day 55

We are in Darwin this week, so are back in contact with the world.

WARNING. Whilst we were away in Arnhem Land for a week with no communications, Gavin's Paypal account was scammed and we last several hundred dollars. DAMN INTERNET. Have since been onto our bank to block further debits to 'Facebook Ireland'.

BOATS. Our trip has been similar to that of Sturt and his team in the 1800s, when they carried a boat thousands of kilometres across the country looking for the inland sea. The 2 boats on our trip finally went in the water at Cobourg Peninsula (at the north-west of Arnhem Land). We had some beautiful fish dinners with the fresh catches of the day. The beach was too windy to launch the boat and fish, so we kept them moored at the mouth of the river.

morning one - set up boats for fishing, day out fishing in the ocean, left boats at creek, had fish for dinner.
morning two - see tracks on beach where croc has spent night sleeping between boats, go fishing in river and ocean, had fish for dinner.
morning three - see brown snake when we arrive at boats, day out fishing in ocean, had fish for dinner.
morning four - 17mm of rain overnight, too windy for fishing, had sausages and mash for dinner
morning five - still too windy for fishing, pack up boats ready for departure tomorrow.

MOZZIES. So we were warned about the crocodiles and brown snakes - but nothing about the huge man-eating, blood-sucking mosquitos that are in plague preportions in Kakadu. We were attacked each evening around dusk, so learned to have early dinners and bunker down in the fly-screened  camper with a can of spray.

EARLY NIGHTS. So as a result of the mozzies - early to bed, early to rise (no this is not a sexual reference).  I awoke the other night with the camper shaking and Gavin thrashing around in the bed. I opened my eyes to a bright light on the other side of the bed. As it turns out, when everyone else is sleeping, Gavin spends many nights on the ipad playing some racing car game that the kids have got him addicted to. He spends hours trying to beat the kids' highest scores from the previous day.

THONGS. Lucky we have come to town do do some shopping as both kids need new thongs. These multipurpose footwear have been used for bushwalking in rocky gorges, walking on salt lakes, playing cane toad soccer, squatting mozzies, etc. But whilst in Arnhem Land, 300km from the nearest shop, both kids right shoes had a blow out. (Couldn't even make a pair with the good ones.) The kids were then forced to wear rock shoes for 3 days - note: they haven't worn shoes and socks since it was -7degrees one morning in the high country. Anyway with the temperature ranging from 25 - 30 and 17mm of rain, Hugh's feet have now been classified as weapons of mass destruction by the EPA. Even after many showers, new thongs, and the threat of Jacinta's deoderant - there is still an odour.

HYGEINE. Hugh is enjoying bush camping - weeing on trees and showering every 2 or 3 days. Jacinta and I however do like the luxuries of a pit toilet and bore water for showers. We have been speaking to the boys about personal hygeine, but it seems to be falling on deaf ears. When I did the washing the other week it was noted that there were numerous female tshirts, undies, etc but the boys pile was lacking. Having mentioned this to Hugh, this week's washing had a abundance of boy's underpants. Not sure if he actually wore them or just loaded up my wash bag to keep me happy?

did I mention the landscape has changed?

I haven't heard any dingos for a few nights, and now the bathrooms are full of frogs and geckos in the evening. Tiny little agile wallabies have replaced the big red kangaroos of weeks gone by. We saw our first croc yesterday on the Roper River, just a small freshwater one.

Biggest concern today is the cost of milk- $5 per litre, so Hugh is on rations, and my Kahlua is a bit stronger than usual.

Oh yeah and we paid $500 to replace ONE shredded tyre.

For my literary friends, we are in Never Never country. Camped at Elsey national park where the book was written by Mrs Gunn, and saw a replica of the homestead that was built for the 1980s movie

Day 39 again
sorry no photos. the very useful husband is at the pub tonight.

DAY 38
The kids are starting to think that they are being tortured...
Strapped in the back seat for up to 8 or 9 hours a day, subjected to many hours of Coldplay music (only interrupted by Gavin singing along to Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights), stopping only to learn about historic or cultural facts - which they then have to write about in their journal. Food rations are limited to only what is in reach of their allocated spot in the back seat - water bottles and fruit (often bruised from the bumpy roads). Their plentiful supply of chocolate eggs ran out weeks ago.

Us grown ups too are worried. Since crossing the NT border the price of a schooner of beer has gone to anywhere between $8.90 and $9.50. It makes the $90 cartons of beer seem a good option.

DAY 39
No, things aren't that BAD.
Often the driver has choice of music, so yes there has been a lot of Coldplay. We have also had a talking book - Zombie Bums from Uranus (for Hugh) and Jacinta's choir rehearsals for the Opera House (with us all doing a great karaoke version of Simon & Garfunkel's Feeling Groovy).

I got to drive one day through the MacDonnell Ranges as Gavin had a bad case of gastro. So I have done about 300km out of nearly 8,000. Can't think what was in the stereo that day, as I was too busy looking out for feral camels and wild donkeys on the road.

The kids are enjoying themselves, and are learning a few things along the way. The other night near Uluru we were preparing dinner at the camper and heard a tapping sound from the red sand dune next to us. Closer inspection found Jacinta playing some makeshift clapping sticks, and Hugh dancing around mimicking several native animals. When quized about what they were doing they said it was a ceremony for the bushtucker feast that they had prepared. (Flowers, fruits and leaves from nearby trees had been placed onto a strip of bark for the animals that they expected to visit in the night.)

In the past few days we have travelled north past the Devil's Marbles and into a whole new world.
There is a bit of water in the creeks, and the vegetation across the floodplains is pretty lush after a few good wet seasons. We have had a swim in thermal pools at both Mataranka Springs and Bitter Springs today and watched some 'pet' barramundi being fed at one of the resorts.

Since we last spoke, Gavin has posted some photos (and hopefully there will be more there by the weekend).

Now where were we??

Our group of 6 vehicles has depleted. We are now just the 3 families that have long service leave. Although every now and again we pick up a new friend for a day or two.

We spent 4 days travelling north along the Oodnadatta Track /  Old Ghan Railway line - from Lake Eyre South to Alice Springs. Some of last week's photos show the family standing in the water at Lake Eyre, and sitting in the hot pools at Coward Springs and Dalhousie Springs.

The Finke Desert Race in on in a few weeks, so we were lucky enough to see a few of the motorcross blokes testing the track. (It also follows the Old Ghan route)

We have had 2x 3 day stops in Alice Springs for a bit of R&R. This has allowed vehicles to be repaired, medical appointments, restocking supplies, and if time allows SEEING THE SIGHTS.

We are back in Alice now, having spent 8 days out on the Mereenie Loop Rd - taking in Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon, Palm Valley and the west MacDonnell Ranges. A lot of walking up and down rocky gorges, and the family walked to the top of Ayres Rock. (I didn't tackle the Rock - out of respect for the aboriginal people AND the fact that it is very scary).

Dingos have been around camp most evenings, and howling in the night. Thought we were surrounded by numerous dingos last night, but it was just the echoing up the gorges.

Hi guys. Finally worked out how to attach some photos (I hope). Just a few to keep you jealous. Currently we are in Ayres Rock, and are planning to climb the rock tomorrow morning.