Across to QLD

Time to finally fix my bike...free camping, nothing to do! Ha

As we travelled and stopped at the free camp sites for the overnight stays it was an exercise in patience.  At one stop I think I'd had enough.  I just felt that I was so lazy, only because I really wasn't doing anything.  I couldn't sleep well because I really wasn't tired enough.  We were really just travelling, being a passenger  can be boring and can be even more so when the driver isn't talking to you! only because we've been talking 24/7 with each other for the last 7 months! 

Anyway thank goodness I'd finished the book I'd started and was able to start the last one I had with me.  My washing was beginning to pile up.....I have to admit I can sometimes be a little on the 'obsessive/compulsive' when it comes to laundering!  But I kept my eyes shut and focussed on the positive...read a book instead.  Nothing else to do except take in the view.  The landscape everchanging as we crossed into the east.

Missed the border sign!

We approached the border of NT and QLD, got a photo, but not a good one.  An incredible place to visit.  Amazing people that we'd met.  Had a call from Marianne and Mick, just touching base with us, brought great memories for the both of us.  As Daniel mentioned the other day, we've so far had the opportunity of sleeping in so many backyards!

We finally arrived at Proserpine where at last I had power to boot the computer to update the blog, catch up with mail, errands, messages and the like. Daniel went to get his hair trimmed but came back almost as bad as the one I gave him at Easter! I think I have to find something else to look at for 24/7! No, only joking but certainly looking forward to the variety of company when we catch up  next week with our friends! Bring it on!

"Am I getting better?"

Th big Mango...on the road to Proserpine!

Also I've been thinking that I should give myself a hair cut.  As most of you know, I nearly always wear it up, only because it's just so convenient and tidy of course.  So maybe after the cruise I'll make my own way to the hairdresser for a chop! I've been mulling over a few ideas whilst in the car and there's been total silence.  So if I cut it there may be more room for conversation and more tears too!

Northern Territory across to QLD

Never sure enough when checking equipment



 Well it certainly has been a long time since I last wrote on our updates.  Only because we've been travelling from the Northern Territory to QLD in time to catch up with friends flying up from Melbourne to do a Cattamaran Cruise on the Whitsundays.  So foot to the floor and no time to waste we had to make a lot of tracks pretty fast. 

Our youngest friend on the trip!

But before leaving we managed to catch up with our new friends Kasia, Marian and Nel (only 4 years old).  We managed to stay in the same caravan park for the night and enjoyed a few drinks, herrings (provided by Kasia) over some great conversation and another guitarist!  It was a great night but too soon over.  They headed They were into their 3rd month of their 12 month journey heading the way we came, west.  We heading onto QLD.  We exchanged all the neccessities in order to keep in touch.  It was a great treat!   



Heading down from Katherine we took 2 nights at Mataranka to enjoy the thermal pools. An absolute oasis in almost the middle of the centre of Australia.  We promised to come back again.  As mentioned, time savvy we stopped overnight at a free campover before making a stopover at the Barkly Homestead.  A bit of washing done, lunch at the Homestead Pub, before heading across towards the East.

Three Ways Junction..fuel up!

The temperatures overnight had dropped to around 8degrees.  It was the first time since our travel began that we had experienced such temperature since last winter!  With the frequent stops that we were doing, lasting only for one night, before moving on  we caught up on some music practice.  However, I was to say the least a little frustrated, as we had no power so I couldn't update my blog for fear of running down the  battery on the computer, which meant we couldn't watch the evening's movie! Oh the choices we make can sometimes be really difficult, wouldn't you say?? Ha!

Our routine changed during this time. We'd get up early, have breakfast, hit the road for a couple of hours, before stopping over for a cup of tea, fruit and a game of cards.  We were so enthusiastic that when we got to Mt Isa we bought ourselves another 2 sets of playing cards (for the Whitsundays) and UNO game cards. We promised ourselves that when we decided to head back to Darwin we'd do it through the Centre and do the things we missed.  Another reason for us to come back hey??





Lunch at the Barkly Homestead.....Lemon, Lime and Bitters

I think I'm tired!!!!!

No I'm not tired!......I'm #@#))# buggered!

Kakadu, Northern Territory



Gunlom Falls



"I gotta feeling' is a line from one of those new songs that Daniel considers one of his favourites.  We left Muirella campground that morning with our destination to Gungural campgrounds.  Remembering that we'd had a message on our phone from our Brit pals, Stew and Les, saying that they were in Katherine about 2 days ago.  In the back of our minds we were thinking that they were either on their way up to Darwin or there was a slight possiblity that they would be on their way up through Kakadu first.  Well as we're heading along
Kakadu Hwy approaching us on the opposite side were Stew and Les, obviously oblivious to all the commotion we were making, clanking the  car horn, lights aflashing as they passed us.  We pulled over to the side of the road grabbed the CB radio but we'd assumed they had theirs turned off and the mobile had no coverage.  Well! what a chance meeting that would have been before we catch up in a month's time to do the Cape York trip together.        

Gunlom water falls

Arriving at Gungural campground we decided that it wasn't as nice as we'd heard about Gunlom so we made tracks for that destination.  However, as we approached the end of the sealed road looking at each other pensively and asking ourselves "are we taking the van through here?" No sooner had an approaching visitor stopped to say that if it was him he wouldn't be taking his van in on that road!  Wise decision, with that we had to make the
decision to head down further south (only another 11ks) to Mary River Roadhouse where we'd set up for the night.  Here we could leave the van for before heading back to Gunlom Falls for a dip in the plunge pool and to catch up with our new friends.

Special thanks must go to Malcolm from SA, on meeting in Darwin, for buying me the noodle.  It goes swimming with us everywhere. I used to be a better swimmer but the noodle is just more protection for when I see a croc!  After deciding to meet up again in Katherine, on Monday for a couple of days, for a meal together with our friends it was time to head back to the roadhouse.  Daniel had had a couple of beers so I was in luck to be able to drive back on the 4wd road.  Hello! so I thought.

I think it's time for a swim

You know living together for 24/7 can have its advantages as well as its drawbacks, always in each others' faces, same clothes, same conversations (not all the time!)anyway you get the idea.  But when it comes to his car and me driving it...well counselling would help (him!).  "Hey Marysia, not so fast, be careful, did you see that rock, keep more to the right, (hello, I'd be on the other bloody side of the road..if I listened to him)"  well, you ladies would know how it is, I was just so close to pulling over and letting him have his bloody car and wheels back but I simply added  "Look, Daniel I can roll this  car just about as good as you!" well we both just laughed, he laid off and I drove home........ha ha hummmmmmmmming away merrily!

Water's fine come in!

What a beautiful spot

Hey! come in!

I just love my noodle

Can't be too sure about those crocs!

Crocs!

Mary River Roadhouse...Black Cockatoos

One can get pretty tired in a day's work!

Edith Falls....water pristine

Edith Falls

By the banks

Just looking

Time for another swim

A walk along the ridge

Spectacular walk and sceneries

You wouldn't want to slip!

Nice clean water above ground level of 60metres

My shot

Bit of a climb....don't slip

You can see everything in the water

Oops almost lost a footing!

 

Jabiru and Cooinda, Northern Territory

Jabiru Information Centre

Purchasing our tickets for the Yellow River Cruise we made our way to the cafe for a coffee.  I needed the caffeine fix as I dozed off  in the car. So a black coffee hit the spot and for Daniel his latte set him up for the afternoon cruise.  On board we headed out along the river to view the awesome expanse and bright colours of the land.  Huge lilypads floating on top of the surface hid beneath them barramundi amongst other fish.  No bait was permitted to be used when fishing in this region.  You could only use lures. 

More rock art sites

The many different variety of birds were just beginning their descent upon the land here for the dry season.  Magpie geese, Kingfisher, Ducks, even a Jabiru all coming in for landing to begin their mating seasons.  Not only were we privy to this but what else was on our viewing platter, but of course, crocodiles please! Yes and we did see not one, two but about 5 in all on the cruise.  All just resting on the banks of the river in the shade of the afternoon sun.  Most with jaws open. A spectacular view nonetheless. This process is for cooling their brains as they heat up.

In Kakadu, there are about 198,000 crocodiles.  That is around 250 per 100 sq kilometres, or 25 crocs per 1 sq kilometre.  There are warning signs everywhere warning against any swimming in billabongs, streams, rivers or lagoons.  You enter at own risk with a possibility of no return.  Over many years there have been many accidents.  A crocodile can jump out of the water to two thirds of its length.  How's that for power?  Cruise over, afternoon sun starting to set as we made our way back to camp for another campsite with another evening fire.

That's a kangaroo in the background!

Watching people set up camp as they made their way in for the night familiar sounds to our ears played as in 'ch, sz, rz,' with ears perked it could only be the sound of a familiar tongue.  Another couple  with their small child not very far away from us were speaking the same language, Polish!  Daniel strolled down to the billabong to do some Barra fishing, he wasn't gone but 5 minutes before returning.  I asked 'why so quickly?'  His reply "It was
getting dark and I didn't want a croc to sneak up behind me!' Ha ha!  On return he approached the couple introducing himself to make acquaintance. 

Time for a rest!

 A simple evening chat by the fire was great to catch up with someone from Melbourne doing the same thing as we were doing.  Promising to catch up in the morning before departing we made our way home for the night under open skies and millions of stars.  No power, no light, a movie for the night before heading into our own dream times.

Time for the Yellow Water cruise

Remember to keep your arms inside the boat!

Stunning water views

Amazing birdlife

Spotted a Kingfisher

Thath's a croc!

Croc on the bank

Liliypads in the waters

A pink lilypad

Stunning views

Spotter another croc

The flooding plains