Heading to the Northern Territory

We have been doing alot of driving recently to get towards the northern part of Australia. Campervans have certainly been outnumbered by 4wd's as so many roads are unpaved. We are not permitted to drive on them so try and make the most of the places we are allowed to go. Friday we drove to Doon Doon rest house passing Halls Creek, where alcohol above 2.7% is banned in the entire village. We also saw our first live, wild snake in Aus, as it moved across the road. We reckon it was about 2 meters long and quite thick, called a black-headed python. Saturday we went to have a look at Emma Gorge, from a distance, as the last 2 km was on a gravel road so we couldn't go any closer. This is at the start/end of the Gibb River Road, a 650km 4wd only road that seems very popular. We then spent a couple of nights at Kununarra, by Lily Creek Lagoon, where we enjoyed a night at the Speedway watching cars drift around a dirt track by floodlight. Everyone backs their vehicle up the fence and sits with their picnics and drinking beer (or hot chocolate). Yesterday we went to the nearby Mirima National Park, like a mini Bungle Bungles, where we scrambled across rocks hoping to avoid snakes and enjoying the shapes and coloured banding of the rocks. We then crossed the boarder and a time zone, into the Northern Territory on another long driving afternoon before stopping in a busy little roadside rest area. The terrain has become more interesting over the last couple of days as the flat land has given way to more rocky outcrops and trees. We are glad we timed our visit here for now, the dry season, as most of the highway is also a floodway and would be under water.Read more