Reset search
The Long Road HomeThe Long Road Home
SatelliteEdit route

The Long Road Home

June - November 2021
Travelling the Outback with ute and caravan Read more
  • 104footprints
  • 2countries
  • 135days
  • 430photos
  • 73videos
  • 17.7kkilometers
  • 6.0kkilometers
Follow Calendar Share Bucket list
Date ascending
  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 22

    Three Cornered Jack

    July 18, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    The heading gives you a hint of what the last couple of days has revolved around. Saturday morning we wandered into Alice Springs cbd. It has a few historical buildings and a lot of indigenous tourism. A couple of malls and supermarkets. It was the biggest town we had been in for a while. Our first task was to get plumbing pieces to finally fix our water leak. We found an amazing camping store who could help us out. Regan spent more time under the caravan on his yoga mat with great success.

    Decided on a bike ride in the afternoon so headed up past Alice Springs Desert Park. The cycleway is wide and fully sealed. We stopped for a photo op and I parked my bike off the track. Big mistake. The tyres got a few jabs from this noxious weed called three cornered jack. Continued on for another 20km. At about 5km from home I noticed I had a soft front tyre so straight home as fast as possible. Had to walk the last kilometre. Mended the front tyre then Julie noticed my back tyre was also flat. So more time finding 4 thorns and punctures in the back tyre.

    Woke up this morning to both tyres flat again. Being a Sunday we only managed to get one new tube so spent more time replacing tubes and pulling out all thorns from the tyres. We first experienced three cornered Jack on the Birdsville track and have stood on it a few times and dragged in inside the caravan. Guaranteed to curse when you stand on one of these bare-footed and must be careful to get the complete thorn out as well.

    Today we went for a leisurely drive to Simpson's Gap then Standleys Chasm. Amazing rocks and just spectacular when you discover that these rocks are some of Australia's oldest rocks . And of course the rocks and the dirt is so red. The main birdlife were budgies. Hundreds of speedy noisy characters darting between the branches. We managed a couple of walks which we enjoyed after having a few long days sitting in the car. The temperature is cooler than Mt Isa but we are further south. Today was a pleasant 20 degrees and sunny.

    As we haven’t managed to see all we wanted in Alice we are staying an extra day before we head into the tourism Mecca of Uluru and Kings Canyon.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 23

    Museum day

    July 19, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    We decided that there was a bit more to see in Alice so booked another night.

    First up was getting our 2nd covid vaccination. Being a small town there weren't queues so it was all done in 40 minutes for us.
    Then we went to the Royal Flying Doctors Service museum to learn all about the history. Was well worth the visit to understand its importance to the outback communities for over 100 years. The virtual goggle experiences were amazing especially as one was a flight over Kings Canyon where we are heading tomorrow. We had lunch in the associated cafe which would rival any in Melbourne with a focus on native flavours.

    Then we visited the Women's Museum of Australia. This is on the site of the old Alice Springs prison which closed in 1996. The prison is small and all concrete and had both men and women - segregated of course . The men's wing was very cold and depressing and the women's wing seemed a lot nicer although definitely not a place you would want to be. There was also some cultural segregation for the indigenous inmates but that was relaxed over the years.

    The women's museum was really interesting with the museum split into two themes. The first was focused on some of the early women European settlers who became the first teachers and nurses in the area. You had to admire how they coped in such a harsh environment and some took over 6 months just to travel to their new homes. The second half featured all the women who have been the first to achieve something within their fields of expertise, so the first to become a judge, veterinarian, civil engineer, explorer etc. There were fascinating stories and it was really uplifting.

    Stock up shop at Coles and top up of the fuel tank as we have heard the prices are pretty outrageous down around the rock. Tomorrow is a big day travelling to Kings Canyon to see more spectacular scenery.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 24

    Into Kings Canyon

    July 20, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    Left Alice fairly early for the trip into the heart of tourist country. Alice Springs airport is storing planes from all over the world during covid. The dry climate makes this airport ideal.
    The Stuart highway south was quite busy with caravans but at least the straights are long for passing opportunities. We stayed at around 90km/hr which was too slow for some people. First stop was the Stuart Well road house which was a little run down and a whole lot of quirky including the emu in the front paddock.

    We stopped at Elmunda which is the turnoff to Uluru and Kings Canyon. The fuel was expensive and in fact markedly more expensive than the more isolated Birdsville track. So our conclusion is that they are cashing in on the tourists and not just hiking the price due to transport costs. We always expected to pay more.

    The road into Uluru was narrow but sealed so had to keep alert due to the steep drop from seal to gravel. Lunch stop was 300km into our journey at the turnoff to the Canyon. Lots of bush flies and plenty of 3 cornered Jack to pick out of footwear and carpet. The last 180km was really quiet on the road with not one vehicle catching us to overtake. We were still only doing 90km/hr.

    Arrived at Kings Canyon resort by 4pm and have a non powered site for 3 nights. The resort has a mix of high end accommodation and the camping area. A pleasant 26 degrees. Wandered the camp for a stretch talking to a few people. Lots of red dust so a lot of our cleaning may be in vain. At the rear of the camp there is a viewing platform where alot of the campers watched the sun setting on the hills. Bright red rocks on sunset is spectacular. We will be walking in these hills tomorrow.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 25

    Kings Canyon Proper

    July 21, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    A leisurely start at Kings Canyon but not too leisurely as the rim walk planned is supposed to be started by 9am due to the heat. Because it's winter we were in no danger. About 18 degrees with a fresh breeze was perfect. The route is clockwise as per instructions. The first part is a steep climb up the side of the canyon. 100 vertical metres in the first 300 metres sure got the muscles warmed up.

    The whole canyon is layered rocks which are 400 million years old. These are some of the oldest rocks on earth. Some amazing shapes of waves like we see on a beach after a tide has dropped. It is really weird to think the whole area was once under the sea, and many times you were sure someone had placed them specially to form the shapes.

    As you will see on the pics this place is spectacular. So dry and barren yet some trees manage to survive. The circuit is about 6km and has emergency phones and AEDs dotted along the route. This walk would be hard in summer. Julie had taken her tramping stick which was a bonus with all the ups and downs. We took about 3 hours to complete the whole circuit and even our fit legs and joints noticed the strain.

    Relaxing afternoon reading and afternoon naps. Even and a dingo trotted past us. There are strict rules not to feed or engage with them and even the rubbish bins are caged. All footwear and food is to be inside overnight too.
    We walked across to the more exclusive part of the resort which seemed very quiet. I expect it is normally full on international tour groups that are non-existent presently.

    Dinner outside for a change. We have a bug tent but apart from bushflies there isn't much else that has annoyed us.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    21
    Day 26

    Kathleen Creek

    July 22, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    Another lazy day for us before we leave Kings Canyon tomorrow. Started with freshly baked scones from our caravan oven. The wind picked up today which made for a lot of dust around the camp. We headed out to walk Kathleen Creek which is a small flat stroll. The temperature was really warm but the wind helped keep us cool. There is a lot of indigenous history around this area and the information boards along the track informing us that we are entering a sacred area where food was hunted.

    As the walk was small we decided to do another short walk back at Kings Canyon. We were on the floor of the canyon but with such a strong wind we were glad we did the canyon rim walk yesterday.

    Back to the caravan for some lunch and a leisurely afternoon reading. We did finally have to go inside the caravan as the dust was everywhere.
    Decided after a drink to head to the resort bar for a drink and meal and met up with Betty and Brian who we chatted to earlier in the day on the canyon walk so had a lovely dinner and conversation for the evening.

    Tomorrow we head to Uluru. This is just next door to Kings Canyon if you look on a map but it's about 350km of driving. Big distances this country
    has!    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    1
    Day 27

    Uluru arrival

    July 23, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

    After a 300km drive where nobody overtook us on the road we arrived at Uluru at midday. I really enjoyed the quiet road. We are amazed that according to the locals " Uluru is just down the road from Kings canyon". Really? It's 300km!

    We set up camp in a no dust site (yay) then headed out to the Olgas which was just down the road ( another 110km return trip). These places are so amazing in their size. A massive rock formation rising high above the earth. We walked to the first lookout then back as we were on a timeframe for the "Sounds of Silence " which is an organised dinner under the stars.

    The coach picked us up at 5pm with 50 others and took us to a desert area which was set up with full catering kitchen and served us drinks to watch the sun set over Uluru. After drinks and canopes we then were seated at tables with full white tablecloths with lots of wine and food.
    This was in complete isolation while we watched Uluru descend into darkness. The food was local with crocodile and kangaroo to taste and also local fruit flavours. We met quite a few new people as well as Betty and Brian who we met yesterday. We are so privileged to meet some amazing people on this trip.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 28

    Exploring Uluru

    July 24, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    We were a little slow this morning after our fabulous night last night. Had potentially more wine than we thought 😀. We wanted to attend the free Ranger guided walk this morning so left our camp around 9:30. There were around 50 people waiting with us. There were two Rangers and they walked us around about 1.5km of the rock. It was so worth it to get some background about the rock and the cultural sensitivities.

    After the tour finished we wandered back along the track having a closer look at the sites they discussed without all the people. It was actually pretty quiet with only a couple of hundred people either walking or biking around the rock. We chose to bike and it was so interesting to see the different faces of the rock and the ways different faces had weathered.

    After the ride we went to the cultural centre which explained how the Anangu people live in the area and also how Uluru was restored to their people. The park is co-managed between the Anangu people and the Parks Department. Quiet afternoon walking around the resort and more photos at the look-outs. Of course we had to watch one last sunset over the rock before we hitch up the caravan tomorrow and back-track north away from the desert sand and into tropical areas.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 29

    Back-tracking north

    July 25, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    After a chilly start in Uluru we hit the road and headed back to Alice Springs which was 460km. From here on we will travel north towards the tropical part of Australia.

    We topped up fuel at Curtin Springs meeting the lady who had also supplied us fuel as we passed through 3 days ago. A bit of a chat we found out that she has just moved there 3 months ago from Christchurch and used to work in the City council's contact centre so we knew lots of crossover people. Totally reinforces how small our world is. There was also a road train there transporting vintage war vehicles while their owners were in convoy following with caravans. The road train was topping up fuel- that fuel bill wasn't small.

    A stop for lunch at Finke River then back to the same camp ground in Alice as last week. Groceries and picked up some alcohol from a bottle store- complete with 2 policemen checking that the local laws were maintained. Julie's fake ID passed scrutiny- haha.

    We have absolutely loved our time in the desert with its incredible landscapes. There were many breathtaking moments and we have added a few more photos of the past couple of days. We won't miss the red dust everywhere and getting a static shock everytime we touch something metal and the bush flies of course! We have travelled over 5000kms and paid between $1.57 to $ 2.05 a litre for diesel- still pretty good compared to NZ prices.

    Another big distance day tomorrow but plenty to see with a few stops on the way. Weather for travel is perfect except that we are traveling into the sun for the next few days. Definitely not complaining as we haven't seen rain since we left Victoria a month ago.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 30

    Another day heading North

    July 26, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Another 460km in front of us again today. We decided to start with some more exploring before we hit the track. Not very far from the camp are the East MacDonnell Ranges. We visited the two closest sites being Emily and Jessie Gaps. They are both lovely sandy creeks that over time have cut through the rocks. Both sites have rock art telling the creation stories of that region. There were strict rules on taking photos of the art work. No images are to leave the area. There is also a sign stating that no indigenous women or children are allowed to view.

    We left Alice around 10am and headed to our lunch stop at Ti Tree. As we were leaving we saw some of the old military vehicles we saw yesterday. They obviously make good speed as we did not pass any of them further up the road. Ti Tree is just a roadhouse with a bar, a school, police station and camping ground. The kids must be pretty tough as the Aussie Rules field is pure red sand so any tumbles would leave a mark.
    The road was long and straight mostly today and we shared the driving task. Most of the traffic today were caravans heading south with a few roadtrains to keep us alert.

    The intention was to camp at the Devil's Marbles but we were far too late to get site. It is a conservation area so cheap sites and I think you would have to be there by lunchtime to get a spot. We did a walk while we were there and went up to the lookout. We thought we might have to drive another 100km to Tennant Creek but found a parking spot 10km up the road at Bonney Creek. Around 20 campers there and we were rewarded with a fabulous sunset. Another big day tomorrow but at least most of it will be new roads.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    1
    Day 31

    Dunmarra

    July 27, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Another 450km heading north all day. Yesterday was warm but we have increased into the early 30's today. The drive was much the same - long straights into the sun, lots of caravans and roadtrains. We stopped at Tennant Creek for fuel and coffee then lunch at Renner Springs roadhouse. Julie drove for another few hours. The Stuart highway is good quality and wide enough for the roadtrains. We are now on new roads after we passed through three-way corner which is the turnoff to Queensland. Up until then we have been backtracking. The shrubs on the roadside have been steadily getting taller as we head north away from the desert centre to the more tropical areas. We are wondering when the bushflies are replaced by mosquitoes......or is there an area we have to suffer both insects?

    We stopped off at a rest area where the Adelaide to Darwin telegraph cable was finally joined in 1872. The guy doing it was pulling the two wires together to join and holding onto both of them at the same time. Needless to say he got quite a large electric shock as there was a lot of kilometres of wire being joined together. This feat of installing 3178km of open wire in 1872 was pretty amazing. 36000 poles through fairly rugged countryside.

    We reached Dunmarra roadhouse around 3.15pm and got an unpowered site. This means we take our pick of the paddock out the back. We are expecting the temperature to drop after sunset and as we are without mains power our aircon won't be working.
    Dinner at the roadhouse and managed to buy a couple of their famous vanilla slices to take back to the van for supper. They didn’t disappoint. Managed to share one together with a backup for sometime tomorrow. Thanks to Annette and Shane from Nhulunbuy for the recommendation!    Read more

  • 2024© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Blog
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Support
  • Legal notice
  • English