22nd August - Tennant Creek

Another day at Tennant Creek, it is not the best little town, most of the businesses here are barred up and houses have security bars/screens on all windows, doors.   The caravan park we are at is quite comfortable, good amenities, facilities.   We spent the morning chasing up the parts for the ute and a mechanic to do the job.  All sorted and parts should be here tomorrow.   To fill in some time we take a walk up to Battery Hill and tourism centre.    

Battery Hill is the old Gold Mine, closed down only in 2005, not that long ago. They used caustic acid to extract the gold from the granite, sounds a bit savage...

My Darl often calls me his little Sturt Desert Rose, yeah I know some of you might think that a bit strange or soppy or something, however at Battery hill we found a little Sturt Desert Rose, so now know what it looks like, pretty little thang!

20th - 21st August - Tennant Creek

All packed up and looking forward to getting to the marbles.  Oh yeah the problem with the car was the ignition immobilizer, Brian didn't have new one so took one off his customer's car (in for gear box fix) otherwise it would be a week wait. Something we didn't fancy in Tennant Creek.  We stopped to fuel up at Tennant Creek and we noticed an awful clunking noise from beneath the car.  We spent a good hour or more by the road side trying to pin point, Darl thought it was the muffler again, re tied this but not that.

By this time we had unhooked the trailer, driving the car forward and back, forward and back.  I was just about to call the trusty mechanic Brian, when guess what, he just appeared cruising by.  It pays to get in the know with the locals as he pulled up to offer a diagnosis.  Yep the universal this time!   We are beginning to think the Roo is having the last laugh on us.  As it is Saturday nothing is going to get done now till Monday, so Janiece and us book into the Outback caravan park, set up and set off to the pub!  Funny we walked into one bar of the pub, ordered drinks and the barman suggested we go to next door bar as it was much nicer with beer garden etc.

We took his advice and Mel met a nice local man at the bar.   Reckons not to go walking around the streets after dark as the young teenagers will mug you.  Don't have to tell us twice.  This gent doesn't even walk the 200 metres from local club to his home, he gets the courtesy bus to take him.  Sunday is a lay day, Darl washes the car, refixes the bumper bar, it's looking pretty good now.  We ride the pushies down after 6pm to get some wine, but they only sell casks between 4-6pm and we must show ID to ensure there is no bans applicable for purchase of alcohol, luckily I am right and settle for a couple bottles wine instead of cask.   Janiece is travelling in a Troopy, decked out and fully self sufficient, similar to Lenore also travelling alone.  They have fridge, showers, solar, 12 volt power, extra fuel/water supplies AND they have power tools, Darl is impressed.  So he borrowed Janiece's drill to tidy up the bumper.   We are hoping to get the car fixed Monday morning.

19th August - Another day at Pebbles

We had a leisurely start to the day as we only had 80 odd kms to go to get to the Devils Marbles on the other side on Tennant Creek.  We packed up and set off, however we only got about 200 metres down the road when the ute conked out!  This was about lunch time on Friday, what are the chances of getting a tow truck or mechanic in Tennant Creek at this time of day?? Luckily we had phone service in this area so after a couple calls we got onto Brian the local mechanic, tow guy.  He said he'd be out within the hour.

In the meantime, here we are stuck in the middle of the road, a wide road thankfully.  So we unhooked the trailer and emptied the ute in readiness to be towed away and fixed.  Funny while we were there about 4 cars drove by (day trippers looking at the pebbles) and only 1 car pulled up to ask if we were okay, or maybe they were just inquisitive.  Anyway Brian turned up but not in the tow truck cause that was broke down.  He had a look then went away to get some parts and would come back, he left his tools so this was a certainty.

Lucky for us Lenore was still in camp and come to our rescue to tow the trailer and our goods and shackles back to camp so we could set up for another nite, this time we tied the tent to the fence posts.  Another lady rocked in travelling on her own, Janiece, so Darl thought he was in heaven just him and 3 chicks and a dog.  Another beautiful starry night.   Yep it's getting colder now and we are just getting our first real taste of winter.  I catch a glimpse of my first shooting star!

Janiece is travelling same way as us and suggests that we travel together.  She has had a few "funny" moments with strangers along the way, so we think it a good idea.  Darl and I head off for a bit of a walk through the pebbles before packing up and setting off for the marbles, again not in a hurry as after all it is only about an hour if that down the road.

18th August - Mt Isa to The Pebbles (Kunjarra)

We managed to get away reasonably early today, we are amazed how many k's we can do now we are on the bitumen, not like the Cape trip.  All we see on the roads are road trains, (yep even the army do road trains) caravans and 5 wheelers, oh yeah and we saw quite a few dead cows along the road side.   Thank god we didn't have any encounters with cows.   Today we crossed the QLD/NT boarder.    I saw a sign "Photo Opportunity" ahead, before I knew it we had passed it, I said "Darl that was the border"! but there was no going back, a photo opportunity missed.

 

Our first stop in the NT was the Barkly Homestead along the Barkly highway.  No sticker here to add to our collection, it is the first and last stop (first over the border and last before the border).   Had picnic lunch here and watched the road trains, caravans, 5 wheelers come and go.  We drove on and decided to stop over at The Pebbles another free camp, we are getting into the free camp thing.  Had to go over 6kms of dirt but it was easy dirt to get there.  The Pebbles (Kunjarra) is a place of Munga Munga dreaming, i.e. womens dreaming site for ceremonies and dance.  NO MEN ALLOWED.

When we arrived there was one other camper, a lady travelling on her own, Lenore and her pup Molly.  We thought this was a great spot off the road, until Darl went to hammer the pegs in, the ground was like concrete, so we improvised with some small pebbles......   We had not long arrived and getting set up, when in rocked Magnus and his missus in their big 4WD and flash van.   He basically just pulled up got outa the car and bailed up Darl for a yak and a drink which is all good. They cranked up AC/DC on the car stereo, for a couple hours didn't seem quite right in this sacred aboriginal site.....

I had to wonder about Magnus, as he wanted to have a camp fire which all good but under the shelter?  Not so good.  Out with the chainsaw to cut up some logs, we talked him into having the fire in the designated fire place.  This is awesome country, we are starting at the pebbles and working our way up to the big one!  Ayers Rock, via Devils Marbles.  The sky is just so big out here, the night sky is just a mass of stars, we can visibly see the milky way, southern cross, saucepan etc.

One thing about this spot, it is blowing an absolute gale and during the night the trailer actually gets a bit of a shake up, not that my Darl would notice as he is happily snoring his head off.

This is a view of the camp site from the top of the pebbles, mind you they are big pebbles.   Magnus had left and this is our camp and Lenore's.   She has a brand new Ford Ranger and an old sturdy van, decked out and painted butterflies on outside.

16th - 17th August Mt Isa

We got away from Banga Bang at 9am, this is one of our earlier get aways, we seem to be averaging 10 to 10.30am get aways mostly.  We fuelled up at Burke and Wills roadhouse, we thought there might be some memorbilia there re BnW but no, just another road house and camp ground.  From the turn off to Mt Isa (left to Cloncurry) we saw signs to watch out for bicycle riders.  It wasn't long before we saw some, this was a tandom cycle, 2 up and not far further along there were 2 cyclists heading our way.  Did I mention the 2 we saw cycling to the tip of Cape York (fm Cairns) now that is keen! 

We arrived at Mt Isa and booked into Moodarra Caravan Park on the western side of town, ready for a quick getaway, here for two nights. We have to get the aircon looked at and the brake lights fixed (fuses keep blowing).  We booked car in and told them to fix the fuse problem and quote on the aircon fix before proceeding.  Well they fixed the aircon ($300) and couldn't find any fault with the fuses, have to wait till the fault gets bigger and visible?? How come they fixed the aircon?? That's Mt Isa for ya.  

When we booked into the park, we pulled up alongside a couple, who we recognised from being in Weipa (but hadn't met), nice couple Peter and Diane.  They asked if we saw the historic site out of Georgetown with the old chimney, which we had.  They apparently had camped their a few nights ago and lit a small camp fire, which just happened to get away on them and set a couple of acres alight!   They had to call emergency on mobile and were running around liks chooks trying to douse the flames.  They had under control when the authorities arrived. 

Now Darl and I would never get ourselves into that situation (we hope).  We took a ride (Suzi) to Lake Moondarra, pics above, beautiful spot lots of Lyre birds (male and female) in one of the parks, never seen so many in one spot before.  Funny thing I saw an amourous couple (Darl was busy concentrating on riding, good boy) by the lake when we went by, when we come back the guy was completely naked standing there with a roarin roger! Must've been one of those office affair matinee.. sorry no pics Darl was riding too fast.  Mine site by the town, not our cup of tea.

15th August - Georgetown to Bang Bang

Our neighbours at Georgetown, friendly and have some good advice, the last thing they said to us there is a lot of kangaroos on the way we were headed.   Yep we saw him on the rise, 1 paw rested on the guide post and 1 paw on his hip, lookin', thinkin' will I won't I, will I won't I?  Well he did and he got splattered!  Ding in the front left side bumper and left his mark on the way out the rear end.   It was roo jerky by the end of the day and Darl reckons there weren't much left of him, bit of dive, grab and go for the crows and eagles, no chewin involved, they would've loved it!  Bumper?  Lucky for 100mph tape..

It seems the "Check Engine" thing is fixed, we drove over a free wash down bay at Mt Surprise couple days ago and the light hasn't come on since, what a nice surprise!     Today we are headed for our 2nd free camp, at Bang Bang just north of Burke and Wills roadhouse.   We decide to take a look at Normanton and top up the fuel.  We had a little photo shoot with this croc, would you believe an accurate remake of the actual shot by a WOMAN back in the 50's.   I'm struggling to believe but they say it is true and the locals say there is another out there now same size..

We have a couple cold ones at the Purple Pub with the friendly locals.   Scored a free fourex sticker and a free Purple pub sticker, special!   Off we set to Bang Bang, awesome spot in the bush on the side of the road, but quite a big area and several travellers pull up there for the night. Beautiful starry night, haven't seen any shooting stars yet.    We like these camps with plenty of room, not on top of each other.   Quiet spot really and not much traffic noise at all during the night.

Just for something different here is a sunrise at Bang Bang camp spot.  

14th August - Rocky Creek to Georgetown

We have had a problem since leaving Musgrave station the "Check Engine" light keeps flashing on/off.    Darl disconnected the battery before leaving Rocky Creek to see if fixed the problem, but no luck.   We also keep blowing brake light fuses.  Could this be the result of the last few weeks travelling the Cape roads we wonder???   Today we left Rocky Creek 11.30am yep slow start, old mate neighbours take a liking to chatting with Darl, that's okay.   We take a leisurely drive via Atherton, Ravenshoe and Mt Surprise to our stop at Georgetown.

We had a quick stop off at Windy Hill above, lucky it was only a quick one as it was very windy and chilly there.  On the way we have our first encounters with the road trains, which we have heard so much about, you gotta get off the road completely for these guys when you meet them on the single lane bitumen sections.  Yep we got that.   This was our first one, from behind and he politely indicated we could overtake which we did thankfully and without any drama.  I wish I could say the same about our next encounter.  We met this one oncoming!

I thought my Darl is going to slow down and get off the road totally any minute now....  Yep he did it was not so slow, and also there was about a one foot drop off from the roads edge and a guide post fast approaching!   I could see my Darl struggling with the wheel, I didn't dare look to see where the trailer was heading, anyway Darl yet again pulled it off and got us back on the road safely!!  We pulled up at Georgetown this lovely little camp spot, $15 a night bargain, nice facilities.   Went for a bicycle ride around town, I almost got attacked by a ferocious dog of the bully kind, but Darl saved the day with his shouting and swearing and the owner appeared to call the dog back.....no apology, they probably do that to all the tourists.    We received some tips from fellow travellers that the operater at the BP here in Georgetown not too friendly towards tourists, so we did all our business with the Ampol....  An interesting and eventful day, but we survived to tell the tales.

13th August - Lions Den to Rocky Creek Memorial Park

A lookout on the way from Lions Den to our next stop over near Mareeba, we have decided to try our first free camp.  It is really great to get back on the bitumen if we haven't already said that...

The Cape was an experience, we enjoyed all the places we stayed, but it's a whole different world up there.  In the Cape the licencing laws seem to vary from day to day.  At Weipa you couldn't buy cask wine until 5pm.  At the pub drive thru you had to be in registered vehicle for service, then next day you had to show ID to buy.  No Port available for sale anywhere on the Cape.

From the lookout, looking back to where we have come from, you can see a speck or two of the road through the hills.   Now we made it to our first free camp with some anticipation, though there were no showers, toilets available for use and gold coin donation appreciated, all good.  Rocky Creek Memorial Park is a memorial to all fallen servicemen from the Mareeba and surrounding districts, all set in rock faces, very nice and special place.    They had a VP day on the day after we arrived so only had half the camping area available, bit squeezy... we the only camper, others vans, winnies, 5 wheelers, 1 bicycle rider.

12th August - Lions Den

We packed up and had a big day ahead, 30kms down the road to Lions Den Hotel, a lovely little country pub with lots of character and history by the Little Annan River.  We could stay here for a week it is so nice, but we are here for the night, few drinks at the pub and to catch 8 Ball Aitken, country/blues singer.   Had a great nite but still couldn't face a swim in Little Annan, bit too chilly.

These "Windy Loos" are everywhere up here.  We had the pleasure of the experience back outside Coen on way back from Cape.   Pretty basic but do the job and saves a trip to the bush!  This one at a little spot outside Cooktown on way to Lions Den, Quarantine Bay.
We invaded this little fellas territory at Lions Den.   Bet he would've loved a feed but we were all out.    Lots of bush turkeys around where ever we go.

Cooktown

We took off on the pushies for a self guided tour around Cooktown, it ain't that big and made some new friends along the way, here's Mel with his new mate James.

Me with Mick the miner, he was here a few years back earning a living mining tin.  As you can see the weather is pretty magic, but the nights and mornings are now getting cooler, might have to actually get a jumper out.

Me and 3 "Chinamen" and one child....

Darl getting ready for some action.  They have a great display at the RSL and also a sub branch across the road, lots of wartime memorabilia from old and modern day wars.

View from Grassy Hill, Lookout - we were told was the place to be for the sunsets.   We are getting back to civilistion.   The Cooktown Orchid Caravan Park is full of Winnebago's, motorhomes and caravans, something you don't see any of up the cape, though there are a few adventurous ones that have taken their caravans up the top, I mean 25 footers, what the??  A couple of nice looking resorts and restaurants around here.  

  

Loyalty Beach to Cooktown

Said good-bye to this little fella, a frog mouth owl, one of 4 in trees around our camp at Loyalty.  There were 3 grey and 1 golden, the golden one flew in from PNG - we want to see his papers!   They said you might see horses roaming through too...  they were out by the road side and around town, looks like they have the run of the place.   Horses scavanging in garbage bins, no dogs in sight...  Road kill is different up here, bush pigs, eagles.  AND big mother giant bull green ants, we carried a few back down the track with us as we couldn't shake them all off the tent.

This shot of the infamous Bamaga pub as we were leaving town, the one where all the colorful locals head for a quiet ale or two.   My Darl takes me to all the good places...  We braced ourselves for the trek ahead.  Surprisingly the road didn't seem as bad as what it was on the trip up, after all we are going down hill aren't we.

We made it to the Jardine ferry, making good time and we thought we might be in for a continued better run all the way, WRONG!!  The road turned to shite after the ferry and continued that way for quite some way.    Actually it was bad up to about 30kms before Bramwell Junction.

We had a little relief from bouncing around, when we stopped, undid the trailer got the bike out and rode down about 3kms to Fruit Fly falls (or is that Fruit Bat??)    Yeah Fruit Bat.  We ran into a couple we dubbed Mr and Mrs Immaculate, as their camp site at Weipa was immaculate, no dirt, dust, every panel was straight as and they had an all round verandah (tarp cover over the lot).  It was nice to see that others had had enough of the corros and they were cutting for it, as far as they could get today..and they probably would get far as they were in 4WD.

Us?  We were cutting for it too, however our wheels go a bit slower than others on the road, or should I say heaps! slower.  My Darl has done an awesome job to keep us going and getting us there. We have driven on right side, left sides of road, in the gutters anywhere we could avoid the corros.   Pic at left, yep in the gutter.   Anyone following us would see our fish tail tracks.

Another gutter shot, yep me OVER the corros!  I am hoping the rest of Australia is not like this.  I devised a new corro rating system:
Travel 70 - 80 kph - GOOD
Travel 40kph - BAD
Travel 5kph - UGLY
I have left one rating for the Kimberleys where we have been told the corros are huge and wide and deep, I'll give them the rating of MOTHER OF ALL MOTHERS I think.

We were debating whether to pull up at Bramwell Junction or 40kms further down track to Moreton.  We actually did make better time today, only taking 5 hrs to Bramwell (230kms) instead of the 7 it took on the way up.  It is still a long day, so we opted for Bramwell and also in the hope that we would get to see some 4WD negotiating Palm Creek.   We jumped on the Suzi - Palm Creek is only 4kms from the camp ground.  We have to take pot luck if we get to see any travellers or not.

Guess what, we were in luck, we arrived just as two young couples (Luke and Jenna, just moved to Mackay and their friends from Sydney) were about to cross.   The first 4WD had to be winched up and the 2nd one, well see for yourself.  It was awesome to watch, Darl was darting all over the place, I could just see him ready to jump down into the quagmire and get dirty with them.  His heart rate was racing!  Luckily the only damage to Luke and Jenna's self made trailer was the mud guard, everthing else in the trailer survived.

Got chatting to Luke and Jenna later, they are keen to do the whole Tele track again next year.  Jenna is going to ride her motorbike (all of 22) with her dad and brother, Luke will stick to the 4WD.   From Bramwell we made our way to Musgrave Station, only a couple hundred k's left before we hit never ending bitumen at Lakeland.  People will tell you it is all bitumen to Laura, however the road is a work in progress and not far off being completed.  At Musgrave still pretty much in the midway point, Cairns to the Top.

Not far out of Musgrave they are in the middle of grading the road, they were also grading between Coen and Musgrave.    It's been a few weeks since we have travelled the road and it's hard to remember the good, bad and ugly stretches, but it's looking pretty good at the moment.  We have heard of quite a few fatalities over the last 10 days, 2 at Weipa, 2 bike riders Captain Billys Landing road, 1 at Coen, 1 at Archer River, then someone said there was a triple fatality.  We would know that 3 are for sure, but when you don't see or hear the news we're not getting

confirmed reports.    Even so, it is still very sobering and scary to think there could've been so many deaths in a short time.   These roads are no doubt dangerous to travel, they show no mercy to any driver whether you are in 2wd or 4wd, everyone has to drive to the conditions, just like everywhere else.

Here's the old car that made it up to the Cape way back when.. I am so glad we didn't go searching for this at Coen where my darl thought it was, cause it was at Laura....

One for the boys, yes this is us in transit somewhere back along the track and the speedo is working.    You know what they say, slow and steady wins the race.   When we left Musgrave the roads were in a lot better condition and I could sense my little Possum Borne was coming out of his shell again - yep we got up to 100k's on some stretches (VERY GOOD rating), less corros but more rocky.  Oh yeah somewhere along the track we had a little moment when Darl got a bit eager for the gutters, it was deep, soft sand....we got out just.

Last Day at Loyalty

Sunday, 7th August - had a bit of a vege morning, then went for a putter on the Suzi in search of some old WWII plane crash sites, there is a few around here.   We found two, a DC3 and the other we are not sure if it was a Kitty Hawk or Beaufort, according to the map these two should not be far from each other but we only found one.    We are finding that they aren't really geared up for tourists up here as there is next to no signage or information to help us out.    If you got on a wrong track, one could quite easily get lost out there.      We knew we found the DC3 as this site was fenced with a memorial.    The other wreckage site was not fenced off and had no memorial.    In the surrounding bush there were hundreds rusted fuel drums, obviously left from that era also. 

The Beaufort or Kittyhawk

The DC3












Tomorrow we hit the track back down to civilisation, we've prepacked tonight so we can make a quick getaway, that'll probably be the only thing quick about our trip back to Cooktown.  We look like taking 4-5 days to do this leg and I don't expect too much internet service. 

One fellow happy camper offered to take a photo of "you and the old girl" - he was obviously talking about the bike!