Out of the Northern Territory and into Queensland

Well if this is published today, we will be up to date, all our previous blogs have been up to a month late.

This part of the journey takes us from Daly Waters in the Northern Territory to Normanton in Queensland on the Gulf of Carpenteria.

But first The Katherine river at it's most scenic

Then of course the other Katherine at Breakfast at one of our roadside overnight stops.

It really was as idyllic as it looks.

The Daly Waters Pub and some of it's oddities.

This one is a wall of bank notes, some of which were high denomination.

People are odd!!

Then of course there are more intimate deposits over the bar.


Enough of people, what about the Fauna.

These little birds were using the watering hole at a roadside rest stop

They we just a few of the flock using the facility.


What about this Brogla

It is real and was one of a pair that live at Normanton Railway station.

This is the Railway line to nowhere

With a train once a week to Croydon some 150 km's journey.
We suspect that the "Grey Nomads" keep it solvent.


Before Normanton we came across the Heartbreak Hotel at Cape Crawford.

A real oasis where Katherine met this lady who was a real Bushie -

Look at the ankle socks!!


The mural at Burke and Wills was noteworthy

Especially the words at the rear

The location was not worth mentioning


Now this is noteworthy

a beautiful green frog living in the Men's toilet at Normanton.

Not only was the toilet spotless but also the frog.

Katherine was pleased to have a record since she experienced one at Daly Waters.

Here the experience was delightful

At Daly Waters in the dark - it was a scream!!


We can't leave Normanton without an image of a recent unwelcome visitor from the adjacent river Normanton.

During this years floods the river broke the banks and was only 100 metres from here.

Distance Travelled from Perth = 10360 Km

Distance from Perth = 5260 Km

Number of days on the road = 88

Darwin - The Famliy and a Birthday

This episode of the journey is somewhat different to all our previous Blogs in that it involved Joanna and Lily.

In the last saga we revealed that for Katherine's 67 th birthday, Jo and Lily where meeting us in Darwin to join in the celebration.

We found Darwin to be a rather ordinary city, lacking in something that we could not identify. The Museum we thought excellent and really did justice to the World War 2 Japanese bombing and Cyclone Tracy, surprisingly informative and well presented.

Firstly the Arafua Sea at sunset, yet another of natures delights.

The birthday celebration was at this restaurant overlooking boats in the ultra modern marina where the restaurant's service,ambiance were of the highest quality.

At sunset this hostelry looked and felt in keeping with Darwin style.

It followed the Mantra - Location, Location, Location.

But then again how do you go past this as a birthday present "Grandmama" was ecstatic!!



The next images demonstrate that Lily eats the normal fare now - Green Peppers

And when on the point of collapse will tuck into a "T" bone steak with relish.

Needless to say the 7 days with the family in Darwin simply flew by but included trips to the City, Botanical Gardens, Shopping Centres and numerous bottles of red wine.

Katherine also spent a session at a beauty parlor provided over the Internet by Alan and was a well received birthday present by Katherine.

Having said farewell to Jo and Lily early one morning we were left alone again at the top end of Australia so we started southward and found Adelaide River War Cemetery - a quiet well kept place for reflection. The headstones told over 400 stories of young people who today should be old people, the only saving grace was that it is an excellent way of spending OUR money.

This is Edith Falls just outside Katherine, a tranquil and peaceful location where nature and humanity seemed to have come to terms with each other.

Distance Travelled from Perth : 8163 Km

Distance from Perth : 3628 Km

Number of days on the road : 73

We came into the Smoke ( Darwin) after quite some time having no Traffic Lights little other traffic and shops that provided neccesities and souveniers, all this choice is bewildering.

The reason for this episode is to see Darwin and for Katherine to celibrate her 67 th Birthday.

After Kakadu and before Darwin

Well before we hit Darwin the plan was to visit Lichfield National Park but we were waylaid by Humty Doo and it's characters. the first of which is the Bush Poet seen here driving Katherine from his studio to the Van a distance of some 50 Metres. However Wally thought it appropriate to his and Katherine's dignity. True Northern Territory's style from the sublime to the ridiculous.


Katherine fitted in well as you can see!!






Next was the Humpty Doo Hotel - inside was special for the customers and the style ( if you could call this rough outpost as having style)


A great evening meal, it was like a half of a whole cows BBQ'd ribs, and the discussion with the locals was spirited with lots of colour..

The UTE's give some indication of the customers who have come in from the bush.




This episode has quite a lot of food included, this being the inside of the "Bark Hut" a pub on Arnhem Highway.

The girls serving at these establishments throughout country Australia all seem to to be backpackers from around the world, with Ireland being over represented.

The source of meals looks at you from above the doorway!!



But talking of food never leaves you far from the Croc in the Top End!

This one was no trouble But


This one was the cause of quite a ruckus until someone ended his life

The final moment for the Croc came some 300 metres from the "Bark Hut"
Now it is just admired by the customers?

Not all the fauna are dangerous, witness these Bats at one of the waterfalls.

The screeching sound is quite a surprise

Others in the fauna family are much more sedate - find the 2 Frogfaced owls in the tree taken one late afternoon.

This is Wangi Falls with the swimmers enjoying the cooling swim again late afternoon, where are the Croc's you may well ask. Well the Park Keepers trap them regularly before and after the Falls pool. Would you swim there, the sign at the pool side states "Be Careful"

This is another Falls, but this time spot the diver in mid flight from the Rock to the water, not only do you have Croc's but also rocks in the pool - Does this sound dangerous !!

More Fauna, these termite mounds are about 3.5 metres tall, there are not many of this height but there are 10's of thousands of smaller ones.

Back to Flora, we found this tree on a track to a water fall and it provided a stark colour contrast with the background.

All that is colourful is not huge, this butterfly again provided a contrast.

Finally another colourful sunset to end the episode.

Distance Travelled from Perth : 7424 Km

Distance from Perth : 3966 Km

Number of days on the road : 58