Many days....Day 5 Saturday 22 June through to Day 10 Thursday 27 June.

So this is how the travelling went over the last few days...

On 22 June we left Coober Pedy nice and early, hoping to get as far as Kulgera, which is some 70 K's over the border in Northern Territory ( NT from now on). However conditions were most favourable and we arrived there in time for a late lunch. After said lunch we decided to push on further north to Stuarts Well, the home of 'Dinky' the famous singing dingo. This place is about 90 k's south of The Alice.

We decided that that was enough travel for the day and booked in there. We also found out that Dinky's owner, Jim, sold out about 2 months ago and both he and Dinky have retired to Alice. We also found out that the is no mobile connectivity there, hence no blog. Got to sit around a camp-fire though and listen to an old 'know-all' spruik on about any subject you like.....and I thought I had cornered that particular market, Max beat me hands down.

Under the gum trees at Stuarts Well, NT.

Next day we moved out at a reasonable hour and stopped at Alice to get some provisions and other stuff. We had done all the touristy things around there last year so after an hour or so we drove on until we reached Wycliffe Well, home of aliens. Again no connectivity but we could get the Geelong v Brissy game on the telly. What a shocking result, wot the??? Went to bed very sad and somewhat befuddled (by the footy not the VB's). So much for Sunday.

A busy time was had at Wycliffe Well.

Monday was spent driving further north past the Devil's Marbles, through Tennant Creek and Elliott (refer to last year's blog...still no glass in the joint) and arrived at the 'Historic Daly Waters Pub in the later afternoon. By that time the caravan park adjacent to the pub was chockers (and I mean chockers). The sheila at reception (she was Irish and that could be her name but probably not) assured me that there were no powered sites left so I paid for an unpowered site. However, Mike, the bloke showing the patrons where to park their vans, was a very nice fellow and proceeded to find us a fully powered site. Just because there was no room left to swing a cat didn't make it any less appreciated.

Cheek by jowl at Daly Waters

After setting up we wandered around the town for a bit (that takes all of five minutes), then into the pub for a middie or two. We booked in for a 'steak and barra' dinner which we were able to get at 7.30 p.m. Strewth, that's nearly my bedtime these days. Anyway, we sat in the beer garden and listed to the 'entertainment' until dinner arrived. Very tasty it was. The whole show finished off at 9.30 p.m. so off to bed it was. Still no connectivity, therefore no blog.

Then it was Tuesday (strange that Monday is followed by Tuesday, even when on a travelling trip) and we stopped at Mataranka, an hour and a half up the road. We stayed at The Homestead, which has a nice bar and a nice thermal pool and other good things, so we stayed for two days. So this entry includes Wednesday...

The bloke in the caravan behind us introduced himself as 'Phil the fireman' from Brissy. He and his wife (Tanya) are very friendly and love a chat. However, he is VERY Rugby League and all he can think about is Wednesday night's rugby State of Origin. So Tuesday night was spent quietly, after a lovely dip in the Thermal Pool...oh and the daily temperature is now about 32 degrees, with the overnight minimum about 20. LOVELY.

On Wednesday we took an early morning walk to Stevie's Hole and beyond. A couple of dips in the Thermal Pool and then it was time to meet Phil and Tanya (and others) at the bar for happy hour. We left them at 6.00 pm 'coz they were really getting excited about the state of origin and Gerry and I just wanted to eat our dinner.

We were visited by a couple of small wallabies (very cute) while we were sitting outside. When they nicked off, we nicked off to bed. Oh, there was connectivity at Mataranka but I was way too busy to do any blogging. Oh well.

Our night time visitors at Mataranka

On Thursday we travelled another hour and a bit up the road to Katherine. We stayed at the same park as last year, got the same site, with the same bloody tree in the way of an easy park. Just as well I  knew that Phil Bates, the manager, would direct me into this tight spot, otherwise I would still be trying to get in.

As we were about to complete setting up, this bloke wanders past, asks the usual 'where are you from' type question and after some appropriate (friendly) replies, he tells me he is from Warracknabeal. I advise that that is the birth-place of my beloved. After some further chat we discover that he was taught by Gerry's father way back when he was in primary school at 'Warrick'.Introduces himself as 'Geoff Adams". He is now 73 years old but remembers 'Mr. Hogan' fondly. Wouldn't tell us what his nick-name was though. He and his wife knew all of Gerry's relations in that area, including John Foott. Bloody small world.

Off to the supermarket....it's Thursday and it's as busy as, what with grey nomads getting their pensions/income stream payments today and the locals doing the same thing, all spending up big. After some lunch it's a dip in the pool. The water is a lot flamin' colder then the water at Mataranka, but 'tis refreshing on a warm afternoon. It is now 'happy hour' and the writing for the day is done. Tomorrow its off to Batchelor and the Litchfield National Park, for 10 days. Yay.