For those of you following on a map (Dad)
Day 10 Wonarah Bore (down the road from Barkleys Homestead)
Day 11 Devils Marbles
Day 12 - 17 Alice Springs
We left Mt Isa and went across to Camooweal (had to buy an icecream) & then we stopped on the other side of the river to catch up with a couple that we met at Adels Grove. They had emailed us to see where we were and to stop for a cup of coffee (so we did). I bought the fruitcake (thanks to Mum's recipe) and stayed for about an hour for a bit of a chat. All the vans were pulling in to stay along the river for the free campsite as the Camooweal Drovers Run was starting in the next couple of days. Unfortunately we had to get on our way to Alice Springs to get the Handbrake fixed so couldn't stay.
Not much along that stretch of road, but grasslands so we found a free campsite at Wonarah Bore and Paul was mesmerised by a bloke on his Triumph Rocket, but I was more intrigued by his passenger, a lovely blue dog with his own buggy. Don't you just love the expression on the dog's face!
You wouldn't believe it, but a bus pulled up to camp for the night, with a family of 4 plus 1 chook, that was a sight for sore eyes underneath the bus in the middle of nowhere??
Next Day we thought we would ditch the boring cereal for breakfast and have a good cooked breakfast at the Barkly Homestead Roadhouse. We have heard that they cook a mean burger which costs about $15 and has the lot and stands about 10cm high! Apart from the Baked Beans (which are always good) they gave me powdered scrambled eggs, what a disappointment. Paul had fried, so they may have run out of eggs, I don't know, but
needless to say they were left on the plate!
We stopped next at the ThreeWays Roadhouse for a fuel stop and quickly got asked by the 'local person' if I was going to the Pub which is attached to the Service Station. It's a bit different up here...
Tennant Creek is an interesting Place. Most of the shops either have screens or are boarded up. We stopped at a local Arts and Crafts Shop and then kept driving.
Most days we drive for about 400 ks as there is not much inbetween, so we pulled into Devils Marbles for the night at the Campsite, which cost us the mere sum of $6.60. There ended up being aobut 20 vans by sundown then we all went on to the rocks to watch the sunset which was just awesome
The local dingo met us, he didn't seem to care about much and after dinner when we turned off all the lights to see the magic of the stars shining so brightly, it was funny to hear the licks of the dingo out of our grey water bucket!
Next day we drove to the East Macdonnell Ranges and stopped at Emily's gorge, Jesse's gorge, Corroboree Rock, Ross River Homestead and then a 4wd track to N'Dhala Gorge which had some amazing Rock Carvings
The car went into the Landrover Hospital for 3 days to get the handbrake fixed, so we had to use the backup devices (funnily enough same happened on the Dubbo trip) and cycled around Alice Springs. It is a good thing that the place is flat. It was a bit of light relief for me to do some shopping (yeay) and Paul ended up buying a didgeridoo. He did pretty well for a beginner, but I am hoping that it improves over the next 4 months
We finally got the car back today (and I won't say how much it cost, but let's just say I might have to reconsider the pearl ring when I get to Broome...don't be silly)
Tomorrow we head off to Yulara/Ayers Rock for 3 nights accomodation at Voyages, so it will be a nice relief for:
1. not wearing thongs into the Caravan Park's Showers
2. being in a Queen size bed, not a cramped double
3. Our own bathroom (what bliss and maybe even a bath)
4. Actually going out for a meal
Take Care All
P & J
xxx
No comments:
Post a Comment