Timber Creek, NT

Couldn’t resist an early morning dip in the spring, so our 730am start was a bit later. We had planned to get to Katherine about 830, grab one of the big van spots at the information centre carpark and then hit the shops for a few things we were out of. By the time we go there, the place was packed with vans and rigs and trucks of every size. Luck was with us though and as one drove out, we drove in. With stocks replenished, I thought I’d be clever and get fuel as well. Pulled into the Shell, only to realize too late that they were petrol-only pumps and that getting out was going to be a problem. Fabulous how everyone stops to watch the fun! No harm done, we did without the fuel and headed out for Victoria River some 200km to the west. 

All the way up from Blackall, though the Isa, The Barkly tablelands and up through the middle to Katherine had a slight air of familiarity to us, and except for the rocky outcrops near the Isa is pretty boring monotonous. But, driving west from Katherine the land is generally flat and scrubby with plenty of signs of the Brahman cattle for which the area is known. You keep driving toward what look like high ridge lines in the distance, and then you notice you are climbing and that the road has become winding rather than straight. Before you realise it, those ridge lines are boxing you into a valley and they themselves have become quite pronounced: very steep grassed sides and a sharp ridge along the top. This is exactly the path that Pat Durack described as he drove that first head of cattle in 150 years ago. The ridges change abruptly as they become sheer cliff faces of the darkest red chocolate brown you can imagine. The foliage is thick with grasses and trees covered in dense bright green leaves. It truly is an amazing sight. And still the valley continues right up to the actual crossing of the Victoria River, where there is a road house and van park and a decent feed for weary travelers.

The 80km or so from Victoria River to Timber Creek see the land opening up a bit, it’s almost as if you are driving along an ancient river bed lined on both sides by those same ridge lines, this time they are distinguished by having a single strata of some rock running the whole length of them, about two thirds of the way up. Even when there is a gap, you can plainly see how that strata would have once jumped that gap. The light was right and everything, but sadly there are precious few places to stop for snapping, especially east of the Victoria River.

We didn’t really know what to expect at Timber Creek, we only stopped here for fuel last year, and the first thing that greeted us were the signs demanding payment up-front for fuel, and the ATM thing being secured behind bars and mesh that Pentridge would be proud of. The pumps themselves were just a single old rusty pair stuck out in the dusty dirt access road. One of the van parks, which was behind these pumps and the office, looked a bit of a wreck. So we were a bit nervous about what we might find now that we wanted to stay overnight (Kununurra is still 200+km away). As we pulled in, the first thing we see is that the pumps have been demolished and there were workmen building an awning and they had most of the access road blocked. We took a chance and turned in anyway. 

Much to our surprise and relief, the Timber Creek Caravan Park is alive and well. It’s obviously had a heap of work done on it, all freshly painted, clean and tidy grounds with lush grass and big shady trees, including a magnificent Boab. As it was early, we could take our pick of spots to get the afternoon shade (did I mention that it was 32.5deg), settle in and then go for a swim in the pool, which apart from being cloudy due to the artesian water, was lovely and refreshing (read ‘not frigid’).

Here's a snap:

Victoria River Roadhouse, NT

Mataranka, NT

Early start of a big long day of 460k, passing safely the dreaded Elliot, scene of the start of the car trouble last year. I am still wondering how I did the same trip (from Tennant Creek) last year, having been up throwing up all night. I remember, drive on or spend more time in TC! 

Made it into Mataranka and went to our van park from last year, Territory Manor, got settled in and headed for the Bitter Springs for an hour or so floating along in the warm (33deg) crystal clear water. Stretched across the stream all the way along are spider webs with giant orb spiders in residence, one of who was busily webbing up a freshly caught electric-blue dragon fly. 

Dining out this evening, same as we did last time (for our 39^th anniversary), except we both hope to be well enough to enjoy it this time.

Snap free day! Not so fast, Judy snapped this at our morning rest stop:

The station pet was a Brahman bull, you could pat him on the head.... Actually this was at the Shell Servo station at Dunmerra, a bit further up the road from Banka Banka

Banka Banka, NT

Only a short leg today of 260km. We had been planning on staying at Banka Banka since we roared past it twice last year. Banka Banka is billed as a working cattle station that happens to have a nice grassed area for a ‘few’ vans. Turns out that the camp-site is full on, takes about 50 vans, has room for bus tours and a whole tent city for school groups. It’s really nice though, greener and more relaxing than Three Ways, which is 70 odd km back down the road, at the junction of the Barkly Highway and the Stuart Highway. The distances out here can get a bit tricky. We want to stop at Mataranka tomorrow so we can go to the hot springs, but that would have been 720k from Barkly Homestead, and there’s not a lot of choices in between. 

As it turns out, we got in early, got the best spot under a shady tree and chilled out for the afternoon, except for when I did the ‘waterhole walk’, supposedly 2.5 k one-way. I followed the signs along the flat, dirt road and made it easily. While I was taking snaps and loafing about at the hole itself when some others turned up, having walked along the ridge line from behind the camp. A round-trip! How could I resist? First you clamber up the broken rocks to the top, and then clamber over all the other rocks/boulders for the 2k return trip. Quite a work-out, as was the rounds of the proverbial table when I finally got back!

This was also our first night without power and we survived easily, just a way of easing into the completely self-contained free camp, should we ever need to.

Snap:

Water Hole. Banka Banka Station, NT

Barkly Homestead, NT

Extracted ourselves from the sardine tin they call a caravan park and legged it out of Isa, heading toward Barkly Homestead in the Territory. Mt Isa is in a rugged hilly part of the country and you soon find yourself back on wide open plains that vanish into the mirage lined horizons on every side.  These plains extend some 300 kilometres though Camooweal and out into the territory. Then they change to low scrub on all sides and after a break at Avon Downs you find yourself driving along the mostly straight and flat Barkly Highway toward Barkly Homestead, basically the only thing between Camooweal and Three ways, about 400k.

Not having stopped for lunch, we arrived about 130pm and had our choice of campsites out the back. I slept all afternoon, trying to shake the cold that JB has generously passed over to me.

Out the back of the park is a bunch of old cars, trucks and 4x4s that ended their days here. Out the front, as the sun drops, the road train drivers pull in for a feed before pushing on toward the East. Nobody drives after dark, except the road trains.

We had a great feed in the bistro bar and a yarn with some other wanderers before retiring for the night. Judy put a video on and was asleep before the titles finished! 

Oh, I forgot to mention the bloke on the push bike and the 3 other blokes on postie bikes riding from Deniliquin to Darwin. Crazy. 

Road Train. Barkly Homestead, NT

Mt Isa, Qld

Big day in the saddle, 460k. Stopped at Cloncurry for lunch, which consisted of a pie at the bakery, the only shop apart from Woolies that was still open. Our plan was to try our hand at free camping at a place about 60k from the Isa, but that would have meant stopping on the side of the road at 1:30 and watching the traffic for the rest of the day. Thanks, but no. We pushed on up to the Isa itself, and even though I maintained I’d never come here again, here we are, back in the same van park just out of town.

Went in to the town and had a coffee and bought a few bits at the shops, then back to the van via the lookout. Took the same snaps as last year, just because I could!

All the news in town is that the mine will definitely close in 2019, but before then, they will shed all the fly-in, fly-out contractors and support the locals as long as possible. Might be real interesting to come back in 10 years time, it would be a ghost town by then.

Snap!

Where the hell are we?