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So after being unimpressed with the job situation and expense of 'hostels' we calculated it would be cheaper and more adventurous to live in a van for a week. Basically this company gives you the van for pennies and in return you have to transport it to the other side of the country for them within a certain time (6 days for us) and they even threw in some petrol cash towards the trip. Unfortunately we had to pick the van up from Cairns so it was off on a 6hour bumpy bus journey North before the real adventure began. On the way we stopped at a beautiful little town called Cardwell fer a hot peh and were most impressed by the sea view and the mangoes / no mangoes dunny (that means toilet) signage.
Off the bus at Cairns and into the tropical sunshine man and we got to the Britz office. Quick checks, paperwork and we were loaded up and outta there. Although for the first 2km we drove with the handbrake on! Now due to the outbackishness of Australia, there is only one way to get to Darwin from Cairns, via Townsville. We drove until it got dark
and stopped at a wee place called Ingham to camp for the night where we plugged the van in, cooked some pasta and cracked open a stubbie of 4X. Inside the van was quite adaptive to our needs. Downstairs we had a sink, fridge, hob, even a microwave and a bed which could be assembled. Upstairs was Ross' bed! There was a wee ladder up to the attic, and I hear it was cosy, if not cramped.....
Next morning we awoke at dawn, ready to get on the road and get heading West. First stop was Townsville for petrol and food supplies, but it was shut (Sunday morning) so we cracked on to Charters Towers, the first outback town in Queensland, which was also shut! But hey we got the gas on and had a fried egg piece, magic. Back on the road and we were aiming for Juila Creek to spend the night. Gradually the land got barer, the roads got rougher and the traffic got non-existant, just us and a lot of dead animals - roadkill...By the time we stopped it really did look like outback land, desertish 😊 Another bowl of pasta, another tinnie, another evening 'on
the road.'
The next 4 days were similar, we drove a lot, sweated it out without air-con and windows shut to save petrol! stopped at random places during the day for petrol and wotnot, then chilled out at night watching the sunset. Some of the most notalbe stops would be Three-ways, where the 2 major highways meet, the east-west and the north-south, Mattaranka home of some lovely Thermal Springs, said to be inhabitted by 2 freshie crocs, which luckily were'nt around that day, or else hiding. Daly Waters, home of the oldest pub in NT, and we were served by a girl we met apple picking - random. We also spent a day and night in Kakadu National Park, which is huuuuuuge, very hot and pretty damn cool. We went croc hunting and did find one! We were driving over a bridge and spotted a funny looking log, and there it was! no fences, just us and a croc. The scenery in Kakadu is amazing and there are a lot of spots to go fishing or trekking but we weren't really prepared for any of that.
Eventually we made in Darwin and I was very pleased to see the ocean.
We dropped of the van without any dramas and went in search of a hostel. Funny thing is we knew 2 girls from the apple picking prison were in Darwin so we decided to dump our bags and give them a phone. However it happened they were right across the road! So poor Alva (sorry, irish spelling, I have no idea) and the infamous Apple Betty gave us a few jobs on job-hunting etc and have been accompanying us for the odd cold beer in the evening. Tis nice to see a new face after Ross and Stef's ugly mugs for a week!
So we're set up in Darwin, fingers crossed for jobs, if not it could be back to the East Coast again........No worries......Oh and I hear there's a heatwave back there, don't worry it won't last. But we're at 33 degrees and it's winter! hehehehehehehehe
xxx
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Aunty L
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How's it gaun?
Hiya Nic, hope some job comes up soon, cant be much fun living off goon and noodles !!!! it was a tropical 26degrees back in Fundee at the week-end....... so if you have to come back early at least you wont freeze..... xxxx