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First outing with the bus. Giru with the tropical Coast Wanderers.
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After stacking all of our worldly possessions in a
container and cleaning the house we are on the way. The first four
days were spend with the Tropical Coast wanderers, which is a chapter
of the national motorhome club, at Fletcher Creek. 40 KM east of
Charters Towers. Beautiful weather and pleasant company. We only spend
one day at Charters Towers with Mary and Wim Dinkgrave. A bit of work
had to be done on the powersupply section. Three new batteries were
purchased and with Wim a new cradle for the batteries had to be made.
We also found out that our mobile phone had it's best time. The
warranty ran out last month. In other words a fair bit of money was
spend in our first stop.
6 June. Only 80 KM from Charters Towers towards Mount Isa and we
stopped at a popular rest area for the night.
The next few days travelled towards Mount Isa with overnight stops in
Richmond (There was a field day which we visited) Hughenden (Visited
the show) and stopped for a few days at Dick and Betty in mount Isa.
They are Dutch and members of the motorhome club. Now we are a few
days on the road we found out that a few modifications had to be made.
Luckily Dick has a wide variety of materials in his backyard and the
shops we needed were open on Sunday. Hopefully no more water leaks or
other mishaps.
16 June Mount Isa
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Dick and Betty in Mount Isa.
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| Only 190 KM to Camoweal. We are still in Queensland
"only just" and heard that our house is rented to a single lady. We
camped at a spot near the bridge but the next morning someone told us
that there was a much nicer spot just one Km further. We spend half an
hour in Camoweal and set up camp beside a billabong with plenty of
wildlife.
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Camoweal billabong.
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Thursday the 19th of June: On the way to Tenant Creek. Not much to
see. Flat country, yellow grass and a few shrubs. We spend the night
in a rest area beside the road. Next day put a few litre of diesel in
at the Barkley roadhouse, $2.24 a litre the most expensive so far and
on to Tennant Creek. The wind has picked up and it is getting very
cold. A lot of aborigines walking in and out of the bottle shops. Our
camping book said that there was a free camp at the dam but that was
false alarm. On to the next one The Pebbles "this is a heap of rocks
spread over a large area and is a sacred site".
Next morning a bit of shopping and an internet cafe a cup of coffee
and on the road to the Devils Marbles. We visited these 25years ago
but the place has been opened up and a nice camp site is attached. Two
nights here before we head back towards Darwin. The wind is still
blowing strong and early morning and nights are bitterly cold. I still
have a cold and I am restricted from taking my usual "medicine" for
it.
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I nearly lost the cook.
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23 June. Direction Banka Banka. This is a cattle
station 100Km north of Tennant Creek. A very popular place and it was
close to full when we got there at 3PM. Just in time for happy hour
with two couples across the road. When Susan was doing the washing she
heard Dutch being spoken and invited the couple with two children
over for a cup of tea. They were already travelling for ten month
around Australia in a four wheel drive and a tent. A pleasant evening
was had.
The next day we made a short walk to the hill behind the camping
ground and after dinner watched the slide show they put on every night
to show what is done on a cattle station. Here were another group of
Dutch tourists. Eleven four wheel drives and they were just about
finished with their outback tour of North West Australia.
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Banka Banka station.
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| 25 June. Travelled only 120 Km to a rest area just
before Newcastle Waters. It is only four O clock and the place is just
about chockers and more to come. We are having happy hour with two
Dutch couples who got here before us. We are not chasing them but they
seem to turn op everywhere. |
26 June. Daily Waters. When we got there it looked
like a caravan convention. A few tourist busses just arrived and the
bar was packed.
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The Daly Waters pub. Inside, outside and petrol station.
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27 June: Mataranka has cleaned up it's act and got
rid of the thousands of bats which were hanging of the palm trees five
years ago. It will never go back to the unspoiled pool it was 30 years
ago. Just like a picture from Adam and Eve. Clear water bubbling up
from the earth and palm trees all around. We have been swimming in
here but not this time as the water is to cold for our sensitive
Queensland skin.
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Mataranka Bitter Springs.
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| 28 June. We did not spend much time in Katherine.
Internet cafe', shopping and on to Darwin. The Goedegebuur family
planned to be there after the weekend but have arrived there already
and Susan is keen to meet up with them. Whatever we miss on the way up
we will do on the way back as there is is only one major way down and
towards West Australia. |
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