So we have left the peace of Katherine and here we sit in muggy soggy Darwin. Even though it is officially 'the dry', it is still very humid here, even the locals say it is not right. Oh well, it is only a week and I am sure we have survived worse......some where!
Forgot to tell about the excitement back at the last camp. The police caught one of the Territory's "most wanted" escapees hiding out in a cabin in our park. He was wanted for sex crimes, drug crimes and damage to property crimes. Someone asked Himself if we had been frightened and he said, hell no, we had 7 of the Territory's finest in flak jackets and armed to the teeth around us, no problems there! Day one six officers arrived in two paddy wagons and a pursuit car and spent an hour on site chatting to people and showing around photos. Then that night an extra caravan pulled in and positioned itself so that the occupants could see a certain location in the park. Then the next day an unmarked car arrived and a locksmith came and then a tow truck came and eventually hours later they all left but the police continued to patrol the park off and on during the next few days. We think they were just making sure the escapees friends were moving on as instructed.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Wednesday...29 May 2013
We have had four days of peace and serenity under the big trees here at Manbulloo.
Nothing to do but relax!
Tomorrow we head off again, this time to see Himself's sister in Darwin.
Our timing is good, tomorrow is Thursday and we all know that means its Mindl Markets night! Maybe I will see something I want.
Nothing to do but relax!
Tomorrow we head off again, this time to see Himself's sister in Darwin.
Our timing is good, tomorrow is Thursday and we all know that means its Mindl Markets night! Maybe I will see something I want.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Sunday...26 May 2013
Stayed at Mataranka for two nights. Nice place. There was live entertainment. Friday night was a duo, did a lot of Yothu Yindu stuff and Paul Kelly etc, was pretty good and he played the didge real good for a white fella! She could sing and the two together were great. On the Saturday night she performed solo and was ok. Turns out she is a school principal in Mataranka and went on AGT last year and made it to the semi's. We wandered up to the bar and listened while we enjoyed a sundowner before dinner each night.
Today we have travelled to Katherine and have parked up at an out of town park on one of the station homesteads. We came here once before and really enjoyed the quietness. We have the same site as last time and this gives us good views of the paddocks and the beautiful cows.
Today we have travelled to Katherine and have parked up at an out of town park on one of the station homesteads. We came here once before and really enjoyed the quietness. We have the same site as last time and this gives us good views of the paddocks and the beautiful cows.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Friday...24 May 2013
We left Alice Springs and travelled north to Wycliffe Well. This place markets itself as the UFO capital of Australia with the claim that there are more sightings here than any where else. The buildings have some lovely murals painted by a talented artist and there are little green (fibreglass) men all over the place but the only lights in the sky I saw were from the caravan next door who left their outside light on all night! Quite a nice place to pull up but no phone reception and snowy TV that was too hard to watch. Our satellite dish did not want to work and on our first night there it rained, it rained really really hard. We found out that the rubber membrane on the roof was perished when water dripped onto our bed at 2 am during the down pour! Mad scramble to move mattress to a dry area of the van and put buckets down to catch the water. Not a lot of fun but we were able to fashion a running repair in the light of day allowing us to continue the great trek and not have to back track to arrange seriously expensive repairs.
We ended up travelling for 9 and a half hours today. This was not the plan, but the plan went out the window when we arrived to find the parks full at each possible stop along the way. We said blow it all, we will go and free camp, and wouldn't you know it, they were full too! Yes folks, the annual migration is in full swing and another million grey nomads are on the move following the sun to warmer winter weather!
We had no phone reception from Alice Springs to Tennant Creek and then again until we reached Mataranka where we finally stopped as the sun was setting and the kangaroos were beginning to bounce across the road.
Dug deep into the memory bank and used an old public telephone at a roadhouse to ring my younger brother for his 60th birthday on Wednesday and after wading through missed calls and text messages at Tennant Creek this morning I was on air long enough to call my sister today for her birthday but five minutes later as we pulled out of there we were off air yet again. Got the giggles at one stage as we passed a Telstra Countrywide billboard on the road side just after our reception dropped out!
We passed the daily bike rider sitting on a hillock eating his lunch in the middle of nowhere, he had great scenery so I hope it helped his digestion.
While we were at Wycliffe Well we went 22 kms up the road to see the Devils Marbles. Awesome.
We ended up travelling for 9 and a half hours today. This was not the plan, but the plan went out the window when we arrived to find the parks full at each possible stop along the way. We said blow it all, we will go and free camp, and wouldn't you know it, they were full too! Yes folks, the annual migration is in full swing and another million grey nomads are on the move following the sun to warmer winter weather!
We had no phone reception from Alice Springs to Tennant Creek and then again until we reached Mataranka where we finally stopped as the sun was setting and the kangaroos were beginning to bounce across the road.
Dug deep into the memory bank and used an old public telephone at a roadhouse to ring my younger brother for his 60th birthday on Wednesday and after wading through missed calls and text messages at Tennant Creek this morning I was on air long enough to call my sister today for her birthday but five minutes later as we pulled out of there we were off air yet again. Got the giggles at one stage as we passed a Telstra Countrywide billboard on the road side just after our reception dropped out!
We passed the daily bike rider sitting on a hillock eating his lunch in the middle of nowhere, he had great scenery so I hope it helped his digestion.
While we were at Wycliffe Well we went 22 kms up the road to see the Devils Marbles. Awesome.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Sunday...19 May 2013
Went for lunch at Lasseters Hotel Casino today. Nice place, good food. Kept looking but did not see Priscilla anywhere! After lunch we tried our luck in the casino and Himself came home with enough to cover the cost of lunch. He is very pleased.
Tomorrow we will wash the car and fuel it ready to move on again on Tuesday.
Tomorrow we will wash the car and fuel it ready to move on again on Tuesday.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Friday...17 May 2013
Quiet day for me today. Stayed in camp and rested. Himself went off and had another look at the Transport Museum which incorporates the Transport Hall of Fame. He saw it last time we came this way and couldn't wait to take a second look. He came home quite pleased with himself.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Thursday...16 May 2013
Big day!
Up early to do a spot of sight seeing around Alice Springs.
First stop was John Flynn's grave. He is buried with his wife in view of the McDonnell Ranges just out of town on a little rise.
From there we went to Simpson's Gap. A short walk from the car park takes you up the creek bed into the Gap. The rocks are such wonderful colours and ruggedly majestic. Well worth the effort to get up there.
Further down the same road we came to Standley Chasm. If Simpson's Gap was majestic this one was spectacular. Another walk and some minor rock climbing brought us to the Chasm. Extra special as due to all the rain we have been having it had a small waterhole as well. The walls are so steep and the colours of the rocks incredible. I spent a lot of time stopping for quiet contemplation of the awesomeness of this place.
We took off again heading for Hermannsburg but decided to take the loop road which runs out to Glen Helen and then back around to Hermannsburg. Before reaching Glen Helen we saw a sign for Ellery Creek Big Hole. This got us curious so in we went and found the prettiest water hole we have ever seen.
Off we went again and after passing Glen Helen, things get really interesting! Along the way we did 60 kms of off road 4x4 driving. It was wet, it was muddy, it was bumpy as all hell and it was a gazetted public road! We were dodging potholes and huge piles of what I think had to be camel dung, whatever animal was making the piles sure could hold their tucker! Every so often we passed small mobs of wild horses but we never did see any camels. And there is no way those horses could have made the particular piles I have mentioned.
Eventually just a few kms out of Hermannsburg (and back on the bitumen), we came to Albert Namatjira' s house. Albert was a well known and respected Aranda Aboriginal artist who lived from 1902 - 1959. He painted mostly watercolours and liked to paint landscapes of the country around his home at Hermannsburg. He built his own house with help from the men of his tribe, using money from sales of his paintings. It was a two room house with a tin roof, pretty flash for an aboriginal back then.
Then it was into Hermannsburg for a look at the mission. Hermannsburg, the first Aboriginal Mission in the Northern Territory was established by the Lutheran Church in 1877. It had a Bakery, Church, Colonist's House, Stockman's House, Smithy, Mortuary,Tannery, Correspondence School, Meat House, Schoolhouse, Manse, Maid's Quarters and dormitories for boys and girls. Most of these buildings are still standing and some are even habitable. A lasting testament to the quality of the building.
After all that we came 125 km back to camp worn out. It was a big day and for some of it I was walking in the footsteps of my foster father who visited here around 60 years ago when he was in his 20's. And today was his birthday. How serendipitous.
Up early to do a spot of sight seeing around Alice Springs.
First stop was John Flynn's grave. He is buried with his wife in view of the McDonnell Ranges just out of town on a little rise.
From there we went to Simpson's Gap. A short walk from the car park takes you up the creek bed into the Gap. The rocks are such wonderful colours and ruggedly majestic. Well worth the effort to get up there.
Further down the same road we came to Standley Chasm. If Simpson's Gap was majestic this one was spectacular. Another walk and some minor rock climbing brought us to the Chasm. Extra special as due to all the rain we have been having it had a small waterhole as well. The walls are so steep and the colours of the rocks incredible. I spent a lot of time stopping for quiet contemplation of the awesomeness of this place.
We took off again heading for Hermannsburg but decided to take the loop road which runs out to Glen Helen and then back around to Hermannsburg. Before reaching Glen Helen we saw a sign for Ellery Creek Big Hole. This got us curious so in we went and found the prettiest water hole we have ever seen.
Off we went again and after passing Glen Helen, things get really interesting! Along the way we did 60 kms of off road 4x4 driving. It was wet, it was muddy, it was bumpy as all hell and it was a gazetted public road! We were dodging potholes and huge piles of what I think had to be camel dung, whatever animal was making the piles sure could hold their tucker! Every so often we passed small mobs of wild horses but we never did see any camels. And there is no way those horses could have made the particular piles I have mentioned.
Eventually just a few kms out of Hermannsburg (and back on the bitumen), we came to Albert Namatjira' s house. Albert was a well known and respected Aranda Aboriginal artist who lived from 1902 - 1959. He painted mostly watercolours and liked to paint landscapes of the country around his home at Hermannsburg. He built his own house with help from the men of his tribe, using money from sales of his paintings. It was a two room house with a tin roof, pretty flash for an aboriginal back then.
Then it was into Hermannsburg for a look at the mission. Hermannsburg, the first Aboriginal Mission in the Northern Territory was established by the Lutheran Church in 1877. It had a Bakery, Church, Colonist's House, Stockman's House, Smithy, Mortuary,Tannery, Correspondence School, Meat House, Schoolhouse, Manse, Maid's Quarters and dormitories for boys and girls. Most of these buildings are still standing and some are even habitable. A lasting testament to the quality of the building.
After all that we came 125 km back to camp worn out. It was a big day and for some of it I was walking in the footsteps of my foster father who visited here around 60 years ago when he was in his 20's. And today was his birthday. How serendipitous.
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