It is several years since we have embarked on caravan holiday. Covid certainly disrupted our plans several years ago and we decided that there were limited prospects of returning to the road having already caravanned throughout Australia and seen so much.
There are however still many places we would like to visit.
Our wanderlust has returned so
here we are with a small, very small Crusader Gladiator off road van and heading to Broome and hopefully Cape Leveque in far north-western Australia as well as many interesting places along the way.
In the days leading up to our departure on the 20th July Co-Driver Marjorie spent a great deal of time in matching the logistics to my ideas. As you can imagine this can lead to increases in the MSI (Marital Stress Index) on occasions but I am pleased to say everything was attended to according to the deadline.
We left Melbourne on schedule and headed to Mildura for our first stay. This was a long days driving of seven hours and although the Melbourne we left behind experienced a cold day with rain we were lucky enjoying sunshine most of the way.
COD Marjorie was a little disappointed, no, very disappointed that I was unable to activate the diesel heater we had installed but at least we had another source. Actually I have to say the failure to operate the said heater was due to operator error, MINE.
Things were a little frosty for a while but we thawed over the next day as we headed to Spear Creek. I must say the Riverland countryside is fairly scrubby although we did note there has been a tremendous increase in almond cultivation since we were last there and seems to be threatening to challenge citrus fruit as the main produce of the area
The Caravan Park at Spear Creek is exceptional in that it is located on the western slopes of the Flinders Ranges and is a sheep station that is known for their Dorper Sheep. These are a hybrid cross breed of Dorset Horn and Black Head Persian developed in South Africa and are ideal for dryer climates. No crutching no mulesing and the fleece just falls off so it is a unique cross breed and the meat is also very good.
It is such a relaxing environme
nt with stunning scenery we wished we could have stayed a little longer but we had deadlines and another 500Klm + confronted us as we headed to the South Australian outback town of Glengambo. Once you leave Port Augusta with its proliferation of Wind Towers you are really on the edge of the outback and it is so very dry and arid. A long drive of to Glendambo a service station and basic caravan park which was clean.
These service centres usually about 200klm + are mainly staffed by backpackers both boys and girls. Clearly recruitment of staff is difficult but these young people seemed to be so enthusiastic and it was great to chat to them and hear about their travelling experiences. This part of SA is the real outback as we perceive it however compared to the last time there were changes, notably water in Lake Hart which is normally a dry salt lake bed. Lake Hart is in the Woomera vicinity and is as harsh a country you could see.
On the fourth day we headed to Kulgera, the first stop in the Northern Territory and certainly the flattest country you could see other than the Nullabor except this has more vegetation in the form of scrubby trees and saltbush.There is little sign of wildlife out here not even camels.
We passed by Coober Pedy other than filling with diesel at $2.70 litre. I sure hope the opal miners are striking it rich with those prices. The weather was still cool and not much above 15c for most of the journey so far. The nights are cold around 2c but COD Marjorie is most appreciative of the technical genius I displayed in ensuring our diesel heater is functioning.
The MSI is now at acceptable levels!
Thus is the journey so far and I will provide a further update later which will include the travel to Katherine.
Noel & Marjorie’s Northern Safari Part 2
We made it to Cadney Station Road house having travelled a relatively easy sector of 461klm which was welcome after the previous days long distances.
Taking in another glorious sunset at Cadney Park.
The next day was much shorter being only 275klm and a result we were well rested. As we watched Melbourne defeat Adelaide making me feel positive about the coming weeks in the AFL.
Met up with Kerry, a lady travelling alone with her large caravan who has travelled all around Australia and was meeting her sister who was travelling from WA before heading to Queensland. It is surprising the number of ladies choosing to travel alone with caravans or motorhomes. Many having lost partners still have the confidence to tackle solo journeys. The caravan fraternity is very supportive and no doubt that helps.
From Kulgera we headed to Alice Springs, a sector of 275 klm and started to see changes in the topography and vegetation. This was a pleasant drive and compared to the flat country to Kulgera it was a welcome change to see more hills and rocky outcrops with small trees.
As we arrived at the Discovery Caravan Park in Alice Springs disaster struck as the brake control system threw a wobbly when we went over a speed hump in the Caravan Park. The safety mechanism was activated and the result was we were stuck in the middle of the driveway and unable to drive the remaining 50 metres to our site.
Now at times like this the MSI can be triggered to tsunami levels but COD (Co Driver ) Marjorie was very calm which was probably just as well as placid Noel was starting to show signs of agitation..
The staff at the Discovery Caravan Park were very helpful and managed to move the caravan onto its site and then able to call RACV Total Assist in Victoria. Within 30 minutes Johannes from the NT Road Assist was on site and quickly diagnosed a serious problem, the wires from the trailer plug had been severed. After being told initially the Auto Electrical Company not undertake repairs for two weeks, we were a little concerned as we a had arranged to meet Marjorie’s daughter Emmie in three days. That is where Johannes excelled and he managed to have us booked in for repairs the following morning at 7.30 a.m.
The Auto Electrical Company really knew their work and managed to complete the repairs and have us on the road by 11.00. Phew !, that was close.
The people we dealt with in Alice Springs were very friendly and helpful but I suspect that exemplifies true outback spirit.
Alice Springs impresses in many ways as it offers so many services and is a real economic hub and does have some vibrancy judging by the number businesses and new construction.It surely must be one of the most isolated towns of its size in the world.
The locals suggested that Tennant Creek, our next planned destination be avoided due to the social problems that are prevalent throughout the territory, mainly alcohol related. We witnessed evidence of this in Alice Springs when spending a few hours in town as we waited for repairs to be completed.
This was going to be a long drive as there were few places to stay on the way to Tennant Creek a journey of over 500klm It was easy to understand the advice given by our friends in Alice Springs as we entered Tennant Creek. This is a town with great history and of course is well known for its Peko Wallsend gold mine which closed in 1981. Those of us who dabbled during the 60’s mining boom would remember it fondly.
Today I believe a company is processing the tailings dumps to scrounge the last dollar. There is no more sad a picture than a mining town with no mine and that is the case today. Probably worse than a pub with no beer. As we travelled through we observed many of the country’s first inhabitants with nothing to do and with little prospects other than to just exist.
Clearly a town is in trouble when its main activities are centred around National Indigenous Affairs Agency, Correctional Services and Centrelink. Please do not read this as a political statement but one that identifies a key problem that no government or indeed those who are directly affected seem to be able to address.
The Devils marbles is a sacred site to the locals but it very well presented with a description of its unique geological features.
We decided to travel about 115 klm beyond Tennant Creek to the Devils Marbles Hotel and what a site we saw there. This place was really jumping with huge road trains parking overnight and a large caravan contingent preferring to stay there other than Tennant Creek or Whycliff Well which was further south.
No accommodation at the Caravan Park so we joined dozens of others in the Truck Stop
Whycliff Well was not available for accommodation because of extensive flood damage earlier in the year but is also famous for its reputation for being an alien and UFO region and indeed considers itself the UFO capital of Australia.
One has to ask if the little green men are amphibious?
And so to Dunmurra, a small settlement/Roadhouse about 320klm south of Katherine .
We arrived around 6.00 p.m and found a basic but attractive caravan park with plenty of grass, a nice change from the red dust which is everywhere.
We chose to utilise our portable BBQ in preference to the local menu.
It was the next morning we 
observed a classic case of NT multitasking. The two friendly African guys who were preparing meals the night before were cleaning the public toilets the next morning. I think we made the right decision to eat in that night. What do you think?
Tomorrow Katherine awaits us where we will stay for a few nights and meet Marjorie’s daughter Emmie.
Photos are proving difficult to down load but I will keep trying.
Noel and Marjorie’s Safari Part 3
Dunmurra to Katherine - Days 9 (27th July to 30th July)
As I stated we have been beset by internet problems and some of the locations are almost lost to the outside world, not that Telstra would agree. Some of the settlements and towns are in range for maybe 5klm at best.
Other than the issues of local cuisine and its preparation referred to in the last update we left Dunmurra in a positive frame of mind having filled our tanks at a diesel price of $2.60 litre. Ouch. We do try to keep the Isuzu below 2000rpm to maintain an economy of around 16 litres to the 100klm but that is subject terrain, headwinds. Towing a larger van would be comparatively more expensive.
I always considered Katherine and its surrounds to be mainly cattle country but after observing cotton on the side of the road ,blown off from transporters I now realise cotton plays an emerging part in the economy up here with a cotton gin being established last year.
We thought the cotton on the roadside was from natural vegetation but that is not the case as growers have perfected a variety adapted to local climatic conditions. It does have a flourishing tourism industry with Katherine Gorge and Edith Falls being the main attractions. Also supporting the town is the local RAAF Base and you are very much aware of defence training with the Hornet fighters in the skies above.
During WW2, air strips were established and is still recognised as an important defence outpost today. Federal funding is apparent particularly on defence related infrastructure. I wonder whether the management of the Port of Darwin being contracted to a Chinese organisation has anything to do with that. On reflection that was an odd decision considering Darwin is our forward defence line. We stayed at a caravan park just out of town which was just as well as the crime rate is high notwithstanding the strong police presence. All the problems we saw in Tennant Creek exist on a bigger scale.
On the 28th July we had the Isuzu serviced. On arrival at the Service Centre we were advised by one of the mechanics that a “break in” had occurred and some equipment was stolen. I felt so sorry for the Indigenous Chief Mechanic who was clearly upset and took his role very seriously. I learnt he was from Deniliquin originally, lived in Sydney before residing in Mount Isa where he completed a Motor mechanics apprenticeship.
In his words Governments continue to fail because they promote easy handouts and criminal activity does not result in the right penalties He had pride in what he had achieved but sadly he knew that successes like his are rare. Education is the key but there is a long way to go judging by the people of Katherine. To me it is so obvious that in Katherine there are two societies who just ignore one another and until there is greater respect there will be no improvement. Enough of the heavy stuff and back to the holiday.
The Big 4 Caravan Park is excellent in that it is spacious and very clean and for anyone considering a stopover here it is highly recommended. We had a great time at Edith Falls swimming in a lovely pool and there were no crocs to be seen.
Co Driver Marjorie was pleased to catch up with Emmie and a friend and we travelled about 70klms out of Katherine to enjoy swimming in what we believed to be a croc free environment. This was at the northern end of Katherine Gorge and the facilities were excellent.
Edith Falls 70klm from Katherine
With the MSI low it was time for a little cavorting with the noodle!
Only Noel, Marjorie, hundreds of tourists and the occasional freshwater crocodile are known to frequent this area!
This is where the outback meets the tropics.
The MSI has been quite low other than a blip when our gas BBQ caught alight due to a bad connection. A little scary for a moment but underlines the importance of maintaining and undertaking periodic checks of equipment.
Co Driver Marjorie quickly applied the contingency plan and cooked in the Camp Kitchen, not by any means her preferred location.
Without that, Noel’s goose would have been cooked and that would not help anyone!
A big drive to Kununurra awaits and that is for the next update.