the outside of it. The hills behind were like some that we'd remembered, maybe Gregory National Park and they looked as if they were topped by a man made wall, but obviously a harder rock on the top. They looked like a fortress on the top of each little hill. We had our lunch there sitting at a picnic table, unfortunately litter was lying all around. There were rather a lot of Aboriginal people at the Pub/Roadhouse bit behind, and unfortunately, Aboriginal people do seem to just drop cans and litter everywhere. We did go into the place wanting to buy some milk, but there didn't seem to be any shopping, it just seemed to be a very strange pub with a white lady serving predominantly Aboriginal people in there, this is Saturday. Maybe they'd come out for a trip for a drink. I could just see a cut out of a Father Christmas on the chimney, that just about summed it up - he obviously stays there the whole time. It was a little one eyed place as Adrian said, and I said it was all part of the education.
We stopped for Adrian to have a little snooze by what's called the Central Stuart Memorial about 45 Km north of Anmatjere and supposedly the centre of Australia in the middle of nowhere and not very remarkable – only a cairn. I saw some birds which I thought to be a hooded robins, something singing very nicely in a tree and possibly zebra finches, little birds with red beaks. We stopped at Ti-ree Roadhouse about 12 Km north of Anmatjere and got some diesel, not too much as it was expensive and we got some milk. We had been noticing some clumps of little flowers beside the roadside, some Mula Mula, some little white rosette flowers, some yellow flowers and there was also some deep mauve flowers with a rounded petals and a yellow centre and a Mesembryanthemum type leaf or succulent. I photographed those and we found that the little clumps of white and pale mauve flowers were in fact like little Swan River daisies, and there were also some like yellow helichrysums - everlasting flowers and I photographed those and there were also solanum there but with longer leaves than the ones we'd seen originally in Western Australia.
We stopped for Adrian to have a little snooze by what's called the Central Stuart Memorial about 45 Km north of Anmatjere and supposedly the centre of Australia in the middle of nowhere and not very remarkable – only a cairn. I saw some birds which I thought to be a hooded robins, something singing very nicely in a tree and possibly zebra finches, little birds with red beaks. We stopped at Ti-ree Roadhouse about 12 Km north of Anmatjere and got some diesel, not too much as it was expensive and we got some milk. We had been noticing some clumps of little flowers beside the roadside, some Mula Mula, some little white rosette flowers, some yellow flowers and there was also some deep mauve flowers with a rounded petals and a yellow centre and a Mesembryanthemum type leaf or succulent. I photographed those and we found that the little clumps of white and pale mauve flowers were in fact like little Swan River daisies, and there were also some like yellow helichrysums - everlasting flowers and I photographed those and there were also solanum there but with longer leaves than the ones we'd seen originally in Western Australia.
Devils Marbles -as you can see it appealed to Rosie's photographic sense
It was very lovely with the blue sky, green trees and vegetation, reddy soil and a little peak of a mountain in the distance.
About 4.30, we came to Native Gap which was not very well signposted, but I realised that there was a place where we could stop. There was a ridge of cliffs behind it making it interesting, but there was not much space for camping, and there were already a few other people there, but it will suit us. It had been hot during the afternoon, however, the temperature dropped rapidly as the sun went behind the little outcrop behind us, so I cooked indoors and we ate indoors. Such a difference from a couple of days ago when the heat was so intense and now, the evening being pretty chill was quite remarkable. We worked on the article on William Lawson and got that sort of ready and spent an indoor evening.
About 4.30, we came to Native Gap which was not very well signposted, but I realised that there was a place where we could stop. There was a ridge of cliffs behind it making it interesting, but there was not much space for camping, and there were already a few other people there, but it will suit us. It had been hot during the afternoon, however, the temperature dropped rapidly as the sun went behind the little outcrop behind us, so I cooked indoors and we ate indoors. Such a difference from a couple of days ago when the heat was so intense and now, the evening being pretty chill was quite remarkable. We worked on the article on William Lawson and got that sort of ready and spent an indoor evening.
White daisies and mesembryanthemum type flowers
The flowers were here by the side of the Stuart Highway - not much else
Sunday 9th August 120 Km
And what a cold night, so cold we put the blanket on as well as the bedspread and still felt really cold around the head, like camping at Easter or something [we put our 'beanies' on]. I was awake to see the sun rising and it really was very chilly inside [we put the stove on to warm up - there was no heating in the van]. We had a cup of tea. It was beautiful once the sun was up, but very cold as I said, 9°C, but we decided we ought to have breakfast outside. However this was with trousers and tops and my woolly cardigan on and still my hands were very cold. We were ready to leave soon after 9 o'clock.
We passed through pleasant but unremarkable country with the usual colours of the reds and the greens and the blue of the sky, and occasionally seeing silhouettes of hills in the distance. About 30 Km north of Alice Springs, we passed the Tropic of Capricorn. We stopped for coffee about 20 Km north of Alice Springs at a point marked by a cairn, which was the highest point on the road between Darwin and Adelaide - it was not very high, 727.2 metres. The wind still had an icy feel to it although the sun was pleasantly warm and the sky, a clear blue.
We very soon found ourselves in Alice Springs with the MacDonnell Ranges, giving it a very nice feel as we arrived. We drove into the town and managed to park and saw a lot of activity going on, it is Sunday morning. There was a market in the Mall, the main shopping street, so we had a peruse up and down there, there was a man with a python snake. We bought Renee and Lena's Christmas present, they wanted chimes for the garden and these were central Australian animals made out of clay, we thought that it would be a very suitable present to bring from Alice Springs [The thing I loved was a stall for the Alice Springs Sailing club, the nearest large body of water being about 1200 Km away - but they had a good bar!]. We did locate Woolworths and got some rolls for lunch, otherwise we just wandered around a bit. It was funny being in a town, just like any other town anywhere, but the nearest place, in any direction, is hundreds of miles away.
We then located the Stuart Caravan Site, the one nearest to the centre, and settled ourselves in and got two loads of washing in and had lunch by which time the washing was done. We hung it all on the line and although there was still a chill feel to the air, it was drying beautifully as the sun was very warm. I then foolishly thought we'd have a swim in the pool here, and I will say it was icy. I did a length up and down, it was a small pool, Adrian only got half way and we had a warm shower afterwards [classic Rosie and her swimming – she hadn't thought that it might have been hot, but the night time temperature was only just above freezing!].
After a while we set off in the van and visited the Olive Pink Botanic Garden, not a botanic garden in our sense of the word with lots of flowers but an arid land botanic garden. We climbed to look out over the nice setting of Alice.
And what a cold night, so cold we put the blanket on as well as the bedspread and still felt really cold around the head, like camping at Easter or something [we put our 'beanies' on]. I was awake to see the sun rising and it really was very chilly inside [we put the stove on to warm up - there was no heating in the van]. We had a cup of tea. It was beautiful once the sun was up, but very cold as I said, 9°C, but we decided we ought to have breakfast outside. However this was with trousers and tops and my woolly cardigan on and still my hands were very cold. We were ready to leave soon after 9 o'clock.
We passed through pleasant but unremarkable country with the usual colours of the reds and the greens and the blue of the sky, and occasionally seeing silhouettes of hills in the distance. About 30 Km north of Alice Springs, we passed the Tropic of Capricorn. We stopped for coffee about 20 Km north of Alice Springs at a point marked by a cairn, which was the highest point on the road between Darwin and Adelaide - it was not very high, 727.2 metres. The wind still had an icy feel to it although the sun was pleasantly warm and the sky, a clear blue.
We very soon found ourselves in Alice Springs with the MacDonnell Ranges, giving it a very nice feel as we arrived. We drove into the town and managed to park and saw a lot of activity going on, it is Sunday morning. There was a market in the Mall, the main shopping street, so we had a peruse up and down there, there was a man with a python snake. We bought Renee and Lena's Christmas present, they wanted chimes for the garden and these were central Australian animals made out of clay, we thought that it would be a very suitable present to bring from Alice Springs [The thing I loved was a stall for the Alice Springs Sailing club, the nearest large body of water being about 1200 Km away - but they had a good bar!]. We did locate Woolworths and got some rolls for lunch, otherwise we just wandered around a bit. It was funny being in a town, just like any other town anywhere, but the nearest place, in any direction, is hundreds of miles away.
We then located the Stuart Caravan Site, the one nearest to the centre, and settled ourselves in and got two loads of washing in and had lunch by which time the washing was done. We hung it all on the line and although there was still a chill feel to the air, it was drying beautifully as the sun was very warm. I then foolishly thought we'd have a swim in the pool here, and I will say it was icy. I did a length up and down, it was a small pool, Adrian only got half way and we had a warm shower afterwards [classic Rosie and her swimming – she hadn't thought that it might have been hot, but the night time temperature was only just above freezing!].
After a while we set off in the van and visited the Olive Pink Botanic Garden, not a botanic garden in our sense of the word with lots of flowers but an arid land botanic garden. We climbed to look out over the nice setting of Alice.
We had a look in the visitor centre and on the way back to the caravan site we climbed another hill, Billy Goat Hill, when we eventually found the way up to it, and again we could see views all around. When we got back to the caravan site, we phoned Elm Gable and spoke to Simon and later Tom phoned back, in fact several different messages as we'd asked him to find some things out. We cooked and ate supper inside.
Olive Pink Botanic Garden and a parrot in there
Looking to Alice & MacDonnell Range, Olive Pink Botanical Gardens lookout, Alice Springs
Monday 10th August 24 Km
A cold night again but perhaps not quite as cold as yesterday. It seemed to peak with coldness about 7 o'clock in the morning. We got up by 8 o'clock and had a cup of tea but still felt a bit sleepy. We phoned a doctor because I wanted to check my blood pressure again and got an appointment for 10 o'clock, so we had breakfast outside, the sun was now warm. We went to the doctors and had difficulty finding where the medical centre was, but still arrived early and I was in there only a short time and he assured me that although my blood pressure was a bit high, all was well.
We then had a busy day in Alice doing various things. We took the photos in and got some reprints of a few of the Timor ones which we'd had done in Darwin and were very dark. We collected those later in the day, and all seemed to be fine. We collected our post, a postcard from Emma from Cornwall, from Hil and Doug from France and letter from Jane with photos and pictures of the children. We had coffee and carrot cake and looked at our post and then shopped in Woolworths. We located a photocopier and copied the article I'd written about Ua Pou and a colour photo copier and got some badly done photocopies of pictures to send with that article.
We then debated what to do and decided to go to the Desert Park which was a bit outside Alice and we arrived there to have lunch but there wasn't really anywhere to sit and there was a cool breeze although the sun was warm. It was now 1.30 and so we had a bit of lunch and then spent a pleasant couple of hours in this park which had only been opened last year and which gave us a good insight into the central desert and woodland areas of Australia. We saw a lot of the birds and were able to identify some of those we'd seen and some creatures. We saw a bilby again, some desert peas and a scattering of wildflowers as we went in and a very state of the art type of visitor centre and a very nice gift shop.
A cold night again but perhaps not quite as cold as yesterday. It seemed to peak with coldness about 7 o'clock in the morning. We got up by 8 o'clock and had a cup of tea but still felt a bit sleepy. We phoned a doctor because I wanted to check my blood pressure again and got an appointment for 10 o'clock, so we had breakfast outside, the sun was now warm. We went to the doctors and had difficulty finding where the medical centre was, but still arrived early and I was in there only a short time and he assured me that although my blood pressure was a bit high, all was well.
We then had a busy day in Alice doing various things. We took the photos in and got some reprints of a few of the Timor ones which we'd had done in Darwin and were very dark. We collected those later in the day, and all seemed to be fine. We collected our post, a postcard from Emma from Cornwall, from Hil and Doug from France and letter from Jane with photos and pictures of the children. We had coffee and carrot cake and looked at our post and then shopped in Woolworths. We located a photocopier and copied the article I'd written about Ua Pou and a colour photo copier and got some badly done photocopies of pictures to send with that article.
We then debated what to do and decided to go to the Desert Park which was a bit outside Alice and we arrived there to have lunch but there wasn't really anywhere to sit and there was a cool breeze although the sun was warm. It was now 1.30 and so we had a bit of lunch and then spent a pleasant couple of hours in this park which had only been opened last year and which gave us a good insight into the central desert and woodland areas of Australia. We saw a lot of the birds and were able to identify some of those we'd seen and some creatures. We saw a bilby again, some desert peas and a scattering of wildflowers as we went in and a very state of the art type of visitor centre and a very nice gift shop.
By the time we left there it was about 4.30, so we made our way back into Alice and visited the visitor centre to find out the state of the roads south of there towards Ayers Rock and Kings Canyon, but it wasn't particularly good news. We were told it was pretty rough, but everyone was very non committal. After collecting the photos we then went off and got diesel and gas and Adrian had a problem with putting air into the tyres. It was almost 6 o'clock by the time we got back to the caravan site. We both had a shower and then cooked steak outside. Adrian had been chatting to the people in the next van who'd been on the way that we want to go to Ayers Rock and found it wasn't that bad, but it was all an unsurfaced road. We had a very busy time putting together the family tree article, things for Tom and various cards and letters and sorting out all the stuff for the day.
Wildflowers at the Alice Desert Park, Alice Springs
A heron on a log - Pam Ayres would have been proud as it was real
Mount Gillen from the Alice Desert Park, Alice Springs
Tuesday 11th August 119 Km
And we had another really cold night and it was even colder towards morning. It was warm once the sun got above the trees behind us, but we breakfasted indoors. We chatted a bit, particularly Adrian, to the couple next door, called Jean and Clarry, very chatty and friendly people from Launceston in Tasmania. We filled the van with water and left about 9.30. We drove down into Alice and parked by the post office and finally sent off all our post, in particular the one to Tom and we then went across and bought a donut each for our elevenses from a person who looked just like Carol Bailey.
We stopped first to view John Flynn's grave, which was set with wonderful Mount Gillen behind and the end of the range we were looking at yesterday. We were looking right against a clear blue sky and certainly was very dramatic. His resting place had a Devil's Marble boulder on top of it, and with a few ghost gums around was a very evocative sight for a man who founded the Inland Mission, and the Flying Doctor Service in Australia, and obviously was paramount in improving the lot of the people in remote areas.
And we had another really cold night and it was even colder towards morning. It was warm once the sun got above the trees behind us, but we breakfasted indoors. We chatted a bit, particularly Adrian, to the couple next door, called Jean and Clarry, very chatty and friendly people from Launceston in Tasmania. We filled the van with water and left about 9.30. We drove down into Alice and parked by the post office and finally sent off all our post, in particular the one to Tom and we then went across and bought a donut each for our elevenses from a person who looked just like Carol Bailey.
We stopped first to view John Flynn's grave, which was set with wonderful Mount Gillen behind and the end of the range we were looking at yesterday. We were looking right against a clear blue sky and certainly was very dramatic. His resting place had a Devil's Marble boulder on top of it, and with a few ghost gums around was a very evocative sight for a man who founded the Inland Mission, and the Flying Doctor Service in Australia, and obviously was paramount in improving the lot of the people in remote areas.
We turned off next to Simpsons Gap, parked and had our coffee and the doughnuts we'd bought, which were absolutely excellent. Not knowing what to expect next, this was like many things that are a surprise, it was much better than something you were expecting just to be good. A huge, deep gap in the range, with dramatic red rock, apparently stained red by the iron, and with a clear blue sky and the green of the vegetation and a few sprinklings of yellowy flowers. Adrian found out from Clarry, who was parked next to us this morning, that he'd never seen it like this before, and the recent rains, which there had been a week or two back, had brought out the flowers, so everything was looking much prettier than it might have done. So we were seeing it at its absolute best, and the weather just perfect for exploring.
Grave of John Flynn, Founder of Royal Flying Doctor, Alice springs
We were quite overwhelmed by the beauty and starkness of it. Somebody who was obviously somebody, was taking a photograph of it, it seemed to be a presenter of some sort. We laughed and thought maybe it was Macca, but we don't think so. On the way back we passed a party of a very genteel looking folk and when we saw their large coaster bus, it was called Taylor Made Tours, and Adrian thought that just fitted them.
We continued through this magnificent country and turned off to Stanley Chasm. Again, we had to go some kilometres down the road and had to pay to go to this one, although I don't think anyone would have known if we hadn't done. An Aboriginal woman in the kiosk asked us if we were adults or seniors and then charged us for seniors- it saved us 50p total! - how rude to think we were seniors. This walk was a very pleasant, supposedly an easy 30 minute return although I reckon we took about an hour and easy was relative in that there was quite a bit of climbing over rocks involved. It was dramatic but we didn't find it as impressive as the Simpsons Gap. Possibly more was made of it or there were more people around. It was a very steep, narrow gorge that we ended up in, difficult to photograph of course, with the light and the dark. Very pleasant all the same with a red rock, the blue sky and green vegetation that I keep repeating, but it just is so dramatic, particularly with the light and shadow of the sun shining on it.
We continued through this magnificent country and turned off to Stanley Chasm. Again, we had to go some kilometres down the road and had to pay to go to this one, although I don't think anyone would have known if we hadn't done. An Aboriginal woman in the kiosk asked us if we were adults or seniors and then charged us for seniors- it saved us 50p total! - how rude to think we were seniors. This walk was a very pleasant, supposedly an easy 30 minute return although I reckon we took about an hour and easy was relative in that there was quite a bit of climbing over rocks involved. It was dramatic but we didn't find it as impressive as the Simpsons Gap. Possibly more was made of it or there were more people around. It was a very steep, narrow gorge that we ended up in, difficult to photograph of course, with the light and the dark. Very pleasant all the same with a red rock, the blue sky and green vegetation that I keep repeating, but it just is so dramatic, particularly with the light and shadow of the sun shining on it.
Adrian at Simpson's Gap, West MacDonnell NP
We returned to the entrance, it was now 1.30, and had a picnic lunch sitting there and left at 2.20.
We now headed off on the Namatjira Drive and we went through less heady country for a while. We stopped very briefly at the Ellery Creek Rest Area but then continued to Ellery Creek Big Hole as it's called and this was a large swimming hole at the foot of a deep cliff. It's usually cold there, and there were three young people who were having a dip rather than a swim, and they ran into the water and out. It didn't look very inviting, being both cold and not as clear as some water we'd seen and not being enticed we then moved the van into the camping area which actually was just two figure of eights bit, with a picnic area parking. We went on a very pleasant walk for an hour or so where we mostly found the way alright, just once or twice the path got a bit lost, a roughish path but very pleasant. There was one place where there was like a big natural wall standing out from the hillside. Very dramatic scenery with these big red cliffs - just very very pleasant and it was just a nice temperature in the late afternoon sun.
We now headed off on the Namatjira Drive and we went through less heady country for a while. We stopped very briefly at the Ellery Creek Rest Area but then continued to Ellery Creek Big Hole as it's called and this was a large swimming hole at the foot of a deep cliff. It's usually cold there, and there were three young people who were having a dip rather than a swim, and they ran into the water and out. It didn't look very inviting, being both cold and not as clear as some water we'd seen and not being enticed we then moved the van into the camping area which actually was just two figure of eights bit, with a picnic area parking. We went on a very pleasant walk for an hour or so where we mostly found the way alright, just once or twice the path got a bit lost, a roughish path but very pleasant. There was one place where there was like a big natural wall standing out from the hillside. Very dramatic scenery with these big red cliffs - just very very pleasant and it was just a nice temperature in the late afternoon sun.
Adrian at Stanley Chasm, West MacDonnell NP
We got back just as the sun was going down behind the hills and we had a few minutes sitting outside before it began to feel a bit chilly with the sun gone down. We cooked and ate inside, some very nice thin pork, and got up to date with some scrapbook making and writing.
On the Ellery Creek walk
'Natural Wall', Ellery Creek, West MacDonnell NP
Wednesday 12th August 157 Km
Again a cold night, but once the sun was up it rapidly was warm so we breakfasted outside in the beautiful surroundings. We heard on the radio of people who'd seen strange things in the sky last night, like meteors and although we'd both gone out to look at the sky at different times, which was so full of stars, being so much out in the middle of nowhere there, we didn't see anything like that.
We were ready to leave about 9.30 and set off along the road in the absolutely stunning scenery. We decided against the Serpentine Gorge as it was five kilometres of rough road each way and then a one kilometre walk across sand and we know how hard that is and there were plenty of other gorges to see, so that one was voted a miss. We stopped soon after at a lookout point where the scenery was wonderful. The light green of the spinifex contrasting with the darker green of the low shrubs and bushes looking like shimmering green velvet, the red of the rock and clear blue of the sky and these very photogenic ghost gums here and there too. At the lookout place we were aware of the noise of birds and there were lots and lots of little spinifex pigeons which were so attractive and marched along like little soldiers. We spent a long time trying to photograph them, Adrian finally getting one picture and we then continued to the Ochre Pits. We walked the 300 metres to them, which was a bit reminiscent of looking at Alum Bay but quite delightful for all that with their mixed strata of yellow and white and red. It was very pleasant to see the lovely area there and hear a lot of birdsong.
Again a cold night, but once the sun was up it rapidly was warm so we breakfasted outside in the beautiful surroundings. We heard on the radio of people who'd seen strange things in the sky last night, like meteors and although we'd both gone out to look at the sky at different times, which was so full of stars, being so much out in the middle of nowhere there, we didn't see anything like that.
We were ready to leave about 9.30 and set off along the road in the absolutely stunning scenery. We decided against the Serpentine Gorge as it was five kilometres of rough road each way and then a one kilometre walk across sand and we know how hard that is and there were plenty of other gorges to see, so that one was voted a miss. We stopped soon after at a lookout point where the scenery was wonderful. The light green of the spinifex contrasting with the darker green of the low shrubs and bushes looking like shimmering green velvet, the red of the rock and clear blue of the sky and these very photogenic ghost gums here and there too. At the lookout place we were aware of the noise of birds and there were lots and lots of little spinifex pigeons which were so attractive and marched along like little soldiers. We spent a long time trying to photograph them, Adrian finally getting one picture and we then continued to the Ochre Pits. We walked the 300 metres to them, which was a bit reminiscent of looking at Alum Bay but quite delightful for all that with their mixed strata of yellow and white and red. It was very pleasant to see the lovely area there and hear a lot of birdsong.
We returned to the van and had coffee and some shortbread sitting outside in the sun, which was pleasantly warm, verging on the hot.
Our next stop was Ormiston Gorge and this proved another delight. We selected of the various walks, one called the ghost gum walk, which went first to the ghost gum lookout. I foolishly imagined it was through a forest of ghost gums, but it was a steep climb to a very high rocky outlook with a single ghost gum there. When we saw it afterwards, we realised that there wasn't much at the base of this great cliff and we were standing over nothing and much more climbing involved than we would have thought.
Our next stop was Ormiston Gorge and this proved another delight. We selected of the various walks, one called the ghost gum walk, which went first to the ghost gum lookout. I foolishly imagined it was through a forest of ghost gums, but it was a steep climb to a very high rocky outlook with a single ghost gum there. When we saw it afterwards, we realised that there wasn't much at the base of this great cliff and we were standing over nothing and much more climbing involved than we would have thought.
Ochre Pits where Aboriginals got their 'paint' from, West MacDonnell NP
There was a party of Italians who were noisily gabbling along behind and then in front of us and the walk took us down to the gorge which made us think of Windjana in that there was a big sandy bottom and some water in the gorge. Very, very pleasant, very overwhelming red cliffs and the starkness of them with vivid blue sky and green little spinifex and bushes and the occasional white ghost gum trunk was very dramatic, very pleasing to the eye.
The one White Gum at the Lookout we 'walked' to, Ormiston Gorge
We found this whole area, perhaps one of our favourite in Australia, it is lovely, the temperature is just right,we saw it was 25°C yesterday. We returned to the picnic area and located a little table. We laughed there as earlier this morning we'd been trying to take a photo of these spinifex pigeons which were rather elusive and here they were just running around us everywhere and we had our lunch accompanied by them. They were very attractive, and went around like an army of little ants. We took various photos and bit of video of them and a photograph of ourselves in our platypus T-shirts by the platybus van.
We continued to Glen Helen Gorge and this again was lovely and we did quite a lot of walking around the gorge. There was water at the mouth of the gorge so we couldn't get in to it.
Rosie at Ormiston Gorge
Us by the Platybus at Ormiston Gorge
A Spinifex Pigeon, Ormiston Gorge
We saw a whole lot of little zebra finches in bushes there. We now had to make a decision as whether to go on, on the dirt track and to see the Redbank Gorge and then on round that way, or whether to retrace our steps for 50 miles or so and turn off going south, which is what we did.
It was lovely scenery to drive back through on the Namatjira Drive, so we enjoyed that and took the route south and stopped after 10 kilometres just in the middle of nowhere, on the Larapinta Drive to Hermansburg, so that we are ready tomorrow to do the track going round to Kings Canyon. The unfortunate thing there was that there were lots of flies. However, we did sit out for quite a while and it was very pleasant, in this remote situation, just the odd car went past along the road, but there was nothing as far as I can see in any direction except nature, grass, flowers, trees and hills. We cooked and ate lamb chops inside and then did more of the ‘scrapbook’.
It was lovely scenery to drive back through on the Namatjira Drive, so we enjoyed that and took the route south and stopped after 10 kilometres just in the middle of nowhere, on the Larapinta Drive to Hermansburg, so that we are ready tomorrow to do the track going round to Kings Canyon. The unfortunate thing there was that there were lots of flies. However, we did sit out for quite a while and it was very pleasant, in this remote situation, just the odd car went past along the road, but there was nothing as far as I can see in any direction except nature, grass, flowers, trees and hills. We cooked and ate lamb chops inside and then did more of the ‘scrapbook’.
Glen Helen Gorge
Thursday 13th August 1998 250 Km
Our 32nd wedding anniversary - the night wasn't as cold as previous nights. We awoke to see the sun rising, there had been a few clouds in the night, but to a clear blue sky. We ate our anniversary breakfast of pancakes outside and were ready to leave this lovely spot at 9.20.
Our 32nd wedding anniversary - the night wasn't as cold as previous nights. We awoke to see the sun rising, there had been a few clouds in the night, but to a clear blue sky. We ate our anniversary breakfast of pancakes outside and were ready to leave this lovely spot at 9.20.
We drove the 50 Km or so on the Larapinta Drive to Hermannsburg, where there was a Lutheran mission set up at the end of the last century and this was now a little sort of museum place where you could see a lot of the old buildings. You had to pay $4 each to go in there but with that you got a cup of tea or coffee. There were masses and masses of old photographs, fascinating images of times gone past, for both the Aborigines there and the Europeans who came out to such difficulties - what a place to try and set up a mission. So there was plenty to see and we ended up with our tea and coffee and a piece of apple strudel and cream between us.
Adrian cooking pancakes for our Anniversary breakfast, Larapinta Drive near Hermansburg
We bought a couple of little carved figures, which a man had brought in while we were there, and so it was 11.30 when we left. We rejoined the road and set off towards Kings Canyon, on the Mereenie Loop, 197 Km of dirt road away. We could see Gosse Bluff in the distance – a 130 million years old meteor crater.
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The Lutherian Church at Hermannsburg, (tripbucket.com)
Shrub taken in Hermansburg, West MacDonnell's
Initially the road was surfaced, but it soon to ran out, and looking very lovely with masses of yellow flowers that could look from a distance like daffodils. After 100 kilometres, about halfway along this dusty road, which varied in its surface, not the worst road we'd been on, there was a sign of saying to beware that special techniques were required driving on this surface. A bit late after 100 kilometres, to tell you! There weren't any stopping places on the road, the only picnic area was at the far end, not far from Kings Canyon, and we eventually just stopped on the road (there were virtually no other vehicles) and had our anniversary lunch which was a little different. Adrian had a roll and I had a few cheese and biscuits followed by a 'do it yourself' pavlova, which was excellent. We left there at 2 o'clock and 27 Km from the Kings Canyon Resort we stopped at 'the' only lookout and rest area on the whole road - 200 kilometres, but it was well worth stopping at as we looked down into a valley. At first it was difficult to see what we were looking at as it looked like a lake of white and yellow, but it was masses and masses of flowers. There were also lots of little flowering bushes and pretty little bell flowers pink and pale blue. We spoke to a chap there who was with a friend and he said 3 days ago, they'd had lots of rain in Litchfield NP. His catchphrase was, 'you know what I mean?'. There was a small section of tarmac road by the lookout, where there were a couple of hairpin bends and then it went back to the unmade road, which the chap thought was really diabolical, but we didn't think was as bad as many that we'd been on. We went through carpets of these white and yellow flowers on either side of the road, and stopped to photograph them.
Gosse Bluff in the distance – a 130 million years old meteor crater.
The last bit of the journey, although the road was pretty bad, was just sheer delight and we couldn't have wished for anything more lovely on our anniversary, than these carpets of mostly white and yellow, with occasionally pink, flowers and the backdrop of the red cliffs and the clear blue sky - absolutely breath-taking.
[The reason why there was nowhere to stop on the road, which was called ‘the Meerinie Loop’ was that it was all on Aboriginal land and you were not allowed to go off the road. We had spent a lot of time trying to find out whether you could actually use this road without a permit and whether the road was one we could physically go on or if it was was just a 4WD track. It was important to us as without using it, including the East MacDonnells it would have been a 620 Km return journey (total 1240Km) and by travelling along this route it was more or less the same distance but only about 400km was repeated and as we hate go and return journeys, whatever the problems, it was a win, win situation].
We arrived at Kings Canyon Resort, and with a bit of difficulty located the reception, having first tried the shop, which he said everyone did, it was signposted that well! and we booked in, expensive at $20 for an unpowered site. We enquired about the restaurant and there was also a cafe, which looked a bit like a transport cafe and not really a thing to go to for an anniversary meal. We did go and look at the restaurant and thought that wasn't great either, so we decided not to go there. We came back, positioned ourselves - a nice outlook to the rocks, called the James Ranges, that the Kings Canyon is in and I went for a pleasant swim in the pool and we had showers. By this time Adrian had decided that we ought to go for the meal, having decided that we wouldn't do, so he booked for that. We did a little bit of cleaning up following all the dust that had got into the van after the day's travel, and we opened a bottle of bubbly and sat outside at sundown. A couple came up and spoke to us and we said it was our anniversary and we deserved our wine and they congratulated us. She said she'd been to England and spent two and a half years there. He had a Germanic sounding accent and I don't think they'd been together that long, by which I meant it didn't sound as though he was an Aussie from way back. We walked out at sunset and viewed the hills and some people came to take pictures of it.
We then found time had gone away and it was time to get ready to go up for our meal. So we poshed ourselves up a bit and walked across to the restaurant which was at the far end of the hotel part of this so called resort. It was a short walk not that far and we enjoyed a very nice meal there. Adrian had opted for the hot buffet and I opted for the cold buffet but it was an inclusive meal and you could also have had ‘extras’ on the top of that. As it was self service we weren't sure that anyone knew what you had, so I think you could have had anything you liked really. I had soup and a selection of different cold things and Adrian had a selection of different other things. And then there was an amazing array of desserts and fruit. We knew that the wine was expensive, so I had a glass of riesling which was very pleasant, and Adrian had a beer. I had a cup of chamomile tea to finish as that was included, and the whole lot came to $47, about £20 for our meal and eating out. We'd enjoyed ourselves there, but we could have been anywhere in the world really, but it was quite lively with the fact that people had to keep getting up and serving themselves and it meant that there was a lot of hustling and bustling around, so it wasn't a sedate feeling to it, but it was a pleasant evening. Our waiter was a mixture of Johnny Makepeace and John Smart. The receptionist or whatever you call the lady, had been to the Sharon and Tracy school but was very pleasant with it. We walked back under a star filled sky just before 9.30 and it was still pleasantly warm.
[The reason why there was nowhere to stop on the road, which was called ‘the Meerinie Loop’ was that it was all on Aboriginal land and you were not allowed to go off the road. We had spent a lot of time trying to find out whether you could actually use this road without a permit and whether the road was one we could physically go on or if it was was just a 4WD track. It was important to us as without using it, including the East MacDonnells it would have been a 620 Km return journey (total 1240Km) and by travelling along this route it was more or less the same distance but only about 400km was repeated and as we hate go and return journeys, whatever the problems, it was a win, win situation].
We arrived at Kings Canyon Resort, and with a bit of difficulty located the reception, having first tried the shop, which he said everyone did, it was signposted that well! and we booked in, expensive at $20 for an unpowered site. We enquired about the restaurant and there was also a cafe, which looked a bit like a transport cafe and not really a thing to go to for an anniversary meal. We did go and look at the restaurant and thought that wasn't great either, so we decided not to go there. We came back, positioned ourselves - a nice outlook to the rocks, called the James Ranges, that the Kings Canyon is in and I went for a pleasant swim in the pool and we had showers. By this time Adrian had decided that we ought to go for the meal, having decided that we wouldn't do, so he booked for that. We did a little bit of cleaning up following all the dust that had got into the van after the day's travel, and we opened a bottle of bubbly and sat outside at sundown. A couple came up and spoke to us and we said it was our anniversary and we deserved our wine and they congratulated us. She said she'd been to England and spent two and a half years there. He had a Germanic sounding accent and I don't think they'd been together that long, by which I meant it didn't sound as though he was an Aussie from way back. We walked out at sunset and viewed the hills and some people came to take pictures of it.
We then found time had gone away and it was time to get ready to go up for our meal. So we poshed ourselves up a bit and walked across to the restaurant which was at the far end of the hotel part of this so called resort. It was a short walk not that far and we enjoyed a very nice meal there. Adrian had opted for the hot buffet and I opted for the cold buffet but it was an inclusive meal and you could also have had ‘extras’ on the top of that. As it was self service we weren't sure that anyone knew what you had, so I think you could have had anything you liked really. I had soup and a selection of different cold things and Adrian had a selection of different other things. And then there was an amazing array of desserts and fruit. We knew that the wine was expensive, so I had a glass of riesling which was very pleasant, and Adrian had a beer. I had a cup of chamomile tea to finish as that was included, and the whole lot came to $47, about £20 for our meal and eating out. We'd enjoyed ourselves there, but we could have been anywhere in the world really, but it was quite lively with the fact that people had to keep getting up and serving themselves and it meant that there was a lot of hustling and bustling around, so it wasn't a sedate feeling to it, but it was a pleasant evening. Our waiter was a mixture of Johnny Makepeace and John Smart. The receptionist or whatever you call the lady, had been to the Sharon and Tracy school but was very pleasant with it. We walked back under a star filled sky just before 9.30 and it was still pleasantly warm.
Carpets if wildflowers on our Aniversary on the Meerine Loop near Kings Canyon
Friday 14th August 46 Km
It was a surprisingly warm night and I woke early to hear bird song, there were a lot of birds here honey eaters, crested pigeons and galahs and I got up early to have a cup of tea watching the sunrise. Although it was a beautiful sky, there was a lot of cloud and there wasn't actually a sunrise. Adrian went to take photo by which time the beautiful colours had disappeared, and we then had a cloudy and chilly morning. We did sit outside for breakfast but sitting out was a bit like being in Devon at Whitsun. We went to fill the van with water, but we couldn't do it as Adrian found he hadn't got the adapter bit that was needed. He then rang Landbase and asked for our post to be sent to Alice for when we get back there and we got some gas.
We drove the short distance to Kings Canyon and we started out on a walk about 9.45. The walk was supposed to be 6.5 Km, three to four hours and a difficult walk. In fact we found it very pleasant, certainly manageable for me and quite spectacular. When we started out it was cloudy and quite chilly and windy and I started off with my caggy on which was probably one of the only times I'd worn it but by the time I got to the top of the climb I’d taken it off and didn't wear it again and as the walk progressed the weather got better. We had about two drops of rain which didn't materialise to anything further and actually the sun came out and it got quite warm. It was a pleasant walking temperature and it was made more enjoyable by the amount of flowers, the solanums in every shape and size and variation, different leaf forms and different coloured flowers, some very purply, some a very bluey colour.
There were a lot of people walking, in particular we seemed to be walking along with a coach party for most of the way or kept meeting up with them. There were spectacular views down to this gorge and we did all the little extra bits and walks to different lookouts and to the bit called the Garden of Eden, which was a real haven with a pool of water lying in it and trees and plants and palms looking quite luxurious. One or two people had a swim in a little pool at the end and had I come equipped I might have done as well. We were just returning from there and somebody said 'oh hello' and they were the couple who'd walked past us at the caravan site last night when we were drinking our bubbly and we said it was our wedding anniversary, we had seen them once or twice as we walked around.
It was a surprisingly warm night and I woke early to hear bird song, there were a lot of birds here honey eaters, crested pigeons and galahs and I got up early to have a cup of tea watching the sunrise. Although it was a beautiful sky, there was a lot of cloud and there wasn't actually a sunrise. Adrian went to take photo by which time the beautiful colours had disappeared, and we then had a cloudy and chilly morning. We did sit outside for breakfast but sitting out was a bit like being in Devon at Whitsun. We went to fill the van with water, but we couldn't do it as Adrian found he hadn't got the adapter bit that was needed. He then rang Landbase and asked for our post to be sent to Alice for when we get back there and we got some gas.
We drove the short distance to Kings Canyon and we started out on a walk about 9.45. The walk was supposed to be 6.5 Km, three to four hours and a difficult walk. In fact we found it very pleasant, certainly manageable for me and quite spectacular. When we started out it was cloudy and quite chilly and windy and I started off with my caggy on which was probably one of the only times I'd worn it but by the time I got to the top of the climb I’d taken it off and didn't wear it again and as the walk progressed the weather got better. We had about two drops of rain which didn't materialise to anything further and actually the sun came out and it got quite warm. It was a pleasant walking temperature and it was made more enjoyable by the amount of flowers, the solanums in every shape and size and variation, different leaf forms and different coloured flowers, some very purply, some a very bluey colour.
There were a lot of people walking, in particular we seemed to be walking along with a coach party for most of the way or kept meeting up with them. There were spectacular views down to this gorge and we did all the little extra bits and walks to different lookouts and to the bit called the Garden of Eden, which was a real haven with a pool of water lying in it and trees and plants and palms looking quite luxurious. One or two people had a swim in a little pool at the end and had I come equipped I might have done as well. We were just returning from there and somebody said 'oh hello' and they were the couple who'd walked past us at the caravan site last night when we were drinking our bubbly and we said it was our wedding anniversary, we had seen them once or twice as we walked around.
We returned about 12.45 and we got back to the van and had lunch sitting behind it, which was very pretty with these different flowers, the solanum, and ones with white flowers and the yellow wattle and one or two odd things as well. There were an annoying amount of flies there, although we hadn't been troubled much on the walk.
We then set off on the Kings Creek Walk which was a walk along the creek at the base of Kings Canyon, which certainly wasn't as staggering. Pleasant I think is perhaps the only word and the path had nicely been made with little odd steps here and there, a flat pathway initially, but filled in where needed with coloured concrete in a pinkish colour which toned and with a bit of birdsong and a great lack of people.
We then set off on the Kings Creek Walk which was a walk along the creek at the base of Kings Canyon, which certainly wasn't as staggering. Pleasant I think is perhaps the only word and the path had nicely been made with little odd steps here and there, a flat pathway initially, but filled in where needed with coloured concrete in a pinkish colour which toned and with a bit of birdsong and a great lack of people.
Adrian on the walk at Kings Canyon
'Garden of Eden', Kings Canyon
'Garden of Eden', Kings Canyon
Rosie on a bridge on the walk, Kings Canyon
It took about an hour and we returned to the van, and we were ready to leave at 2.40.
We drove a few kilometres and stopped by Katherine Springs, where we had a walk for about an hour in total. Not madly exciting, it was a wheelchair access walk, so a flat path all the way and ended by a pool, at the foot of a cliff but you couldn't swim in the pool, even if we'd wanted to. The sun had come out and it was quite warm most of the time, although it threatened to rain as we started out. We saw a honey-eater again and we were walking amidst flowers all the way like the ones previously mentioned and we returned at 4 o'clock to the van.
We drove a few kilometres along the road and we came to a suitable little pull off with wildflowers all around us and looking across to the splendid range of hills and in the sunshine.
We drove a few kilometres and stopped by Katherine Springs, where we had a walk for about an hour in total. Not madly exciting, it was a wheelchair access walk, so a flat path all the way and ended by a pool, at the foot of a cliff but you couldn't swim in the pool, even if we'd wanted to. The sun had come out and it was quite warm most of the time, although it threatened to rain as we started out. We saw a honey-eater again and we were walking amidst flowers all the way like the ones previously mentioned and we returned at 4 o'clock to the van.
We drove a few kilometres along the road and we came to a suitable little pull off with wildflowers all around us and looking across to the splendid range of hills and in the sunshine.
Wildflowers near Kings Canyon
I made a cup of tea and we had afternoon tea with some pavlova. We didn't stay out during the evening, we came in and cooked a beef stir fry, and spent some time catching up with various things inside. Adrian was catching up with his diary of people that we'd met, making great strides forward with that.
Saturday 15th August 304 Km
We had looked across last night and Adrian had pointed out a horse over by a tree and I was awoken by noises in the night. I thought Adrian was opening a window or something and pulled back the curtain and there was the horse right by my head on the outside the window, which was a bit of a surprise. It had been snuffling around for a while and it must have seen something was happening because it suddenly galloped off, and we didn't see him in the morning.
Adrian was up early and got a cup of tea, and we saw the sunrise over this range of hills, but although there was a clear blue sky today, it had been cloudy last night, there was a very fresh wind with it. So we actually breakfasted inside and we're ready to leave at 8.40.
We had looked across last night and Adrian had pointed out a horse over by a tree and I was awoken by noises in the night. I thought Adrian was opening a window or something and pulled back the curtain and there was the horse right by my head on the outside the window, which was a bit of a surprise. It had been snuffling around for a while and it must have seen something was happening because it suddenly galloped off, and we didn't see him in the morning.
Adrian was up early and got a cup of tea, and we saw the sunrise over this range of hills, but although there was a clear blue sky today, it had been cloudy last night, there was a very fresh wind with it. So we actually breakfasted inside and we're ready to leave at 8.40.
We travelled down the remaining 170 Km of the Luritja Rd to the Lasseter Highway through mostly unremarkable country with varying amounts of wildflowers. At one point there were some very pretty pink flowers like Michaelmas daises and some wild blue geraniums. In some places the wildflowers weren't out and we could see that they were about to burst with colour. We saw a man leading some camels and we also saw a pink cockatoo [It is not a generally known fact that there were estimated in 2013 to be over 0.6 million camels in the centre of Australia and since they are regarded as feral and were destroying the delicate environment, 30,000 of them were culled and it is an ongoing problem].
We were aware of Mount Connor in the distance and after about 30 Km we pulled in for coffee at a very big rest area at about 10.40 and we stopped to photograph Mount Connor, which was practising to be Ayers Rock (Uluru) as people often think it is.
We were aware of Mount Connor in the distance and after about 30 Km we pulled in for coffee at a very big rest area at about 10.40 and we stopped to photograph Mount Connor, which was practising to be Ayers Rock (Uluru) as people often think it is.
Sunrise from our overnighter near Kings Creek
After about another 20 Km we stopped at a roadhouse at Curtin Springs for diesel and to check it out for an overnighter - on our return. Then after about another 50Km we did spy Ayers Rock (Uluru) for the first time and not long after this there was Sandy View Picnic Area, we thought to view it, but we were wrong. Ayers Rock was hidden from the picnic area, but afterwards, we did climb a little hill as we'd seen others do and got a glimpse of it and it did look magnificent.
Mount Connor pretending to be 'Ayers Rock'
We then found ourselves at Yalara (Ayers Rock resort) and had to pay $22 for an unpowered site! [the most expensive in Australia]. Having located our site we got into action of what we thought we might be doing and while I took over some washing to be done, at the dearest we'd come across at $2.40, Adrian filled the van with water and emptied the loo. I had a very quick swim in the pool, up and down, it was about as cold as the pool at Alice Springs and we then had showers. The washing was done and we hung it all on the line and at three o'clock we were leaving again, having been there just about an hour. We headed for Ayers Rock (Uluru) itself which was a few kilometres from where we were, and parked. We thought we'd have a go at climbing it, lots of people were doing this and we got ourselves set up for it. I lasted a distance but realised it was foolish going any further as it wasn't my thing to do at all, being extremely steep, and nothing really to hold on to - a little rope but too low to hold on.
We'd enjoyed some wildlife there, a dear little dragon lizard for want of another name because I'm sure it had a different name, which Adrian managed to get a slide of, and lots of little zebra finches and a couple of crested pigeons. There were a lot of different flowers there, but not carpets of flowers like before.
The real Ayers Rock (Uluru)
Zebra finches
A 'dragon' lizard
So we returned from that and drove right around the rock stopping at one point to walk into the Waterfall Gorge site, which was very pleasant and while we were there it was very quiet, and it was certainly a stunning rock and for all our misgivings of “what a long way to go to see a rock”, we found it very, very impressive.
The 'climb' up to the top of Ayers Rock - which we only did a bit of and now you can't do at all
We then headed for the cultural centre and had a look in there, it was full of state of the art type exhibitions and some lovely wood carvings of snakes and lizards and things. We then found time had gone very quickly and it was then 5.30, so we drove around to the sunset viewing place and positioned ourselves there to watch the sunset. We quickly cooked a meal, some rice and beef that we'd still got and we ate that. Adrian had cleaned the front window so we could sit watching the sunset with a beer. The colours were amazing and is certainly worth seeing, it was quite remarkable and afterwards, we had the last of the pavlova which again was excellent with a glass of wine, so we felt we had truly done our sunset at Uluru - Ayers Rock.
Adrian by Mutitjulu water hole, 'Ayers Rock'
We drove back to the Ayers Rock resort at Yulara and went first to the supermarket, which was extremely busy. I suppose everyone who was staying there had been to watch the sunset and so at this time of night, it was a very busy time for shopping. We managed to get to all the things that we needed and Adrian had got some money. The phone logged in and there were two messages from John and Lynn, the first saying that the van had been broken into in Paris and our phone had been stolen but also a lot of their stuff too and on the second one we found they were in Calais. We stopped off and collected all of our washing from the line and then went back to our camping space and then we thought we had better get hold of John, which Adrian did and about half an hour later, he got off the phone. They were by then at Elm Gable. We did try Emma's number and Adrian spoke to Stuart for a while but Emma was at work. We then had a lot of the clearing up of the washing, shopping, and washing up from our meal and all the things of the day to do.
Sunset at Ayers Rock (Uluru)
[The trouble with taking photographs of the sun setting is the camera compensates for the fading light and they all end up looking the same!]
