24th - 28th May 2016
UFO sightings galore apparently. It must be true 'cos you can buy the T-shirt or stubby cooler or hat or key chain or.........
They are massive.
The last morning at Trephina Gorge. The most beautiful sunrise / moon set. Perfect ending to a perfect week.
On the way out we stopped for a walk around Corroboree Rock.
Back to the mayhem of Alice and restocking supplies, checking and taking care of "life" emails etc. etc.!!! But the best part catching up on phone calls with family. Our adventure is amazing, but we really miss those hugs.
Three days with a melting pot of campers at the back of the Gap Hotel. $11.00 a night sums up the camp site. You get what you pay for. It was an experience to say the least! Electrical leads strewn across the ground all over the place, rubbish piled up, and the shower block.......hhhmmmmmm!!!
Anyhow, we survived and it kept us amused.
Sadly our besties, Deb and Harry, had to make a dash back to Brisbane for a week so we headed off solo north up the Stuart Highway. We have done this drive before, so not much stopping.
Even in the outback there are "big" things. At Aileron Roadhouse it is the Big Aboriginee!
Next stop is Ti Tree. This was a must stop from last time. Acres of mango trees on one side, and table grape vines on the other. But the best part is the mango ice cream!
The BEST mango ice cream! Pretty much frozen cream with mango chunks in it.
Happy Days!
The vines don't look very impressive. Obviously wrong time of year. Last visit, which was in the month of October, they were lush and green. Still not what you would expect in the middle of the outback. Apparently this area supplies the bulk of table green and red grapes to Australia!
Plenty of these big boys hurtling up and down the highway.
Overnight stop at Barrow Creek Hotel. No expense spared for our 38th wedding anniversary. For such a dot on the map there is a bit to learn about here.
The Hotel was built in 1927 and I don't think there has been a great deal of upkeep since. However....Rusty and Kate kept us well entertained. The epitome of the bush publican. Plenty of amusing yarns in between his own drinks.
Barrow Creek Hotel.
$7.50 for a cosy powered plot. We won't mention the showers.
Rusty.
Like all good outback pubs there is memorabilia and crap everywhere.
The menu...we decided against the Bullshit Burger and went for the Friday night special....pizza. It was bloody good too!
No idea who owned these shoes but they definitely had a firm grip on the earth!!!
So the Barrow Creek area is famous for the disappearance and suspected murder of Peter Falconio. For those who are interested, this is the story.
Barrow Creek was also an important link in the Overland Telegraph. Had a great time wondering around the buildings. But the best part was being able to FaceTime with Jaxson and Chelsea at the same time and showing them first hand a bit of history. Jaxson had already learned about Morse Code so it was neat to show him how it was used originally.
The main residence and Station House.
The jailhouse up the back!
The back of the residence has a courtyard with a massive water well. I'm no good at judging distances but I would say at least 20 feet deep.
This is Northern Territory roadkill. Plenty of dead Fords on the side of the road!
Next rest stop is Wycliffe Well and the UFO Centre. Man, the stuff they come up with out here!
Maybe not.
This is our third visit to the Devil's Marbles. I absolutely love this area and spent hours climbing all around the phenomenal boulders. They look like alien creations but in fact are a simple product of millions of years of erosion!
These are just some of the hundred or so photos!
Close up of weathering.
The so,it rocks look like they have been cut in half with a saw.
Even in this barren landscape the desert rose survives.
Looking down on our camp.
Pretty amazing sundowner view.
On the road again. Quick fuel and water top up at Tennant Creek. Been there, done that last time. Nothing worth stopping for.
Last trip we stopped at Renner Springs with promises - from the brochure - of a lovely relaxing spring to cool off in. Well....just a muddy puddle with bad tempered geese!
Nothing has changed ha ha ha! They did have the best bread for sale though and I was really looking forward to getting some. Bloody oven was broken. No bread. So just fuel and an ice-cream!
Fancy a dip????
Don't know that I want to take the plunge!
Next camping stop we are really looking forward to. Longreach Waterhole, about 330klm north of the Devil's Marbles. We haven't been there before, but have heard nothing but great reviews. Two weeks of utter relaxation on the shores of a prolific birdlife waterhole.
A snippet of the next blog........
View east up the waterhole from our camp.
Our front "garden". Guess it will do.
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