Up The Track

From Port Augusta, you can either turn left and head straight to Perth across the Nullabor Plain; or you can do as we are, and take the scenic route - a 2000 mile detour via Darwin.  The first leg is straight through the middle of the continent, "up the track" to the tropical North.  There is a whole lot of nothing here, but that in itself makes for an interesting journey.

We had planned on camping once we reached the warmer weather north of Alice Springs. This superb plan was scuppered when we broke the second day's trip at Coober Pedy (an opal mining town where most of the housing is underground) and decided to forego the opportunity to sleep in a cave. We ended up at Marla, under canvas....

Despite the chilly nights, we persevered with the tent on a further detour to Uluru (Ayer's Rock). By now we were pretty used to seeing, and avoiding, the huge Road Trains that hurtle past, but it was still quite a surprise to see one carrying a herd of camels...

Camels were introduced, with their Afghan drivers, as a means of transport for the early explorers. They are now plaguing the outback and these poor beasts were destined for some sheik's dinner plate.  Other wildlife encounters included the occasional kangaroo in the road, a tame emu at Curtin Springs and hungry rock wallabies at Heavytree Gap.

We camped for two days around Uluru, firstly visiting Kata Tjuta (or the Olgas).  An afternoon was spent walking around these beautiful sandstone monoliths before returning to join the crowds watching the sun set over Uluru.

We returned to the big rock the next day, this time to walk 6 miles around the base.  Halfway round we stopped for lunch and were joined by a curious dingo. Liberty, as usual, was terrified and prepared to run, with or without the rest of us... but perhaps we should excuse her as it was 30 years, to the day, since the infamous Chamberlain case in this very area.

We left Uluru for Alice Springs and the Red Centre of Australia. Some light rain had helped the desert flowers, but clearly not the entrants to the annual (televised!) Henley-on-Todd Regatta at Alice...

North of the metropolis of Alice Springs, tourist attractions come at approximately 500 mile intervals. Consequently, they are rather crowded.  A case in point is the Devil's Marbles - a pretty enough spot that we shared with many other campers.  Tony and Francesca tried to beat the rush by clambering to the top before sunrise, only to find a German sleeping up there - campsites really were very hard to come by!

Next stop was at Daly Waters - at an outback pub that typifies the quirky nature of the Australian outback. Happy hour prices were decided on the flip of a coin - heads you pay, tails they're free!  For the first time, we really appreciated a pub with a pool, as temperatures had soared in the tropics.

Fortunately the next few days gave us plenty of swimming opportunities - notably Mataranka`s thermal pools, the Katherine River Gorge and the plunge pools of Litchfield National Park.  We are pleased to report that the Rangers' publicity concerning seasonal removal of crocodiles remains uncontested. 

Francesca, as ever, revels in the water, and Liberty decided last week that that she could swim unaided. Sadly, her confidence then outweighed her ability, but after three days in a Darwin motel pool, she can can proudly live up to her expectations and Francesca is teaching her to dive.

Darwin is a sleepy, tropical city (named after a man who never came here) in which three major events have occurred: the only bombing of mainland Australia in WWII; the devastation wreaked by Cyclone Tracy in 1974; and Ellen's parents' marriage in December 1969.  There are museums dedicated to the war and the cyclone...

We have thoroughly enjoyed 3 days of relaxation in a motel, but needs must, and we return to camping tomorrow in the Kakudu National Park, before heading across to West Australia.