[Pictures and more info to be added later]
On the way south we listened to a talking book tape we brought of Bill Bryson Down Under. In that, he travelled from Darwin to Alice Springs, and stayed in some of the same places as us. In Darwin, he had the disappointing experience of staying at the All Seasons Frontier Hotel, and it is lucky that we hadn't read the book, or heard the tape, before going and staying at the same hotel. We recognised several things about his description of it, including the bar (although the automatic doors had been fixed by the time we got there). He obviously hadn't tried to go for a swim, or he would have realised that there was nowhere to get changed. He is right about the side of the hotel - the staff obviously never walk around it.
We picked up our camper van, a Mercedes fitted with Bridgestone tyres (but we have had to put fuel other than Mobil in it). Provisioned at Palmerston Woolies and, having decided Darwin didn't seem worth spending much more time in, we set off for Litchfield National Park and stopped the night at the Banyan Tree van park.
We spent a pleasant evening having a barbie under the banyan tree, chatting to two other couples. Next morning, we discovered that we had been providing sustenance for the local mosquitoes.
Went into Lichfield National Park, to Wangi Falls, walked around and above the falls.
Back to Florence Falls, where we saw Wolleroos (Anne calls them all Skippy, but these are much smaller) and went swimming, which provided even more sustenance for the mozzies.
Back to Banyan Tree van park. Ate in the van.
Wearing clothing from head to foot, so the mozzies couldn't get us, we went back to Litchfield to see the magnetic termite mounds, which were different from the cathedral mounds we had seen all over the place. I wore sandals, which meant only my feet were feasted on this time (by the termites).
On our way to Kakadu National Park (where much of Crocodile Dundee was filmed) got more supplies from Palmerston shopping centre, including afterbite treatments and astronomical chart, because we couldn't recognise any of the constellations we could see.
Corroboree caravan park. Ate in road house.
Drove into Kakadu National park, and went first to Bowali Visitors Centre. This had loads of information about the park, including the culture of the Aboriginal clans who own it, and cooperate with the Rangers who run the park for them.
Stopped at Nourlangie Rock, which is where Lightning Man becomes grasshoppers, and saw the caves where the Aboriginals traditionally went in the wet season to escape the flooding. Saw cave drawings, amazing rock formations and views.
Finished off the day with a boat trip on Yellow Waters, crocodile spotting. The waters were about 3 metres deep, a month ago at the end of the Wet they were 5 metres and will fall another metre. Loads of quite amazing flora and fauna, even including a horse (which surprised even the guide). Several films, and a 64 MB card full of photos, taken.
Coolinda Lodge van park (Yellow Waters). Ate at the Lodge.
Started journey towards Alice Springs, after visiting the Warradjan Cultural Centre.
Stopped for lunch (pie and chips) in Katherine (named after the daughter of one of John McDouall Stuart's (the first European to travel across the Northern outback) benefactors).
Stopped for the night at Daly Waters pub, the oldest in Australia (they say, and Bill Bryson didn't dispute it when he stayed there). Pub filled with memorabilia, such as signed banknotes, identity cards and underwear. Good barbie, friendly and extremely laid back hosts, but not particularly salubrious toilets and showers.
Continued down Stuart Highway (named after John McDouall Stuart, but not exactly following the route he took). Lunched at Elliot, ate mouldy sandwiches in the van, and went into the roadhouse to get coffee to wash them down. Like many of these places (and there are over a dozen places in the 1/2 continent between Darwin and Alice Springs) it had interesting historical info: photos, maps memorabilia etc.
Stopped at the Devil's Marbles, an interesting rock formation. Took lots of pictures, swished away lots of flies, which were by now outnumbering mosquitoes, and had an ice cream.
On the recommendation of the ice cream seller, as a typical outback place, stopped at Barrow Creek Roadhouse for the night. This is a somewhat basic establishment. It's a pity Bryson didn't stop here, and warn us. However, we met some friendly and interesting people there.
After being woken by the cockerels (and Anne running the gauntlet of the stampeding chickens every time she set foot outside the van, as they were convinced she was going to feed them), we continued on stopping at Aileron Roadhouse, a delightful, pleasant and clean establishment, for coffee.
On to Alice Springs, which we reached early afternoon. Located the van depot and railway station, in preparation for Tuesday. Checked train times, had lunch, bought more bread and some anti-histamine tablets, to reduce hugely inflamed mozzie bites (felt better within half an hour of taking them).
Stopped at Heavitree Gap Outback Resort, getting one of the few remaining powered sites, as there is a desert race meeting this weekend, and everywhere is almost full.
Avoiding the restaurant, with reptile show and after dinner singer, we opted for grub in the bar. We were disappointed that this also provided singing accompaniment, but this turned out to be quite good (a folk singer called Scott Dawson (imagine a non-political Billy Bragg from a Lonnie Donegan tradition), and we ended up buying his tape). The food was excellent, including Anne's kangaroo (aka roadkill).
Wrote this page after several bottles of excellent Tasmanian cider.
Aim to spend the next couple of days doing Uluru (Ayre's Rock) and King's Canyon, then visiting a few places around Alice before leaving on the Ghan (for those who saw a documentary about it collapsing into the sand, the track was completely relaid in the 1980s).