Judy & Brian Tour Oz

OK so we mad it back from Arnhemland safely despite Outback Spirit trying to choke us to death with miles of good food and hospitality. Our last night was at the Hilton and then we were on our own. We arrived back at Howard Springs Caravan Park and enquired about or van, 'Had they put it back on a site for us?' 'No, but go down and the yard-man will be with you shortly' Howard Springs CP is fairy large and in places a bit chaotic, and we weren't surprised to find that our designated spot was right down the end again, not far from our first location. It is blazing hot, pushing 38c and its not 11am yet. Our van turns up behind a small truck and is duly backed in, except it's almost not inside our line. The truck-man complained that he can't see the lines on the ground and acquiesced to our suggestion that he have another go and that we will stand on the lines as markers. Finally it's in and we make our camp for the next 8 days. The first thing yo...

The heat makes you do, or not do some thing, like typing up a blog every night. At least at Banka Banka I could rightly claim no internet, but that was a couple of nights ago. Time for a bit of a travel catch-up: Banka Banka NT June 7 2016 FB Ute parked at the door to Banka Banka NT This is more like it, today we head out for Banka Banka, 525km to the west, and up a tiny bit. The only things of note to the traveller between the two places is the Barkly Homestead Roadhouse and Three Ways. From Camooweal, it’s 12 km to the NT border then a 258km stretch to the Barkly. It’s not actually the homestead as some signs suggest, that’s way off down south from here, it's the roadhouse and caravan park of the same name. We topped up the tank, ate a sandwich and didn't drink our ‘coffee’. It may be the bore water but it was unpleasant. Expensive, but unpleasant. From here it's only a short 190km blast to ‘SH’, emblazoned on the signs displayed every 10km or so along the road...

We left Jabiru this morning, quite relaxed. It's the kind of place that has nothing much to do but you seem to fill the days up easily enough. The road across to Darwin is not as good as the one in from Pine Creek, it has limited overtaking and once you get down toward the Mary River, they are doing extensive road works. We stopped at one place for nearly 20 minutes while they rolled out the dirt or graded the gravel or something. By the time you reach Humpty Doo, you are in the city traffic more or less. We notice they still haven't moved that dumb sign that announces that the Big 4 at Howard springs is a right turn at the Howard Springs Lights, assuming you know where that is of course. And this was erected years before they installed that extra set of lights, before Howard Springs... Who knows how many newbies turn down the wrong street and end up miles away looking for somewhere to turn the rig around. No problem for us old hands, who needs Howard Springs? We are headin...