Muldys Movements

Tony said I couldn't get my bike out unless we stayed for a week. So guess what I booked in for the week. The bike got assembled as soon as we parked the van in this gorgeous grassy park (I don't know how they have grass as it is so hard to grow up this way) I so love having grass instead of red dust under my feet!!! We have a lovely cold pool here and it is very quiet and so dark. I'm sure there are more stars up this way!
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The Bike is out

Katherine Big 4

The 103 km drive to Katherine was pretty amazing. There were so many termite mounds. They all have a bit of character about them. The ants are pretty clever really. They mould such great figures. There are lots that look like rude finger figures and you see lots og red bellied Buddahs. There are communities and group gathering ones as well. They seem to get bigger as you go. They start to average being the same height as people. Babies as well as adults. Maybe I've been on the road too long???

Big Termite Mounds all the way to the Top End

We had a lovely short drive today, only 160 km to Mataranka. Mataranka is one of our favourite places. The thermal Springs 34 degrees C. The springs flow from Rainbow Springs at an amazing 30.5 million litres per day. These thermal pools were dedicated as a reserve in 1967 in the name of preservation.

We have decided to stay here for three nights as it is really peaceful and relaxing here and we need a little R & R. The temperature is perfect - not too hot and not too cold. I can jump into the thermal Springs anytime for free and the park we are staying has a great pub and restaurant. What more can a person want.....The only problem is you can only buy grog between noon and 3pm. You have to give them a licence as you are only allowed one case of beer and one bottle of wine per person. Lucky I didn't want a cask of wine because you can only buy that after 2pm for one hour and again 1 per licence. Mmmm we asked why and they said we only have one police officer in town and he doesn't want trouble!!! Maybe the indigenous communitee have a problem here?

Mataranks 2

Mataranka swimming hole

The Mataranka area was home to Arneas & Jeannie Gunn. Jeannie wrote the famous book about Elsey Station titled "We of the Never Nevër"that is now part of Aussi folklore. 21 kms south of Mataranka along the Stuart Hwy, the Elsey Cemetry marks the last resting place of many of the characters described in this book/movie. You can feel the sense of isolation and hardship confronting the earlt settlers. It is claimed that once you visit Mataranka, Ït'll never,never leave yoü!"

Statues in park of the early settlers of the area

I think it is time to move on because Tony and I think if we don't go we may never, never go......

We are off to Katherine NT!

Last night we made it to Daly Waters. After seven hours of driving in the beautiful sunshine, we decided to keep moving on to a favourite site of ours. We called in 17 years ago and decided to stay there the night.

The speed limit allowed on the main roads in the NT is 130 km per hour. The Bulldozer and Big Bertha like to travel at 90 km per hour, so everything overtakes us. The roads are in great condition here except for the first 50 km once you cross the Qld Boarder. That section was just repaired pot holes.

Daly Water Pub

The Pub at Daly Waters has happy hour between 4.30 & 5.30pm. Your order your drinks and then you toss a coin and if you win the toss your drinks are free, if you loose, you pay the full price ($9 for a beer and a house wine). Tony won one round. I asked the barmaid if she was Welsh, only because she sounded like Clare and said hairy-ass instead of hilarious. She was very much offended I would confuse her beautiful Irish accent for a mere Welsh one. Tony ardered the drinks after that session.

The bar has bras hanging everywhere, thongs nailed to the walls, cow boy hats all over the ceiling and lots more.

We made it to The Isa. One third of the population is Indigenous, one third are Bikers (here for their big party) and the rest are cowboys for Australias Biggest Rodeo. We have people from all of the boarders of Aus here. The 3,500 population has exploded to 35000. The Shops arent as good as The World (Charters Towers) The weather is nippy at night but great in the day. The billboards say You aren't a Man untill you have been to The Isa. (The model has a miners hat on)

Bikers look after their rides more than car owners do

We passed though Hughendon and Julias Creek ón the Dinasaur Way. There are advertisments for fossils and dinasaur museums all along the highway. Julias Creek run on Artesian?? water. I little slimy on the skin. Yesterday the sun was shining but the wind had this chill facter happenening. We stayed in the van and watch dvd's for 6 hours! The highway is very dry, the creek beds are sand, the roadside vegetation consists of 3 foot high random shrubs. Lots of fresh meat on the highways (dead roos). But it is all still beautiful in its own way. It reminds me of the poem, I love a Sunburnt County. Dorothy Mac Kellar must of lived here when she wrote it. The soil is Red, the hills are bald and the sky is blue. It is a long way to anywhere. But it is still great and the caravanees are like your newest best friend telling you where and where not to go. Our neighbour is a 70 year old Wagga cowboy, no Tarcutta guy who owns 1000 acres that the RTA just put a highway through the middle of he's land. He is here for the Rodeo and wants to know why we aren't staying. The Isa will be enjoying the slush money that the travellers are throwing at them.

signs to nowhere

Mi Isa Stacks

We have tuned into the am band radio the last couple of days. The station interviewed a few bikers and their onions (female on back of bike) The bikers have been travelling an average of 600 km per day to get here. Then they interviewed the onion and she said her bum hurts! I wonder why. We saw bikers sprawled over rocks socking up the sun on our way in a verticle position. I offered them room at ourtable but they were happy lying down... Now I know why.

crossing the NT & QLD boarder

The bikers are still our neighbours. They like to wake us up at 7 am with there Thumpers humming. I don't think I'll miss them.

We are crossing the boader today to the NT. Cheers On the Road Again.......

Barklys Homestead NT

We are at Charters Towers, about 160 km west of Townsville. The weather is very warm and it is 29% at 6.30pm.Love it!!

Lovely park at Charters Towers

old building in Charters Towers

Charters Towers

We have some neighbours camped at Big Berthas Backside = about 30 Bikers from the MacKay Harley Organization Group on there way to a Bikers gathering at Mt Isa where they meet up with 1200 other bikers. There goes all of the camp site on our way over the next week! It is too late to go back to the coast now!! And there is only so much you can do in Charters Towers. Time to get the books out...

Our New Neighbours! I hope thet don't snore???