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Published: September 7th 2006
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Brahma bull - Barkly Homestead
Nice bull, nice bull - that's all I could say!! ***Sorry everyone it has been hard to gain access to internet but will be up to date soon***
Day 142 Tuesday 22 August 2006
King Ash Bay to Barkly Homestead (approx. 500km’s)
Just a day for driving today and nothing in between (no towns and no places of interest). We need to get to Alice Springs because time is running out and we are catching up with Harry and Maureen from Echuca. They are looking after a campground at Ormiston Gorge which is approximately 100 km’s from Alice. Barkly Homestead will just be a stopover night. We had an encounter with a huge brahma bull today on the road. There he was with his heifer standing right in the middle of the road. Because this is only a one lane highway we had nowhere to move. We had to stop and wait. The heifer moved off the road but the bull was very stubborn. You will have to see the video when we come home. After at least 10 minutes sitting there and waiting the bull decided to move off to my side of the road. It was right near my mirrors. It was very scary. Because we had seen
Millard 1970 caravan
One of the vans that we saw on the road. the rodeo a few days before we were waiting for it to ram our car.
Day 143 Wednesday 23 August 2006
Barky Homestead to Tennant Creek (approx. 200 km’s)
Today we drove to Tennant Creek which has a population of 3500. It has an airport and the Ghan stops twice a week on its way to Darwin. There are only two caravan parks and lots of brothers. In the afternoon we visited the Battery Hill Mining Centre where we relived the gold mining past. We tried to pan for gold which was unsuccessful but the kids still had a good time getting their hands wet and dirty. Graeme was very keen to go fossicking (not that sort Amanda) so we had to get a fossicking licence online from the NT government. We visited the local library so we had a hard copy permit which is free. That evening we went to happy hour in the caravan park and that was about it for the day.
Day 144 Thursday 24 August 2006
Tennant Creek
This morning we visited the Battery Hill Mining Centre again to go on an underground mining tour. This was very interesting and we learnt how
in the olden days the mined for gold. We had our safety helmet and earmuffs on. Late morning we all headed off to go gold detecting with a gold detector that Graeme hired from the caravan park. We only had to drive 8 km’s out of town to the caravan park’s mining lease (which is a plot of land that allows you to fossick). It was really hot and after an hour or so we left Graeme to go back to the caravan park for a swim. The kids said it was one of the coldest pools they had been in. After a few hours we went back to pick up a red faced Graeme and no gold. All he found was a few cans, bottle cap and a bit of chain link. So much for our fortune!!
Day 145 Friday 25 August 2006
Tennant Creek to Ti-Tree Roadhouse (337 km ‘s)
Today we left about 10am as we thought we were only going to drive to Devils Marbles (approx. 100 km’s down the road). We arrived at Devils Marbles, had a look and climbed on the Marbles. Graeme was then all “Devils Marbled” out so we decided
Tennant Creek
Duane trying to pan for gold! instead of wasting the next couple of hours doing nothing and waiting for sunset we decided to keep driving. We then drove onto Wycliffe Well which is a town famous for the “most UFO sightings”. They also boast the pub with the most variety of different beers. I am sure this has some relation. We then drove onto Barrow Creek which if people don’t know this is where Peter Falconio “the UK tourist” went missing. This was only a pub and roadhouse. The pub is amazing. Lots of brothers hanging around and lots of photos of people that have visited and lots of $5 dollar notes. I even noticed one signed by Peter Falconio. Not sure whether it was genuine. We were then approached by a sister to buy her painting. I said “No” but Graeme has always been interested in aboriginal art so he had a look and she only wanted $30 for the painting that she did that day of “bush tucker”. The lady behind the bar said they were very good and cheap. So Graeme offered her $25 which she took and signed her name on the back of the painting “Patsy”. It is quite nice and
we will get it framed when we get back. It was not a place to stay so we decided to drive onto to Ti-Tree in hope that it was better place to stay at. We arrived at Ti-Tree and all we saw were brothers hanging around the pub/come roadhouse. We were fairly tired and we didn’t want to go onto Alice Springs which was about 160 km’s so we decided to stay. Friday night we thought was going to be rowdy but we booked in and went behind closed gates with our caravan away from the brothers. 3.30pm is their curfew time for them, so we found out later when we went for a drink at the bar. Not one to be seen. Apparently when they get kicked out of this place they somehow make their way 60 km’s down the road to a town called Aileron.
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