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Published: June 10th 2009
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Hi from Mataranka
Since leaving Mt Isa we have travelled west, then eventually north after a short detour south! We spent 2 nights at a lovely Free Park beside the Georgina River at Camooweal. There were lots of different types of birds, some quite big, including broglia, hawks, and some small, including budgies. We used our new camp oven each night to cook our dinner with great success. The sunsets and sunrises were great too. After that we drove west, crossing into Northern Terroritory and putting our watches forward - there is now 2 1/2 hours difference with NZ. Our next night was spent at the camping ground behind Barkley Homestead. We took advantage of their cheap roast beef dinners. After that we headed west to Three ways and met the Stuart Highway which comes up from Adelaide. We turned south and drove through Tennant Creek and on south to the Devil's Marbles, where we stayed at a cheap ($3.30 pp )campsite right beside the Marbles, in the National Park. Again a great sunset and sunrise, reminded us of Uluru, or the Olgas. From there we headed north up the Stuart Highway, and had a night at Banka Banka Station, which
First attempt with a camp oven
Beef stew with veges all in was great. had been recommended to us by everyone giving advice!! A grassed site, where they told us to use as much water as we liked!! Everyone was out washing their vans and cars. I did 2 loads of washing ($2 ea), and Chris was shamed into washing the car yet again (he had washed the van and car at Mt Isa, after our dusty trip inland to Gregory Downs) That night we had a sasuage sizzle and slide show put on by the station, which was interesting. We keep meeting the same people now, it's getting quite social at happy hours! Spent quite a few nights with Chris and Kurt Meister - they do Sailability with Jan and Rowan at Moolooabaa, we met them then! Small world, Chris is a NZer, whose Mum Vera started the free wheelers for the NZMCA in NZ. Anyway, after Banka Banka we headed north to Daly Waters Pub, and had a night at the camping ground behind that. It is an interesting outback pub, bit like Birdsville, with bras, caps, shirts signed, all sorts of other asorted junk hanging up around the place. They put on barramundi /steak and salads and damper meals, and entertainment
each night. We had lovely fish, and enjoyed the company of a lot of the same people again! Today we came on north to Mataranka, and got into the campsite near the Bitter Springs Thermal Pools. This afternoon we used the camp noodles, and went swimming, floating down the meandering warm stream, in lovely clear water. You drift down with the currant, then get out , walk back and do it again! Great fun. Lots of the same people here again! We had drinks tonight with 2 ex NZ couples, one had been head of Glendowie College, his wife was sec at Kohi School and knew Marlena and Spencer Batty (Linda), the other from Napier, both now living on the Sunshine Coast. We will have another day here, then on Friday we will go to Katherine, where we have booked for 3 nights at the big 4 low level camping as recommended to us. Then we have one night on the way to Darwin un accounted - take pot luck somewhere, then on to Darwin, where at this stage we have booked for a week at the Big 4 Free Spirit Resort. So many travelling now that unless you book
the busy places you miss out - we prebooked here, and by lunchtime they had shut the gate with a sign "full" outside. This campsite is lovely, we could go anywhere, they have power boxes scattered around a large area, we have a site very private, down by the pools.
Computer coverage is more difficult now, at a couple of places we could open the hotmail and see who had sent us messages, but couldn't open the message, or reply or send! We would appreciate it if we don't get "funnys" as we find they take too much of the computer space, and are often hard to open now. But thanks to those of you sending news of home. Can't always reply individually, but we love hearing from you all. Sorry we will miss the mid winter Xmas at the beach, but have a great time BB4WD group.
Cheers Lynne ('Len' to some of these lastest friends), and Chris
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June Aitken
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pennants
Hi Lynn and Chris.we played our last pennant game Monday and had a loss to Titirangi. That allowed Auckland to win by one point. Howick finished 3rd Not bad. It was abetter day as no rain but cold wind. Really enjoying your trip and photos, Lov June.