The Lard and His Missus
Blog
On the
morning of the 11th April 2012 we set out on our long awaited trip
around Australia.
Here we hope
to record our adventure for you to follow; we hope not to bore you with trivial
stuff, but to share our trip, our thoughts, our photos, etc.
The trip we
are doing is one done by thousands of “Grey Nomads” at this time of the year; it’s
like an annual migration of “Silver Gypsies” “spending their kid’s inheritance” seeking “adventure
before dementia”.
There
was movement at the station, so wrote a famous man
But how did the Banjo know this? P'haps he
towed a caravan.
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| Telstra Tower Hughenden |
We travelled to Hughenden for the first
night, our old stomping grounds for three years, Stayed at the Alan Terry
Caravan Park across the road from the Telstra exchange where I worked. The old
dishes for the microwave links are gone, guess that’s progress.
Shirley entertained the local wildlife,
although she was a bit worried they were going to get her drink.
The next day
we packed up and moved on to Mt Isa, stopping at Richmond on the way, to visit
Kronosaurus Korner, the dinosaur museum, one of many museums I am sure we will
be visiting. The area is part of the large inland sea (Cretaceus Inland Sea) that
covered Australia from the Gulf down to South Australia 120 millions years ago
with the ol Kronosarus being one of the many sea creatures hanging around at
the time. Kronosarus being name after the Greek God Kronos (who ate his own
children, nice guy)
We then
stayed in Mt Isa until the 18th, taking in all the sights and smells
of the city. We booked into the Discovery Holiday Park on the eastern entrance,
good clean park, but we had a visitor during the night trying to get into our
esky under the annex, Shirley chased him away while I slept soundly, he would
have been disappointed as the fridge only had food in it.
The next
morning we found out that someone else had their wallet and keys taken from
their car, and one of the permanents had a motor bike stolen. Now have the
fridge chained up.
One
interesting spot was the Underground hospital, built during the war after the
bombing of Darwin; it consisted of three “wards” and an operating area. Luckily
it was never used during the war, but after the war the nurses used to sleep in
there to escape the heat.
After
packing up in Mt Isa,
Perhaps
Banjo had been woken, in a van park from his sleep
Some two hours before the sunrise, by strange
noises from the deep.
All
the 'erk, erk, erk' of van legs, being screwed up in the dark
As the first nocturnal traveler starts to wake
the sleeping park.
We hit the
road west to Camooweal getting in there about lunch time, so it was off to the
pub for a pizza for lunch and a couple of beers, followed by a well-earned rest
(Gor Gor nap).
Then
just like a feral mating call, some others answer back
With their 'erk, erk' flaming chorus, as the
first start down the track.
We moved on
the next day and turned south at the three ways to Tennant Creek, where we
spent three nights. Stayed here at the
Outback Caravan Park, the great migration had not yet fully begun so we got to
pick our own site here. Saw the “pebbles” and Lake Mary went to the lookout and
saw my first Furphy, I am guessing we will see a few of these.
Also went
and saw the Devils Marbles, they were worth seeing. Meet up with Bev and Phil
for the first time.
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| Devils Marbles |
Brought grog
for the first time in NT here, you have to provide them with your driver’s
licence, which they scan to make sure you are not on the banned drinkers list (apparently
I am not), also you can only buy your cask wine in a maximum 2 litre cask and
only one at a time, you can buy as much scotch and rum as you like.
Next morning
we headed north again
Everything
they pack's metallic, and it clatters, bangs and dongs
As they bark out loud instructions, amid
hollow clacks of thongs.
up the
Stuart Highway found this great pub at Daley waters, so good we stayed two
nights, the pub is an old run down place full of outback character (the
southerners love it) bra’s and knickers hangin everywhere, along with all sorts
of “stuff”. They put on a great meal at night, steak or barra, great feed. Again
meet Bev and Phil and joined them for dinner at the pub.
The morning
of the 24th we again packed up to move on,
Now
it's best to warm your motor, if your leaving in the dark
Especially if it's diesel, and jackhammers all
the park.
Arriving in
Katherine that night we again made camp and settled in for five nights at the
Shady Lane Tourist Park. There’s Lots to do in Katherine. Cutta Cutta caves, these
caves go in for about 700 meters until it meets the water table, you can go in 15
meters under the ground for a few hundred meters, it’s a limestone formation of
Stalactites (the ones that hang down) and stalagmites (the ones that go up).
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| Cutta Cutta Caves entrance |
Also at
Katherine is the Katherine Gorge we did our first “hike” here, 3.67klm of which
the first 300meters was straight up,
 |
| The way up |
We also did
our first cruise, going up the gorge through three canyons. Some of the scenery
was breathtaking, the cruise went up to a waterfall called Lilly Ponds Falls
were you could go swimming. We saw our first Aboriginal Rock art in one of the
canyons, and our first croc (a baby one).
 |
| Lilly Ponds Falls |
 |
| Crocodile Rock |
In Katherine
we also visited the local Museum, “Stuff” type of museum very interesting.
On the
morning of the 28th we again broke camp
Cause
now it's time to hook on, and you hear the circus start
More left, not right - I said this way, you
pig-headed, deaf old fart.
And
how dare you call me brainless, you ungrateful senile drone
If you don't want directions, do it on your
bloody own.
And
by now the doors are slamming, just to finish off the show
"Are you sure you turned the gas
off"?, you shout, "Just bloody go".
Because
now it's almost daylight, and the camp picks up the pace
As these geriatric gypsies all begin their
morning race.
and headed
for Kakadu.
First stop
was at Yellow waters (Coorina) we booked in for a week, but the mossies drove
us out after 3 nights. From here we visited Nourlangle, another hike up and
down, but well worth it, the rock art and scenery was spectacular.
 |
| Nabulwinjbulwinj |
Nabulwinjbulwinj
is a dangerous spirit who eats women after striking them with a yam.
After the
mossies drove us out we moved up to Jabiru
For the next park is their target, where
like metal ants they flock
For
the first in gets the best shade, and a close ablution block.
Got a great
caravan park here, once again ran into Bev and Phil. Did a day trip up to
Ubirr, had to drive through a little water, but no problem for the ol Pajero. Once
again more walking to the rock art and a climb to some spectacular views of the
flood plains:
On the 5th
we left Kakadu and headed for Darwin:
But
for us still vainly sleeping, we just toss and kick and turn
Who said holidays are restful?, beauty sleep
is what we yearn.
But
there's miles of zippers zinging, as the tents all fold and go
And there's campervan doors grinding, as they
whiz bang to and fro.
Moved into
the Darwin Free Spirit Caravan Park at Palmerston, it’s a nice park, friendly
staff, great pool and very neat bar beside the pool. Bev and Phil were in
another park but came down to visit us and shifted camp.
Knowing we
will stay here until the 1st of June when we fly back to Townsville
for a couple of weeks, we have settled in quite well, and are taking the
touristy bit slowly.
So far we
have done the Military Museum, that was quite good, done in two parts, the “arty
farty” part which was quite good, depicting the bombing of Darwin, it had a
show that was quite moving, made the goose bumps rise I’ll tell you. The other
part was mainly outside in what I call a ”stuff” type show, with all the
equipment placed in positions one would expect them to be.
Of course we
did the Aviation centre with the complete B52 bomber and the WW2 oil tunnels.
One of the
highlights here was the sunset dinner cruise we did with Bev and Phil, it was
great, had too much to drink and left the car on the jetty overnight. It was a
great four course meal.
 |
| Pointy Bit |
The boat we
went on was an old ship that was built to transport dynamite across Sydney
Harbour in the old days and was named, of course the Alfred Knoble.
We also did
a day trip down to Litchfield Park with Bev and Phil,
Some great
spots down there,
Wanted to
get in for a swim, but Shirley wouldn’t let meJ
About a week
ago there were a couple of people sitting down having drinks outside one of
their vans just down the road from us, and they said come and join them, so we
did, and we have every evening since, the group has grown and we call ourselves
the “Free Spirits”. Many of the world’s problems have been solved in these
short evening interludes, as well as much knowledge and wisdom on the world of
caravanning has been passed around by the method of show and tell. All of us
are now so much wiser and well prepared for the ardour’s journey ahead of us.
There’s Rod
(missing in photo) and Vicki, Michele and Gary, Phil and Bev, Helen and Bob, BJ
and Robyn, David (missing in Photo) and Sandra.
I shall endeavour
to now update this blog as practically as possible, to bore the crap out of
everyone.
And
there's neighbours out there yelling, "Looks like another nice day,
Fred"
And you think it would be better, if you mob
were still in bed.
You
can't beat 'em so you join 'em, in this hyperactive spree
For the laundry's now in full swing, throbbing
like a DC3.
To
the bathroom men are walking, holding buckets with a lid
While discussing ageing prostates, and
comparing what each did.
