7 July 2015.
Well, we survived Territory Day with Steph and her fireworks ! It was a bit of fun though but the fireworks are a LOT dearer than they used to be back on cracker night !! They had packs at the shop for $500 - $1000 ...wow !! Too much for us. There was also a fireworks display across the road at the Katherine Showgrounds and I have uploaded some photos (or will soon).
We had a few drives around Katherine here and there prior to leaving and again, we are disgusted at the attitude of the local indigenous community and I DO NOT like being called a WHITE C*&^# whilst there are little girls in the back of my car at lunch time in the middle of town. I bit my lip and behaved myself...for a change. I know who the racist people are and it is not us...arseholes !!!! Why is it that you can only be racist if you are white ???? So racist :) I just hope it doesn't happen again or I might get cranky. Why don't they just get of their f)*&^% arses and do something with their lives instead of taking everything and giving nothing in return. City people should be witness to more of this and they might have a change of heart, or put a family of indigenous each side of them and see how long it would last. That would be great in Vaucluse :)
Took a lovely drive up to Edith Falls about 60km north of Katherine and had a little look around. It was a little windy and cool, so a swim was not the order of the day and for those that did swim, it was a bit freshClick here to view video of Edith Falls
After Katherine we moved on up to the top end, Darwin (300km), and are staying here a week at the Big4 Howard Springs Caravan park. Huge place, but why do they pack people in so tight ? We were lucky though and got a spot at the end of a row with plenty of free space and grass for the girls. Two pools, water park and a jumping pillow which the girls like now. Plenty of kids here and we were sitting around on Sunday when we heard Green Sleeves which we all know means Mr WHIPPY !!!! The girls had their first one ever and take a look at the photos and you will see how they enjoyed them. Keira and Zoe are enjoying themselves and are talking more and more as time goes by. 3 Months on the road now.
Darwin has changed a little bit in the time since our last visit 6 years ago, but on the whole, mostly the same. Hot, Sunny and plenty of tourists. We are booked on a little tour on one of those Army Ducks tomorrow which will be after we take to girls to see the fish feeding. Had lunch at Stokes Wharf today and that is always a nice outlook from Darwin, beautiful blue ocean and while we were there a large U.S. Navy ship docked (USS WISCONSON) . And to those of you that do not know, and for those that do, I will remind you that Stokes Wharf is the place that took twice as many Bombs than Pearl Harbour in the Second World War and we lost more lives as well. Something that is not taught or reported on as much as Pearl Harbour ...why I don't know
Steph is now cooking a chook for dinner which should be lovely and I am waiting for the big State of Origin game tomorrow night and I think I will put the TV outside the van and stay away from licenced premises to stop getting into arguments:) GO THE BLUES !!!
7 July 2015.
Oh well, blues got smashed. Did they even play ?
Had the day out on visiting the fish feeding...rip off..and the Army Duck and the girls fell asleep before we hit the water and woke up when we got back to where we started :) We then had a picnic lunch in town and headed home. I had a game of golf on Thursday at Royal Darwin Golf course...nice course and greens were great. I hit them OK this time but again, I have lost my touch around the greens. It will come back soon I hope. We went to the Mindl Beach Markets for the great sunset of the Thursday night and had some food and the place was absolutely packed with people bumping into the prams all the time...nightmare. Packed up on the Friday morning and headed to Adelaide River Inn for a few days
Adelaide River is about 100 km south of Darwin and is a great little stopover with a nice pub and the 303 Bar with decent pub grub. We stayed out the back in the Van park with a great pool and will be here for 3 nights. On the Saturday we travelled back up a little and then into Litchfield National Park with a few great waterfalls and pools to cool off in. Pity at least one of the girls was asleep at each of the swimming holes :) Also saw the Magnetic Termite mounds..which are pretty amazing as they all face the same way.Click here to view video of Termite mounds ..We also travelled into the Lost City on a 4wd track for 10.5 km of corrugations and sand. It is a weird place with some strange formations which you can view on the photos page or click here to view video of Lost City .. made it home around 5.30pm for a nice cool drink.
Looks like the vans air con has packed it in....shit !!!
I forgot to mention a few weeks back Steph and I were sitting outside one night having a drink and trying to spot Satellites going over...yes, weird, I know, but Steph spotted one , or I should say two as they were running side by side and all of a sudden they disappeared. It wasn't a plane and yes, I saw it as well. Steph is convinced it was a UFO :)
20 July 2015.
Gee, what have we done in the past 2 weeks ?
Well, we got back into Katherine and headed about 12km out of town and stayed at the Manbulloo Homestead Caravan park which was about 3km from the highway, therefore very quiet. Stayed there a few nights and stocked up on some groceries and fuel and met some nice people. One couple were Tom and Julie from Wamberal with their two kids George and Gwenie. Tom was a Crime scene cop and also a weapons trainer...nice people, but what would you expect from a NSW Police Officer and family :) Click here to view video of Katherine River at Manbullooo
After a few days we headed west and stayed at a free camp we stayed at last year, Mathison rest area, and again met a nice couple, Robert and Noelene, who had been on the road for 5 years. Good on them !! We were also invaded by US Marines as they were returning from an excercise and stopped at the rest area to cool their Hummers down as they were not designed to sit on highway speeds. Stayed here 2 nights and watched the goings on around us inclding a domestic with 3 girls from the UK...and trying to help another couple from the Netherlands with a leaking radiator.Click here to view video of Mathison Rest Area
Next day we travelled to Timber Creek for fuel and tried to stay at a rest area in a National park, but it was too full so continued on to another one about 50km down the road. Our neighbours form the previous rest area stopped there as well. It was pretty dusty there, but pleasant enough. Woke early and then headed to a favourite rest area of mine, Saddle Creek, with a great cliff behind the rest area and about 110km short of Kununurra and the WA border. Click here to view video of Saddle Creek Met lovely people here last year, Niki and Matt, and stay in touch with them via FaceBook. Niki is a fabulous artist !
Crossed the border the next day and only had to hand over a near empty bottle of honey at the Check Point which was a bonus as we had used all of our fruit and vegies. Got into Kununurra early in the morning due to the 1.5 hour time difference and got the last van spot at the Town Van park. Great! Set up, bought beer, bathed kids and ourselves after being in the bush for 5 days and then hit the pub for a nice meal. Then back home to work on the computer
27 July 2015.
Finally getting a chance to sit down and do a little updating of the website. We are currently sitting at a free camp called Ellendale Pool, about 100km west of Fitzroy crossing. I have two kids in front of me eating biscuits and a big bloody cow on my right waiting for a biscuit as well. The kids have been feeding them and they are very tame, but try to butt them now and them. The cows came in to get fed yesterday and Keira was feeing one big bugger a Weetbix and Zoe said 'Don't eat me' in her little voice to the cow. :)
After we left Kununurra we stopped at a free camp we stayed at last year where I wrote on a board about the girls traveling Australia. The note was still there so I added extra for this year :)
We spent 3 days in Kununurra and had a look around and caught up with some groceries. We stayed at a different park this time, the Town Van park, very nice and will stay there if ever visiting there again. Close to town, small and friendly owners. After Kununurra we started to free camp across to Broome. First stop was at a nice place called Leycester rest area, named after a young boy who lost his life there in a motor vehicle collision. Click here to view video of Leycester Rest Area After there was a place we had been to before, Mary Pool, a very busy area about 300m from the highway on a dry river . Sometimes there is a freshwater croc there, but not this time, just a big Jabiru. Click here to view video of Mary Pool Rest AreaFrom there we traveled to where we are now with a large pond and probably about 40-50 cows wandering around. Ellendale Pond, a very popular place and with no dogs allowed due to the cattle, there are less vans than at other places. Click here to view video of Ellendale Pond Rest AreaWe ran into Robert and Noelene here again and enjoy their company. We are here for 3 nights and are running the Generator to charge up batteries etc as we have Telstra reception, which is unbelievable out here. There was no reception last year, but I have had nearly full bars since Kununurra. Well done Telstra ! En-route, we saw plenty of wildlife again including Eagles, Budgies, Cockatiels and a bunch of Brumbies.
We will be leaving here tomorrow to drive the 300km into Broome.
29 July 2015.
Arrived in Broome to 36 degrees !!! Had an incident about 30km out of town where some boofhead pulled out from a service station in a 90km/h zone and decided to travel at 50km/h causing me to brake hard and say a few choice words. Then 5 km down the road in a 100km/h area he again slowed to 50km/h....goose !
Set up in Palm Grove van park which is close to Cable Beach and a pub across the road. Big park and they are all expensive here at $52 per night for a powered site. We are staying for 20 days ! Steph and I both have colds and of course mine is nearly man flu and Steph can get over hers with a panadol :)
I had the air cond looked at and it can be repaired with no gaurantee for around $500 or a new one fitted for $2000. Wow !! I have to take the expensive option as I cannot afford $500 for nothing in case it doesn't work as the a/c was run for a little while without gas and had a busted pipe so it could've caused damage he can't see. Oh well, it is about 8 years old and I need the a/c for the girls due to being very hot up here. One of those things I suppose.
4 August 2015.
We've been enjoying ourselves here in Broome since arriving including visiting Cable beach, parking on the sand and enjoying the beautiful water. The Air Conditioner is now replaced and works a charm !!! Heaps better than the old one and nice and cool to have a nanna nap :) We visited the Sunset Bar & Grill on my birthday and had beer, Champagne and a bucket of prawns. The girls were tired so I threw them and Steph in a Bike rickshaw for a $10 ride home and I had to walk...but stopped and met them at the pub across the road from the van park...and why not :)
Here are a couple of videos of up here and I will post more soon. Beautiful scenery up here and also visit my August photos for some Drone shots of the Camels on the Beach. And more to come. We don't leave here until 17 August, so plenty of time to do some more photography and videos. I have also added some videos since the last update
Click here to view video of Gantheume Point, Broome
Click here to view video of Cable Beach, Broome
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