Katherine N.T

Today we drove into Katherine Gorge, we have booked in to do the 3 gorge river cruise tomorrow, so

Heading up into Kathrine Gorge. (60 Passengers on board)

today we did  a hike up to the top of a gorge (1klm) there are look-out areas on the way up and the views looking down over the river are great. It was another 3 klms treck along the top then back down to the carpark, we expected more scenery along the top but there wasn't any...but it was good excersize!!
The caravan park has a swimming pool so we all headed off there for a cool off... the water was sooo cold you would think they had topped it up with Ice blocks!  but it was enjoyed by all temp. in the 30s.There is also Hot Springs near by so we headed there to try it out. Lots of people think the minerals are good for your joints (aches and pains) so it was busy.

View of No. 2 Gorge

Some great rock formations

Off early this morning to do our 3 Gorge Dam cruise, we thought is best to book on the 9am one as it is a 4 hour cruise, so we should be back before it gets too hot.

A little fresh water crocadile (Timid)

The cruise was terrific some fabulous views and our driver/tourist guide was really good, perhaps that was because he is Aboriginal and he has been doing these tours for 17 years.  He showed us some Rock paintings that date back thousands of years. In a big wet season the Gorge can fill to 2/3rds of its capacity, if the Gorge didn't retain this amount of water the township would be flooded. It did happen in 1998 you could see the water marks on the canyon wall.   He took us to a waterfall which we walked into and there was a waterhole so some of the people went in for a swim.

Four Grey Nomads at Kathrine Gorge

A most enjoyable day

All out for lunch and a swim in the rock pool under waterfall

Aboriginal Boat Driver & tourist Guide

Alice Springs - Mataranka

Wycliffe Wells  Caravan Park was our next stop/overnight...nice to see green grass again after all the Red Dust. Forgot to mention a place we stopped at on our way here, it was Barrow Creek Hotel and Caravan Park according to the 'book' we found what remained of the once upon a time caravan park!!!! Now the Hotel was what you would call different'! the walls were covered in photos and people had written on every square inch of space that could be written on

Devill Marbles  is our next stop  there were lots of caravans parked here obviously overnight...we were told the sunrise over the Marbles was incredable, still we had a walk around these rock formations, it is hard to describe so I will let one of  the photos tell the story. Jim will attach to see for youself.

Jim & Ina at the Devils Marbles

Devils Marbles

Another view of these magnificent rock formations

 










 

David up close and personel with a wild dingo

Some of the great colours in the rocks

Our free camp site in the middle of the bush

Elliott  was to be our next over/nighter but when we arrived No caravan park only the Petrol Station so it was icecreams all round and on the road again.   (icecreams $6.60 each)   90klms further on we found and off road campsite, a couple of vans were already there so we felt it ok to stay here for the night. No amenities at all, except in the caravan, had a BBQ for tea and watched the sunset and the stars appear plus a BIG full moon, what more could you ask for! and it was free. In bed by 8pm.






Dunmarra  is a fuel stop for the truckies...3 Road Trains pulled in while we were there having a break.

Look closely the road train length compared to the 2 caravans

Bras and Pants hanging in the Daly Waters Pub

Daly Waters  is a 'must see'  David was here with his sons many years ago, I think he said about 25ish!We had a meal at the Hotel and entertainment   We all agreed it was the best Fish/Beef we had had in a long time. This caravan park averages 250-300  caravans per night, On our way out the next morning we stopped in at the Daly Waters Air Field...it is still in use but it is a museum now to the WW11 usage it had, especially the evacuation of Singapore.

Outside Daly Waters Pub

After our Barra & Steak feed

Mataranka Hot Springs

Mataranka  is our next stop where we enjoyed spending some time in the Hot Springs which we enjoyed. As dusk fell the Wallabies appeared out of the bush one had its joey in its pouch. One guy comes to this park every year to use the hot springs and every night he feeds the wallabies, he had about a dozen of them around him feeding.  Also visited Bitter Springs where James Wendy & family stayed could picture the kids having lots of fun there.

Two Water Babies still in Hot Water

Ina & Brenda in the Hot Springs

At Caravan Park

For the Loimer 6 Bitter Springs where you stayed

  

View of Bitter Sprinks at Manaranka

  

Look for the Joey in the pouch

Alice Springs Beanie Festival

Brenda & Jennifer

On our travels this far, we have met a lady travelling on her own in a motorised campervan...here at Alice Springs is the forth caravan park we have met up with her.  She told us about this 'festival' being held here all about hand made 'Beanies' people come from all over the country and beyond and they can either send in or bring their Beanies to be in the competition.  Brenda and I went to the venue where it is being held and were kindly allowed to view the display as we are leaving here tomorrow before the opening of it all.  Well we were amazed at the amount of Beanies that are on display...all shapes and sizes and the imagination was incredible.  We were told by some ladies we met that in total there will be 6000 Beanies on display and there will be some people from Japan with their Beanies...they come for the just the week end!!! some come from all around the Country. It is the 15th year the festival has been held in Alice Springs.  At the end of it all the beanies will be sold and a percentage goes back to the Owner and the rest to support the Aboriginee ladies who also take part in making beanies and had quite a display.

Some of the 6,000 beanies on display

Aboriginee Display

            

Alice Springs

Left Kings Canyon today heading back to Erldunda Roadhouse 260 klms away, where we meet up with

Simpson's Gap  (Beautiful)

the Stuart Highway again. Staying 1 night there before heading to Alice Springs the next day. We didn't have any reception for phone or internet while in Kings Canyon so it was nice to catch up with news when coming into Erldunda.



Reached Alice Springs but with a near miss with a caravan up front of us who indicated left then indicated right just as we were about to overtake, he turned right into a laybye all okay!!

We visited Simpson Gap and then on to Standley Chasm both were well worth the trip. Also visited the memorial site of John Flynn who brought the peddle wireless to remote parts of the outback for school of the air and also pioneered the Royal Flying Doctors service.

Brenda, David & Ina in Standley Chasm

Ina, & Brenda again in Standley Chasm

Today we visited the School of the Air  which covers an area the size of Britain. We were able to listen into the teacher-pupil school lessons which was very interesting. Of course it is all done by Internet and Webcam now, all the children (ages from 4 1/2 to 14yrs) have their own computers and satelite dish for their lessons. After 14yrs old they have to go onto a boarding school or move into town to finish their schooling.
Next was a visit to the Alice Springs Telegraph Station which was responsible for passing on messages from Adelaide to Darwin over the telegraph line which was 3000 klms long, then linked to an undersea cable to Indonesia which improved the time it took to communicate with Europe.

   
David & I visited the Transport Hall of Fame today.

Very impressive, with lots of old trucks right up to
Modern modes of transport, which brought back many fond memories.
David also enjoyed the old cars and machinery.

I would recommend a visit if you are ever passing through Alice Springs.

Kings Canyon

Information on the formation of Canyon

This is Kings Canyon about 250 Klms from Ayres Rock -Uluru.
We did the 6 Klm climb and hike and it was well worth the effort. it took us about 4 hours to complete the hike, because of the terrain, but simply made our day one of the most memorable.
The photo's do not pay justice to this place and we cannot possibly show all the photo's in this Blog.

We are off to Alice Springs in the morning, about 469 Klms, however we will stop overnight at a Roadhouse, before driving on the next morning.

Jim, Ina with Brenda & David

Sandstone Cliff Face with overhanging rock

Entrance to the climb

One of the many magnificent Views

The Olgas

The Olgas near Ayres Rock

Walpa Gorge @ Olgas

We did a 2 klms walk into the gorge which is
347 meters high. It is an old 'sea bed' over
400 million years old.

The Valley of the Winds canyon was near by

Walk into WalpaGorge

which was a hike down into a canyon...loose rocks all the way but was worth it  3klms round
trip.
    

Ularu - Ayres Rock

            Uluru - Ayres Rock

Uluru at sunset

Uluru before sunset

Day 9

Sunrise

Left Kulgara 8.30am and arrived at The Ayers Rock Resort caravan park about 3pm  and it is a beautiful day so we decided to take advantage of the weather and go out to see the sun-set at Uluru. It was a spectacular experience to see this huge Red 'Rock' turn to almost black as the sun set.  It was freezing cold by 7pm  but it was worth it.
We have stayed here for 2 nights but decided stay for 3rd night nice to have a rest from travelling plus tomorrow we will visit The Olgas where we can walk up some canyons etc.                  

Woomera to Coober Pedy

Day 7

On the road to Coober Pedy we stopped at a lay-by which had a magnificent view of Lake Hart with mountains in the back ground, it was water as far as the eye could see...wonder if it is like that all year round or dries up in the summer!!  pulled up for break at Glendambo met a girl there who has also stopped for a break  found out she was a nurse working her way around the country...had come from Mildura heading for Darwin...she is from Trafalgar (small world)  Arrived Coober Pedy (it is an Opal Town) 3pm and while there we visited 'Faye"s underground house where we were given a guided tour of it. Fay is in her eighties and arrived in this town when she was in her 20s in 1940's  It took her and her friend 10yrs to finish the underground house and she also added an indoor pool and had the water for it transported from Adelaide!!! It cost us 20cents for 4mins of water for our shower at the caravan park and if we wanted water to fill our tanks we had to pay for it! so it lets you realise how scarce water is here.  Toured a Serbian Underground Church the workmanship was incredable had to be seen to be believed.

Serbian Underground Church

Stained Glass Window

 Day 8           Coober Pedy to Kulgara



Arrived at Kulgara at 5pm stopping at Marla for Fuel...it was a long haul. Caravan Park is behind the Roadhouse ver-r-r-y basic but we did get a powered site for $20...

Hi Jim here, as the saying goes you only get what you pay for, in this case not much.
I went for a shower at night and the water was freezing, so decided to have one in the morning.
Got there at 6.30 with 2 cubicles empty selected one got ready, turned the hot tap and thought good hot water then the tap fell off so tried to turn on the cold to no avail, I was then unable to turn the tap in any direction. so decided to take the next cubicle.
Shortly after all that all I could hear was a selection of four letter words, then I heard the tap handle fall to the floor, then the guy in the broken shower let fly with another flood of four letters words was heard all over the ammenities. could not help laughing, will never recommend to my worst enemy, but it was a bit of a laugh.
                                                       This is the Kulgara Roadhouse

Not Boot Hill but Boot Tree

Port Augusta to Woomera

Day 6

Sunrise in Port Augusta

On the road again,we spent 2 days in Port Augusta caught up on shopping etc...heading to Woomera which is the rocket testing area arrived here 11am stopped at Pimba (Spuds Fuel Stop) for coffee break then onto the Woomera Rocket Range museum.  Displayed is Space debri, 3 Rockets some missiles a Canberra Bomber and a Meteor Fighter Plane...which Jim & David enjoyed. Onto Roxby Downs a Uranium Mining town, a quick look around then onto Andamooka which is Opal Mines. it is amazing how people live here...underground because of the heat in summer  approx 48deg. There is also 6 old cottages!! on display built around the 1930's it is amazing how people lived just to make a living out of mining for Opals.
103 klms back to Woomerra where we stayed overnight...the camp site is still used by the Ministry of defence.  we were told by the Manager that the lease for the Rocket Range has been renued for a further 30years and is booked for the next 15yrs by countries around the World. The size of the Firing Range is bigger than the whole of the UK, he was very interesting to listen to. 

Woomera Rocket Range David & Jim

Miners Old Cottage in the Opal Fields

Burra - Port Augusta

Day 4
Heading to the Flinders Ranges passing through Jamestown,Caltowie,Stone Hut,Wirrabara...stopped at Melrose for lunch. Had planned to do some hiking here in the 'Remarkables'' area which is part of the Flinders Ranges but is was completely covered in cloud and drizzling so we walked around the small township instead. Carried on our journey after lunch and arrived in Port Augusta at 2.30pm, Booked into a very busy Caravan Park Oasis which is on the Spencer Gulf    Traveled approx 210klms today.

Day 5
We booked in for 2nd night here...it was nice to have a day off and catch up with washing and 'Shopping' (for Food) before moving on to Woomera Rocket Range which is in the middle of NO where

This photo is backpacking accommodation in Melrose at the back of the Hotel at the Remarkables in the Flinders Ranges built on the chassis of trucks.