Derby

Lennard Bridge snacks

Tunnel Creek Above and Below

Crocs in the water at Windjana Gorge

Windjana Gorge

These signs are common in the north of Australia

After spending the night in Fitzroy crossing we set off to have a look at Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge. Driving through the national park was great, there were so many Boab trees (the new favorite) and it was amazing where they were growing. Will get some more of our boab shots on in Broome, I have become somewhat obsessed and want to take photos of lots.

Well Tunnel Creek is very exciting!! You need a torch and footwear that can get wet to go through it. We set off and had to climb down some rocks and then it was wading through water that was about thigh deep. A good torch is handy as it is really dark in places. We saw heaps of bats and a crocodile (well it's eye shining in the dark due to the torch light hitting it). We had made it through to the other end and we had turned to come back after taking some photos when the torch picked up the crocodiles red eye. Yes really thrilled about the idea of having to wade thigh deep through a pool that now had produced evidence that it had a crocodile (Probably thousands but only picked up one). Bret nearly became hysterical but Sue calmed him down and led him to safety!!!!...or something like that anyway;-)

Fortunately we did not get eaten and lived to tell the tale.

We went to Windjana and saw lots of crocs sunning themselves but it was too hot for a big trek through the gorge. Decided to head off to Derby and will have more of a look here tomorrow. We had fish, squid rings, scallops and chips on the jetty and watched the sun set which was lovely. There was a breeze, the tide was high and there were heaps of people fishing and crabbing. We saw one guy pull up a crab in his net and it kept trying to bite him with his claws.

When we left Windjana and turned onto the Gibb River Rd we spotted a sign that said "Lennard River Bridge snack bar 2oo metres open 8-5pm" As we were miles from anywhere we had to check it out. It was a caravan a couple of hundred metres off the road with a great view of the bidge and river. An older guy lived there and had telescopes set up so you could see the bird life etc and sold ice creams, pies, drinks of various sorts, postcards and various bits and pieces. I think he was quite successful in picking up a lot of passing trade as people are drawn in out of curiosity. We brought ice-creams, had a chat to some other travellers who were passing and came in also drawn in to check it out by the sign and then hit the road for Derby.

Bret's birthday tomorrow. Broome tomorrow.

Fitzroy Crossing via Kununurra

Cane Toad

Sign at Lake Argyle

Boab...love them

Another Boab

Well my new favourite tree is the Boab. They are such an amazing looking tree. At present most of the Boab trees we are seeing are free of leaves because of the time of year. They present beautifully against the sky and look fabulous when the sun is setting. I have taken a ridiculous number of pictures of them as we drive past and when we have stopped to check something out. They start near the WA / NT border and then are around down to about Broome. We are going to look at one that was used as a jail near Derby and someone told me about a really big one near the turn off to Broome so will be having a look at that as well.

This trip is the first time I have seen Cane Toads in the wild. They are ugly critters but other than the poison they do not do harm. They do not bite and do not have claws or anything. They have a poison they excrete from glands on their neck which is poisonous if eaten and unfortunately other animals eat them thinking that they are yummy frogs. A man told us that some animals have figured out that they are poisonous and will not eat them. He was saying that the Barramundi fish in his pond will spit them out if they grab one thinking it is a frog. He also said that crows have become quite good at flipping the Cane Toads over and eating their guts (which are not poisonous... eeuww!!) I even saw in Kununurra which was quite startling. I was aware that they had passed the border into WA but seeing them here was startling. There are a lot of pamphlets to help identify them and they are encouraging everyone to become "Toadbusters" and be vigilant and catch any if you see them.

Had a look at Lake Argyle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Argyle) which was awesome. Will stay there for a few days next time and go boat cruising and fishing etc. We thought we could cope living there. Lake Argyle is the second biggest man made lake in Australia. We had trouble finding the largest. Said Olympic Dam but could not find any useful information about volumn etc.

Going to Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge tomorrow for the night and then onto Broome. Looking forward to a few days at a resort.

Johnny Cash Is The Man In Black

We have been having a great time.

Caught up with very dear friends who I had not seen for years. They managed to get some tickets for us (thanks to some scalpers outside the venue)to see Tex Perkins doing his "Man In Black" Johnny Cash show and it was fantastic. I grew up with Johnny Cash so loved every minute of it. It was in an amphitheatre at the Botanical Gardens and we had a really good view of the stage. It was packed and everyone was in a great mood. There were bars set up as well as some food stalls and people had blankets to sit on the grass. The night was lovely and warm with a bit of a breeze...a really great night with people I love.

Yesterday wandered around the city and met up with our friends Si, Su and Dennis at The Lighthouse which isn't a lighthouse but is part of The Darwin Festival which is on at the moment. We met for a couple of drinks to catch up and the time passed so quickly that they asked us along to Tex Perkins to try and get tickets and we did...Yay!!

Had some food at a Turkish cafe for lunch so now know that I can add Turkish to the list of cuisines that I think are totally yummy. Have no idea what we ate as the women compiled a surprise plate with all sorts of stuff on it and it was all very delicious. If I lived in Darwin I would probably frequent this place a lot now that I know how great the food is.

Have been to the museum today which has some great displays, I especially liked the Cyclone Tracey information http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_Tracy and enjoyed the art as well. We had lunch overlooking the water at Fanny Bay peering out at the beautiful scene before us and enjoying the balmy breeze which is such a contrast to the dry heat of Newman. Newman gets humid sometimes but lacks the smell of the ocean so is not very tropical feeling like here.

We are going back to The Lighthouse tonight to spend the evening with our friends again and hit the road tomorrow to see Lichfield and make our way slowly home.

Darwin

The pub at Mandorah

Mandorah ferry . A pleasant 15 - 20 minutes across from Darwin (which you can see in the background)

Looking back to the jetty from the pub.

Big croc at Crocosaurus

Predicting the election result.

Bitter Springs

Have been here for a few days now. Tried to do a post the other day but for some reason would not load.

Bret has gone fishing with friends and even though I enjoy fishing there were some other things I wanted to do including getting something on this blog.

The election commentary is on the TV in the background.

It has been more hot and humid the further north we get.

Since the last entry we have been camping at Edith Falls, Materanka Springs and Bitter Springs. Edith Falls was freezing to swim in much to Bret's delight and the springs were warmer much to Sue's delight. Both of the springs were great but the better one was Bitter Springs as the surroundings were more natural, it was just beautiful. When comparing Bitter Springs to Dalhousie Spring the first is small, little more than a deep creek but it is very green and lush and is cooler which was good as it was a lot hotter than when we were at Dalhousie. Both were great and well worth revisiting should we get the opportunity in future.

While we have been in Darwin we have been to the Mindal Beach Markets which was great.

We for a wander around the city revisiting areas from when Sue lived there (nearly 30 years ago!!!). The place she used to work has been knocked down and there is a resort there now and there were many changes to the inner city area whre she lived. Some things hadn't changed of course. While in the city we had a look at Crocosaurus Cove (http://www.crocosauruscove.com/) a new(ish) tourist attraction in the centre of Darwin. It has some big crocodiles and alot of information about crocs as well as a big display of reptiles from the north. Was pricy which is to be expected but interesting and worth a look. They had a bit of a brief story about of the big crocs and how they came to be in captivity. It was also interesting hearing about the croc hunters of old who got them for their skins before crocodiles became a protected species and crocodile farms started breeding crocs for this market. There were some bags and purses and the like for sale for about $2000 - $3000 but they didn't have one in a colour I liked so decided not to get one ;-)

Yesterday we went to Mandorah which you get to by a 20 minute ferry ride or if you want to drive it takes hours. We caught the ferry across and had lunch at the pub then sat around reading, enjoying the sea breeze and watching boats ranging from small fishing tinnies to yachts to navy ships going by. We spent about 4 hours doing this before heading back to Darwin on the ferry. Was a great way to spend the day.

Will be heading out of Darwin on tuesday for Lichfield then Katherine for the night. Have booked 3 days at Habitat Resort in Broome starting 28th August (Bret's birthday)

Still in Alice

Sorry but still can't put photos on.

We went to the Transport Hall of Fame which was interesting and the Royal Flying Doctor Museum today.

The Royal Flying Doctor Museum was small but informative. This is such an awesome service and I would like to remind everyone that all donations are tax deductable :-).

Not sure where we are heading to tomorrow but will be heading in the general direction of Darwin. We plan to arrive in Darwin on Thursday so we can go to the Mindal Beach Markets Thursday night.


Will add more when I can find a better computer along the way.

Alice Springs

Have made it to "The Alice". Quick hallo to you and will get some photos on tomorrow.

Have been to William Creek, Lake Eyre, Oodnadatta, Dalhousie Spring, Mt Dare, Chambers Pillar and in between.

Had two delightful girls accompany us in Max's vehicle for some of the way and have just dropped them off.

Looking forward to hot showers and toilets that flush.

Favorite out of the above mentioned is Dalhousie Spring. Dalhousie Spring is a pool on the edge of the Simpson Desert about the size of a football field. It is 35 degrees all year. As it is cool this time of year it was bliss, like climbing into a giant hot bath. We had several swims and stayed in until we got "pruney" each time. In the morning the mist coming off the pool looked beautiful as we swam. Loved it.

Got to Lake Eyre which is supposed to be one of the driest places in Australia and it rained and was freezing and blowing a gale...not my favorite!!

Getting to like this four wheel driving to out of the way places. Think I would like to do the Simpson Desert in a year or two. I have seen places I had never heard of until we set out on this trip!! Awesome and still think Bret is fabulous...the big honey.


Oh and we went to the geographical centre of Australia (Lamberts geographical centre) and got to see the most amazing array of wildflowers. It was incredible. The large amount of rain the interior has had was a bonus for us with carpets of multicoloured flowers, and the birdlife is amazing as well. Saw flocks of budgies all over the place...totally awe inspiring all in all.

More tomorow.

Coober Pedy day 2

Coober Pedy is awesome. We had a look at some of the underground houses and they were amazing. It is very cold here in Coober Pedy but in the underground houses it is always between 20 to 26 degrees no matter what the temperature is like outside ( highest 47, lowest -2 celcius). At least 50% (although one local today claimed it is more like 80%) of the townfolk live in these underground houses. Some even have pools! According to the guide book there ar even underground mansions which I can beleive after having a good look around today.

We have managed to see all that we want to see in one day. It is such a fascinating place. You can find out more here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coober_Pedy,_South_Australia

Coober Pedy and surrounding areas have been featured as backdrops in films including Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Red Planet, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Pitch Black and Salute of the Jugger.

We will be heading bush and camping alongside Lake Eyre http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Eyre and along the Oodnadatta track http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oodnadatta_Track for the next few days. Will fill you in when we are near a computor again.

Oh yeah and I think Bret is fabulous!

Coober Pedy via Uluru

Well here we are in Coober Pedy. Would have been a post at Ayers Rock but the computer is out of action...thanks Sue!!

Ayers Rock really does have the "Wow" factor as it looms up out of the landscape. Ayers Rock is the most commonly used name, especially outside Australia. Ayers Rock is called "Uluru"by Aborigines and is a sacred site for them. Uluru is one of the oldest rocks on Earth.

Uluru is located in the middle of Australia, in fact very close to the actual geographical centre. It is not the world's largest monolith, this title actually belongs to Mt Augustus in Western Australia.

Uluru is
862.5 metres above sea level,
348 metres (1141 feet) high,
3.6 km long (2.2 miles),
1.9 km wide (1.2 miles),
9.4 km or 5.8 miles around the base (that's walking),
covers 3.33 km2 (1.29 miles2),
extends about several km/miles into the ground, it is not exactly known how far (despite the numbers you might have read). Bit like an iceberg in that we can only see the very top bit above the surface.

Research suggests that Aborigines have lived in the area for at least 10,000 years.
The first white person to see Uluru, at least from a distance, was the explorer Ernest Giles in October 1872.

Title to the lands was handed back to the traditional owners, the Anangu, on the 26th of October 1985, with the condition that they lease the park back to the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service for 99 years, that it would be jointly managed, and with the condition that Uluru remains open to climbers. However we have it on good authority that the climb will be closed within 10 years.

While we were there we did the base walk which was over 10 km long. We also went on a short tour with a ranger which was really interesting and we learnt alot about the aboriginal people and their lifestyle and customs around the rock.

We went to the outrageously priced "Sounds of Silence Dinner" and thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone visiting that area. It was great. http://www.ayersrockresort.com.au/sounds-of-silence/ Check it out, it was fabulous.

Will add more tomorrow about Coober Pedy.

Till then

Love ya

Sue and Bret

Here we go, here we go, here we go...

O'kay so we will be off a day later than planned but it will be on the original departure date that we had decided on.

The ute is packed and ready for us to get into and hit the road. It is complete with all of lifes essentials...such as potato chips, magazines, books, bundy and beam...oh and stuff like food water, first aid kit and other stuff.

As promised here is a picture of Bret's wound that he sustained as he prepared us for our Outback Adventure. Departure time roughly 4am and next stop Leinster.

Till then,

adios amigos