Give PIE A Break!

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Tuesday 12th was a day for getting ready for our onward trip towards Darwin. We needed to refuel and to stock up with groceries so a short trip into Katherine enabled us to do that. While there we visited the historical museum for a short stroll but the price to go in was a bit expensive so we contented ourselves with looking at the outdoor exhibits. We learned a few things – Katherine was named by explorer John McDouall Stuart in 1862 after the daughter of a friend. In March 1942, during World War Two, the Japanese attacked Katherine but little damage was done although tragically an Aboriginal was killed. The main target at that time was of course Darwin.

Once back at the caravan we found time to stroll to the nearby Lower Level Reserve which is a very popular spot for picnics and swimming. Later on we had a swim but only in the park pool which, once again, we virtually had to ourselves. By now everything was ready for our journey north - for a long time we had anticipated going from Katherine to Litchfield National Park and then on up to Darwin. But we felt that the current school holidays would mean that Litchfield would be busy and also one of the main attractions, Wangi Falls, is closed for swimming because of the level of the water and the possibility of salt water crocodiles still being in the area after the huge floods earlier in the year. Other areas in Litchfield have been checked and cleared but Wangi is still under observation. So we decided to go straight to Darwin, which was almost 300 kilometers away, and to visit Litchfield on our way back down. By then the kids would be back at school and Wangi might be given the “all clear”. I was able to book ahead via the internet into a small caravan park on the outskirts of Darwin called Oasis Tourist Park.

On Wednesday 13th we were ready fairly promptly and on the road by 9:00am. The directions for Darwin were easy – there’s only one main road that goes in that direction – the Stuart Highway. Progress was good and although traffic was fairly heavy (by Aussie standards) passing opportunities for the few large roadtrains we encountered were excellent. We had identified a couple of potential places to stop for a cuppa and the first one we reached was Pine Creek. It looked to be a reasonable place so we pulled in and parked up. It’s customary for travellers to use roadhouse loos even if they don’t use the roadhouse shop or garage so, even though we thought about buying a bacon sandwich, we had our own cuppa from our flask and our own cake. We spotted a very pleasant caravan park at the back of the roadhouse in a most delightful location so made a mental note should we need somewhere to stop when we return to Katherine later in our trip. But today we carried on towards Darwin passing through Adelaide River – another very pleasant looking place. We arrived at Oasis caravan park at about 2:00pm and were immediately pleased with the fees charged – considerably less than we paid in Katherine. Also, although it wasn’t affiliated to any of the camping groups we belong to (Big 4, Top Tourist and Family Parks) they gave us a discount for being ‘seniors’.

We liked the look of the park - it was well tended and had some lovely shaded areas and a nice pool. It was also very busy – we had the last available spot which was one of the less attractive sites but we were happy to be there and accepted it willingly. Our site had a concrete block, which we like, and Graham was directed onto it by the park owner. Graham would probably have managed fine but what a pleasure it was to just sit in the car and listen to the expert guidance being given. After getting ourselves comfortable, the first thing that struck us was just how hot and humid it was. Temperatures up to 30 degrees we like but when it creeps up to the mid 30’s we begin to melt and with the added humidity, the combination made it a little unpleasant. We have no air conditioning in the van so keeping it cool will be a problem while we’re in the Northern Territory.

Oasis is about 30 kilometers from the very centre of Darwin where the parliament buildings and administrative centres are but the commercial centre for Darwin is at Palmerston which is just a five minute drive from Oasis. We drove to Palmerston and found a Coles supermarket and looked for a place to get my underwater photos developed. Alas it would take a fortnight, but we were told that, at another large Shopping Complex, Casuarina, they could be done overnight. We had two other things we needed to clear up - firstly, our travel insurance expires soon, after one year, and we are advised that we cannot extend it while we are overseas. We checked with Medicare with whom we are registered and they confirmed that, for all health matters, we would be afforded appropriate health treatment should it be required. We also have extensive insurance through the car, caravan and breakdown cover so, with that established, we plan to continue our stay in Aus rather than to return to the UK after the 12 months is up. The other thing was to check the Post Office for some mail we had expected in Broome but which hadn’t arrived. We had left a suitably stamped and addressed large envelope there so that the mail could be sent on to us here in Palmerston. Alas, it hasn’t arrived here either!

We had it in mind to get some work done on the car while in Darwin so we might have to hang around longer than the six nights we’ve booked in for. Graham got some mechanics’ details from yellow pages and from a neighbouring camper so, tomorrow, Thursday, we’ll investigate that further. We still had time for a welcoming dip in the pool. We were lucky to actually swim as it’s the sort of pool that people just “soak” in so you have to weave around people who are just “lolling” but it was extremely refreshing and will become a regular feature I’m sure if the temperature and humidity stay as high as they are.

On Thursday Graham went off in pursuit of a garage that could fit some rear brake shoes and a new handbrake cable. He thought he’d found one as the reception lad easily identified a Nissan Terrano (rare in Aus) and the required parts on his computer system and said he could do the work on Monday. It was a Repco garage but, unfortunately, none of their stores in the whole of NT and WA had any of the parts in stock!!! We decided to ring the Nissan garage which we knew would be expensive - not only that, but they couldn’t fit us in until 27th!! Wishing to have the work done asap, we made a booking and planned to lengthen our stay in Darwin. But the arrangements were very strange - we had to buy the parts there and then from their stores in Perth at a cost of about $600. They would then be held for 14 days until 27th when they would be fitted, with the appropriate labour charge. Unfortunately, our credit cards are not in a fit state to pay that amount in advance. They clear on the 20th of each month but to go ahead with the repairs after that date we would have to pay the air freight charges to make sure the parts arrived on time!! We couldn’t believe it so we cancelled our appointment and decided to “nurse” the car along until we reach Townsville or Cairns in Queensland where, hopefully, a more sensible system operates and parts are more readily available. PIE is actually going very well and is showing no signs of any undue wear and tear. Darwin was identified as a timely place for the work to be done because of the number of kilometres from the last service in Perth and not because we have no brakes. With that decided we just relaxed for the rest of the day with, of course, the customary dip in the cooling pool.

On Friday morning we drove to Casuarina – the biggest shopping complex in the Darwin area and probably in the whole of the Northern Territory. It was, indeed, a huge but very pleasant complex and I was able to confirm that my underwater photos could be developed overnight – what a pity I hadn’t brought my camera!! We had a late breakfast/early lunch and wandered around the many shops. We got some very cheap diesel at the Coles garage for which I had a discount voucher and then drove on to Lee Point. This is one of the many beachside locations in and around Darwin but, pretty though it is, swimming is not recommended because of the many “funny” things that inhabit the water in these parts. Lee Point had a lovely looking caravan park which, if we had decided to stay on to have the car done, would have been an ideal place to stay. Back at Oasis we had another cooling dip in the pool and prepared for a busy weekend.

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Photos

PIE is due new back brake shoes
but will have to soldier on until we reach Townsville

A tribute to the men and women of the outback
the statue, in Katherine, is of Sabu Peter Sing, member of the Wardamen tribe. He was a skilled bushman, horseman and stockman

Low-level bridge over the Katherine River
and the weir

Major road works slowed us down
looks as though they are widening the Stuart Highway

Plenty of traffic about today but overtaking lanes were numerous
on the road to Darwin

We drove past many kms of burnt out bush
and it was still smouldering here

The Oasis Caravan Park
in Howard Springs was just that - a little oasis. Because we forgot to take photos we have included a few from their website