25 July - Dramas!

25 July 2016 – 180 110

Dramas!

This morning I got up early to take some photos of the Devils Marbles in the dawn light – very pretty. https://nt.gov.au/leisure/parks-reserves/find-a-park-to-visit/karlu-karlu-devils-marbles-conservation-reserve After packing up we headed north with the plan to go to Daly Waters for the night.  Unfortunately, the car was making a dreadful whining sound that kept getting worse, even though it seemed to be running fine.  When we got to Tennant Creek, we decided to find a mechanic.  The first mechanic was “interesting” and told us to come back in an hour and a half.  Drew then found another mechanic who was available immediately in a very busy looking workshop.  Opinion – idler bearings (hopefully) or alternator (prefer not, more expensive and may not have parts in Tennant Creek).  So they replaced the idler bearings – and the noise was still there.  This mechanic then spent a considerable amount of time on the phone trying to track down an alternator (either Prado or Hilux as some can interchange) in Tennant Creek.  Eventually he found someone with one in stock and sent us directly to him.  We dropped off the car with the auto electrician and were told he would be two to three hours.  I had been sick for the last few days and steadily getting worse so we took the opportunity to see if the general practitioners in Tennant Creek could fit me in – they could, in eight days’ time!! However, the receptionist suggested I go around the corner to the Tennant Creek Hospital Emergency Department. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/australian-health-services/23019742/tennant-creek-hospital-emergency-department/services/tennant-creek-0860-schmidt This was much, much quieter than my previous experiences with Emergency, it seemed more like a no appointment medical centre – I am sure they have their crazy times though.  The doctor confirmed what I expected, bronchitis with asthma – so I was given the necessary prescriptions, which we filled and started immediately. Usually it takes a few days before they really make a difference.  When we finished at the hospital, the car was ready; so we set off north again. We stopped at Attack Creek for Hayden to look at a John McDouall Stuart memorial and see where one of the expeditions turned around. https://nt.gov.au/leisure/parks-reserves/find-a-park-to-visit/attack-creek-historical-reserve We stopped for the night at Dunmurra Wayside Inn for the night, all exhausted. http://www.barklytourism.com.au/dunmarra.html We did the most minimal set up we have ever done and then purchased dinner in the Wayside Inn – Chicken Parmigiana for Drew and I, and a hamburger for Hayden – the food was a good sized serve and good quality.  Then more asthma puffers for me and off to bed.  A very tiring and expensive day!

Mum

29 June 2016 - Stuart Highway

29 June 2016 – 176 718

Stuart Highway

I got up at first light to admire the Pebbles in the early morning light – they glowed red, just beautiful!! 

Packed up the van and headed to Lake Mary Ann for showers – there were two taps and hence we were hopeful of hot showers, it was better described as one tap providing water that was less cold than the other.  We were all definitely awake after our showers.  It was a lovely spot by the water and we saw Sturt's Desert Pea growing – the first time I have seen these.  Tennant Creek was a fairly small town, stopped off to get fuel and bread and then headed south.  We detoured slightly off the highway to Devils Marbles (Karlu Karlu) and drove through – these are beautiful and we will aim to camp here on our way north to Darwin so that we can see them at sunrise and sunset. We camped for the night at Tropic of Capricorn Rest Area about 30km north of Alice Springs.  Tomorrow we will headed into Alice Springs for a day or two before going out onto the Red Centre Way. They have a special satellite dish that has a spot to put your mobile phone, to boost the signal enough to make emergency calls.  They have signs for these periodically along the Stuart Highway.

28 June 2016 - Barkly Highway

28 June 2016 – 176 085

Barkly Highway

We were up early, packed up and away by 7am to travel the entire length of the Barkly Highway.  There are rest stops by the side of the road roughly every 50km, with the only other stops being Camooweal, Avon Downs Police Station and Barkly Homestead.  We stopped for lunch at the Barkly Homestead and had a look around. 
https://www.barklyhomestead.com.au/

When we reached The Three Ways we turned left and headed to The Pebbles, just north of Tennant Creek – a lovely free campsite, with a section of quite corrugated road on the way in.  Took a walk around the Pebbles (Kunjarra) and got some lovely photos, followed by marshmallows on the campfire.