• Top End Treading
Juni – Sept. 2019

Road trip to Darwin

Could be our last big road trip to the top end. Ian and I hope to visit Lake Eyre, Darwin, Broome and all the bits between Weiterlesen
  • Aboriginal Rock Art

    23. Juli 2019 in Australien ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    This morning we went up to a very informative Information Centre at Bowali...unusually several km outside of town. They had a nice little cafe, and a great arts and crafts shop. Ian almost bought a shirt, and I almost bought a T shirt! I did buy an organic mossie spray, and also the ingredients to make my own: Detol, rubbing alcohol and baby oil...boy does it smell! This afternoon we went to see the rock art at Nanguluwur.......that was excellent, filled with bus tour people though. There was a large burn off over the hill, so the sky was filled with smoke. A little frightening, but interesting too. The Aboriginal people understand the importance of burning off the undergrowth, creating a healthy forest. Kakadu is completely cleared in this way, every two years. Went for a quick swim in the pool tonight. Very cold. Walter and Silvia joined us.Weiterlesen

  • Darwin

    24. Juli 2019 in Australien ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    We were later than usual getting to our Caravan park. When we arrived, we found we had booked a 12ft site, not great to fit an 18ft van! and because the show was on this weekend it was touch and go getting us somewhere else. We ended up in the 'Permanent' section...but for the same price. 9 nights for the price of 7. The guy next door has been here for 4 years, and he collects all the bottles, cans, and cartons. He reckons he makes about $50 a day. He collects them on his motorized esky with several carts behind. Like a little train!
    We struggled to get into this site...that alone took us 30 mins I'm sure! But we did it!
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  • Mindil Beach Sunset Market

    25. Juli 2019 in Australien ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    We went to the Aircraft history museum this morning. They had a B51 and an F1 11 on display among many other aircraft. Ian and I both bought T Shirts. A swim to cool down this afternoon was high on the list...and apart from the growing number of young children coming into the pool as well....it was very enjoyable.
    We caught up with Silvia and Walter again. This evening we all caught the bus to the infamous Mindle Market. The bus was late! However, a passing bus driver (not ours), phoned to check when he was coming, then waited until he could tell us. How was that for service! The market was mostly cooked food, although I did manage to get Stuart a Crocodile necklace..and then the sunset!!
    The bus home just didn't appear! Everyone else seemed to be catching the bus on the opposite side of the road. A tipsy elderly aboriginal man said we should get on the bus to the intersection then catch another bus home. And that's what we did! It took us almost 2 hours to get home, but we also experienced a dramatic last trip on our bus, with several aboriginal people arguing very loudly at the back. The driver called security, and two officers boarded....one from NI! The driver was again a credit to his profession. His parting comments "Welcome to Darwin"
    The fair is going full swing, and next door also kept going full swing for a long late night. White noise to the rescue!
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  • Friday night Fish and Chips

    26. Juli 2019 in Australien ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    We headed out to the Art and History Museum this morning. It was on the coast, and was a lovely way to spend some time. They had a lot of Information on Cyclone Tracey, which devastated the City back in the 70's. They also had a great display of old photographs. And a lot of samples of the insects/ reptiles/fish that will kill you up in the NT.
    Just as I was going to the pool, Silvia arrived. She had spent the last 2hours in there,waiting for me! Walter was asleep. We arranged to all go out to the Stokes Hill Warf for fish and chips.
    Ian had heard of a Calamari Schnitzel so That was what we all ordered...bar Silvia. Our main concern was that no one else seemed to be buying anything from this vendor. Next we spotted the ?owner, cook, going across to a very busy vendor opposite, with a plate looking for salad. What a laugh! However, the Schnitzel was excellent and for once, I left most of the chips. Back home the Show was still in full throttle.
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  • Last night at Darwin Show

    27. Juli 2019 in Australien ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Domestic duties this morning, then over to the pool to cool off. Silvia and Walter joined us later, and we went to watch the fireworks at the show...there was a guard on the gate but we all just waved as we went in..no charge! The show was much larger than we expected, and the fireworks were very good. Ian asked Walter over for a glass of red, and then we discovered that the Tour de France had only 30km to go! Silvia was a great fan! We sat around the open caravan door, and watch it to the end.Weiterlesen

  • Shoe shopping

    28. Juli 2019 in Australien ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Up late last night, up late this morning. Ian has discovered a wardrobe dysfunction- in that he has only brought 1 pair of thongs....which are hurting him a little today. We headed into Darwin centre with the idea that we could combine the 'historical walk' with some shoe shopping! Not that many shops apparent, and they only sold thongs! So off we headed for the 'big' shopping Mall at Casuarina. I had a ball, but only in Big W and K Mart....Ian had a coffee and couldn't find any shoes. Off to Anaconda, and success!! Ian got his sandals. Then more success at BCF next door, with shelves for our Baby Red, and a screw for the Rafters in our Awning. It was late in the afternoon by this stage, so I read the magazine Silvia had lent me, and low and behold, around came Walter. He had a sore throat...possibly from the red wine! They asked us round after tea for a drink??? Walter really didn't seem well, and Silvia only wanted tea. I was eaten to all buggery by mossies and sand flies....despite my various sprays!Weiterlesen

  • BBQ night

    29. Juli 2019 in Australien ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Today I read. I started off with Womans own magazine, and then the Biography of Andrew Cameron: A Nurse on the Edge of the Desert. Both belong to Silvia and I want to return them before we leave on Friday.
    Ian and I spent several hours swimming in the pool....which I always enjoy, especially when there are few, if any other people in there. It has given me a sore ear though, which only goes to deaden the pain from the mossie bites, and sand flies!
    We cooked a BBQ tonight, with skewers, and snags. Silvia brought a salad, and custard tarts. Walter has pretty much lost his voice, but as he is now on antibiotics, this should soon be reversed. Conversation can be stilted at times...but the food was good! I am sure they see me as a nutcase..with my mossie spray on the go nonstop, and then I had a nosebleed! Only a very short one! But still embarrassing
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  • Darwin Casino

    30. Juli 2019 in Australien ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Brian from Ian's bowls club and his wife Kay came for coffee this morning. I woke early, again, worrying about getting all the previous nights dishes done! How silly, and Ian reassured me.
    Silvia came over around 1pm, closely followed by Walter. He has been having some fridge problems, so has been investigating how to fix it.
    He would like to sit somewhere cool, and have an icecream. Brian and Kay had talked of going to the Casino for lunch, as the view from the balcony was lovely....so that is where we headed. Walter was feeling much better, and his voice was back to normal again. I returned Kay's hat which she had left behind, because we bumped into Brian while we were there (funnily enough). The view was magnificent, and we stayed and watched the sunset.
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  • Late breakfast

    31. Juli 2019 in Australien ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    Started the morning late, and we were just finishing coffee when Silvia arrived. Walter had taken their car to get the battery fixed. We unloaded our car and gave Silvia a lift to get a new sim card for her iPad. On the way we picked up Walter and went to the Casuarina Shopping Centre. Ian and Walter had coffee and I got a small shop in Coles. Then back to pick up Walter's car. Ian got a new gas cylinder, lunch, and then off with our 'buddies ' to Berry Creek. It was a fantastic place and we all had a lovely afternoon. We finished the evening off at Humpty Doo pub. We sat beside a guy with this battered hat, and weathered face. Turns out he lived near Walter and Silvia on the sunshine coast. His wife was lecturing in Veterinary at the Charles Darwin, and he ran a stables for race horses. Interesting man.
    Pizza for dinner, and planning where to stay in Lichfield when Silvia asked if she could come over. Ian wanted to book a twilight cruise, for tomorrow night, and Silvia wanted to know how to write her journal the same as I do.
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  • Twilight Cruise in Darwin Harbour

    1. August 2019 in Australien ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Silvia called over about 9.30am while we were still having breakfast. Walter came over half an hour later! We managed to have lunch without them though!
    We left for the harbour at 4pm and started to board our Schooner at 17 10. We were given 2 seats at the front and were just settling in, when we were asked if we would change seats as someone had already reserved them. No problems! As we were shown into our new seats - which seemed a better choice anyway, the captain offered us a complimentary wine. We asked for a glass of white whatever...and he came back with a bottle of lovely white wine...and thanked us for being so understanding. Sweet!
    We sat beside Jo and Bill from Ballerat and we had a great night, great craic, and seafood galore. Huge prawns, oysters, and smoked mackerel, for starters, followed by threadfin salmon.
    We had a really enjoyable night all round.
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  • Litchfield National park

    2. August 2019 in Australien ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Silvia and Walter left Darwin about an hour and a half before us. Ian got talking to the permanent resident from behind us. He suggested we go to Wangi Falls as the sites were much larger for caravans. Google took us past Berry Springs, and then onto a dirt road...which was mostly a very good dirt road. It also meant that we arrived in Wangi fall first..but there were no caravan sites left. Rather than risk driving to Florence Falls and finding no sites there either, we took a spot in Litchfield Safari Park. It was a quaint large CP mostly empty, but green and lush. Ian christened the owner The Gnome. He was small with a big bushy beard. We parked had lunch, and set straight out for Florence falls, in case Silvia and Walter were waiting for us....and they were! They had blocked a large site opposite them with table and chairs. Oh dear! Perhaps a good thing though!
    We walked to the falls, and I had a swim. Then walked back to the falls to retrieve Ian's forgotten towel. An aboriginal family had decamped around the towel. We were lucky to get it back I think🙄.
    Back home, we lit a beautiful fire, and enjoyed one of the best night sky we have seen yet.
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  • Plunge pools and water holes

    3. August 2019 in Australien ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    We had arranged to meet Silvia and Walter at Wangi cafe at 11am. Walter was very excited about the beauty of the falls and the large plunge pool. Kingfishers darted among the ever increasing number of swimmers...most with noodles under their arms. We walked to the lookout and around the top, completing the loop. Lunch was a Greek salad, then off to search for Walters falls
    Walter had been here 19 years ago, and was keen to visit a particular place from his memory...with cascading water and pools to relax in. He hoped the next falls was it....but there was no access to the water from here, so he was disappointed again.
    We got talking to a group of tipsy Australians. Trying to guess which country we were all from. They had been to Switzerland for lunch once...off the same ferry Ian and I had been on from the lakes in Italy so they had seen Switzerland. Walker was from Switzerland!
    Our last place was very close to Florence falls, called Buley Rockhole.
    We rounded a corner, and Eureka! Walter's memory came alive again. This was the place, and it topped every other falls by a mile! We spent a couple of hours just lazing in the pool.
    Silvia asked us back for tea. We had hamburgers with fried potatoes and salad. We both loved it!
    I have been bitten so badly by mosquitoes over the past two days, and cover myself up in heavy trousers, boots and jumpers at dusk. It was a good excuse to leave. We drove home by the orange glow of another magnificent sunset.
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  • Back to Katherine

    4. August 2019 in Australien ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    We were on the road before 9.30. We started listening to another Tim Winton book, The Eyie, and I enjoyed spotting the increasing colours of flowers, trees, shrubs in bloom along the roadside.
    We stopped by the giant magnetic termite mounds to put some more petrol in the car, and then refuelled properly in Bachelor. That was a lovely looking town, tidy and green. The owner of the petrol station was renovating the cafe and it looked very impressive.
    Silvia sent me a text to say she was having coffee in Palm Springs...hours ahead of us! We phoned the Riverview Caravan Park in Katherine to book a powered site. Then we stopped for lunch at a 24hr road rest stop, Bridge Creek. Toilets, picnic tables, and wood at about a dozen fire pits. Someone was working very hard to get campers to stop there.
    At Katherine we were assisted to park which takes so much pressure off...then a sneaky trip to the bottle shop, to grab some wine for the next few days. We spent a little time with Silvia and Walter, who were also staying at the Riverview Caravan Park, but didn't divulge where we were planning to stop tomorrow.
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  • Timber Creek

    5. August 2019 in Australien ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    Goodbyes said to Walter and Silvia again. They thought they may go down the Gibb River Rd today. We told them we were aiming for Timber Creek.
    During the night, I went to the loo, and on exiting, I saw a dog, looking very like a Dingo. It was about 3m away from me, and was just standing watching. I tried to scare it off, but instead it came closer. I gave a scream, and ran back to the caravan jumping through the door. My scream woke up our neighbour, whose torchlight I could see through the window...but I didn't wake up Ian!
    We stopped for lunch at the Victoria River Roadhouse, and I used up most of the salad veg for lunch. Walter and Silvias rig was also in the carpark!
    On to Timber Creek, and the scenery is changing rapidly.
    We arrived just before 3pm and it was a beautiful place Green and shady. We rushed to book our sunset cruise....and of course S&W who were also staying here, rushed off to do the same.
    It was a lovely cruise, with many salties and freshies to be seen .We fed Sea Eagles, and Kites and the sunset was magnificent
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  • Final goodbyes

    6. August 2019 in Australien ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Said goodbye to Walter and Silvia, they were staying an extra night in Timber Creek, and we were heading to Halls Creek.
    Silvia gave me their card, and a fan from the gift shop! I gave her a hug.
    We dropped into lake Argyle, and it was stunning, but very crowded so we left again! I tried picking some fruit from the Kapok tree, but just couldn't reach!
    We stopped overnight about 50km outside Kununurra. Just bought some Diesel but no food. We had left NT, and left all our veggies in the old folks box in Timber Creek.
    We took a quick trip down to the creek to see if any Freshies were around. No joy, but we must have carried 20 mozzie back into the car. We were swatting them out of the car for hours!
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  • Mary Pool Rest Area

    7. August 2019 in Australien ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    Because of the time difference in WA, we were up at the crack of dawn, and on the road before 8.30. We stopped and had a coffee at an aboriginal managed roadhouse. Brumbies were drinking from a trough in front of the petrol pumps, and we had already passed several on the side of the road. One of the Aboriginal workers came over to chat. He addressed Ian as 'hey cowboy' could you ride one of those?' He said they were pretty gentle, and the local kids were learning to ride on them.
    Just before Halls Creek, we passed about 4 New Age caravans, and I did my usual mad waving...to minimal response. We also burst a tyre on our caravan. Ian is a champion, and we were back on the road within the hour. Only one person stopped to see if we were okay. Puts Australian Mateship in doubt! Halls Creek was small, and as you would expect full of Aboriginals. Plenty of road trains too. One hit and killed a dog while passing down the main street. It was the dogs fault but still pretty gruesome. Lots of dogs were just roaming around the town.
    We drove on for another 118km to Mary Pool rest area, which was an absolute delight, and full of like minded people.
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  • Fitzroy Crossing

    8. August 2019 in Australien ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    What a lovely campsite,at Mary Pool. Even the long drops are good! Heading to another free camp outside Fritzroy Crossing. Stopped in F C for coffee. It could have been a coffee shop on a main street in Perth. It was a revelation. They where growing their own vegetables outside, and the food in the cafe looked fantastic.
    We drove on to Ellendale, and stayed in an extremely popular rest area. Packed full by 1400! We met a dog breeder from Victoria. Frank Tate, who has two magnificant dogs with him. Britonys.
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  • Derby

    9. August 2019 in Australien ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Ian and I were both a little concerned about the lack of movement coming from Young Frank's (the man with the Britonies) caravan. To the extent we phoned him before we hit the road again. All was well, he reasured us. So off we headed, to our powered site at Willare Roadhouse, 48km from Derby. We parked, had a very unhealthy lunch, and plugged in everything we could to recharge. Travelling up to Derby we passed so many Boab trees. It is believed the first Boab tree arrived on Australian soil over 2000 years ago, washed up from Matagaska. Some of the trees still alive in the area are incredibly large. We found Woolworths and BWS, and then for a walk along the pier. The tide was way out, and what water can be seen on the mudflats was a mucky brown colour. Derby experiences one of the largest tides in the world, with a high tide reaching as much as 11 metres. Derby was a pleasant town, and the rodeo was on this weekend, however, we couldn't find where exactly.
    I managed to grab a seed from a Boab on the way home. We also called into the Boab prison tree on our journey back to the Roadhouse.
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  • The Gateway to Broome

    10. August 2019 in Australien ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    With the wind still behind us, we made good time and arrived at our new home for the next 3 days. A large camp, consisting of blocks of red dirt. Hot and windy too. No power, only water.
    We had lunch and headed off to Broome. The Information center was of little help, but we wandered round the town. However, being a country town, the shops all close at 2pm on a Saturday. We called into the Roebuck Bay Hotel, and it wasn't until Ian pointed it out that I realised that several of the barmaids were dressed only in skimpy bra and knickers.
    There was a campfire at 5.30 back at base, with happy hour. Luke was cooking his sausages, and Dan lit the fire. Luke showed me a video of his friends caravan exploding and burning all the family's possessions. An electrical fault apparently. Luke was travelling, and picking up manual jobs as he went. Another guy came over with his dog Spot. He introduced himself as being from the thick country!!! Apparently this means thick scrub. His dog was a Pig dog, that hunted wild pigs. Never seen anything like it! Seemed a little bit like Hillbilly stuff.
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  • Cable Beach closed!

    11. August 2019 in Australien ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    I did a wash this morning and fought with the sheets trying to hang them on the line,in what seemed like gale force winds!
    Leaving the CP for Broome, we could see the blackest ball of smoke rising into the sky. We tried to drive to the viewpoint at Gantheaume, but this road was closed by police, Cable beach was also closed. We had a picnic lunch instead at the deep water Port. This was also closed for repair, however, there was a steady stream of road trains delivering live cattle for shipment to ?Indonesia.
    We met another couple from Adelaide. They live in the hills outside Handorf in a little township that I had never heard of, called Paechtown.
    We went to the Malcom Douglas Crocadile Park this afternoon. It was really good.....plenty of nasty crocodiles! They have over 2500 living here, and they apparently produce extremely high quality leather!
    The Crows were playing in Perth tonight. Ian watched on his phone. They lost buy 2 goals...but played well!
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  • Heading down

    12. August 2019 in Australien ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Last day in Broome. Ian was awake a good part of the night with coughs and a runny nose. We left after lunch and I managed to buy a sea pearl, half price, on an anklet/ bracelet. Ian bought Charlotte a fresh water pearl necklace, for her birthday, which I think will appeal to her bigtime!
    We then went to Gantheaume point to check out the view, and the dinosaur footprints.
    We left for cable beach to watch the sun go down. We were not the only ones with the same idea!
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  • 80 mile beach

    13. August 2019 in Australien ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    On the road again, hoping to stay in the Caravan Park in Eighty mile beach. You can't book, but they have 150 powered sites. We stopped for lunch at a 24hr rest stop, which would have been a great stop, but not far enough out of Broome. I was pleased to get to speak to Stuart, who is having trouble with his visa.
    We drove along a very ordinary featureless road and finally got to the turn off for the CP after 3pm. Still 10kms of dirt road to get there! We met another caravan just at the start of the road, and he was exiting. No powered sites available! And the road is heavily corrugated. The next stop is Pardoo Roadhouse, 98kms on. We got there after 4pm. A long day driving for Ian. Charged everything. Every electricity socket was in use! Pity we didn't get to visit 80 mile beach though!
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  • Lianne and Jeff

    14. August 2019 in Australien ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We decided to stay at the golf club in South Hedland. We had only 130km to travel, after our big haul yesterday. We were the first of the day to arrive, apparently so we got the best spot! In among the gums, with plenty of shade. Our neighbour advised us to park in the middle, or they would try and squeeze someone else in too. So we did, and had a lovely big site with plenty of shade.
    We went to the Information center, and left with an itinerary: first we watched the pilots guide the big container ships into port, then we followed the coast around. The tide was out, so mud flats were the go around here. We ended up at Pretty Pool, and it was true to its name. A quick paddle, and back to the van for a shower before meeting Lianne and Jeff for tea.
    We paid $25 for water, power and the key to use the toilet and shower in the Golf Club. Bargain, as some the other CP were charging up to $50.
    We met Jeff waiting for us at the Lodge Motel, and I gave Lianne her injection for psoriasis. We had a huge meal at the smorgasbord in their canteen. All available for the miners, and Lianne charged it to the post office! It was good to see them both again.
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  • Raining in the Pilbara

    15. August 2019 in Australien ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    We had this lovely site in the golf course, between two gums, so decided to stay another day here. We booked and paid last night, then we discovered that it was going to rain. That is virtually unheard of up here. It didn't rain heavily, but it did last on and off all day. I cooked for a good part of the day, Ian went for a long walk. He said that two young guys stopped and offered him a lift. That was nice. It shows that not tymany people are seen pounding the red earth around here. I had missed mummy's birthday, which was yesterday, so when we went to see (if we could see) the Stairway to the Moon, I phoned her on Viber. Technology will never fail to amaze me. From the beach in Port Headland to Lisburn NI.
    Too many clouds to see the moon rise...so we went home.
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  • Stairway to the moon

    16. August 2019 in Australien ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Arrived at Karratha...dont feel like it was a year ago that I was here last. The town itself is modern and very well maintained. Green grass, and modern housing.
    We stayed in the Shell Petrol station, about 12km outside Karratha, which had free toilets, and a hot shower. When we arrived, we were the only ones + a backpacker car. They provide this massive carpark for the truckies to rest overnight, but have included an area designated for Caravans, Boats and Trailers. We unhitched, left the van parked, and headed into town.
    We bought a couple of wine glasses in Target, (to replace the one that I had broken), and stocked up on wine.
    Then we went to see Steve, who was our neighbour for a month, in the CP last year.
    He had a new friend staying, 'Y' from NZ, who had arrived in Karratha just after we left. She was a cleaner for the mines, but had had seven jobs in the 10 months since she arrived.
    Still it was good to see Steve again.
    Then we travelled to Hearsons Cove to witness Stairway to the Moon. Truly beautiful. We were very lucky, as we arrived to a packed beach, but drove into a spot which must have just been vacated. Perfect!
    When we returned to the Shell Station, we had 2 caravans as neighbours. Safety in numbers.
    It was the first night since katherine, that it was too cold to sit outside.
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