Alice Springs to Katherine

Spent a week at Alice then a week up to Katherine.

April 19th A year on the road today!!!!! Had a wonderful holistic massage at the physio clinic. Brazilian lady.  Bumped into friends from Showgrounds at Burra – they are working on a station about 50km from here. Chatted for ages – lovely couple.

 Ute to Nissan – booked in for Tuesday to check the towbar - recall letter received!!!! Will take all day – or even longer so have booked another 5 days here at the Caravan Park. Polished the ute!
Loved the corner wall on the Stuart Highway.

Worked out how to get the TV on to the bracket – quite a bit of trial and error and growling but did it! Not sure how I will stop it moving when travelling but will sort that out when the time comes. Stumbled across classic gold radio and have been singing along all day – all the OLD familiar ones!!!!

Up to ANZAC hill, telegraph station, and Simpsons Gap. Decided just another gap in these ranges so no point looking at the rest of them – getting cynical again!

Found Todd Mall – yuk! Empty shops other than lots of art ones, a couple of coffee shops, and R & M Williams. Obviously the big malls have killed it off. Went to Target – a ‘mall’ but it is the only big shop there. A few spits of rain during the night.

 Ute service done but they didn’t even have to take the towbar off!!!! Now I am cross. They should have decided that last week instead of me staying 5 extra days at this Caravan Park – extra $160! I asked a couple of times for the old coot to come and look at it for me! Still – peace of mind I guess! Trying to have a thunderstorm this afternoon – few spits. Should have put the awning in!

Off to Taylors Rest area . Went in to Aileron – photo of statues of a man and a woman. In to the mango farm for an icecream and a filled roll for lunch. Stopped for fuel at Ti Tree. Cannot believe all the rubbish between Aileron and Ti Tree – ALL along the verge and back into the farm land. Bottles and cans mostly. Thrown out of vehicles I am told. Saw cattle and a big mob of camels in stock yards, then a bit further down a cop paddy wagon parked and a couple of their passengers relieving themselves – right out in the open! Should have given them a
 toot. Called in to Wycliffe to see the 'aliens'......

Passed the nutter Irish runner again not far out of Alice. More hills but mostly vast flood plains still. Up into the Barkley Tablelands again. Very dry on the hills but still plenty of dry grass on the flats. A couple I met at Jericho are here. Someone using a chainsaw down a bit further, and cattle mooing – wonder if it is weaning time? Beside the road here but at least a bit more room than most of the other ones.

Very pleasant happy hours. Chatting to 2 other couples for ages.  Cowboy singing for a while – was going to join them until I realised I don’t know any C&W music!

Thought about staying but decided to go to Devils Marbles instead. Very nice spot. $3.30 per person per night. Walked around the amazing rocks. Another good chatty happy hour. Very windy in the mornings the last couple of days. Flies bad but the cream does seem to work on arms anyway.

  Decided not to stay so left about 10.30. Drove to Tennant Creek – fuel at United at the north end. Tidy looking town but didn’t stop. More very long straight roads, heaps of feed everywhere, other than where a large mob of cattle were resting. Must be standing hay everywhere for the winter I think. Almost no road kill up through the centre –seems odd but maybe there is enough feed inland for now. Lots more ghost gums and one area of really good high road – was over a swamp area according to the sign.

Stopped at Threeways to do emails – Tennant Creek had full coverage but the connection was ‘busy’ so could not get on. On up to the rest area at the Attack Creek. Very pleasant happy hour again with 4 couples. There is a Mardi Gras on at Elliot tomorrow with people from Alice to Darwin expected so roads could be very busy.

 Kindle seems to have frozen – darn. Will have to find the warranty and sort it at Darwin. Will be very quiet with no internet or kindle and crappy radio. Almost stayed another day but decided to head to Newcastle Waters  Fuel (6c litre cheaper than last year) and lunch at Renner Springs. Easy driving again, used aircon a bit. So much grass and getting greener. Starting to see the pink pompom wild flowers. Stopped at Newcastle but decided to go on to Dunmara Caravan Park - $20 and no internet yet! Green lawn and power so that will do. No sign of Mardi Gras at Elliot. Maybe they are coming out after dark to party.

Some of the termintes along this part of the road have been 'dressed' - one was Santa!. 

Change in vegetation once past Newcastle – out of the Barkley Tablelands with low trees and in to bigger trees and masses of long green grass. Heaps of road kill now and have to slow right down for all the eagles eating it - especially in the mornings. They are very slow to get into the air and there is always one that sits there until the last possible moment.

To Daly Waters – fuel and internet/emails etc. then to DW pub for a toasted sandwich lunch. Met the people in the yellow bus who were at Devils Marbles. Chilli not there for a few more weeks so on up to Larrimah – Pink Panther pub. $22 at Caravan Park. Had a shower then to the pub for a beer – chat to old stockman for a while then looked at all the birds etc. in the cages! Tour van with backpackers staying also and a couple of others. No meals here. Very hot night.        

Passed 2 good camps – one just passed Larrimah, the other 46 south of Katherine - dump point there so emptied loo. Staying at Shady Acres Caravan Park – lovely spot and very nice facilities. Managed to back in right beside the pad too!!!!  Saw the yellow bus in town. Seem to be bumping in to the same people often on this trip.

May not post so often now - going over 'old' ground soon, but am trying to find different places to stop, and will definitely camp more.