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Travelling after COVID 2021
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Travelling after COVID 2021

A 180-day adventure by The Gypsies Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 6, 2021
    The GypsiesTravelling after COVID 2021The Gypsies
    My birthday dinner
    Destroyed in the last cycloneMy weather is looking betterMy bush camp had a viewI am finally hereAh set up1My view

    Denham WA

    May 6, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    WELL finally back on the road 😃😃
    Could have waited to have my birthday with my family but hey I’ve got better things to do 😁😁. As indicated it’s May and getting far to cold for this old black duck!! so I am heading north for the warmer weather. Bess can’t get away for another month ( grandies and that sort of stuff ) so I’m going to a fishing spot I have wanted to go to for a while , 🎣, only got a month but that will have to do 🥲. It’s 900k away , in Shark Bay just above a town called Denham, so I pushed along and got there in 5 days 😅. Well what a great spot! Got my camp set up and settled in for a very tiring month. I even had a spot out in front of my camp where I could put my chair with a view of the bay and watched dolphins,turtles, the odd shark and lots and lots of fish. I could even watch sun rises and sun sets ( not to many rises as they happen quite early I understand) with wine 🍷 in hand of course.
    I even caught fish 🎣 off the beach and from my kayak, as well as a few squid for good measure. I ate like a king. I had lots of late starts with early finishes, as you could imagine this sort of life is really tough as you will see in the photos. Only got towed once in my kayak while fishing, don’t know what it was as I couldn’t get close enough to see (but it is shark bay ) so once I felt like we were going up on to a plane it was time to cut the line and start heading back as by then I was about 2k out to sea. I also had time to bake a couple of loaves of sourdough bread ( see photos ) using a starter Bess’s sister in-law gave me and very very nice it was, fresh fish and fresh bread. 😎😎    Read more

  • The GypsiesTravelling after COVID 2021The Gypsies
    Not a super beach but perfect for fishing
    The view from my chair2Squid2

    More photos of fishing trip

    May 10, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
  • The GypsiesTravelling after COVID 2021The Gypsies
    1Made it to the top. Phew!!
    11View of Mt Augustus from our camp1

    From Shark Bay to Mt Augustus

    June 15, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Sadly my month was up so left Francois Peron national park near Denham and headed to Carnarvon to pick Bess up and continue our trip north to warmer weather. We spent 4 days in Carnarvon doing my washing ( thanks darling ) and loading the truck up for the next journey. We headed inland ( east) to Mt Augustus. Some where in our planing we had the bright idea to climb it ( dumb real dumb). Well a couple of days travelling another day acclimatising and up we went, 660m. It was 5 and half hours return and we both pulled up surprisingly OK. A fantastic view from the top and a very interesting walk through several different flora’s. We were in winter woollies the whole climb which is interesting as 3 people have died last year climbing this hill from heat exhaustion and lack of water. It was late September. This is the biggest monolith in the world, so another bucket tick. Eyres rock is only the 3rd biggest with the two biggest residing in WA and I have climbed all three 😎😎😎Read more

  • The GypsiesTravelling after COVID 2021The Gypsies
    That dam train which turned out to be a bonus
    A little tractor they use for clearing the road vergesRotisserie chicken for dinner. We really ruff it out here on the road1This car took a wrong turn on a wet dayNot even a wet day stops us from having a fireCars lined up at a servo half way between Port Headland and Broome. The line only got bigger

    North to Camballin

    June 17, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    We left Mt Augustus and traveled another couple of hundred clicks out to the Great Northern Highway. Once again we took a back road ( no traffic ) which was beautifully graded and through fantastic station country. We passed 3 stations, one near Augustus, the next one about half way and the last one near the great northern Highway. Now all the stock from the first two stations go west to the Coastal highway, and the last stations stock go out to the Great Northern Highway. What’s interesting about that is the four lane beautifully graded road changed as you went past the second station to a single lane, grass in the centre of the road and is probably graded every few years going by the size of the trees growing right next the road. We honestly thought we had missed a turn we should have taken but alas no it’s just what happens in out back Australia and as we passed the last station it was back to a four lane highway again amazing. We had a lovely bush camp on the last station with plenty of fire wood. Then we went north up the great northern Highway to Newman then north east up through Nullagine, and Marble bar, bush camping on these back roads as we traveled to Broome. On one of the back roads we encountered a train carrying iron ore from Gina Rinehearts Roy’s Hill mine, on a railway crossing in the middle of no where, and as we approached we decided to let it go first and watch the 100 odd carriages go past. Well as Mr Murphy would have it the train stopped right on the crossing, two carriages in with no way round him. We sat there for a few minutes wondering what was happening then train driver yelled out to us, have a beer as we might be here awhile. He then invited us up into the train to have a look at one of the latest trains pulling iron ore. It was while we were getting the low down on this very plush machine we found out what the holdup was. Although he is in control of the train he gets all his orders, on computers, from Perth, and Perth computers had crashed so he had to stop where ever he was, unfortunately right in front of us. It took about half an hour before he was going again, by then there was 6 other vehicles waiting, but none of them got a VIP tour of the train, a small blessing in our favour.
    Then a few more bush camps as we headed to Broome. We were going to stay a night in Broome and stock up a little and fuel up , but as there is no free camp within 150k of Broome and no accommodation in Broome we moved on to Derby. Before we left I went and saw the council ( much to Bess’s disgust ) and what they could do for us and basically got told to f….k off, politely of course. But really for a town that squealed like a stuck pig when Covid hit , took hand outs from the government tax payers money , but now they are full again they couldn’t give a shit!!! They are copping a lot of flack because of their attitude and hopefully it might lead to change ( dream on). So we fuelled up and stocked up in Derby and moved on to Camballin.
    At Camballin we went out to the barrage, a dam on the Fitzroy river, to divert the water to irrigate a big plain around Camballin. It failed after about ten years as two massive floods ( not seen before and has never came close to it again ) and this is a river that gets to 23 kilometres across in flood so it begs the question what was the width during those floods. There are lots of fresh water croc’s and Barra here and even with out Tristan I caught my share. Had six beautiful days here and met a lots of lovely people, one who had been coming here for the past 13 years just to catch Barra and cherrapin ( a type of small cray fish).    Read more

  • The GypsiesTravelling after COVID 2021The Gypsies
    One hell of a boab tree
    A very friendly cowWW2 RAAF campground

    Camballin to Halls Creek

    July 2, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We left Camballin and headed towards Fitzroy Crossing. On the way we had two gorges to see, which we missed last time because of Putts. Tunnel Creek and Windjana. Spent the night in a bush camp called lake ellendale, and the next day took the turn off up to Windjana and tunnel creek. We stayed one night on the way at a bush camp called Cadjeput Creek. From there we went on to Windjana on a very rough Rd. The gorge itself is beautiful but quite small at about 3 or so kilometres long. After a couple of hours spent here we left and drove back towards Tunnel Creek.
    Tunnel Creek is about 3/4K long and lets the water through like a culvert, and in the wet season it is choc a bloc. At this time of year it is not flowing, however we had to swim through a very short section as the water was over our heads. There were many other pools of water which we had to wade through. It is also home to fresh water crocodiles, which don’t seem to bother you. I guess that’s fortunate. 😂. We took our torches, because the tunnel is as dark as an elephants tummy, but soon realised they weren’t torches, but only glow plugs, which made the journey very interesting, as we don’t know what the tunnel looks like on the inside. After that we went back towards the Gt Northern Hwy to a lovely camp built by the RAAF during WW2.

    From here we headed towards Fitzroy Crossing to do some shopping, but found the town a bit intimidating, with all shops surrounded by 2 metre high iron bar fencing with razor wire on the top. We thought about staying, but the camp ground looked like Stalag 13, and other travellers said definitely don’t stay there.
    We pushed onto another bush camp before arriving at Halls Creek, where we did some shopping and got fuel and water for the next big leg of our journey.    Read more

  • The GypsiesTravelling after COVID 2021The Gypsies

    Duncan Road to the Norther Territory

    July 6, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We left Halls Creek leaving the Gt Northern Hwy behind, to take the Duncan Rd which goes up the eastern side of Lake Argyle. The first camp was only about 35k out from Halls Creek and a beautiful spot it was. Called Palm Springs, it was right on the side of the road, but next to a beautiful spring fed river with the spring just 30 metres up from where we parked. Stayed one night, then pushed on to the next camp, just 2 kilometres up the the rd, called Sawpit Gorge. Here we stayed 2 nights as we had to catch up with some washing. The river water was beautiful and clean and ideal for a big pile of washing. We headed off up the Duncan again, up through big station country. At one stage we ran into one of the stations mustering and the mob of cattle had to be 3 to 5000 strong and stretched for at least 3 kilometres where a helicopter was pushing up the back of the mob.

    We carried on to our next camp on the Negri river. We stayed here one night and in the morning were approached by the station manager who as it turns out just wanted a chat. Well 2 or so hours later we were a full bottle on how the station was run and with lots of brilliant stories and the numbers of cattle they run on the station. His father ran the station for 25 years then he took over from his father and has run it for the past 12 years. His father got the cattle numbers up to 44,000 breeders before the droughts of the 90s reduced that number to just 11,000. He has slowly built it back up to 24,000 breeders where he says they can handle most seasons at that number. This year most of the cattle he will sell will be in fat and forward condition for the market instead of store cattle. So when he sends the 8 or 9 thousand head off this year to the market he reckons he’ll make a bob or two. The farmers out there will understand what I’m saying and I’ll let you do the arithmetic.

    From there we went to where the Duncan meets the main highway, the Victorian highway, in the Northern Territory. Once we hit the highway we only had 30ks to our next camp so decided not to air up until we got there. Big mistake , 10 or so k in we got a blowout, a very interesting few seconds before we had it under control and pulled safely up on the side of the road. We fitted another tyre and went on to our camp and left the sorting out of the problem for the next day.

    As we had not come through any check points into the Northern Territory, because we came through the back roads, we had to apply for a permit due to COVID-19, which as it turned out wasn’t a problem as we were coming from WA. The next problem was the border wasn’t open for travellers to get into WA from the Northern Territory so for next 700k to Katherine every free camp and caravan park was full waiting for the border to open which was happening in3 or 4 days time. We managed to find a spot in the overflow of the overflow which was a boat ramp on the Victoria river at Big Horse Creek. Turned out to be a beautiful place, we had internet, watched the crocs from the ramp in the afternoon cruising up the river and had some interesting people staying next to us with interesting stories. In 3 days we left for Katherine but that’s another story.    Read more

  • The GypsiesTravelling after COVID 2021The Gypsies
    11

    Kakadu and surrounds

    July 17, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    Left Katherine but only traveled 40 odd ks to a place called Edith falls. Here there is a beautiful big swimming hole at the camp and a walking track that takes you above the falls and further up the river to more, smaller swimming holes, but still beautiful and refreshing. Two nights here, which gives us one whole day to explore and enjoy the area, and then we pushed on up the Stuart Highway to Pine Creek, a small mining town at the turn off to Kakadu.
    We headed off up the Kakadu highway looking forward to seeing the sites Kakadu national park has to offer. We started to get disillusioned when the first and the most popular, attraction Gunlom Falls was closed due to a disagreement with the local aboriginal community.
    So on to the next most popular, Jim Jim falls and Twin falls, but Twin falls was closed, for similar reasons. We have been on some really bad roads, but the road into these two falls was so badly corrugated, and with only Jim Jim Falls open, we turned around after 10 of the 40 odd ks and gave it a miss. Now considering we had to pay a Kakadu National Park entry fee of $40 each and then $15 each per night to camp in any campground, which only gave you a long drop toilet, we were feeling a little ripped off.
    We stayed a night in one of these very basic camps called Malabanjbanjdju, see if you can say that? 😄. Thank goodness it was an honesty box system I don’t think I need to elaborate, and then we moved on to Jabiru itself. Jabiru township was built by the Ranger mining company, which mined uranium, to house the miners and their families and give them some basic shops. To get that over the line with the locals they had to agree to pull the town down when the mine closed. So now its 20 years on, and the mine has finished and closed. Well the hew and cry by the locals about closing what is now seen as their town is quite ironic .
    The locals have closed some of the best places in Kakadu national park, and now the government has handed the running of the park over to the them plus the township, history will tell us what happens from here.
    We went out to Cahills Crossing, on the Arnhem highway which leads out to Arnhem Land, and is famous for Barra fishing and croc attacks. There are some great stories about this place. From here we went out to a site with a lot of aboriginal rock art called Ubirr, apparently renowned as one of the world’s oldest rock art places. Here there is a lookout over a massive plain that fills up over the wet season, now that was something to behold.

    After this we took the Arnhem highway, and drove towards Darwin. We stopped at a caravan park called The Bark Hut Inn. Did some washing and had a beautiful burger and cold beer in their alfresco bar which had such great ambiance we just had to do it again the next day.
    It was at this park’s campground that my bum nearly had a close encounter with a snake. I was about to sit and eat my dinner when I noticed something that I thought was a scarf draped on my chair. Well it started to move and I realised it was a snake! It was in no hurry to move but it did slowly amble away over the next 20 mins or so. A google search told us it was a Brown Tree Snake. A cream colour with dark orange bands around its body. Mildly venomous but not considered dangerous to humans.

    Next was a highlight The Mary river!!    Read more

  • The GypsiesTravelling after COVID 2021The Gypsies
    111

    The Mary river house boat

    July 18, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    We wanted to see the wetlands in Kakadu because they are so beautiful and full of life. After having been disappointed with what Kakadu had to offer we looked a bit harder and Bess found this place on the Mary river that runs house boats. It’s just outside Kakadu but still very much in the wetlands. It was expensive but instead of 2 hours on the wetlands we got 2 days and nights out there at our own pace.
    We fished as we motored along at the blistering pace of 2 knots, could have gone faster but there was just so much to see, and yes we did catch fish as a bonus. The amount of crocs we saw was frightening, although very safe on the houseboat , but we did see a croc eating another dead croc, so it certainly was a dog eat dog world. The bird life was exceptional and they all were in huge numbers. Apparently there were buffalo there too however we didn’t see any, but the two nights we had were just pure magic, just us and the wild life including some mozzies although the boat was well set up to keep them out especially the sleeping area. What a magical two nights!!!
    From here we went out to virtually the mouth of the Mary river to a man made barrage which maintains the water levels in the wetlands and keeps them just in fresh water. We spent one night there, then we moved 20k up river to another spot on the Mary river which had a beautiful rocky out crop for us to fish from. Had to move a couple of big rocks the authorities had put in the way to stop anyone camping in the best spot. By then we had meet another guy, Darren, ex SAS, so the rocks were not a problem. Had two lovely nights and days there with our new found friend fishing our hearts out with the usual success, zero, but hey that’s fishing. We were reminded it’s called fishing not catching. 🤣. From here we went back to the Bark Hut Inn for more of their hospitality before heading to Darwin for some truly well earned R and R.    Read more

  • The GypsiesTravelling after COVID 2021The Gypsies
    1
    1

    Darwin

    July 27, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Well after all the excitement of the past few weeks we definitely needed some real R and R😉😄😄. We had one more day to fill in before Darwin so we camped on a guys farmlet which was close to Berry springs, more warm artesian water as if we need it in these temperatures, but when in Rome do as the Romans do so off we went for a swim. It was very nice but very crowded.
    Now we had booked into a hotel in the middle of Darwin, so we could enjoy what Darwin has to offer. We walked everywhere we could, taking in all the sites and touristy things there were, like the Mindel markets, Stokes wharf, the beautiful walk along the western side of the city which has an uninterrupted view of Darwin’s bay and Cullens bay, at which the sea is held in by a loch so all the mansions built on edge don’t have to put up with the eight metre tides.
    One of the days we hired e scoters, which were a lot of fun. The Mindel markets were, for me, just another lot of markets selling a lot of junk and temping me with a lot of junk food I didn’t need, but sadly I did partake.
    Darwin itself is a beautiful city as I said with a lovely outlook over the bay, reasonable shopping and a great entertainment street called Mitchell street 😎. We dined out every night with a different cuisine each night. As our bank accounts deflated we expanded but a lot of fun. Whilst playing around we had the blown out tyre fixed and our aircon fixed again! The bloody thing keeps failing us.
    All in all a very different five days but we had a great time. Next is Litchfield National park and down to Daly river.    Read more

  • The GypsiesTravelling after COVID 2021The Gypsies
    11

    Lichfield national park to Daily river

    August 1, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    All rejuvenated we left Darwin and headed south about 80 clicks back to a beautiful bush camp for a good quiet nights sleep in our own bed. The next day we headed to Lichfield National park to find out what it had for us to see. First up was an old tin mine, built in the late 1800s in the middle of nowhere where everything was done with a pick and shovel and the skill full use of gravity and water. Once they harvested the tin they bagged it, then back packed it on horses to where they could put it on a dray to take to the train station which went to Darwin. All that in this incredible heat and humidity, brave soles!!!
    We then hoped back into our air conditioned truck and drove 50 or 60 clicks to a beautiful waterfall and swimming hole , which was closed because of a fresh water crocodile, l’ll bet a penny for a pound those tin miners would not have cared and gone for a swim!!!! When we found out the truth it was the people who wouldn’t leave the croc alone not the other way around. We camped that night in a shady, grassy camp ground in the middle of the national park, so peaceful. The park has lots of waterfalls and swimming holes, so much so by the end I reckoned I was washing off my tan😆😆.
    We stayed another 4 days in the park and saw a lost city, which was a whole lot of columns of rocks stacked on top of each other, another tin mine even more remote and as I said lots more water falls.
    The top of Lichfield park is on a sealed road , with hundreds of people on it at any one time, whereas the connection road down to the Daly River Road was a lovely four wheel drive only road, so instead of having 50 or 60 people in a swimming hole we only had to put up with half a dozen folk, and like minded people they were too, so a lovely ending to Lichfield.

    From there we went to the infamous Daly River Crossing, which is famous for its crocs and mishaps. No free camps here so we stayed in a camp called Nancar Wilderness Retreat, only $26 a night, right on the Daly river and three beautiful big billabongs to walk around. We saw lots of bird life, crocs,wild pigs but still no buffaloe. It would be a great place to be in the wet, completely surrounded and cut off by the Daly river for a couple of months (heaven). Only way in and out is by boat and at that time of year you can catch Barra both ways. 😃😃.
    From here we’ll go back down to Katherine and hopefully this time we will get to see Katherine gorge.    Read more

  • The GypsiesTravelling after COVID 2021The Gypsies

    Kathrine , Mataranka and Borroloola

    August 8, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    We went south 150 clicks to a road called Oolloo. That took us to another spot on the Daly river, a long way further up stream. Another beautiful fishing spot for Barra but alas, as it is at this time of year, it’s hard to get one that is even close to size. Also down Oolloo Road was another gorge and swimming hole , Butterfly Gorge. Drove in, had a swim and a look around before heading towards Katherine. Bush camped just north of Katherine, but with reception, and arranged our Katherine gorge tour. Bess throughly enjoyed the tour where I am a little gorged out , but it was good and a little different all the same. We stayed in a park in Katherine, which was right next to some more hot springs, while we stocked up on food and wine for our next foray, probably a month or 6 weeks to our next super market. From there we went south, down the Stuart highway, to Mataranka. You guessed it, more hot pools! Here we visited Bitter Springs and Mataranka Springs, two different places with hot pools, and although they were beautiful and clear they were too hot to stay in long.
    A group of local workers showed us a lovely spot on the roper river, just below where the hot springs flow into it. The water flowed over a natural rock bar for about 30 metres so we were quite safe from crocs and the temperature was perfect, not too hot not too cold just right for this old buzzard 😊😊. We stayed here a few days, as we were waiting for a part for our fridge this time, and with all the lock downs going on it took a little longer than normal. We stayed in the Elsey National Park in a beautiful bush setting and only a short walk to our new found swimming hole. Mataranka itself was a very small town, one street with 3 fuel stations, 3 fast food stores, Post Office and of course a pub. It was quite sad really because the same things happened each day, being the local inhabitants would appear from under the trees about 10 each day and wander over to the parks opposite the pub and wait there until 2pm when the pub could sell takeaway liquor. Very sad but the same thing happens every day.
    We finally got our part and headed east along the Roper river to try our luck at several different fishing spots. First one was the Roper Bar, which was a natural rock bar that they had made into a crossing by filling in between the rocks with concrete. Great fishing spot but our usual luck, zero. Next Tomato Island, no one could tell us how it got its name as it ain’t no island. A lovely camp but couldn’t get to the river bank because the pandanus was to thick. Onto the next, Mountain Creek camp, but the same problem with the pandanus. Ah well pushed south to the Towns River and a great camp and a perfect bank to fish from. My luck got better here. In I hooked what we think was a salmon, but after a short time playing it a bull shark turned up and that was that. Hooked another good fish but it wasn’t playing the game either and after a short time rocked/snagged me and again game over. But lots of fun 😎😎. Keeping going south we visited another gorge, Butterfly Falls, I think they are running out of names, and then on to the Southern Lost City. But the same story, it’s all that is left after millions of years of wind and rain precariously stacked on one another just waiting for another few million years or someone to walk close enough 🤣🤣.
    Now onto Lorella Springs cattle station, a supposed highlight of this part of the NT, well the road getting there were some of the worst we’ve been on and as it turned out the roads on the station were worse. It’s a million acre property which he has opened up to the public, big mistake, to enjoy kilometres of four wheel driving. Early in the season the public get bogged and then as it drys the public go as fast as possible resulting in terribly corrugated roads. We were too late in the season to see the water holes full, the fishing was lousy even for my low standard and I’ve already told you about the roads.
    Driving out to the coast, the west side of the gulf, was the first time I had seen the gulf from the west side. The camping at the homestead was good and they had a lovely setup with once again hot springs with little fish that bite you, and boy they could make you jump. So bad my last swim was cut short as they would not leave me alone.
    They had an option to go fishing in the helicopter, and it would take you to spots no one could get to, but they wouldn’t guarantee me a fish, and I don’t blame them knowing my record, and at $850 per head, that’s a lot of fish in a fish shop, I gave that a miss. 😜Surprisingly they had a lot of takers. The whole experience was a little underwhelming and at $25/head per day wether you were staying at the homestead, with showers and toilets, or out on the station with no infrastructure and not a lot to see the return on your dollar was not good.
    Now the trucks plastic radiator header tank has a split so will have to find somewhere to holdup to order a new one and get it fitted, ah well that’s life on the road. Stay tuned in for the next exciting instalment, travelling to Borroloola and King Ash Bay.    Read more

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