The Lard and His Missus Blog

On the morning of the 11^th 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.

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 18^th, 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.

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 24^th 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).

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 28^th 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 5^th 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 1^st 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.