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Published: November 24th 2007
Current Mood: Excited.. im a Backpacker again!
On route to The Beginning of my East Coast Adventures.
Current mood: Excited
The Plans oooooooh the plans! What to do when I get there?? Where to go, what to see?? I think before that we just better concentrate on the Nomad as from prior stories you all know that the trusty van has never made a single Camping trip without spitting her dummy out.
So after a great few days seeing the guys to say goodbye before our departure we woke up at unit 2/125 Smith street Darwin for our final morning with our friends! I had been sleeping on a mattress in the living room with Anne which wasn’t ideal for either of us but at least it was a place to sleep! Waking early in excitement I got up and knocked on my old bedroom door to what is now Janeys to wake her up for cuddles and less perversely get my things from her room! After waking her and packing my things we decided to head down to the Cav for a final swim and a touch of breakfast before hitting the road in the direction
the road
anne Snoringof Douglas Daly Hot springs where I had visited earlier in the year with Rob and Jacqui!
So diving in and out of the pool and generally running amuck, Janes Mom and Brother came down from there hotel room and offered to buy me breakfast!! I was so pleased it was a real nice gesture! Whilst eating my breaky of course we were to bump into a few local faces a few of which had popped down to see us leave!! Flem boy rocked up early ish and the ledgends them selves… Jake and Dougie popped in to get me a cheaky morning beer before the off!! This set the standard for the day!! We were full… Brett arrived with the Van and with out further ado we jumped in the bus and got on our way!!
Man was I excited… I had done the Hot springs before and Lichfield Falls many times but the simple idea of only going one way this time just set my mind back to the travel days of Asia! See it and move on to the next place!! It was a sweet feeling!
So a few hours down the road we
had all just chatted idol Shite to each other, whilst planning and talking of where we should stay! Ideas ideas ay!! First stop… Lichfield for Annes first waterfall swim!! She doesn’t look impressed! We rocked up in the Car park with the Van still running smoothly. Down the many steps we went and before we knew it I had dragged Anne into the water and she was on her way in the true winging Pommy scared of the fish way!! I was never like that hahaha!!
Fair play to her she wasn’t as bad as shell when she came out to visit but also didn’t stay in for that long!! Brett did his mandatory cliff jump to the applaud of many and the exchange of numbers from some fine yank girls and we once again hit the road for the second part of our journey to the Hot springs!
We arrived around 4pm, Time enough to set up the swag I would have to share with Anne and fit a swim in before the sun went down!! Myself and Brett not being as organised as most people we were without a light or torch so when the sun
set there was nothing to do but sleep!! This is the second time in my Swag and to share it I have to say sucked ass!! It’s not as big as I had imagined!! Not at least for to people sharing that aren’t a couple! It was warm… enclosed but as it was Anne I was sharing with a laugh to look back and talk about!!
As you can imagine with the night dragging away like it did the very second the light hit the sky I was up and down to the Hot springs for my morning bath! Man I never did this last time but getting down there early was something special!! Where the night time air had cooled down the steam from the pools was thick in the air!! It was amazing! I had forgotten my camera though so you will just have to imagine the view by looking at previous bloggs.
After an hours Dip I went up to meet the guys to hit the road once again this time for a bigger day. The plan was to make it to Three ways or there abouts which would mean 10 hours of driving! The
plan was to drive until we see Swimming spots for random breaks and that’s what we did! We hit the Douglas Daly Pub famous for its interior and exterior decorations helped by travellers passing through! Many denominations of currency hung form the walls… Football shirts, Hats, Coolers etc etc from all around the world. I got my picture taking by the worlds most remote traffic light wooohooo not before having a cheaky beer, a dip and I quick toilet stop! Once again we were back on the road and on our way further into the ozzy out back!
Another three hours down the track we had made numerous stops for little swims in the likes of Mataranka thermal pools that were crystal clear and stops for fuel and food! The day was closing and three ways was still another two hours drive! We decided to stop at Elliot Camping grounds around 150km from three ways/ Barklay highway turn off. This place was interesting to say the least!
The grounds were run or owned by this German couple! He was a moody barstard but his wife cooked a mean steak!! We got our selves a powered site where we
could get a few tunes playing instead of just hitting the hay as soon as the lights went out! They had a pool… cold but needed, showers for 3 dollars a shot, a lake, a windmill and a pretty clean set of dunnies!! I still had trouble getting my head around how moody the German fellow was though!! He had it sweet!!
After eating more than I could stomach and sinking a few tooheys extra drys I was then ready for some sleep!! Tomorrow, unbeknown to us would be a slow, exhausting day!! Bring on the Nomad and her dummy spitting!
We woke early with hope to get on the road early to hit Mt Isa to visit Family of Bretts! This would haved been sweet! She is a little Philippino lady with a feel for cooking up wonders in the kitchen I hear!! I couldn’t wait!
So heading off sharpish we got down to the Barclay turnoff very early indeed! Anne pulled out the Video camera so I could give a little speech talking of our location and celebrating we had made it a third of the way with no hick ups as yet! Hahaha Spoke
to soon! No sooner had the camera gone down the Van completely shit herself leaving us in the middle of the Dessert with all of our belongings! Shit!!
Luckily for us Bretts Sister used to live about 40 km from where we had broke down so on the phone he got not before off loading his skooter from the Nomad to go get us help back at the services. The end result was this! We got a toe to Tennant Creek where his sister knew people that he could off load his things to! The pick up truck cost us 120 dollars and with the van being a write off we sold it over a fence in a backpackers camp site to mechanics for parts! We got 150 for the old girl. That made a 15 dollar split each to do with what ever we wanted! My plan was to get a bottle of bundi!!
Later that evening after being accepted into Bretts family friends home for the day we all jumped a greyhound bus that would take us 26 hours across Australiain the direction of Cairns. Marvellous… I can tell you though poor Anne will suffer!! Her
legs are super long!!!
Three Buses later and 26 hours gone we were hitting Cairns Bus station a little bit late. The time of the day was never an issue to us though by 3am we were ready to hit the bars and see what Cairns was about! Gotta say rocking up in a pissed up town sober isn’t the highlight of my trip. the Woolshed was a major Shit hole but hey it Can't be pleasing everybody.
After a messy night out on the town of Cairnes we had watched the sun rise and was in need of major Sleep time. No rest for the pissed though. Myself and Brett went on a little Tour, Swimming in the Lagoon and eating Morning Kebabs before leaving Cairns on Route for Port Douglas. I couldn’t wait to get there to see what the Beginning of my Adventures would Bring. This time… with a Best Mate from England! Glad your hear Anne!!
More stories from The Port they like to Call Douglas….
Love form a brummy…..
Niki.. Miss you all kids I will call you soon!!
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shell
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Litchfield
i was not bad was i? i kno i dont like fish but i got in there and everything! plus i had a good excuse was very very tired with only an hours sleep! i thought i did well tho! next time im out ull see a different me ill be swimming with all the (scary) fish! ...well ill try! :p looks wkd babes bet u loving the travells again! xxx