ADELAIDE RIVER

Dear all,

Tuesday, 4/8/09
Adelaide River is 290 kms north of Katherine. The trip up was so interesting - we had no idea of the huge WWII effort up this way. There are air strips alongside the roads with names like Livingstone, Hughes, Strauss and others. There were half a million troops living in camps along the Stuart Highway in supply camps. There were planes coming and going to/from these air strips and, although the buildings are long gone (they were made out of timber from the trees in the area), you can really see in your mind's eye how busy it must have been. This is history that we didn't learn about in school and it would do the kids of today good to know how close we were to war. There are WWII sites all the way along the highway identifying different army bases, supply units and a lot of army ordinance depots. It must have been dreadfully hot for them to work out in the heat with not much shelter out of the sun or in "the wet" season.

Adelaide River is just a small town with another large Roadhouse and caravan park out the back. It is lovely and green and, although small, the park is gorgeous. The pool is beautiful and the gardens lovely. We watched The Ghan go slowly past us then went for the kilometre walk to the War Memorial Lawn Cemetery. This was a very beautiful yet sad and emotional place to visit. There are hundreds of gravestones here with men as young as 17 and 18 who died in the Japanese raids on Darwin.








The buffalo standing on top of the bar in the photo is in the roadhouse and is the buffalo out of Crocodile Dundee - now he's been stuffed and stands on the "303 Bar" at Adelaide River Caravan Park.


We've caught up with some friends from home (Labrador, Gold Coast) here, Kathy and Rud. It's amazing that we can be all this way in the middle of nowhere, and we run into people we know! They are going to Darwin as well, so we'll probably do a tag along for a while.


Only here 1 night then leave for Darwin in the morning.

Love from us.

MATARANKA TO KATHERINE

Dear all,

Having a bit of trouble with signal up here so can only catch up on our Blog when able.






Thursday, 30/7/09
Up early for the 100 km trip to Katherine. We're really looking forward to getting out of the dust and into a town (with shops!).









Checked into the All Seasons Tourist Village and booked an ensuite site. It is lovely and green with a beautiful pool. After a rest and a cold drink, off into town we went to check out the visitors information centre.

31 degrees Fuel 129.9
Katherine is a large town with a population of 12,000 and mainly aboriginal people. It is a centre for beef-cattle properties and produce farms. There are a couple of pubs but they had music blaring out of the open doors and were full of the locals. We opted for a cold drink at the Katherine Golf Club which was a bit more to our liking ... only a "bit more to our liking" because all there is no law preventing smokers from smoking inside. After a while you don't notice it, but boy - when we got back to the caravan, our clothes stunk!

Friday, 31/7/09


Found out the The Ghan was arriving at the Katherine Railway Station so went down to take a look. I went on the train a couple of years ago with my Mum, sister Jan, and cousin Norma, so I had seen it, but Ken was amazed when the 1km train snaked it's way into the station.










Went into town and had a look at the shops, the most exciting shop being Target!




Had a bit of a look outside of the town itself. This bronze statue is dedicated to the pioneers of the outback. If you double click on the photo, you will notice the man on the horse is chinese!

So, after having "done" the town, back to the Katherine Club Back and a bit of a play on the pokies - Ken won $40!! I lost $10!! then had a swim in the pool. It is so very hot but I'm not complaining when I see the temperatures down south!

Saturday, 1/8/09
I can't believe we've been on the road for nearly 2 months and we haven't had an argument!

Today we went out to Katherine Gorge and went on a 2-hour lunch cruise of 2 gorges.


If it wasn't for the backpackers out here in hire canoes, it would be just so lovely and peaceful. Nevertheless, it was beautiful cruising the gorge with a cold glass of wine and a beautifully presented lunch of cold meats, salads, and breads. It cost $73 each but it was worth it.






The aboriginal rock art was truly awesome. (I hate that word but I can't think of anything else to describe it adequately!)













On the way back, we came across this old Overland Telegraph Station which, although on private property, is signposted and one can take a walk to see it as it is historic. Because it is on private property, no-one is taking care of it and it will slowly disappear into the bush.









Sunday, 2/8/09
Today we went to the Circus! What fun we had. It was a fantastic couple of hours.







Monday, 3/8/09
It is a public holiday today in the Northern Territory, so everything closed (except the Katherine Club!!), so we took a drive out to the Tindal Air Base. Access is prohibited, but we took a short drive in to see the township and couldn't believe the bat colony before our eyes. There were thousands all hanging and screeching from trees over the houses.



Tuesday, 4/8/09
Left Katherine after seeing the arrival of The Ghan which is now on it's 80th Anniversary trip from Adelaide to Darwin. Whilst on the platform, I spoke to one of the butlers who let us into the private carriages (2 of them) which are privately leased by a group ... a family or a group of friends .... for the trip which costs $17,000. For this price, you get 2 beautiful oak lined carriages with a butler and a chef, your private dining room, double beds with private ensuites. These carriages were used for royalty in the 1930's and are beautifully appointed. There is a pianola and flat screen tv's. This is more my style Mum so next time we go, this is us!! I'm sorry I didn't take a photo, only a video. I'm sure you could see it if you go to The Ghan website.

Onward and upwards to Darwin!!

On the way we went to a town called Pine Creek which was a goldrush town in the 1870's. It is still mining gold and has one of the largest open cut gold mines in the Northern Territory. The town contains historic buildings although they are very run down. One of the buildings is an old bakery which was run by a chinaman who decided that there was more money in providing the town with fresh baked goods than the hard, hot task of mining for gold with little reward. When WWII came to the Northern Territory with the bombing of Darwin, American and Australian troops were here to stay and they took over the bake house to bake for the soldiers. After the war the chinese family returned only to find the bake house in ruin, so they moved out of town. The chinese were there in large numbers attracted by the gold and when the gold ran out, they turned to produce and clothes making. There is an old chinese cemetery and many of the street names reflect the chinese influence.







Hope you are enjoying our story. We're having a wonderful time .... this is such a massive country and the Northern Territory is just magnificent. Stay tuned!

xx

MATARANKA

Dear all,
Tuesday, 28/7/09

Woke up to red dust everywhere. Our camp site is beside a track that is used by some thoughtless caravanners instead of the road. The road is red dirt as well, but is compacted enough not to fly up when cars drive over it, but the track, which we didn't realise was a track when we arrived, is just red bull dust which flies up and settles on everything in its way when someone drives over it. Too much of a hassle to move.

Mataranka is on the Roper River and about an hour's drive south of Katherine. The population is about 250 and the town services outlying cattle stations and Aboriginal communities. Into town we go and found it very similar to Tennant Creek although a bit more orderly. The town is mainly aboriginal and one can't purchase alcohol before 2pm and must show identification which is part of the Federal Government's Intervention Programme. 2 litre casks of wine on offer ($18.99) 1 case of beer only ($45) or 1 bottle of wine ($33). By law only 1 x 2 litre cask or 1 bottle of wine can be purchased per day OR 1 case of beer. Everyone has to show ID and if this is swiped at the register and if an alcohol related incident comes up on the computer, you are not allowed to purchase alcohol.

The area here is famous for thermal springs, and each of the 3 caravan parks in the vicinity have springs running through them. Where we are, Mataranka Homestead, is no exception and it was absolutely glorious to go for a swim (with 50 others) and just float around in the 34 degree, beautifully clear, blue water. During WWII, the officers used the thermal springs for their private use, but when the war was over, one officer stayed on and cemented the sides of the main pool, put in stairs and concrete path ways, and charged the public to use the springs. It is now free for all to use, as are the Bitter Springs, Rennie Springs and many others. To swim is a must - it gets the red dust off!




Mataranka was also made famous in the story "We of the Never Never" written in 1908.



Jeanie Gunn, the author, married the manager of Elsey Station which was nearby and moved here from Melbourne. The story is about her life and the hardships she encountered while living here and her interaction with the indigenous. Her husband died less than 12 months after they married and she moved back to Melbourne. The local Esley Cemetery has most of the characters from the book buried there. At Mataranka Homestead is a replica of the Gunn's original home which was built for the filming of the movie.


Of course, we had to watch the movie while we were here, bought the DVD at the Homestead, took it home, watched it for an hour then there was a black-out at the end! Ken went to bed in disgust and I read my book by torch.

Leave for Katherine tomorrow morning, Thursday, 30/7/09.
Love to all from us.

THREE WAYS/DUNMARRA

Hello everyone,

Sunday, 26/7/09
Have now left the Barkly Tablelands which has some of the largest cattle stations in the world. There are hundreds of kms between them and they run tens of thousands of livestock. We are now travelling north on the Stuart Highway via Rennie Springs (oh dear) and Elliott (oh my gosh). Filled up at Rennie Springs (144.9).
Approx. 200 kms north is a property and small ghost town of Newcastle Waters which is a Packer property. The township was once a thriving centre for drovers who would use the town as a central point as they travelled thousands of kms droving cattle from place to place. Since the droving days are now over with the invention of the road trains, there are now only a couple of houses with the old pub and other dwellings left to the harsh climate. The Packer property is indicated by a beautiful lush driveway that appears to be kms long - the house is invisible for the trees.









Back on the highway. Very hot out here - 32 degrees and the road is dead straight - lots of dead pigs, hit by roadtrains we guess ... they are huge animals.

Arrived Dunmarra around 3. Another licenced roadhouse with the caravan park out the back. The brochure we picked up described this park as lush and green with a beautiful pool and a place to rest weary bones after a long days journey. Yeah - right!! The pool hasn't been open for 4 years and the grass around it was knee high. The grounds of the park was bull dust and cattle roam through it and eat anything in their way, including food on the table if left out. It is rumoured that Dunmarra was named after an Irishman called Dan O'Marra, but the aboriginal people couldn't pronounce his name so the place was called Dunmarra after him.




In the roadhouse they keep snakes in glass tanks - reminded me of a diner in a 3rd grade American movie from the 60's. Had a drink at the bar ($4.50 can of XXXX - $5.50 for a white wine). Can't get tv out here, so had dinner, watched a DVD, then to bed.

Monday, 27/7/09
Left camp at 8:30 am heading north again, this time for Mataranka. On the way, we stopped at the famous Daly Waters Hotel about 200 kms up the road. This is an historical area in that not only did John McDouall Stuart name this place and camped here with his expedition north, but the area was crucial to the defence of northern Australia during WWII. The airstrip and hanger can still be seen and Qantas used to land here to refuel. This was also the airstrip used in a race from Britain to Australia in 1926. There were thousands of US troops stationed in this area and north of here in the 1930's and 40's and the land littered with old machinery, old planes and ruins from that time.









The Daly Waters Hotel is a quirky place which appears to be a haven for backpackers.





The chooks live in cages on shelves inside this gypsy van and free range in and out of the van. They just come and go when they like.

Onward and upward we go! Larrimah next town. The service station on the right has been burned down, but we came across Fran's Cafe. In we go for lunch - home made pasties at $8 each and a coffee. I couldn't eat all mine so wrapped in foil it was and into the fridge! It was delicious - home made pastry and full of vegies.


Tummies full and thirsts quenched, it's "on the road again"!

About 10 kms further north, came across another airstrip called Gorrie. Drove into the bush about 2 kms (I hate to think what the cupboards will be like in the caravan!) and out of nowhere there's this very long runway running from east to west. We drove along it until it finished and noticed a lot of old camp fires along it and then noticed a caravan right down one end. I couldn't believe it - people actually free camp out there! This is a photo of the runway.

Arrived Mataranka Homestead at 3. Dry, dusty and hot. Set up camp in the dirt. One consolation - there are thermal pools here so I'm looking forward to that!

Don't forget to double click on the photos - then you can see them properly. Click on the left-hand arrow top-left of screen to return to the Blog.

Catch you tomorrow!
xxoo