Departing Friday morning day one of our trip was fairly uneventful and boring with our first stop being a local tyre dealership having four new tyres fitted to the caravan. That done, we left the Gold Coast eating lunch “on the run” stopping at the bottom of the Toowoomba Ranges to refuel before heading further inland. After tackling the steep climb up the Toowoomba Ranges we continued to Millmerran stopping to fill the water tanks. From Millmerran we turned south eventually camping the night on the banks of the picturesque Dumaresq River near Texas.
With driving over Leigh set up tables and chairs, opened a bottle of wine, and then started cooking on the barbeque while I supervised - that’s what's supposed to happen isn’t it? We were soon joined by another traveller who decided that since she had a captive audience she may as well recant her life of woe’s - why us?
Following a pleasant night’s sleep enhance by the sounds of flowing river water we hit the road at a civilized hour. The second day of travel was via the very scenic Sapphire Way taking us through the towns Warialda, Bingara, Barraba, and Gunnedah, an area that we have thoroughly explored previously however was still our preferred route as it’s traffic free. From Gunnedah we travelled towards Mullaley before again turning south towards Coolah and new territory eventually stopping for the evening at a pretty little rest area near the locality of “The Black Stump”. Parking our van to one side under the shade of a tree we were soon joined by a motor home plus a herd of curious cows; and once again we had a barbeque dinner only this time not only did Leigh have me supervising him, he also had the cows looking on.
The next day we again continued our trek south refuelling at Dunedoo before continuing to Gulgong and Wellington stopping for lunch. Wellington is a pretty town with an abundance of lovely parks, modern conveniences, beautifully restored buildings, all a reflection of a high degree of civic pride within the community. Following lunch it was a stroll through the park viewing the various gardens and water attractions before continuing on our way.
By now we were totally relaxed, just cruising along through the countryside enjoying the scenery and letting the GPS navigation unit guide us until for some inexplicit reason the GPS’s data files became corrupted. With Mita resurrecting the relevant road maps to find out where the heck we were, we continued on our way eventually stopping for the night at free community run caravan park in the town of Gooloogong; these community run caravan parks are becoming quite commonplace in many small towns. With the temperatures in the high 30’s we were coerced by two other couples also staying in the park to join them in the local pub for a few “coldies”.
Fresh from a great nights sleep in air-conditioned comfort next stop was the nearby town of Grenfell spending some time wandering through the historic streets and admiring the 19th century architecture while dodging scaffolding erected around various building undergoing restoration before once again continuing on our way towards Temora. Approaching Young we couldn’t help but notice a myriad of road-side billboards advertising cheesecakes, jams, cheeses, coffee, and other delights, when what pops up but “JD’s Jam Factory” perched on a crest of a hill overlooking Young. Lacking any conscience we ventured into the premises where after doing a tour just had to have coffee accompanied by cheese-cake lathered with copious amounts cream and ice-cream.
Feeling like a pair of “porkers” we waddled out of “JD’s Jam Factory” and headed for Temora to visit the Aviation Museum, arriving early afternoon and booking ourselves into another community run caravan park that at $13 for two nights was great value.
It’s only a short drive out to the Aviation Museum established in 1999. The entire complex including the airfield is privately owned while the display aircraft in the museum are owned by various individuals; all the aircraft at the museum are airworthy. Some aircraft owners reside on the complex having private residences backing onto the airfield complete with taxiways and hangers.
The museum has a close association with the Historic Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) based in Sydney, that group having in its livery a Super Constellation, a Catalina PBY Flying Boat, P2V-7 Neptune Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft, a Dakota C47, plus other aircraft either airworthy or in the process of being restored; if you want more information on HARS, go to http://www.hars.org.au/
While we would have loved to have been at Temora on a flying day we were quite content wandering amongst the aircraft including a Vampire, Meteor, Spitfire, T28 Trojan, Cessna A37, a Lockheed Hudson plus many others while at the same time being given a running commentary by a guide. If you want more information on Temora, go to http://www.aviationmuseum.com.au/
Finished with the Air Museum, the next day it was off to the Snowy Mountains via Cootamundra (where we had a brief wander) and Gundagai, stopping for lunch in the park and visiting the local emporium housed in the towns fully restored picture theatre. Leaving Gundagai we started climbing to Tumut, gateway to the Snowy Mountains. Following a brief stop at the National Parks Office in Tumut and then booking into a caravan park located on the banks of the fast flowing Tumut River it was off to explore the local scenery including Blowering Dam where in 1978 Ken Warby set the world water speed record of 511 kph (317.6 mph) that still remains valid. The scenery from the Blowering Dam wall including views across the glassy lake towards the Snowy Mountains and down the valley towards Tumut was quite picturesque.
The next day we had organized to meet Mita’s friend Liz at Cabramurra which incidentally is also Australia’s highest town at 1490 metres; Liz is one of two Dam Inspectors employed by the Snowy Mountains Authority. Leaving Tumut we detour into Talbingo for a tour of the Tumut #3 Power Station only to discover that it wasn’t a tour day (that’ll teach us to read our tourism brochures). After viewing the massive water pipes feeding the power station and enjoying the scenery from Talbingo Dam we commenced the long slow drive up the mountains to Cabramurra arriving in time for lunch with Liz.
Following lunch Liz announced she was taking us on a tour of the Tumut Ponds Dam and the Tumut #2 Power Station. Arriving at the dam and kitting ourselves out in the appropriate safety equipment we entered the interior of the dam wall for a leisurely stroll down three hundred sixty six steps to the base of the structure; what an experience. Unfortunately we then had to scale the three hundred sixty six steps back up and by the time we reach the summit our bodies were giving us a not so subtle hint about our age and fitness levels.
From the dam we then visited Tumut #2 Power Station located 245 metres underground and accessed via a one kilometre road tunnel into the side of a near solid granite mountain. It was quite an experience being able to get a first hand glimpse of the five levels of the underground power station including many areas not normally accessible to the public.
Up to now we had been spoiled by the weather with daytime temperatures constantly in the mid 30’s however that evening reality struck when the temperature plummeted to 3C. Dragging ourselves out of bed the following morning we navigated our way through a thick mountain fog meeting Liz for breakfast before departing for Jindabyne. Leaving Cabramurra we had hoped that as we descended the fog would dissipate; that theory soon went out the door with visibility being reduced to about fifty metres at best.
Having only travelled about fifteen kilometres we opted to pull into the Three Mile Dam rest area until conditions improved. Navigating between the trees in poor visibility we eventually found a camping area next to the lake. Feeling like a couple of frozen penguins Mita decided it was time to light the oven and cook some scones with the obvious benefit being that we could get some warmth into the van as temperature was still only 5C plus it was now raining adding another dimension to our discomfort.
Having had our fill of fresh scones with cream and jam we decided to take a chance and visit the Yarrangobilly Caves and Thermal Pools – the thought of wallowing in a hot spa was such an enticing temptation we couldn’t resist the lure. Armed with towels and swimmers we braved the foggy road conditions heading for the perceived Mecca. As we got into the lower altitudes visibility improved dramatically and before long we arrived at Yarrangobilly, parked our car then tackling the one kilometre walk down a steep track to the thermal pool. What greeted us wasn’t quite the utopia we had visualized, instead was a very old concrete pool complete with an abundance of algae and aquatic plant life. After surveying the scene and dipping our toes into the water we also came to the conclusion that their idea of “thermal” and our idea of “thermal” were poles apart.
Returning to Three Mile Dam we spent the rest of the afternoon rugged up and reading books, or in Leigh’s case fully clothed and under the blankets reading a book. When the fog did eventually lift late afternoon, revealed was a very pretty little lake complete with several other campers (in tents no less) dotting the foreshore.
Awakening to another cold morning it was a case of who’s getting out of the warm bed to put on the jug - Leigh lost. That argument resolved and with the car heater on full we departed for Cooma arriving lunch time after a pleasant drive through the alpine countryside.
With Mita heading in one direction to do some essential shopping, Leigh unhitched the van and headed in the opposite direction to refuel the car. All chores completed next stop was Jindabyne where much to our surprise found that caravan accommodation was at a premium with only two sites left in the entire town albeit being the ‘off season’. Next stop was the local tourism office which was conveniently located within walking distance however after spending a relatively short period there soon revised our “to do” list as every time we asked a question we were met “that’ll be $$$ per head”.
Armed with a picnic lunch and thermoses of coffee, our first stop the next morning was Charlotte Pass (elevation 1825m) that not only provided great views over the surrounding countryside but is also the staging point for the walk up to the summit of Mt Kosciusko – yes, Mita’s urge to climb another mountain had surfaced again. This time however nature was on my side as there was a strong breeze blowing and it was decidedly cold resulting in Mita cancelling the walk (much to Leigh’s delight). Heading back down the mountains we stopped several times to enjoy the magnificent scenery eventually arriving at the Thredbo ski resort in time for lunch.
Finished with our sightseeing it was time to exit the Snowy’s and head for the Victorian Alps. With only two routes available, one of which caravans or articulated vehicles were not permitted to use, our only alternative was via Khancoban unless of course you back tracked to Tumut. Our first stop of the day was Cooma to refuel and visit the Snowy Mountains Interpretative Centre. From there it was a brief stop at Cabramurra for coffee with Liz Sheaffer before tackling the Khancoban Road.
To say that the Khancoban Road was “exciting” would be an understatement. Leaving Cabramurra the road winds its way down to the valley floor crossing the Tumut Ponds dam and then back up the other side. To give you an idea of the road, it is barely wide enough for oncoming vehicles to pass, is so steep requires the constant use of 1st gear, and involves approximately a seven hundred metre decent and ascent – you can plainly see the road on the opposite side of the valley not more than two kilometres away. It’s quite an adrenalin rush when you meet an oncoming semitrailer on a corner as we did.
The total distance from Cabramurra to Khancoban is a mere sixty eight kilometres taking 3 ½ hours to accomplish and to be truthful I would be very hesitant in recommending this road to anyone towing large caravans. Arriving at Khancoban late afternoon and settling into the local caravan park we immediately opened a bottle of wine to sooth our nerves. We were later joined by another couple seeking information on the road conditions to Cabramurra however soon changed their minds about going that way.
Our next planned port of call was Mount Beauty in the foothills of the Victorian Alps but we needed to go via Albury-Wodonga to enable repairs to be carried out on the van’s annex plus have the vehicles external mobile phone aerial checked as there appeared to be a problem. Leaving early we arrived in Albury-Wodonga just after lunch with the trip being far more relaxed than the previous days.
Achieving what we set out to do in Albury it was on to Mount Beauty via Tangambalanga travelling through some absolutely glorious countryside eventually arriving at Mt Beauty, a small town nestled at the base of the very imposing Victorian Alps. Not yet being the snow season most businesses and attractions in the town were either closed or operating at a vastly reduced capacity hence there wasn’t too much happening.
Feeling somewhat lazy, the next morning it was breakfast in a local eatery before setting out for Swifts Creek on the opposite side of the Victorian Alps where we intended staying several days. The climb out of Mount Beauty through Tawonga Gap (elevation 1725m) was unexpectedly steep however the spectacular views across the valley below and Mount Beauty Township from the Tawonga lookout more than compensated for the inconvenience.
Descending from Tawonga Gap into another valley we joined the Great Alpine Way that would take us to Swifts Creek via the Alpine National Park. Driving through farm land including numerous tobacco farms we passed through the pretty hamlet of Harrietville were we once again commenced climbing, this time towards the Mount Hotham Ski Fields in the heart of the Victorian Alps and at 1864 metres, Australia’s highest ski resort.
Again we were totally unprepared for the drive up the ranges with the road being narrow, windy and at times very steep with the majority of the trip being in either 1st or 2nd gear, however the views from the summit of Mount Hotham back across the Victorian Alps was worth the effort.
Wednesday was nominated as a maintenance and cleaning day with Mita attacking the mountain of washing and ironing while Leigh busied himself washed both car and van, doing the housework, organized a replacement data file for the GPS, refilled gas cylinders and attended to minor maintenance. Of course while all this was happening we just had to visit the local wood fired bakery for coffee and cake; they also make a pretty mean pie as well.
With the Commonwealth Games in progress in Melbourne and the F1 Grand Prix scheduled for the week following the closure of the games, the timing of our visit to Melbourne was important as no doubt there would be a shortage of accommodation and prices would be at a premium; our assumptions were later proved correct with prices at the caravan park increasing by 70% for the duration of the two events.
Departing Thursday morning our first stop was Sale to restock the larder and refuel before going out to Golden Beach where we intended camping for a few days before heading into Melbourne to visit friends. With shopping out of the way it was down to Golden Beach this time ensuring we had a full compliment of water having learnt the hard way previously when we discover there was no water available.
Locating a pretty campsite within metres of the beach the next few days were very relaxing being taken up by walks along the miles of deserted beach, watching seals in the surf or just lazed around reading books while my “Man Servant” cooked breakfast and dinner on the barbeque for the duration of our stay.
Our departure from Golden Beach wasn’t without some drama taking Leigh numerous attempts to get our van out of the camping area with the final few attempts being accompanied by some colourful expletives. After twenty minutes of manoeuvring we were eventually on our way and heading for the outer Melbourne suburb of Officer via Warragul where Leigh had organized for a new data file to be installed into the GPS much to Mita’s delight meaning she could relinquish her navigating duties and let technology get the blame if we got lost.
After spending two delightful days at Officer with friends Terry and Claire it was over to Portsea and the Portsea Caravan Park where the plan was to stay overnight giving us the opportunity to investigate this historic and beautiful area of outer Melbourne. Arriving at the Portsea caravan park and viewing the hovel that we were expected to pay $30 a night for the privilege of staying in, we reversed back out of the park (yes, reversed out - it was too cramped to turn around or even manoeuvre) and reassessed our itinerary.
With our plans for the Portsea dashed we opted to at least visit Fort Nepean located on the tip of the Mornington Peninsula. The fort was built in the late 1800’s as a result of fears of a Russian invasion and became a vital component of coastal defences guarding the approaches to Port Phillip Bay and Melbourne between 1880 and 1945. At the onset of both World Wars the fort underwent upgrades and improvements to cater for the threats of the period. After spending several hours exploring the various tunnels, gun emplacements, observation posts, bunkers, underground magazines, we tackled the three kilometre walk back to the car park stopping on the way to view the Harold Holt Memorial at Cheviot Beach, the site of the former prime ministers drowning.
With sightseeing completed it was into Melbourne and the Braybrook Caravan Park conveniently located within sight of the inner City - and what great timing as we arrived in peak hour. Our next four days in Melbourne were taken up with shopping (including going to the famous Melbourne Markets), sightseeing, eating, more shopping, eating, visiting friend Pat Hodda, still more shopping, and eating.
With the arrival of racing fans for the F1 Grand Prix we departed for Beechworth via Healesville and the Yarra Valley successfully avoiding the freeway by meandering through the Victorian countryside enjoying the stunning scenery eventually arriving Beechworth late afternoon stress free.
With breakfast over we returned to the van in search of warmer clothing before venturing out in search of wineries and gourmet food outlets; Leigh is a sucker for cheese’s, olive’s, mustard’s, and other such delicacies. After a day of sampling wines, lunching at a swish café in Myrtleford, and visited Yackandandah where by chance there was a folk festival in full swing being patronized by an assortment of people in dire need of a wash, we eventually returned to Beechworth.
With the preceding day’s temperature barely reaching 10C and awakening to another freezing morning, this time we ensured we were appropriately attired before heading out to nearby King Valley for another day of wineries and gourmet food outlets, this time doing some serious damage to our credit cards.
Having explored the Beechworth region it was time for Rutherglen, an area renown for its fortified wines, to be graced with our presence. It was our intention to camp on the banks of the Murray River however after visiting the local information centre and seeing the location of the various wineries we felt it wasn’t worth the effort so opted to remain in Rutherglen. That afternoon we managed to visit six vineyards sampling a variety of wines, ports and muscats and while we weren’t particularly impressed with the wines of the region, the ports and muscats were “to die for”; and so were the gourmet food outlets with Leigh purchasing a variety of cheese’s and olive pastes.
Before departing Rutherglen we visited the Buller vineyards that had been repeatedly recommended. After sampling a range of Muscats, Ports and Tokay’s and subsequently purchasing “a few” it was time to start heading west following the Murray River to our next destination, the Flinders Ranges in South Australia.
The days travelling was at a leisurely pace, stopping at Yarrawonga and Cobram, before eventually “calling it quits” and finding a delightful bush camp on the banks of the Murray River about five kilometres off the highway. Settling in with no one else within kilometres Mita and I relaxed under the awning enjoying the tranquillity while imbibing in a recently purchased wine, nibbling on cheese and enjoying the sunset. Our peace and quite was soon shattered when “out of the blue” nine canoes loaded with high school students on an excursion appeared around the bend of the river and set up camp on the opposite bank – oh well.
Awakening to another beautiful day albeit a bit on the chilly side we headed for nearby Echuca to do some shopping and pay bills before continuing further west. Unfortunately after leaving Echuca the weather conditions took a turn for the worse running “smack bang” into a major dust storm accompanied by strong winds and light rain – just what the doctor ordered. With driving conditions becoming hazardous we stopped at Kerang booking ourselves into the local caravan park. Kerang’s main claim to fame is that it’s the home town of the late Prime Minister Sir John Gorton.
Thursday morning was bitterly cold and the winds of the previous day were still blowing a gale although the dust storm had passed successfully leaving both car and van coated with a mixture of dust and mud. Resigned to the fact that our fuel consumption was going to be badly effected we departed Kerang only making it as far as Swan Hill where we had to refuel. With no indication that the winds were going to abate we continued west following the Murray River occasionally pulling over to investigate various National and State Parks however by the time we reached Euston on the NSW/Vic border we’d had enough.
Our night in Euston was interesting to say the least. Our first surprise was that the town water supply was pumped direct from the muddy river and not subject to any filtration – thank heavens we always ensured we have ample supplies onboard in case of situations like this. The second surprise was the inordinate number of police in the town considering that it only has one pub, one club, two shops, and not much else. Number three was “The Euston Club” and its meals – Mita had a huge Rack of Lamb, Leigh a massive steak that overhung the plate, we shared a bottle of wine, and after the meal coffee and liqueurs, all for the princely sum of $51.
The next morning we received our final surprise as we left town and had to navigate our way through scores of police vehicles including the tactical response group, the dog squad, plus hordes of armed police; it turns out they had just conducted a major drug raid on one of the two local shops. It was the major news item and talking point on every radio and television station for the next few days.
With the excitement behind us we continued westward stopping at Mildura to refuel and refill our water tanks as palatable water was starting to become scarce as we approached the desert regions. From Mildura the road took us through fairly desolate country with little vegetation and dotted with sand dunes until we reached the Renmark wine region, a veritable oasis in the middle of a desert. Although Renmark is one of Australia’s major wine producing region we resisted the urge to do more wine tasting instead continuing to Barmera spending the night camped on the foreshore of Lake Bonney.
After braving another chilly morning we did a quick dash into nearby Barmera for some last minute supplies before continued on our way towards Morgan where we turned north towards the oasis town of Burra stopping for lunch. From Burra we continued towards Petersburg eventually stopping for the night at Orroroo, a town within easy striking distance of the Flinders Ranges. Orroroo is one of those towns that’s making a concerted effort to entice passing travellers to stay with a variety of attractions including of all things a swimsuit museum. As for the community run caravan park it’s outstanding with the amenities being second to none; to be honest it was possibly one of the nicest parks we have stayed at for quite a while.
Our next stop after leaving Orroroo was Wilpena Pound in the heart of the Flinders Ranges. Travelling via Hawker we were absolutely “gob smacked” at the scenery which was in total contrast to that of the past few days. Following our arrival at Wilpena the first thing we did was book ourselves a thirty minute scenic flight over “The Pound”. With the pilot ensuring that there were no Emu’s or Roo’s wandering across the dirt strip prior our take-off, we eventually departed with the flight looping around Wilpena and out into the surrounding countryside provided outstanding views of “The Pound” plus other geological features including the ABC Ranges (first thought to have twenty peaks but later discovered there were in fact thirty peaks), the Elders Ranges (named after the founder of the Elders Pastoral Company), various gorges and valleys, plus Lake Torrens, a fifty kilometre by two hundred kilometre salt lake.
The next day Mita decided the time was right to hike into Wilpena Pound. The early stages of the walk was quite easy following a flat and well worn trail however once inside the confines of “The Pound” Mita’s insatiable urge for scaling mountains once again “kicked in”. With Leigh muttering and complaining we tackled the climb up a fairly steep track over rocks and boulders to the Wangarra lookout at the summit of the rim providing a different perspective of “The Pound”. Eventually returning to the van mid afternoon Leigh became stubborn, pulled out a novel and spent the afternoon reading ignoring any reference to further bushwalking.
Having recovered from the previous days physical exertions our next destination was the opal mining town of Coober Pedy in Central Australia seven hundred fifty kilometres away. Day one was a relatively relaxed affair, refuelling at Hawker and spending some time in a local art gallery containing some excellent works of the area. From Hawker our next stop was historic Quorn before continuing on to Port Augusta where we had our first insight to the serious racial and social problems afflicting the Aboriginal peoples of Central Australia.
Booking into a “high profile” caravan park surrounded by a 2 ½ metre solid fence topped with barbed wire we were advised that for security reasons the gates to the complex shut at 9 pm and don’t reopen until 7 am the following morning; this is evidently the norm in Port Augusta. Overcoming our initial surprise at the level of security imposed at the caravan park we then ventured into the CBD to do some shopping only to be confronted by drunken aboriginals being abusive to each other, harassing passers by, while others played “chicken” with the traffic ignoring the inherent dangers. Feeling ill at ease we returned to the van park disappointed that we hadn’t explored the CBD with its historic buildings and informative waterfront walks.
Day two of our trip to Coober Peby involved a five hundred sixty kilometre journey with the only civilization enroute being Woomera. Ensuring that our water tanks were full plus arming ourselves with thermoses of coffee and sandwiches we departed Port Augusta with our first stop being Woomera intending to view the space museum however for some unknown reason it was closed. Woomera township is adjacent the Woomera Missile Range and the former nuclear testing area where during the 1950’s and 60’s numerous atomic weapons were detonated. Leaving Woomera we continued north across barren treeless plains with occasion rises, sand dunes, and enormous salt lakes including Island Lagoon and Lake Hart.
Arriving at Coober Pedy after an 8 ½ hour drive we booked into another “high profile” caravan park again surrounded by high solid fences topped with barbed wire. Relaxing under the awning with a cup of coffee we were surprised by the number of arrivals who hadn’t filled their water tanks prior to leaving Port Augusta and were now searching for a water source. Fortunately one of only two water distribution points available to travellers in the entire region was located in the caravan park with water costing $2 per thirty litres.
Having breakfast the next morning while listening to the dulcet sounds of Coober Pedy’s one and only radio station DUSTY-FM’s morning show “Breakfast with Dog” hosted by “Dingo” with his very Ozzie bush accent (all jokes aside, his selection of music was to be commended) it was time to experience Coober Pedy. While there is no doubt it’s entirely different from just about any other town or region in the world with its underground homes, shops, churches, café’s, bookstores, motels and hotels including the 5 Star Desert Cave Hotel, we were not overly impressed with Coober Pedy. Still the day was spent visiting the various underground attractions, having coffee at an underground café, and of course a visit to the Desert Cave Hotel was a must.
We had contemplated leaving Friday however that plan was shelved when we awoke to a windy day not conducive for travelling with a van. With time to kill we drove out and visited “The Breakaways”, a natural formation some thirty kilometres into the desert. The scenery was breathtaking and after spending some time viewing the landscape from various lookouts headed further out into the desert eventually looping back to Coober Pedy on the old Oodnadatta track.
Reaching town we then visited the Coober Pedy Golf Club; now that is something else. The eighteen hole course is built on barren rock and shale with the “tee’s” consist of a patch of Astroturf, as for the “greens” well they were a mixture of sand and oil which needed to be racked over after you have finished putting, and to ensure you don’t destroy your clubs you walk the course with a piece of Astroturf.
Having seen all that there was to be seen in Coober Pedy our next destination was Ayres Rock and with the winds having swung around to the south driving was going to be a breeze (sorry about the pun). With the distance to Ayres Rock being seven hundred forty kilometres we again decided on a two day journey with our overnight being Eridunda at the junction of the Stuart and Lasseter Highways. Once again Mita did the bulk of the driving until about one hundred kilometres short of Eridunda when the heavens opened up dumping heavy rain resulting in the highway become awash and creeks starting to flow which is quite an event considering the annual rainfall in this region is barely 125mm (5”).
We arrived at Eridunda in company with the Australian Rolls Royce Club whom we had been playing tag with prior to Coober Pedy and booked into another barbwire enclosed compound. Once again we were grateful for having filled our water tanks before leaving Port Augusta as the water at Eridunda was bore water, was hot, and was accompanied by an overwhelming smell of sulphur; getting a lather in the showers that evening was a “non event”.
Mita and I adjourned to the bar for a few quite drinks and were joined by some members of the “Rollers”. It soon became abundantly clear that most of the wives were totally disgusted with having to “rough it” being more at home in their suburban environment and upmarket café’s with one wife loudly remonstrating with her husband about putting the car on a train back to Sydney and flying home.
After a relaxing night we left for Ayres Rock again in convoy with the Rolls Royce Club. Arriving late morning at Yulara we booked into the caravan park, paid our $25 per head admission fee to the local Aboriginals for a three day pass and then took a drive around Ayres Rock. While Leigh has flown over and around Ayres Rock and the Olger’s in his Air Force days, this was his first “land” visit to the monolith and he was impressed with the close up views. Of course when we drove past the staging point for the walk up to the summit of Ayres Rock Leigh made it abundantly clear that he was having no part of it.
We returned that evening to Ayres Rock to watch the vaunted sunset spectacular when “The Rock” assumes a deep reddish hue but unfortunately clouds on the horizon ruined the event although Leigh still managed get a few outstanding photos.
With rain throughout the night ruining our plans of watching the sunrise with “The Rock” as the featured backdrop we adjourned to the camp kitchen for breakfast provided by the park management at a nominal fee. Although the cloud cover was starting to break up intermittent rain squalls were still the order of the moment however not to be deterred we drove out to the Olgers utilizing the rationale that being fifty kilometres away by the time we got there the weather would have cleared.
No such luck as the rain got heavier. What greeted was a spectacle few have seen with the Olgers being adorned with a plethora of waterfalls. After taking photos of the spectacle we headed back to Ayres Rock hoping for the same photo opportunity and were not disappointed.
By mid afternoon it started clearing so back out to the Olger’s we went this time in brilliant sunshine enabling us to undertake a walk up one of the many ravines with camera clicking.
Wearing a fly net over his hat after swallowing a couple of the tasty little buggers Leigh got the van organized while Mita adjourned inside preparing lunch and reviewed our hiking itinerary for the next twenty four hours. As it turns out there were only three walks available, the first being the Kathleen Springs walk twenty kilometres away, the second into Kings Canyon following Kings Creek, and the third being the Kings Canyon rim walk rated as strenuous and requiring a medium to high level of fitness. With temperatures in the high 30’s we decided the wise thing to do for the rest of the day would be to relax in air-conditioned comfort and read a book.
After a night of light rain accompanied by howling dingo’s it was off to attack the various hiking trails before the heat set it. With fly nets on, the first walk of the day was the 1 ½ hour Kathleen Springs walk that we both felt was quite disappointing albeit being the sole habitat for a unique species of palm. From Kathleen Springs we backtracked to Kings Canyon and were surprised by the number of tourist coaches in the car-park, most of which would have had to travel from either Alice Springs or Ayres Rock departing at some unimaginable hour in the morning.
With the heat starting to set in and seeing the escarpment that had to be scaled just to access the initial stages of the four hour Canyon rim walk we (well Leigh) opted for the easier option, namely the Kings Creek walk; a bit over one hour later we returned to our vehicle in a lather of sweat thankful we hadn’t attempted to rim walk.
To be truthful we weren’t overly impressed with Kings Canyon as it wasn’t as awe inspiring as the brochures would have you believe but by the same token our view may well be tainted as we didn’t do the rim walk which is regarded as the premium attraction. We do strongly suggest to anyone contemplating visiting Kings Canyon to make it an overnight stay only; this was a fairly universal point of view by other campers. Oh, and fuel at Kings Canyon was expensive so do some fuel management planning.
Happy hour that evening was a good reflection of the types of people you meet when travelling Australia; there was a chemist from Mandurah, a mussel farmer from Port Lincoln, and a Swiss engineer from Port Headland.
Next stop was Alice Springs five hundred kilometres away so it was an early start having packed up the previous evening. Hitting the road about an hour prior to sunrise Leigh drove the first two hundred fifty kilometres dodging kangaroo’s, emu’s and a herd of wild camels wandering aimlessly across the road stopping briefly at Mount Ebenezer to refuel where Mita took over the driving duties until just prior to Alice Springs.
Settling into our new accommodation (once again complete with high fences and barbed wire) first task was to get the vehicle services which by pure chance we were able to get done that afternoon. Leaving the vehicle with the mechanic we decided to kill time by taking a stroll through the Alice Springs CBD and we were quite taken back by the number of aboriginals wandering around the town aimlessly, harassing business’s and shoppers alike, or causing disturbances.
After Mita was deliberately spat on by an aboriginal male we decided to return to where our vehicle was being serviced. Leaving the CBD for the short walk back to the vehicle we were then harassed by a group of aboriginal youths obviously trying to goad us while another group not far away looked on.
Following the unsavoury incidents of our first day in Alice Springs the second day was dedicated to cleaning, maintenance and other mundane chores. On Day Three we set out to explore the East MacDonnell Ranges with our first stop being Jessie Gap, one of several gaps in the otherwise impenetrable ranges that allow north south passage. Further east we came to Corroboree Rock, why it’s called Corroboree Rock is unknown as the area was never utilized for corroborees. Next were the John Hayes Rock Hole and Trephina Gorge both mooted as being popular swimming locations. After negotiating four kilometres of very rough track over boulders, along creek beds and steep gradients, we arrived at a very very sad looking John Hayes Rock Hole that was suffering the effects of drought having been reduced to several puddles. As for Trephina Gorge, well it was bone dry.
Next on our agenda was the Ross River Homestead, one hundred kilometres east of Alice Springs from where we intended driving out to the N’Dhala Gorge to view 10,000 year old aboriginal art. Crossing the dry riverbed of the Ross River we travelled about ½ kilometres along an unbelievable corrugated road before getting bogged in another dry riverbed. We eventually extracated ourselves and cancelled plans to proceed any further eventually getting back to Alice late afternoon.
The 4th and 5th days of our stay were dedicated to the West MacDonnell Ranges. Leaving Sunday morning our first stop on the outskirts of town was the gravesite and memorial to John Flynn. From Flynn’s gravesite it was out to Standley Chasm where much to our surprise saw signage stating that it was now a privately owned attraction and that entry fees apply. From Standley Chasm we then visited Ellery Water Hole which incidentally has basic camping facilities suitable for caravans and motor homes.
Ellery was very pretty however the brochures did warn that the waters were cold and if swimming caution should be taken although that didn’t seem to stop a swag of young backpackers “enjoying” the moment while shivering like crazy. From Ellery it was on to Serpentine Gorge ninety nine kilometres west of Alice and probably the least interesting of the days sightseeing.
Our final day of sightseeing was to Redbank Gorge and the Finke River, plus Ormiston Gorge. Redbank Gorge is where the Finke River winds its way through the MacDonnell Ranges and is located one hundred sixty five kilometres to the west of Alice with the last twenty five kilometres of road being dirt and the final five kilometres being particularly rough. The desert scenery in this part of Australia is awe inspiring possibly being some of the most beautiful desert country you’re likely to see anywhere; there is no doubt where the famous aboriginal artist Albert Namatjira got his inspirations.
From Redbank Gorge we returned to Ormiston Gorge which without a doubt has to be the nicest of all the gorges and is understandable why it’s a favourite summer swimming hole with the locals albeit being one hundred thirty five kilometres from Alice. The gorge has picnic areas and facilities, lots of walking trails of varying degrees of difficulty, great swimming holes, and a camping area suitable for caravans and motor homes. We spent quite a few hours at Ormiston including doing a walk up to the summit of the gorge escarpment, along its rim, and then back down into the gorge.
Departing Alice Springs our first stop was totally unscheduled when two hundred kilometres north we came across a mango orchid in the middle of nowhere selling fresh homemade mango ice-cream – how could we resist. Evidently the owner had stumbled upon a good source of artesian water near the surface and now has a very profitable business. Loading up the freezer with a few extra tubs of ice-cream we continued on our way to The Devil’s Marbles two hundred kilometres further north staying the night bush camped with quite a few other travellers.
With Category Five Tropical Cyclone Monica creating untold chaos across the tropical north we were starting to notice its influence with cloudy skies and reports of rain and flooding; that evening the rains started and didn’t stop. Our main concern was whether we would be able to get through to Mt Isa as predictions were that the cyclone that was currently six hundred kilometres north may turn south-east dumping heavy rains on the Barkley Tableland subsequently blocking the highway.
As we still had to travel another one hundred fifty kilometres further north towards the cyclone before turning east towards Mt Isa we decided it would be wise to change our plans and concentrate on the eight hundred kilometre trip to Mt Isa. Stopping briefly at Tennant Creek to refuel we continued north before turning east onto the Barkley Highway with the rain continually getting heavier with rivers, creeks, and low lying areas starting to flood.
Just after Barkley Homestead a large Wedge Tailed Eagle swooped out of a nearby tree and appeared to be intent on attacking our vehicle only to veer off at the last moment – Mita was awestruck by the sight of one of the worlds largest birds of prey eyeballing her while flying parallel with us at 90 kph.
With poor visibility and continual driving rain we decided to camp the night beside an old disused communications tower that not provided commanding views around the surrounding countryside but also a safe haven in case flooding occurred. Following another night of continual driving rain we were becoming increasingly concerned whether the road would still be passable, particularly between Camooweal and Mt Isa. Rejoining the highway we refuelled at Camooweal then tackled the last leg eventually arrived in Mt Isa covered in red mud; the Highway was closed that afternoon for the next five days after the region receiving three to four times its annual rainfall in a very short period.
We remained in Mt Isa a few extra days meeting up with friends and neighbours Ron and Marj who were heading for Broome in Western Australia but for obvious reasons weren’t going anywhere; the next few days were spent catching up with gossip, socializing, plus celebrating Mita’s birthday.
After several hectic days with Ron and Marj we departed Mt Isa on the final leg of our journey home taking the long route via Charters Towers and Emerald thus. We spent our first night camped between Richmond and Hughenden being joined by a 70 year old grandmother on a motorbike complete with a specially designed sidecar containing her tent, sleeping bag, cooking utensils, clothing, and other necessities; she was being accompanied by her Silky Terrier dog who also had his own compartment in the sidecar so that he wouldn’t feel deprived.
We got chatting to the lady (who camped next us for security) and discovering that she was married but since her husband refused to travel she decided “to hell with him”, brought a motorbike and is now doing her “own thing”. This trip she was heading into the Kimberley via the Gibb River Road, then down the Western Australian coast before returning to her home in the outer Melbourne suburb of Werribee.
So there you go girls, if you’re discontented with life and want adventure, the perfect solution.
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