Well what to tell about our night out at Daly Waters Pub... food was great!!!!! but we were almost alone in the pub, so no live band or ambiance ...so we played a game of cards...life can be though in the Northern Outback... Back on Stuart HGW up North we have a coffee break at the Pink Panther Larriman Pub, as they say for themselves...one of the top 10 bush pubs in Australia...well perhaps the beers are better, but coffee was poor and pink is the theme color... Next stop for refueling and some shopping at Katherine, situated on the Katherine River and the 4th largest settlement in the Northern Territory, it has some gold mining industry and is also a tourism gateway to the Nitmiluk National Park, particularly Katherine Gorge and its many ancient rock paintings. During the wet season the region is known for heavy flooding... As we arrived at the Katherine Gorge , I spoke with a local, because the river was muddy and he said 3 days ago our friend cyclone Nathan passed by and they had heaps of rain and the water level had raised with 4 m , so swimming was prohibited because crocodiles had been seen in the area...we took an 1 hour walk to the highest lookout point Jawoyn with a nice view over the River and the Gorge... Next visit to the Edith Falls...same story, upper basin closed for swimming ,crocodile danger... We end our road in Pine Creek, the gateway at the Kakadu National Park...something for tomorrow...
This caravan park Barlow Creek was as far now the worst one we had and it was so dirty that I cancelled my shower this morning...so remind this about Barlow Creek...great special pub, but do not stay over for the night.... Back on the track on Stuart HGW for another 650 km up North direction Darwin...as further we go North outside temperatures raise again and it doesn't take long to reach temperatures above 35 degrees again... Desert landscapes start to get greener and greener and more bushes make their appearance again as we get closer to Daly Waters with it's historic Pub, our campspot for the night and yes ...clean showers!!!!!!! Saturday night = pub night, so we have a great meal and a few drinks ....
Today is a real road day, we would like to get at Daly Waters with it's historical pub on Saturday evening, so 1475 km to drive in 2 days...no time to waste , so right after breaking up camp we hit the road again on Stuart HGW, also known as the Explorer Way... Well , as there is no alternative sealed road we have to drive it again ...After 826 km , tired and hungry there is no other choice as to stop at Barlow Creek Roadhouse , as night starts to fall... till now , the cheapest night ( 7,5 AUD) all together ...but as soon we get to seethe toilets and showers we do understand why...it is disgusting!!!!!!! but on the other hand an amazing pub where the owner , as soon we tell him we're from Belgium, he pull's out a box filled with Belgian item's left by Belgian tourists...so I left a business card to fill up his box...lol... Time to hit the sack as tomorrow we have another long road day...
Kulgera Roadhouse - Coober Pedy- Cadney Roadhouse 580 km
Well, as we didn't make it to Cooktown, because of cyclone "Nathan" we have some days left, so we decided to drive back to Southern Australia to visit Coober Pedy , an old Opal mining town, also known as The Opal town of Australia and probably in the world... It only take's 20 km to cross the South Australian Border and off we are for +/_ 450 km to Coober Pedy driving most of the time through desert... Approaching Coober Pedy you can't miss it, they are digging for Opal everywhere... Opal was first found in 1915, since then it has been the major supplier of gem quality Opal. Today Coober Pedy relies as much on tourism as the Opal Mining Industry and with a population of 3500 and over 45 different nationality's it has become a cosmopolitan town and perhaps one of the most unique places in Australia... Most of the people still live in a dug out, a house digged out the sandstone rocks where it is summer/winter 23 degrees, nice and cool in summer and nice and comfy in winter, as 46 degrees can be called a normal summer day, I can't understand why people choose to live there and I must say, you can't compare it no longer with what it was in the early twentiers, the dug out today is nice and comfortable place to live... After a visit at the Opal Mine, very interesting to see how men tried everything and lived and worked in hard times to find Opal to provide them a better life, only a few succeeded....but still a lot are working for that same dream... Back on the track we drive back up North to stop for the night at Cadney Roadhouse.
At 06h35 we are present to watch the sunrise at Ayers Rock and The Olga's....it wasn't perfect but worth to see as it was a bit cloudy... After brekkie we take a drive around the Rock an a walk, to end with a very interesting visit at the ULURU-Kata Tjuta Culturel Centre , all about Aborigine arts and habits. Ayers Rock known by the Aborigines as Uluru and The Olga's as Kata Tjuta are very important to them...Anangu are the traditional owners of Uluru and Kata Tjuta and the surrounding land...For thousands of years Anangu people have cared for this land and to the this has always been a special place, it isn't just a rock, it is a living place... Lot's of tourist took away a piece of the Rock to remember their trip , but Anangu people have asked through the years to respect the Rock and no longer take away pieces of it and even asked people that did so in the past to bring them back to the Rock, which a lot off people did and still do , even from overseas...they are called 'the sorrow stones' We have to keep on moving and it's time to take a last look at the Rock before we get back on Lasseter HGW to Erldunda where we have to find back our toaster that Luc accidentally threw away in the garbage bin...guess what, we were lucky as we found it back ...We take a right down South direction Coober Pedy, an old historic Opal Mine with a overnight stop at the last and first Roadhouse pub in the Northern Territory , Kulgera Roadhouse...Goodnight blokes and shiela's .....
9h30 we have to say goodbye to our homie "Coco" and welcome our new , baptized "Coco II'...it takes some time to change all our things and while Luc, Martin and Dorine are taking care of this , I drive into town to buy a new laptop ...after some really good advice I decide to make the switch to Apple and I get out the shop with a MacBook Air...now comes the hardest part for a computer dummy as me...installing it and get it to work...but these are worries for this evening, first we have to drive to Yulara ,sitting at the feet of Ayers Rock or Uluru. We get back on Stuart HGW with a first stop at the Cannonball Memorial for the competitors that lost their live during the Cannonball Race... Driving between the Seymour Range and Charlotte Range brings us to Erldunda for a fuel stop and out of nowhere some Aborigines try to sell us some paintings for a few dollars and beer...they are not allowed to buy alcohol and this is the way they try to get hand on alcohol...but they are not at all aggressive , rather friendly... In Erldunda we get on the Lasseter HGW that leads us to Yulara and the Red Center of Australia, red sanded desert as far you can see... Arrived at Yulara, there is only one big camping so no choice here and we hurry to see the sunset on Ayers Rock and The Olga's...not perfect as clouds came in late afternoon but tomorrow morning they forecast clear sky for the sunrise... Time to struggle with MacBook...it works after some time but if someone can tell me how to resize pictures in iphoto i would be welcome as I can't find it...help...if you can please email me kris.meeze@gmail.com
A lot to do today, the 2 girls need big maintenance, oil change and tyre change , a real luxury day for them we've booked at Desert Edge Motorcycles...
Next job on the list is our precious "Coco",she needs to be look after aswell,so we bring her to the Kea Branch in Alice and get a 4x4 for the day..."Jessie"...let's try her out on the dirt roads, but first I've got to drop off my laptop to see if it can be fixed...Getting off the sealed roads on to a little gravel road that takes us to an old settlement Undoolya, followed by a fun drive to Ross River through the stunning Macdonnell Ranges, they say millions of yesrs ago they were as high as the Himalaya...well I can tell, they shrunked quite a bit, some stops and stroll's at Emily and Jessie(yes indeed...lol...)Gap , Corroboree Rock and Trephins Gorge...awesome!!!!
We have lunch at the Ross River bar,where the owner told us that 2 years ago they had a big bushfire that caused a lot of dammage , but she still had the good spirit and all busy to rebuild things again...the Australian way I guess...
Back at the Branch to pick up "Coco", bad news, they can't repair the problem...no spare parts...so we have to say goodbye to "Coco" tomorrow...so long, you've been good to us and a pleasure to travel...snif
Time to pick up the ladies , all cleaned up and ready to rock and roll...
Some more bad news, hard disk fron my laptop crashed, probably loss if all my data and pictures😢😢
We've got to pack this evening ...
Well what to tell about our night out at Daly Waters Pub... food was great!!!!! but we were almost alone in the pub, so no live band or ambiance ...so we played a game of cards...life can be though in the Northern Outback...
This caravan park Barlow Creek was as far now the worst one we had and it was so dirty that I cancelled my shower this morning...so remind this about Barlow Creek...great special pub, but do not stay over for the night....
Today is a real road day, we would like to get at Daly Waters with it's historical pub on Saturday evening, so 1475 km to drive in 2 days...no time to waste , so right after breaking up camp we hit the road again on Stuart HGW, also known as the Explorer Way...
Well, as we didn't make it to Cooktown, because of cyclone "Nathan" we have some days left, so we decided to drive back to Southern Australia to visit Coober Pedy , an old Opal mining town, also known as The Opal town of Australia and probably in the world...
At 06h35 we are present to watch the sunrise at Ayers Rock and The Olga's....it wasn't perfect but worth to see as it was a bit cloudy...
9h30 we have to say goodbye to our homie "Coco" and welcome our new , baptized "Coco II'...it takes some time to change all our things and while Luc, Martin and Dorine are taking care of this , I drive into town to buy a new laptop ...after some really good advice I decide to make the switch to Apple and I get out the shop with a MacBook Air...now comes the hardest part for a computer dummy as me...installing it and get it to work...but these are worries for this evening, first we have to drive to Yulara ,sitting at the feet of Ayers Rock or Uluru.
A lot to do today, the 2 girls need big maintenance, oil change and tyre change , a real luxury day for them we've booked at Desert Edge Motorcycles...
