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!

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Catch you tomorrow!
xxoo