16th June Saturday
Natalie's Birthday.
Had a trip out today to Bitter Springs Thermal Pool,
absolutely lovely, steady 32degs all year round, the water was crystal clear and the current gently carries you along to the other end of the pool. You can see the rocks and sand on the bottom
and you are swimming with pink lillies
beside you, Rose managed to swim into a rock-ouch. Drove back to Mataranka and Colin sent birthday message to Natalie (had phone signal). On way back to camp stopped at an Aboriginal war site, it was just a plaque and concrete pad. back at camp lit camp fire, covered ourselves in insect repellant and cooked jacket potatoes and sausages, lovely. sky not as clear tonight and no bats around.
17 June Sunday
Bit of a damp morning with condensation in the tent, left camp at 9am heading south on Stuart HWay to Daly Waters Historic Pub. there are lots of caravans passing us going north. It is a long boring road but very green vegetation bordering it. We stopped at Larimah to see the Big Stubby and Pink Panther.
Larimah is a Caravan Park and Pub and it painter bright pink. Back onto the road and reached Daly Waters at lunchtime, only $28 for 2 nights, we are in the overflow paddock, shortly after the rush started and there were vans queuing in the road to get onto the site, never seen anything like it. Daly Waters had the first international airport in Oz and was a rear guard base after the bombing of Darwin in WW11. The famous pub was originally a water supply point for drovers before crossing the perilous Murranji Stock Route. The pub is full of character with memorabilia
left by previous visitors, ranging from knickers, thongs, t shirts, beer mats and stickers, it is also famous for it's food speciality of beef and Barra (fish). There is entertainment every evening by a chap called Chilly, he sings, tells stories and recites bush poetry. People are still coming to the camp after dark. We could hear the entertainment at our site, we laid in bed and it was hilarious, didn't hear the end as went to sleep.
18 June Monday
Wind got up in the night. People are leaving the site at 7.30, Colin said he heard them leaving earlier. Went for a walk along the John Mcdouall Stuart Heritage Trail, who was the explorer who discovered Daly Waters 28 May 1861. Stuart and his party stayed in the area for quite a whilw plotting the landscape and finding waterholes, opening the eay for the Overland Telegraph line, which would link Oz to the rest of the world. The trail takes you past the famous Stuart tree, where it is said Stuart carved the initial "S", past the now demolished buildings that surrounded the tree and onto the abandoned hangar at the Airport. There is a pictorial display of the history of the area right up to the present day. The old airfield is now owned by the National Trust. Nice walk. Went inside the pub and took photos of the memorabilia as well as the Servo
and gift/trinket shop.
There don't seem to be many visitors today. After dinner walked over to the pub for the entertainment - 1 pint and 1 sprite £10.70 ooh! Colin nursed his pint all night, caught the end of the stint by a lady saxophanist, she was really good, then Chilly came on. he told stories and poems of life happenings and sang along with his guitar. He was very funny and had us in stitches. he started life as a stockmen herding cows and horses but everything done by vehicle now so he's on his 2nd career. Brilliant night.
19 June Tuesday
Cooler night, some campers left early again. Got packed up and away just after 9am, back onto the Stuart HWay going south, lots of yellow flowers on roadside bushes, then the trees thinned out, you can see for miles either side of the road. Stopped for a break at Newcastle Waters rest area, it has got increasingly windy along the road. Just north of Elliott there was a Police roadblock, they were stopping all vehcles. First of all Colin was given a breath test by a cop, then another officer asked for his driving licence and the registration of the vechicle, we gave him all the paperwork including the insurance and Carnet, he looked at the carnet and we were sent on our way. Stopped at Renner Springs for lunch stop, then just a short drive to Banka Banka station for the night, we both think this road reminds us of the Nullabor. There is a bush poetry reading tonight at the kiosk, nice site. Parked next to a 1998 Discovery with Oz tent and the other side of him id a Disco 3. after dinner went to the campfire at the kiosk for the bush poetry (needed the fire as getting cold). The reading was really good and very funny, will never look a velcro without seeing the problems it causes.
20 June Wednesday
10 degrees this morning, left site and back onto Stuart HWay, followed a brown tourist sign onto the old Stuart Hway, for approx 13 km before back on new road. You can see for miles. We saw 3 stockmen herding cows alngside then highway,
we are certainly seeing more outback life in the Northern Territory. 11 am and only 20 degrees, wearing my scarf. Stopped at Lake Mary Dam ,
it was opened in 1979/80 and is a local picnic area just before Tennant Creek, very pretty, had lunch and drove into TCreek, we stopped for bread but the town does not have a friendly feel, lots of shops boardedup. Drove out to Juno bushcamp but close so back into town and booked into the Outback Caravan Pk for the night. Good camp kitchen, cooked tomorrow night's dinner as well, filled our gas bottle for only $8. Checked weather for Alice Springs we are heading, it is zero degrees at night, looks like we will be acclimatising the other way, ready for autumn in the UK. Colin rang Sir Peter of Leongatha, he and Marj are at Bourke in NSW on a short trip, shame we won't be able to meet up with them. Night starting to chill down so went in tent to keep warm, getting dark early again.
21 June Thursday
Shortest day.
10 deg in vechicle, chilly night, Colin wore socks in bed. Leaving here today, slow pack up, filled up with fuel and few bits of shopping and treated ourselves to a Lamington Roll, then to library to upload blog, finally left town after 11 am onto the Devils Marbles
(104km) for the night, arrived just after lunch. As you drive in the rock formations are amazing, the campground is right beside the rocks, the other name for them is Karlu Karlu. It is a big campground and by the time it got dark . Stopping a couple of nights so will have a walk out tomorrow. Watched the sun go down over the rocks. Saw dingo walk through after dark.
22 June Friday
FRIDAY FACT- Daly Waters has held a liquor licence since 1893, making it the oldest pub in Northern territory
Woke up at 3am, at 3.15 the wind started, at 3.30 we got up and took the awning on the Landrover down, you could hear caravan owners winding in their awnings. 8am still windy, one of the poles holding the flysheet fell down causing the fly to flap noisily but other than that all in one piece. The wind is very cold. As a campervan drove out the dingo sat down in front of it, almost like it was posing, as everyone went for their cameras
a stupid itiot fed it some toast (just what you shouldn't do). Our neighbours have a camper trailer and due to the cooker being outside can't even boil an billy dueto the wind, we pulled out our windbreak
and set it up so they can at least cook. In the afternoon a wind gust tore the back of the flysheet clean off. The Devils Marbles
were formed by volcanic eruption, then weather erosion left just the granite rocks you see today. Campers not coming in so early today, just had dinner when a young lad from a family we met in Cape range asked us over to their campfire, the boys filled us in on their travels, feeling toasty in places before bed.
Natalie's Birthday.
Had a trip out today to Bitter Springs Thermal Pool,
absolutely lovely, steady 32degs all year round, the water was crystal clear and the current gently carries you along to the other end of the pool. You can see the rocks and sand on the bottom
and you are swimming with pink lillies
beside you, Rose managed to swim into a rock-ouch. Drove back to Mataranka and Colin sent birthday message to Natalie (had phone signal). On way back to camp stopped at an Aboriginal war site, it was just a plaque and concrete pad. back at camp lit camp fire, covered ourselves in insect repellant and cooked jacket potatoes and sausages, lovely. sky not as clear tonight and no bats around.
17 June Sunday
Bit of a damp morning with condensation in the tent, left camp at 9am heading south on Stuart HWay to Daly Waters Historic Pub. there are lots of caravans passing us going north. It is a long boring road but very green vegetation bordering it. We stopped at Larimah to see the Big Stubby and Pink Panther.
Larimah is a Caravan Park and Pub and it painter bright pink. Back onto the road and reached Daly Waters at lunchtime, only $28 for 2 nights, we are in the overflow paddock, shortly after the rush started and there were vans queuing in the road to get onto the site, never seen anything like it. Daly Waters had the first international airport in Oz and was a rear guard base after the bombing of Darwin in WW11. The famous pub was originally a water supply point for drovers before crossing the perilous Murranji Stock Route. The pub is full of character with memorabilia
left by previous visitors, ranging from knickers, thongs, t shirts, beer mats and stickers, it is also famous for it's food speciality of beef and Barra (fish). There is entertainment every evening by a chap called Chilly, he sings, tells stories and recites bush poetry. People are still coming to the camp after dark. We could hear the entertainment at our site, we laid in bed and it was hilarious, didn't hear the end as went to sleep.
18 June Monday
Wind got up in the night. People are leaving the site at 7.30, Colin said he heard them leaving earlier. Went for a walk along the John Mcdouall Stuart Heritage Trail, who was the explorer who discovered Daly Waters 28 May 1861. Stuart and his party stayed in the area for quite a whilw plotting the landscape and finding waterholes, opening the eay for the Overland Telegraph line, which would link Oz to the rest of the world. The trail takes you past the famous Stuart tree, where it is said Stuart carved the initial "S", past the now demolished buildings that surrounded the tree and onto the abandoned hangar at the Airport. There is a pictorial display of the history of the area right up to the present day. The old airfield is now owned by the National Trust. Nice walk. Went inside the pub and took photos of the memorabilia as well as the Servo
and gift/trinket shop.
There don't seem to be many visitors today. After dinner walked over to the pub for the entertainment - 1 pint and 1 sprite £10.70 ooh! Colin nursed his pint all night, caught the end of the stint by a lady saxophanist, she was really good, then Chilly came on. he told stories and poems of life happenings and sang along with his guitar. He was very funny and had us in stitches. he started life as a stockmen herding cows and horses but everything done by vehicle now so he's on his 2nd career. Brilliant night.
19 June Tuesday
Cooler night, some campers left early again. Got packed up and away just after 9am, back onto the Stuart HWay going south, lots of yellow flowers on roadside bushes, then the trees thinned out, you can see for miles either side of the road. Stopped for a break at Newcastle Waters rest area, it has got increasingly windy along the road. Just north of Elliott there was a Police roadblock, they were stopping all vehcles. First of all Colin was given a breath test by a cop, then another officer asked for his driving licence and the registration of the vechicle, we gave him all the paperwork including the insurance and Carnet, he looked at the carnet and we were sent on our way. Stopped at Renner Springs for lunch stop, then just a short drive to Banka Banka station for the night, we both think this road reminds us of the Nullabor. There is a bush poetry reading tonight at the kiosk, nice site. Parked next to a 1998 Discovery with Oz tent and the other side of him id a Disco 3. after dinner went to the campfire at the kiosk for the bush poetry (needed the fire as getting cold). The reading was really good and very funny, will never look a velcro without seeing the problems it causes.
20 June Wednesday
10 degrees this morning, left site and back onto Stuart HWay, followed a brown tourist sign onto the old Stuart Hway, for approx 13 km before back on new road. You can see for miles. We saw 3 stockmen herding cows alngside then highway,
we are certainly seeing more outback life in the Northern Territory. 11 am and only 20 degrees, wearing my scarf. Stopped at Lake Mary Dam ,
it was opened in 1979/80 and is a local picnic area just before Tennant Creek, very pretty, had lunch and drove into TCreek, we stopped for bread but the town does not have a friendly feel, lots of shops boardedup. Drove out to Juno bushcamp but close so back into town and booked into the Outback Caravan Pk for the night. Good camp kitchen, cooked tomorrow night's dinner as well, filled our gas bottle for only $8. Checked weather for Alice Springs we are heading, it is zero degrees at night, looks like we will be acclimatising the other way, ready for autumn in the UK. Colin rang Sir Peter of Leongatha, he and Marj are at Bourke in NSW on a short trip, shame we won't be able to meet up with them. Night starting to chill down so went in tent to keep warm, getting dark early again.
21 June Thursday
Shortest day.
10 deg in vechicle, chilly night, Colin wore socks in bed. Leaving here today, slow pack up, filled up with fuel and few bits of shopping and treated ourselves to a Lamington Roll, then to library to upload blog, finally left town after 11 am onto the Devils Marbles
(104km) for the night, arrived just after lunch. As you drive in the rock formations are amazing, the campground is right beside the rocks, the other name for them is Karlu Karlu. It is a big campground and by the time it got dark . Stopping a couple of nights so will have a walk out tomorrow. Watched the sun go down over the rocks. Saw dingo walk through after dark.
22 June Friday
FRIDAY FACT- Daly Waters has held a liquor licence since 1893, making it the oldest pub in Northern territory
Woke up at 3am, at 3.15 the wind started, at 3.30 we got up and took the awning on the Landrover down, you could hear caravan owners winding in their awnings. 8am still windy, one of the poles holding the flysheet fell down causing the fly to flap noisily but other than that all in one piece. The wind is very cold. As a campervan drove out the dingo sat down in front of it, almost like it was posing, as everyone went for their cameras
a stupid itiot fed it some toast (just what you shouldn't do). Our neighbours have a camper trailer and due to the cooker being outside can't even boil an billy dueto the wind, we pulled out our windbreak
and set it up so they can at least cook. In the afternoon a wind gust tore the back of the flysheet clean off. The Devils Marbles
were formed by volcanic eruption, then weather erosion left just the granite rocks you see today. Campers not coming in so early today, just had dinner when a young lad from a family we met in Cape range asked us over to their campfire, the boys filled us in on their travels, feeling toasty in places before bed.
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