26th - 28th April - Shady Lane Caravan Park - Katherine

We have had a very relaxing 3 nights at Shady Lane Caravan Park at Katherine.  Which has been excellent after quite a few days of long kilometres to get here. Managed a little "retail therapy" in Katherine and a lot of swims in the pool which is right at our back door of the caravan. Weather has been quite warm but there are lots of shady trees and a nice breeze so very pleasant. Tuesday morning we head to Edith Falls which we are hoping is as nice as we have heard so we can stay a couple of nights.  Have now decided to go to Darwin first before heading into Kakadu as a few of the roads into the falls aren't open yet due to the wet season and there is also a 6 metre crocodile that needs to be caught and relocated before the tourists are allowed in.  Very Happy about That.......!!!  Really feel like I am on holidays now and hope to get lots more pictures now that we have slowed down.

Saturday 26th April 2014 Daly Waters Pub Free Camp – Shady Lane CP @ Katherine

A little sprinkle of rain during the night last night, but, not enough to cool things down at all.  Very hot and humid trying to sleep and quite uncomfortable.  Today we plan on stopping for a pie at Larrimah and then onto Mataranka for a swim in the thermal pools.  When we travelled to the NT with joy & Wayne in 2011 we stopped at Larrimah for a homemade pie and Barry is really hanging out for another.  Unfortunately got to Frans Pie stop and it was closed.  As it turns out, thankfully, she now charges $15 which is outrageous.  Had a bit of a look around the Pink Panther Hotel at Larrimah and was very disappointed.  Very run down and absolutely NO character whatsoever.  Maree was stunned that they could keep a beautiful frilled lizard in a cage not much bigger than a shoe box.  We may have to let someone know about that.  Called into Mataranka for a swim in the Thermal pools which was very nice but not cooling at all as the water temp is up around 30 degrees.  We then stayed for lunch at the Bar at Mataranka for a treat to ourselves.  Staying at Shady Lane Caravan Park at Katherine for a couple of nights before heading further north.  Great pool and lovely shady sites with grass, how good is that….yippppeeee.

Friday 25th April Wonarah Bore Free Camp - Daly Waters Pub Free Camp ANZAC DAY

Not a bad camp except for the flies, flies, flies.  Calling into Barkly Homestead to take some photos and then onto 3 ways where we meet up with The Stuart Highway.  Picked up a litre of milk at The Barkly Homestead for $4.20 OMG and the diesel was $2.09 a liitre, very, very expensive.  Thank goodness we didn’t need fuel.  Fuelled up at 3 ways and fuel was $1.95 a litre, still expensive but that’s just the way it is – we are a long way from anything so can’t complain.  I managed to do a stint of driving to give Barry a break today.  Drove from Frewena Rest Area into 3 ways which is approx. 140kms.  Now onto Renner Springs (136kms) for our lunch break.  Have spotted smoke off in the distance indicating a fire but don’t think it will worry us.  11.30am and 30 degrees so another hot one.  Countryside has changed once again, a lot of the streams actually have water in them and some of them look very inviting and a lot different to Western QLD. Once again driving through red rocky outcrops with lots of small, very green trees.  Road is still very quiet so looks like we may have beaten the hoards from south.  Called into the historic township of Newcastle Waters, which is now a bit of a ghost town.  Under the lovely shady trees at the old corrugated iron church we managed to find a tap to the water tank and yippppeeee was able to put my head under to wash my hair……bliss.  Maree put her bathers on and managed to have a proper “Tub”.  There were some Aboriginies swimming and fishing in the water just before we arrived into Newcastle Waters.  They were saying that the water will be all gone in 2 weeks.   Now it is on to Daly Waters for the night where we have managed to find another great free camp.  Called into the Daly Waters Pub for a nice cold ale and now it is time to cook a chicken roast for dinner.

Thursday 24th April Mt.Isa - Wonarah Bore

A very relaxing couple of days in the Caravan Park at Mt.Isa before venturing off once again North towards the NT. Today we will pass through Camooweal on the way to a free camp at Wonarah Bore which is about 11 kms east of The Barkly Homestead.  Leaving Mt.Isa we went over the Leichardt River which was completely dry with car wheel tracks down the centre.  Water restrictions are here at Mt.Isa and it is very dry.  100kms West of Mt.Isa and the scenery has changed  dramatically, we are now driving through straw coloured grassland with small trees as opposed to the red, rocky outcrops and hills closer to Mt.Isa.  No hills at all here.  Very unusual today, have travelled from Mt.Isa to our free camp approx. 350kms and there has been absolutely no road kill at all.  There is either no animals up here or they are all too smart to be on the highway when a truck comes. Lunch stop beside the Billabong at Camooweal right under the bridge that crosses the Georgina River.  The river is teeming with water lily’s which look absolutely beautiful. Have now crossed the border between QLD and NT at 12.30 and have put our clocks back ½ an hour. That of course does not mean that we will be waiting and extra ½ hour for our Happy Hour.  Speed limit in the Northern Territory is now 130kmh hahah we wont be anywhere near that kind of speed on this trip.  Scenery has again changed, flat, flat, flat with very few trees.  436kms from Stuart Highway and it looks a lot like The Nullabor.  Have pulled into our camp for the night and now starts the Maintenance (fix Paul & Maree’s drawer and try to fix the Anderson Plug). Beautiful night now that the flies have disappeared.  Turned the lights off and watched for shooting stars.  Managed to see one and lots and lots of stars.

Wednesday 23rd April 2014 - Mt. Isa

A nice relaxing day today at the Caravan Park here in Mt.Isa.  Caught up on all the housework and then went to do some sightseeing in and around Mt.Isa. First we headed to the Art Gallery at the Information Centre where we checked out some fantastic paintings by an artist by by the name of Melanie Hava. Then off to have a look at The Underground Hospital which was really interesting.  Unfortunately the battery in my camera was flat so didn't managed to get many photos. Luckily there are lots on the link above.  We also went for a drive around the Mt.Isa mine site, again interesting place to go and have a look at even if we didn't get out of the car and was a bit afraid that we would be asked to move on. Lastly it was up to the Lookout for a birds eye look at Mt.Isa before heading back to the Caravan Park for a nice cooling swim.  Tomorrow we hit the road again to head towards the Northern Territory and hopefully a free camp at a site approx 100kms West of the border.

Tuesday 22nd April 2014 - Cloncurry - Mt.Isa

Really nice to have spent the night in the caravan park at Cloncurry last night. Under a nice big shady tree and used their swimming pool to cool off before dinner. Also used the power and water to get back to square one with washing and charging appliances etc. Once again on the road to a magnificent day ahead.  Countryside has changed dramatically as soon as we crossed the Cloncurry River, which actually looks quite full. It is not as barren as before Cloncurry, the countryside is now very hilly and rocky and the road is quite undulating and very scenic as opposed to the straight roads with no trees and very little flora before Cloncurry. The road was a little narrow so I wasn't able to stop and take pictures but the countryside is nothing short of spectacular. Called in to have a look at the abandoned township of Mary Kathleen which is now a ghost town.  The road in was terrible, asphalt that was all broken up and actually rougher than a dirt road with huge pot holes everywhere. A nice easy day today, only 121 kms up to Mt.Isa where we will stay for 2 nights in the Mt.Isa Caravan Park before heading up to Camooweal and over the border into the Northern Territory.  Unfortunately no pictures today, better luck tomorrow when we go sight seeing around Mt.Isa. The pool here is the place to be.....hot one today 33 degrees and we have already been in swimming 4 times. 
Mary Kathleen pictures.

Monday 21st April 2014 - Winton - Cloncurry EASTER MONDAY

Well a very interesting night last night.!!!  There was a woman not far from where we were camped that had a Karaoke machine and was trying to sing. I say “trying” because it sounded more like a cat being dragged backwards through the wringer on an old fashioned washing machine, than singing.  Butchered quite a few songs that I actually liked…..and I thought she was never going to stop and go to bed. Thankfully it was before midnight, although Maree didn’t seem to mind the NOISE….absolutely no accounting for taste.  On the road fuelled and anxious to make our next camp at 8.15am.  Not a cloud in the sky and lovely and warm once again, I hope I don’t get bored with all this beautiful weather….I don’t think so.  Morning tea stop early today as we called in to check out a free camp that Barry & I found when traveling home from Darwin with Joy & Wayne in 2011.  I named it The Mesa because it reminded me of the scenery in some old cowboy and indian films in the far west badlands of USA.  Now on to the Blue Heeler Pub at Kynuna for a refreshing ale.  As we approached Kynuna we came up upon the Beechworth Bakery Truck slowly moving up the highway.  We had quite a conversation with the 2 guys that are driving it around Australia, although this trip for them is only for 2 weeks and they have managed to travel on a few 4WD roads from Julia Creek and now heading down to Birdsville…a pretty gutsy effort I think. We certainly wont be tackling any in the caravan.  After the beer we hit the highway again up towards McKinlay where we pulled into the car park beside The Walkabout Pub which was where the movie Crocodile Dundee had a few scenes.  It is now 80kms south of Cloncurry and we have started passing lots of termite mounds on the sides of the highway.  Some people have a really vivid imagination as a lot of the mounds have been decorated in all sorts of clothing and paraphernalia. Couldn’t find a suitable camp spot for tonight so have pulled into the Cloncurry Caravan Park where there is a nice pool and some shady trees for our happy hour get together.  Currently have the air conditioner on as it reached at least 33 degrees today and have already been to the pool for a cool off….fantastic.