Week 22 : 20 July to 26 July 2012 -- Bullwaddy to Isisford

We stayed overnight at Bullwaddy Rest Area along the Capricorn Highway headed for Cape Crawford. It was a lovely quiet night with very little traffic and got down to about 12 deg.

Bullwaddy Rest Area

Back under the van :(

I previously mentioned a problem with the water pump on the caravan and in the morning, I spent a fair bit of time checking the entire water system for leaks. After finding none, through desperation, I decided to see how much water the tanks would take, even though the gauges were reading full. The two 60 litre tanks took 120 litres so it would appear I don’t have a problem with the pump, but rather the gauge… go figure!

Back on the open road

When we arrived the afternoon before, I was annoyed by the amount of rubbish lying around and cursed the previous campers for their inconsideration. Before seeing to the water tanks in the morning, I was picking up some rubbish and got talking to a fellow who was doing the same, and it turned out he was a contractor that travels this way every 3 weeks to empty the bins and clean up the rest areas. He assured me that campers were not to blame for the mess it’s the crows that pick rubbish out of the bins.

We left there at 9.40 and continued east, checking out Goanna Creek Rest Area (#15 in Camps 5) on the way. This isn’t a bad spot, on a hill and with good views, but quite small. About 10 klms before Cape Crawford is Little River Rest Area (#14 in Camps 5), and this is a really nice spot on the banks of the McArthur River. I had hoped to camp here for a couple of days but there were already a number of caravans and a fifth wheeler set up parallel to the river, leaving little room for anyone else to see the water.

I cannot for the life of me, work out why Cape Crawford is so named. It’s in the middle of nowhere, not on the river and miles from the coast. It’s merely a pub on a road junction selling fuel (or a servo selling grog… not sure which!) with a shady grass area behind called a caravan park. We topped up the fuel tanks again (185c / litre) and grabbed a lemonade ice block (at $4 each) before turning south toward Barkly Roadhouse.

We had lunch at the Kiana Turnoff Rest Area, 107 klms from Cape Crawford. After turning south, the road became shocking and at times, we travelled at 60 kph in an effort to save the van from the whoop-de-dos that were plentiful. Apart from the shocking single lane road slowing us up, we pushed a very strong head wind that played havoc with our fuel consumption (over 25 litres/100).

Along this section we came across a couple travelling with a Jayco van. They’d lost the nuts off the rear curbside wheel on the van and as it took off, it had caused considerable damage to the body of the van and the brakes etc. They were travelling at 40 kph and making for Cape Crawford. We gave them the details of the excellent caravan parts supplier that we’d used in Darwin, so hopefully they got back on the road relatively quickly.

Undulating roads

Brunette Downs Rest Area

After travelling 404 klms today, we pulled into Brunette Downs Rest Area (#11 in Camps 5) at about 5pm and called it a day. This is a great spot with tons of room, sheltered picnic tables, fire places and drinkable water available. We had the place to ourselves and enjoyed a quiet happy hour by the camp fire, where we cooked dinner and relaxed before heading inside for the night. The wind died down overnight but it got quite cold.

The road south was bloody terrible until about 50 klms north of Barkly Roadhouse. Even though it is still a single lane, the road had recently been resurfaced from here and was much more enjoyable to travel. We stopped along the way to take in the scenery. For 360 deg, the view is dead flat and uninterrupted (except for my car and van) all the way to the horizon. The vastness of the country here is absolutely breathtaking!

Wildlife hanging in there on the windmill

Fabulous fire warmth out in
the middle of nowhere

At the Roadhouse we had a look around and grabbed a T shirt (proof of our visit!) and although we didn’t buy any, fuel was 185c/litre.

We crossed back into Queensland (the sign going into the NT is much more impressive!) and at Camooweal we got 50 litres of fuel to get us into Mt Isa. The fuel economy for the day was the worst we’ve had at 26.2L/100, courtesy of the continuing head winds. 70 klms further along we pulled into Inca Creek Rest Area (#311 in Camps 5) and set for the night. 

Billy & Jana

Once again, it seemed we would have the place to ourselves, until about sunset when a wizz-bang pulled in. The young couple came over and asked if it was ok for them to stay the night. I was baffled why they would ask and later, over a couple of cold drinks, it became apparent that during their travels, they’d been made to feel unwelcome by caravanners. Their loss I say! This was a very nice young couple and interesting to spend time with. Billy is a 23 year old chef from Switzerland and Jana, a 26 year old German hospitality worker. They had hired a, barely road worthy (in my opinion) van, which was under equipped for free camping (but they were assured by the rental company this was normal), travelled from Cairns to Darwin where they couldn’t get accommodation, and were headed back to Cairns to hand the van in early. They were quite disappointed in their travels but we assured them the east coast would be fabulous. Because they were unable to keep anything cold, a servo sandwich was on the menu for them. Vic just wouldn’t allow that, so did a loaves and fishes trick with the apricot chicken she’d prepared for us. Around an open fire after dinner, we shared coffee and each other’s company. I just hope we did enough to convince them that most of us on the road, are a far more tolerant bunch than the narrow minded pinheads they’d met earlier.

Things you see on the side of the road

It was 7 deg in the morning and another beautiful day for travelling. After exchanging details with the young travellers, we continued on toward Mt Isa where we filled the tanks, grabbed the Sunday papers and a Macca’s coffee before hitting the road again. The drive through the hills east of Mt Isa, is really interesting and the head wind through here had disappeared. Before long we had passed through Cloncurry and turned onto the Matilda Highway.

McKinlay's main tourist spot
Walkabout Creek Hotel

At about 2pm we pulled over and had some lunch and while parked here, Vic noticed water leaking from under the van. I found a hole in the filler hose, which I’d say was caused by a stone. The million dollar tape solved the problem and we drove on to McKinlay, arriving at the Walkabout Creek Hotel at 3.30pm. You cannot possibly drive past here without pulling in for a beer at this pub that featured in the Crocodile Dundee movie.

Behind the pub is a small, but very neat caravan park with drive through sites plus open areas for campers. It’s a well appointed park with spotlessly clean amenities, so we decided to pitch here for the night. After showers, we went to the bar for drinks and took in the photos and memorabilia that cover the walls. One of the great joys of travelling Oz like this is the opportunity to spend time in some of it’s iconic pubs, and while we’ve not done too much of it, we really enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere of this place.

There were a couple of jovial blokes (that we’d noticed in the caravan beside ours) at the bar, chatting to anyone. One of them was wearing a Jeep cap, so as you would expect, we got talking to them. They were mates from Adelaide, travelling around visiting mines and demonstrating a concreting system designed by the fellow without the Jeep cap. He drove a Ford Ranger and as Jeeps were 2 to 1… he became the target. We joined them for a great country pub meal after a few beers, and had a funny night with these two old mates.

Blue Heeler, Kynuna

We were in no hurry on Monday morning and got off to a late start. It was a pleasant and uneventful drive through to Kynuna where we got some photos at the Blue Heeler Hotel. Unfortunately, it was way too early for a beer (for me anyway), so we continued on to Wanora Downs Rest Area (#363 in Camps 5) for morning tea and then Morella Rest Area (#355 in Camps 5) for lunch. While pulled up here, we noticed the brake lines on the van hanging close to the ground. The nylon zip ties holding the cables in place had all disappeared somewhere along the line, so a quick fix was in order. Thankfully, all the cables were undamaged and the brakes were working just fine, so we arrived in Longreach with no dramas and settled back into the Longreach Top Tourist Park, the same park we had stayed in back in March on our north bound trip.

When we were here back then, the park had just been taken over and was being managed by a lovely young couple, Shane and Ally, who were given the job, even though they had no previous experience. They moved to Longreach from Sydney and are more than justifying the owner’s decision to give them a shot. The caravan park was pumping, and even though it’s a large park, was almost at capacity. The amenities were clean and tidy and the showers hot (my park quality gauges).

5 o'clock - Happy Hour

Shane - Longreach Tourist Park

Shane is a Jeep driver also and in March I shouted him a beer as we discussed the benefits of owning one. It had been a few months since then, and as Vic and I were setting up this time, in the late afternoon, Shane came by with 2 beers saying it was his shout. This guy is good!! If you are passing through Longreach at any stage, do yourself a favour and stay at this park… you’ll be made to feel very welcome.

We stayed 2 nights and I took the opportunity to replace all the zip ties on the brake lines, drain the water tanks and refill plus a couple of other chores which needed doing.

On Wednesday, we stopped off at the Stockman’s Hall of Fame and grabbed some souvenirs as we left town, then had coffee at the Ilfracombe Café before turning south toward Isisford. This was a good run along a single lane with no traffic.

Downtown Isisford

At Isisford, we took 5 minutes and walked both sides of the main street and took photos of the original buildings and stores. We visited the Hooper and Brockhurst store, which, along with its attached accommodation, is just as it would have been early in the 20^th century (except for the steel mesh!).

I’d read about the Barcoo River Nature Park, which is on the banks of the Barcoo (Duh!) 500 metres from town, and had to have a look while we were here. This isn’t a free camp, but is as close as you can get! If you pay $2 / night ($10 / week) at the council office in town, you can set up camp anywhere you choose along this stretch of the river. I’ve gotta say… it’s the best value we discovered on the whole trip. At the river there is good potable water available from 2 spots, clean toilets (daily), dump point, bins, tons of shade, lots of space and plenty of fire wood, while a short walk away at the park in town are nice hot showers and more clean toilets. At the edge of town (1 klm away) there is even a wash down area where you can give the car and van a spruce up as well. All this plus phone and TV reception and Internet access.

Isisford camp site - fabulous spot at $10 per week

I fell in love with the place and we ended up staying 4 days, even though Vic kept reminding me that our new grandson wasn’t going to wait.

During our stay we relaxed heaps, took short drives to explore the area, walked into town a few times, tried my luck with the yabby traps, had plenty of morning teas with some of the other campers and enjoyed happy hours… great happy hours! As was the case in Darwin, we ended up being a group of 10 from various parts of the country. Our neighbours had a stockpile of firewood so each afternoon we’d sit around the campfire, telling stories and lies and having a lot of laughs as the sun went down.

Until next week… Happy travels!

Week 21 : 14 July to 19 July 2012 -- Goodbye Darwin

Our final week in Darwin passed quickly as we made preparations to hit the road once again. We stocked up our fruit and veg at the weekend markets and prepared some meals, which could be frozen and reheated later. On Monday, Vic finished her stint with the NT Government, Tuesday we completed packing the van after doing some laundry and grabbed last minute groceries. On the return trip to Brisbane we intended to free camp as much as possible and new we would be there in a couple of weeks, so didn’t need to load the freezer too much.

Flash chilling down the highway

The news from home was suggesting that our grandson was going to arrive before we did so the decision was made to leave earlier than originally planned. I moved the caravan out of the yard on Wednesday morning and mowed the lawn while Vic did some housework. 

Once we were sure the house was ready for the family to come home, we gave Flash ‘the Wonder Dog’ a final bath and she was so excited she jumped up into the Jeep. She sat there until we were ready to go - there was no way she wasn’t going ‘somewhere’. Off we went and down the highway we booked her into the pet resort. It was sad to say goodbye L

At 3pm we turned onto the Stuart Highway and started our trip south. We had a good run down the highway and pulled into the Bridge Creek Rest Area (#143 in Camps 5), about 140 kms from Darwin. This area was closed when we came through in April, due to road works and even though it’s quite dusty, it’s not a bad spot. There are toilets, picnic tables, water and bins, a bit of shade and plenty of space. It’s close to the road so there is a bit of noise from the traffic. By the time happy hour was over and the sun was setting, there were 16 camps set up.  

Bridge Creek Rest Area

By 8am on Thursday we were on the road again and making our way to Katherine where we arrived in time for a Macca’s brekky. We had a stroll through town and were amazed at the amount of traffic around. We found out later that over the following weekend the annual Katherine Show would be held. Katherine is usually quite busy at this time of year anyway, thanks to the number of travellers on the road, remembering that this is where highways from the north, south and west converge. The car park of the Tourist Info Centre was chock a block with caravans and motorhomes of all shapes and sizes.

Katherine

After filling the fuel tanks (145.9c/litre) we resumed travelling south and stopped off at Mataranka for a swim in Bitter Springs. There were quite a few more people here than last time, but it was still refreshing and enjoyable.

We had lunch here and topped the tanks (173.9c/litre), then continued on toward the Daly Waters Roadhouse where we topped up the tanks again (167.9c/litre) before turning east along the Capricorn Highway. I was going by the theory that the more I kept the tanks topped up, the less I would have to buy at Cape Crawford or Barkly Roadhouse where I expected the price would be close to $2.00/litre.  

East toward Cape Crawford along the
Capricorn Highway

From here, the road became a single lane and while it was in fairly good condition, the trip was slowed by oncoming traffic, when I would pull off the road and stop. The truckies were happy to stay on the road and maintain their speed but not too many others got the idea and still left the road on their side and threw stones everywhere in the process.

Bullwaddy Rest Area

90 kms from the turn off, we pulled into Bullwaddy Rest Area (#17 in Camps 5) and set camp for the night. There were only 3 other camps here so plenty of room was available. There are covered picnic tables, water and bins here and it’s a peaceful spot because there is very little traffic and the area is back from the road.

We arrived here at 6pm and since leaving Bridge Creek we’d travelled 533 kms, making the day very long by our standards. We’d had a problem with the water pump (in the van) all that day so were thankful for the water available here. (More on that later.)

Until next week…. Happy travels.

Week 20 : 6 July to 13 July 2012 -- Darwin

We’ve been revisiting our favourite spots in Darwin over the past week and packing things back into the car and caravan in preparation to leave next Thursday. We had fish and chips at Stokes Hill Wharf on Friday evening, visited the markets on Sunday and had coffee at the Box Jellyfish Café overlooking the water at Nightcliff. Sitting under the shade of the trees, great coffee, toasted sandwiches and free chairs and bean bags...what more could you ask for on a Sunday!

Box Jellyfish Cafe

During our time up here, we’ve discovered a lot about life in Darwin, and there are many things that make this city unique. Not all of these made it to the blog, so, as a farewell to the NT, this week we give you……

Random Thoughts and Observations of Darwin!

There is no fuel cycle in Darwin. It’s expensive every day.

Police don’t enforce the bicycle helmet regulations.

The dragon fly, the emblem of the Darwin City Council, signifies the end of the wet season.

Water tank

Courtesy is not required when working in retail.

Sun Princess leaving for Asian cruise

Hermit crab

Water restrictions don’t apply.

When it reaches 17degrees, Darwinians reach for their winter woolies.

Cryptic message

The NT Tourist Commission logo, a bird flying into the sunset, depicts a Brolga, not a Jabiru as many think.

Check the size of the fruit

Personal rego plates in the NT must'nt be expensive.

Mindil Beach entertainment

Aboriginals prefer to sit on the ground than use a seat.

Overnight packages to Darwin aren’t.

Southern criminals like to hide out in the NT.

The public buses here are the cleanest you’ll see anywhere.

This is for you Danny

Road trains close to town

Backpacker in the park
on the Esplanade

There are a lot of very attractive young ladies up here who know how to dress for the tropics.

The big gun (at East Point Military Museum) could fire a 172kg shell, 27 km out to sea.

Jeeps are very popular in Darwin.

Paddy wagon NT style

Darwin’s Rocksitters Club was established in 1974 and they were World Champions in 1977 with a 5 day sit and in 1980 with 12 days. The championship rock was struck by lightning and destroyed in 1987.

Great bikeways

Only in Darwin will you see girls wearing skimpy swimmers, advertising a bikini car wash, in the middle of Winter.

Darwin has the best bikeways I’ve ever seen. 

Before you ask ....No we didn't go there!

Daily in the NT News (newspaper) there is a ‘Croc Count’, showing the number of crocs trapped and relocated so far this season. The tally as at 11^th July, is 173.

Trevor's street art

Trevor, the Trash Warrior, Is a local homeless fellow who has a distinct hate of litter. He wanders the suburbs and leaves ‘Street Art’, made up of rubbish he’s collected. He recently ran for a seat in the local council and did quite well.  

We celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary on Thursday with a couple of quiet drinks at the Cullen Bay Marina. Who knows where we will be for our 33rd, but in the meantime…

Until next week ….. happy travels!