From Camooweal to Darwin.......

We drove up the Barkly Highway between Mount Isa and Camooweal and it wasn't long before we had arrived and found a spot to set up for a few days.  Camooweal is now considered 'a suburb' of Mount Isa and this 188 km stretch of road is said to be the longest Main Street in the world!  Doesn't look too much like Binney Street does it?

We were staying here this time to see the Drovers Camp Festival which was on the following weekend. This meant we had a six day break beside the billabong.  As we set ourselves up we noticed our two neighbours were both in JB vans.  We are seeing more of them on the road now and we certainly did the brand proud for the next few days.  Bill enjoyed the water birds and the kites but at this location they are not quite as close as they are at Clem Walton, still he got some lovely shots in spite of that.

The Drovers Camp Festival started on Friday night with a street parade led by the drovers, a mail race and music in the street.  The highway is blocked off for a few hours and as this is a major trucking route they are rerouted around the back streets of the little town.  They don't seem to mind and some of them stopped for a look in the big truck parking area.  The pub has it's biggest night of the year I reckon.

The next day we drove down to the Drovers Camp and enjoyed all things cowboys!  The Bronco Branding was great fun and it sure looked like hard work in the heat of the day.  There were many sections and we saw rookies, experienced, female and geriatric (their words, not mine) drovers showing off their skills.  Later on we went back and watched the pairs work but I liked the singles best.  I did feel sorry for the poor cows though.

We had a look through the Drovers Camp Museum and really enjoyed reading all the stories around the walls of lives spent on the back of a horse.  It seems a really hard way to live but they all seem to love it. 

Back at home we sat out another day of very windy weather.  Our first two days were lovely but then the wind came up and blew a gale for the next four days.  The nights had cooled down again, back to 5 and 6 deg but the days were lovely and warm.  No complaints though it was perfect sleeping weather.

Finally it was time to say farewell to Camooweal and we packed up on Monday morning and hit the road crossing into the Northern Territory just 12 km down the road.  We continued on stopping at Soudan Bore for a late lunch and then drove on a few km and found a nice little place to stop for the night beside an old communication tower.  Still very windy here but it did quieten down enough for a little campfire to cook dinner on.  We dined by the glowing embers before we made sure it was out and settled in for a very quiet night.

The next morning we made our way to Barkly Homestead where we had a quick look around and then continued on up the Tablelands Highway to Brunette Downs (another bore) where we camped that night.  The next day we kept on driving and arrived at Heartbreak Hotel Cape Crawford in time for lunch.  We learned that it was named after Lindsay Crawford, a pastoralist who discovered the area in the late 1880's.   And the hotel is said to have 2 reasons as to how it got it's name.  The first that getting any building materials or men to build it was a heartbreaking job for the owner.  The second is that after all that time and effort the couple spilt up - now that would be heartbreaking!

After lunch we drove just a few more km along the Carpentaria Highway and stopped at Goanna Creek Rest area.  This little spot has many birds which love the water the travellers put out for them and they kept Bill busy for the afternoon and following morning.  This Pied Butcherbird looked quite interested in what Bill was doing with that camera.  It was hard to leave them but we must keep going north.  As we travel up we are seeing many more vans travelling south now so are looking forward to the camp sites being a little quieter as we head up.

At the end of the Carpentaria Highway we turned onto the Stuart Highway and just a short detour off the road took us back to the Daly Waters Pub.  It's somewhere that is hard to go past and once again we had a fun night and a delicious meal.  The famous Barra and Beef is certainly worth stopping for.

Our next stop was was for two days at Mataranka where we camped in Elsey National Park.  From here we drove in and saw the thermal pool at the homestead.  We swam in the morning and then had a look around the replica homestead of Jeannie Gunn.  How they lived in some of these places is just beyond me but they did and without them we wouldn't be here now.

That afternoon we drove down to Bitter Springs and enjoyed the thermal waters there as well.  By now it was much warmer than it had been in Camooweal and we really appreciated the swims.  The next morning we left and drove into Katherine to shop and then went straight out to Edith Falls where we stayed for the next three days.

Yes, it was quieter, but still fairly busy each night as many people were stopping in on their way south.  Apart from the swimming we were here to see if Bill could have another go at finding the elusive Gouldian Finches.  He went out early each morning to 'the spot' and yes, at last he found them.  They were right where they were meant to be though getting good pictures was still a bit of a challenge.  The first two mornings there were lots of other people with the same idea but the last day he was on his own and got some reasonable shots.  I've talked him into letting me use just one.

During the days, we swam in the spectacular swimming hole and even made it across to the waterfall one day.  Once there, the snake climbing up the rock face didn't thrill me but at least he didn't fall back in the water so I decided not to think about what else might be lurking.

From Edith Falls we drove on to Pine Creek and stayed one night at Pussycat Flats.  We camped on their very dry and dusty golf course this time and I had a busy afternoon washing clothes and hair.  Both were dry in a couple of hours.  That evening we went in search of the Hooded Parrot and we found them right where they were last time and so stayed and played for some time.  Today's picture however is not that beautiful parrot but the just as lovely Figbird which we found high up in the trees just watching the world go by.

The next day we had one last leg to drive and just before lunch arrived in Darwin.  We were staying at Robbie Robbins Reserve in Berrimah.  This is part of the Equestrian Centre and there is much cheaper camping there than any of the caravan parks.  We booked in and got ourselves set up and here we stay for the next week.  And yes, it's hot!  33 - 35 deg during the days and the nights have been between 17 - 22.  We are sleeping under a sheet!  The good thing is that the humidity has been very low so it has been quite pleasant.  

While we are here we will catch up with friends and Bill will try and find some more more birds to photograph.  So for now we're off to watch the sunset at Nightcliff jetty with Josie and Nolan.

until next time.......