Alice springs to Kakadu June 3rd to June 17th
After leaving Alice Springs we detoured 80 kms along the Plenty Hwy to Gemtree. This area is known as the gem fields as it contains a lot of semi precious stones.
At gemtree we enjoyed a camp dinner but the night was freezing despite the fire.
The camp ground one of the most desert like we have encountered.
We went fossicking for garnets, finding quiet a lot of colour with three stones being worth cutting. 2x 3mm and 1x 4 mm which John is having cut for me and put into a pennant for my birthday.
Continuing up the Stuart hwy, with its very prominent termite hills
Via Aileron
Which is a small roadhouse the town displaying two seven metre high indigenous statues.
Via Wauchope, a very different town to our local Wauchope, it was just a pub in the middle of nowhere, we stayed nearby at Wyecliffe where the donkeys joined us for breakfast.
Onwards , To the Devils Marbles
Tennant creek
Here we are waiting for Ian and Margaret, friends of Johns for 40 years. they have travelled from Qld in their RV and we will join them for our travels for a few days.
View of Tennant creek from Bill Allen’s Lookout
Mary Res Dam
Telegraph station
we visited a gold mine, this was an excellent tour. Here in Tennant Creek gold is found in Iron Ore where in all other gold is found in Quartz.
The pebbles is an area similar to the Devils Marbles but on a much smaller scale.
Ian and Marg have arrived and after a night catching up at Tennant creek we moved on to a free spot near Newcastle, next day visiting the relics of a town long deserted.
Onto Daly Waters, a roadside pub with great atmosphere, live music and a tradition is the beef and Barra dinner. We started with a beer and lunch at the pub and left when the music finished that night.
We visited a WW@ plane hanger and the tree carved by Stuart as he explored the outback.
Back to hwy via
Larrimah with its local museum with stories of WW2 , the area involved as staging post. The run down pub is known for its pink Panther theme and free zoo , which currently is being revamped and only Sammy the cranky croc is here with one or two Roos and a emu.
After lots of long days driving we arrived at Mataranka, the town of the Never Never and thermal Springs. Here the temperature has improved and finally the flies have gone. Gosh what a difference this makes to travelling.
The next day we parted company from Ian and Marg, we will see them in Darwin, and we visited Bitter Springs another Thermal spring here in Mataranka , much nicer than the other spring at the homestead van park, much fresher and in a running creek area.
Mataranka is known as the town of the Never Never, and the movie was made locally, with the replica of the house is here.
We are moving onto Katherine Gorge, but a stop at the Cutta Cutta caves was made on the way north.
Katherine gorge, was so beautiful and we enjoyed two nights here, time included a climb up 180 rocky and metal steps to the lookout over the gorge.
And a boat cruise through the first two gorges. Katherine gorge has thirteen gorges all together, but they clear the salt crocs from the first two gorges after the wet season to make it more suitable for tourists swimming and canoeing. However the fresh water croc still resides in these gorges
Next, Katherine, a three night stop.
Thermal springs, shopping and a drive around the local area, the low level bridge recreational area very picturesque.
Edith falls, a large swimming hole with waterfall. This was done as a day trip from Katherine, 40 kms away. We swam here but didnt climb to the top pool and waterfall as the day was 36 deg and too hot for climbing, we will return to here, before heading to Wa , the road going thru Katherine on the way, to WA.
We leave here to go into the Kakadu National park , a new blog , then onto Darwin.
