Derby 2009

August 30th, I finished off my sightseeing to-day with a visit to the Boab Prison Tree just out of Town. It is believed to be 1500 years old and was used as a staging point for prisoners being walked into Derby, in the early days. The Boab tree grows with a hollow trunk, as it gets older, and is difficult to determine its age, as it does not have the annual growth rings found in other trees. Next was Myall’s Bore and Cattle Trough, built around 1917, 120 metres long and could water 500 Bullocks at a time. Finished off with a quick visit to Frosty’s Pool, built in 1944 as a bath for the 2nd WW Troops, and the Pioneer Cemetery. To-morrow will start to pack up ready to leave on Tuesday for Broome.

Derby 2009

August 27th, left Fitzroy Crossing and headed to Derby. We booked into the Kimberley Entrance Caravan Park for 5days, then went for a drive around Town. Travelling out to the Jetty we noticed the large mud flats. that were on both sides of the road and along the foreshore, at low tide. Coupled with the muddy colour of the water we did not find it very attractive. We had a good lunch, of bacon and eggs on toast, at the Derby Takeaway, next door to the Visitors Centre.

August 29th, We went to the CWA Saturday Markets, very small but worth a visit, then drove down to the Jetty and had a look at the Community Mosaic Floor at the Centenary Pavilion. It took 370 children & adults 700hrs to lay the 30000 mosaic tiles and is very impressive. After lunch I visited the Woolshed, the Wharfinger museum and the Old Derby Jail, all very interesting historical displays. I finished the day off with some photos of the Sunset from the Jetty.

Katherine to Kununurra 2009

August 20th, Packed up and ready to leave Timber Creek, was chatting with our neighbours and they told us, that when we cross the border into Western Australia we have to stop at the 24 hour Quarantine Station. Things not allowed into WA are fresh fruit & vegies, nuts, honey, cane toads and grass seeds, to name a few. Of course, we didn’t know about these strict Quarantine requirements and had stocked up on our shopping before leaving Katherine, including fresh fruit and vegies. Promptly we then ate the bananas and gave all our vegies to the cleaner at the Caravan Park, who was delighted to take them off our hands. We were told that we would be able to keep our carrots, so we did. We had cut some sandwiches for lunch which had tomato on them, so decided that we would eat them before the border. We were cruising along, enjoying the changing scenery and around the bend, 40klms from our destination at Kununurra, we site the 5klm sign to the Border and we still hadn’t eaten our sandwiches. Just as we reach the border there was a roadside picnic area, so in we ducked to have early lunch, while eyeing the Quarantine Station only 30 metres away. We pulled into the Q’Station and was greeted by a very pleasant Officer who checked the fridge in the Caravan and did take the carrots, as they were not allowed. He spotted Val as someone he could have a joke with and proceeded to tell her any beer we were carrying was not allowed because of the hops content and wine also made from grapes. Well, Val went 3 shades paler, knowing that we were carrying 3 four litre casks of wine. Anxiously he then said, “Is it good wine?” and when told it was only cask wine, he told her to have a nice day and could go. Val had read in a travelbook that when crossing the border heading west to add 1.5 hours, which we did and set out watches. We drove on to Kununurra and after booking into the Ivanhoe Village Caravan Resort, went to the Information Centre, to get info on the local sights. Checked the time to make sure our setting was correct, only to find we were out by 3 hrs, as we should have wound our watches 1.5 hrs back. It pays to check. Next stop was the Supermarket and bought $30 worth of fruit & vegies.




August 21st, I can’t believe that in a small country Town I was able to buy the Printer that I could not get in Darwin. How lucky is that. To-night we did a “Sunset BBQ Dinner Cruise” on the Ord River, which took in the Lily Creek Lagoon and saw the sunset over The Diversion Dam. We started with nibbles on board, a beautiful BBQ and fresh local fruit for desert. On the return trip they connected up a spotlight and we went Freshwater Croc. Spotting and there were plenty to see. A very enjoyable cruise with friendly and informative staff.



August 22nd, Ready at 7.45am, we are picked up from our Caravan Park to go on a 5 hour Bus Tour with Kununurra Scenic Bus Tours. We were taken on a tour through Kununurra and the Ord Valley, drove across the Diversion Dam to view it from the outlet side, took in the panoramic views from Kelly’s Knob Lookout, on to the Ivanhoe Crossing and took a great photo of a 4 WD crossing the weir. We saw a lot of the Sandlewood and Fruit Farms, which were all supplied with gravity fed ditch water from the Ord River Water Scheme. We were taken to some interesting Galleries and were especially impressed with the polished rock artwork all made at “Rockalong Stonework”. We finished off the Tour with a visit to Hoochery Distillery where they make Ord River Rum. The rum liqueurs were really great. A very extensive and informative tour.

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Timber Creek 2009

August 19th, Left Katherine after having a new tyre fitted to the Ford Territory. We had a roadside stop for lunch and arrived at Timber Creek , to 38 deg. Thats HOT. This is our last stay in The Northern Territory as to-morrow we cross the border into Western Australia

Darwin 2009

Sorry folks. My computer is playing up so will update this section later.

Darwin/Kakadu 2009

July 24th, Travelled to Darwin with a stop at Emerald Springs Roadhouse for a coffee break. They had an interesting half FJ Holden out front, as a sign (see photo). Coffee was free. Went on to Adelaide River for lunch, wasn’t impressed as food was not hot, buzzer didn’t work. Val was happy to see Markets in progress (3 stalls) and did buy some soap for hard water, which will be good for Roadhouse stops. On arrival at Darwin, went to The Lee Point Village Resort, who had told us, on the phone, that they don’t take bookings and always have plenty of sites, to find they were full. We ended up at Malak Caravan Park, owned by the same group. All sites have ensuites, a very basic park with lots of long term tenants that are caravaners that came for a visit, found work and have stayed. Some up to 4 years. We were told that once you are in, you have the site for as long as you keep paying your weekly rent. Very shady park with friendly neighbours and the only slight inconvenience is that you have to go next door to another Park, also belonging to the same group, to do your washing.

We spent the next 3 days getting ready for our Sydney visitors.

July 28th, Picked up Steven & Mum from Darwin Airport at 4.30pm and took Steven to the Vibe Hotel, in the City, where he was staying for the first night. Mum stayed with us at our Caravan. We all drove into the city and had a few drinks at several bars along Mitchell Street before heading for the Wharf Precinct for dinner on the Wharf. It was very busy, parking difficult but both the Food and the Harbour Views were great. We couldn’t believe the size of the fish swimming under the wharf, absolutely huge barramundi and lots of others I couldn’t identify.

July 29th, Steven & myself went on a sightseeing tour of the WW2 Oil Tunnels. It involved a very interesting talk by a Tour Guide then a self guided tour through 2 of the underground tunnels. A very expensive project at the time which never did get used for its intended purpose as the war ended before they were ever used. We took a few photos of the Government House gardens and then went on to the Museum to mainly look over the Cyclone Tracy exhibit. It was also very interesting and brought home the devastation caused by that event. The highlight of the exhibit was the stand where, on entering, you were subjected to the sound of the Cyclone, it would have been terrifying in reality. Hardly a building was left standing & only 40 people lost their lives, which is hard to believe when you look at this exhibit. We can only imagine the enormity of rebuilding the whole Area from scratch. We picked up the girls and headed off on our Kakadu Adventure. We stopped at the Humpty Doo Hotel for lunch and visited the Bowali Information centre. Had a quick look around Jabiru Township before booking into our cabin at The Jabiru Caravan Park. Went to The Jabiru Sport & Social Club for drinks and dinner. It was nice sitting in the outdoor area looking over the billabong until sundown when the mozzies drove us inside. The food was good and the pokies were terrible.

July 30th, Today we went on the Yellow Water Cruise, about 50klms from Jabiru. We spent 1.5 hrs cruising the Yellow Water Billabong and the East Alligator River, viewing the vegetation, birdlife (including the Jabiru’s, which the town was named after), wild brumbies and many Saltwater Crocodiles. We would recommend this cruise to anyone visiting the area. We lunched at the Coorinda Lodge in Yellow Water. On our way back to Jabaru we stopped at the Warradjan Aboriginal Culture Centre, which had a great display of the Aboriginal History in Kakadu and a good souvenir shop and Noorlangie Rock where there is the best aboriginal rock art on display. After walking around the Gagudju Crocodile Inn and checking out the menu/drink prices went back to the Sports & Social Club for dinner.

July 31st, 11.30am Steven & myself drove to Jabiru Airport to meet our Tour Bus for the Ranger Uranium Mine Tour. This was the best run Open Cut mine tour that I’ve been on. Very informative guide, who used video clips to show us the activity inside their buildings, as we passed by them. In the next 2 years it will become an underground mine to allow them to extract the bottom section of the uranium lode. Highly recommended. Moving on towards Katherine ,we stopped at the Mary River Roadhouse for lunch and then carried on to The Knotts Crossing Resort, in Katherine. A quick spruce up and off to the wharf at Katherine Gorge, to pick up the Katherine Gorge Sunset Dinner Cruise. This was a WOW factor cruise, the rock faces of the 2 Gorges we saw was fantastic. Took lots of photos and was topped off with a great 3 course meal, a complimentary champagne, beautiful sunset and a very good tour guide.

August 1st, Steven & myself went to the thermal springs in Katherine for a soak. Very nice at 32deg. Nowhere near as hot as the Artesian Pools I had been to in Moree (NSW). We headed to our next stay at Batchelor, stopping at the Emerald Springs Roadhouse for a coffee, and timed it nicely to look over their local Markets. Moving on, we had a light lunch at the Batchelor Festival and then drove to the Banyan Tree Caravan Park, in The Litchfield National Park, and booked in for the night. We ventured further into LNP and saw the very large Magnetic Termite Mounds, Buley Rockholes, Florence Falls and Tolmer Falls. Fascinating scenery, water still flowing in the rocks and falls, even though this is the dry season. Lots more we couldn’t visit , as I don’t have a 4WD. We had a very good evening meal at The Batchelor Resort Caravillage.

August 2nd, Up early, we set off for Darwin and went straight to Cullen Bay, in the city, and had a great lunch at the Buzz Café. We all went for the home made pies but Val had the most spectacular with a Leaping Prawn Pie. We then went to the Mindil Sunset Markets, very good and large selection of stalls, and saw a great sunset from the beach. We finished off the night with a trip to The Sky City Casino.

August 3rd, Put Steven & Mum on the 8am flight back to Sydney and back to the Van to pick Val up and head for the Darwin Cup Race day. We drove to the local shopping centre and used the free express bus to travel to & from the races. We didn’t have a winning day but a very enjoyable one. It was the biggest race crowd we had ever seen. The fashions on the field were colourful and it was a very hot day.

August 4th, Quiet day, needed after a great Kakadu experience.

August 6th, Woke up with a sore throat yesterday and after a bad night, now have a full blown cold, so off to the Chemist for some medicine and feeling much better to-night. I’m blaming the huge crowd that were at the Darwin Cup for passing the bug on to me. We did find time to look at the next leg of our travels and plan to leave Darwin on Tuesday, August 18th. with a few stopovers, we expect to be in Broome on September 1st.