On the road again.

It is over a thousand miles to Alice- we won't be doing that in a day! The area down as far as Katherine we have done before- remember Litchfield Park and Mary lake we did coming up? So we went straight through to Mataranka, about 65k south of Katherine, our first night in the roof tent wasn't very comfortable, Apart from the Cane toads all around us, we had thousands of Fruit Bats flying over us and feeding just a few yards from us, very noisy all night. So we didn't sleep very well

I think we need to toughen up a bit!


Nothing much there- so we moved on. We had been told about Daly waters- just a tiny village really- but a very interesting pub. Apart from the helicopter on the roof, and a line of bras and panties hanging above the bar, the whole place was decorated with banners, visiting cards and signed banknotes. The barman told us that he had bought over an interior decorator from Florence.

Of course we had to add to the mayhem- so we left our banner and my card, it will still be there the next time a member of Carlisle South passes through.

As always here, it is a very long road between stops- it is normal to go fifty or sixty miles between roadhouses with only the odd Roo or Goanna to see apart from the countryside. That changes as we go south- from the green of the north, with it's long grasses and thick scrub, to the more open vistas and lower scrub as we get further south. There are many markers as we travel, just two of them are the tree that John McDouall Stuart, the first man to cross the continent south to north, ( took him six attempts), and after whom the Stuart Highway is named, and the Tropic Of Capricorn marker. It should be getting cooler as we go south ( nearer the poles!) but it isnt- it's 45 degrees out there- thank god for the air con in the car.

 In the evening we have storms, our third night in the tent we watched a magnificent lightning show all around us, and did it rain! But we were very comfortable and dry, and slept well.                                                                   Along the road we found the devils marbles, many round rocks some as much as 4 mtrs around standing high, almost as though they had been placed there. Actually they are formed by the uplifting of the land milenia ago and erosion of the corners of the rocks. When you think there is very little rain, and certainly no frost, it must have taken quite a while!

So on day four we come to Alice, we have been here before, two years ago, but found it interesting so we plan to stay here a few days. Will report back.