Southward Bound.

Our departure from Darwin was delayed for a couple of hours, while I revisited "Think Water" and exchanged the incorrect water pump for the more expensive one. This decision was taken to ensure that we resolved the intermittent overheating problems. Once we leave Darwin it would be almost impossible to obtain the correct pump in the outback in the event our overheating one packs it in totally.

Eventually on the road southbound by 11:15am. a brief lunch stop along the Stuart Hwy. then refuelling after 330km at Katherine. We then pressed on for a further 48km to a nice rest area at King River. After finding a nice spot well away from the highway, in the already crowded area I heard a loud hissing noise coming from under the Landcruiser.
Upon investigation this turned out to be coming from a valve on the LP gas tank. Fortunately it was not gas, but air. Turning the valve off caused the escaping air to cease, so assumed all was well and that maybe the valve had worked its own way open. However on the next day's trip the diesel fuel consumption took a marked increase. Our destination for that night was Dunmarra Roadhouse, so upon arrival I phoned Davids Automotive in Gosford who had done the gas conversion. Dave's first question when I outlined the problem was to ask if I had overfilled the LP gas tank. At the last gas fill the gas dispensing pump had been faulty so in all probability I had in fact overfilled. By turning the valve on the gas cylinder off I had actually turned all LP gas off - proving once and for all that the use of LP in conjunction with diesel has a dramatic positive effect on economy. Enough of our problems, now some interesting stuff in relation where we have stayed the last two nights.

Banka Banka Station is one of three Sidney Kidman cattle stations in the area bounded by Renner Springs to the north and Three Ways to the south. We were able to camp on the Banka Banka property for $12 a night.
The three stations combined cover a total area in excess of 3.6 million acres. One "paddock" alone on Helen Springs station covers 535 Square kilometres and carries 8 to 10 thousand steers. A team of 16 jackaroo and jillaroos are responsible for the mustering of 65,000 head of cattle. They run only crossbreads, Brahman bulls and Santa Gertrudus cows. There is one mechanic who looks after 16 Landcruisers, 2 Roadtrains, 2 horse trucks and two graders in addition to 47 diesel bore pumps. There are 2 bore-men who spend all their time going around all the bore pumps checking that they are keeping the troughs and dams full so that the cattle always have water. If a faulty pump is located, they change it over and return the faulty pump to the mechanic for attention.
It was interesting to learn that diesel bore pumps have replaced windmills, as no wind - no water for the cattle.

They use "calming" mustering procedures, ie. no dogs, no stockwhips or helicopters, only horses and 1 or 2 motorbikes. All beef ready for market is trucked to Darwin for live export to Indonesia. Each roadtrain carries 180 head of cattle, with the most recent shipment comprising 15 roadtrains. The distance to Darwin is approx 880km, however the cattle are off-loaded for a 24 hour break at another Kidman Station halfway to Darwin.

Our 2 day stopover at Banka Banka has been a real education and is highly recommended for anyone travelling the Stuart Highway between Three Ways and Katherine in the Northern Territory. I even learned how to divine for water with two pieces of 8 gauge fencing wire. Believe me - it really works.

Tomorrow, Friday, we turn left at Three Ways and head toward Mount Isa.

Kevin and Gail.
View a small sample of our trip photos at:
www.picasaweb.google.com/kevinh055/2008trip

Still enjoying Darwin.

Our last week in Darwin has been quite challenging and enjoyable. Early in the week Gail decided that enough was enough of the dismal Optus mobile coverage of her phone.
So, conversion to Telstra was our number one project for the week. The best deals are only available on line, so we had to arrange courier delivery to a convenient place in Darwin. This went without a hitch, the new phone being received in two days. So be advised folks, Gail has the same mobile number, but with Telstra now and not Optus. Her "Free Time hour" is betwen 4pm and 5pm daily so watch out.

It seems the saga with our caravan water pump may not be over yet as the pump motor is now becoming extremely hot if the power is left on. This intermittent problem has the end result of cutting off water at the most inapropriate time (generally while under the shower) when the thermal overload snaps in.
After purchasing a replacement pump, which turned out to be unsuitable.
I removed the original pump and after checking it I decided to re-install it so that we would still have some water, as the shop is not open until Monday for a refund or exchange. To date all seems to be ok, so maybe there was a blockage or something limiting the flow and causing the motor to keep running and overheat. Time will tell.

Early in the week we received a disturbing phone call advising us that Robbie Cox, a very close friend was back in hospital after having another bad fall. After a week of phone calls and worry, we received the news on Saturday morning that Robbie had passed away following her ongoing battle with cancer. The tumour had advanced to her brain.

A new reptile attraction was officially opened during the week in the CBD. Crocosaurus Cove is a state of the art facility displaying a large variety of lizards, snakes and crocodiles. It is similar to Darling Harbour Aquarium, you are able to view from below water level. The experience of observing very large crocs in a simulated natural environment is awesome.

As the weather has continued in the low 30's, another visit to the Recreation Park and pool was a high priority.
We drove out to Palmerston - a satellite city of Darwin on Thursday for a look around. A very dis-jointed shopping area in our opinion.

Gail and I went to the wharf again one evening for fish and chips. This is a lovely area and one very popular with locals and visitors alike.

Friday was a public holiday for the annual 3 day Darwin Show. We elected to visit the show on Saturday rather than Friday which turned out to be a wise decision. We were very conciuos of the crowds on Friday as the showgrounds are next door to where we are staying at the Greyhound Club and the car parking for the show extended into the greyhound grounds.

As we are located close to the Darwin airport and the Defence Forces airstrip, we are frequently entertained by Airforce F18 Hornet jets taking off and performing training manouvres overhead. The take-off speed and rate of climb are just awesome, not to mention the noise. It would be devastating to witness an actual attack, they are just so powerful and fast.

Tomorrow (Mon 28/7) we depart Darwin.

Kevin and Gail.
See a small sample of photos at:
www.picasaweb.google.com/kevinh055/2008trip

Winter in Darwin.

Well we are told it is winter, but with 31-32 degrees every day it is very hard to come to grips with this fact. We have however been getting out every day and making the most of this very cosmopolitan city. Last Tuesday eveming we "over-dressed" (read closed in shoes and sports trousers / skirt) and met our friends Wendy & Keith and dined out alfresco overlooking the harbour waterfront at Stokes Hil Wharf. It's no wonder Territorians love this time of year, a balmy breeze off the water while watching the huge fish gather around the pier under the lights. The sunsets are magnificent, I could just about do a complete album of these alone.

One day we went to the Leanyer Recreation Park where there is a very large swimming and water playground complex. Parking and entry are free, the swimming pool is an extremely large man-made lagoon with water depth ranging from zero to about 1.5 metres, surrounded by green lawns and plenty of shade. This facility has become a regular short stop for us on several occasions.

Mindil Beach open air markets each Thursday night are an absolute must see for all Darwin visitors and we were no exception. The range of exotic take-away food is beyond belief. The biggest problem is what to choose for dinner while watching yet another magnificent sunset over the water. Because of the huge numbers who visit there every Thursday night, parking can be a real problem, however we chose to park at the nearby Casino and carry our picnic chairs the short distance to the parklands and beach. Aside from food stalls ther are vendors selling everything from coconut watches to clothing to stock whips. It is a real spectacle and one not to be missed if you visit Darwin in the "dry".

We seem to be continually encountering small problems which we have to overcome on the run. The latest being a problem with the water pump in the caravan. Eventually solved when I discovered that air was being sucked in via a faulty hand pump which is connected into the main line from the tanks. We are certain these things are thrown up from time to time just to ensure we don't get too lay back during our time away from home.

We had a very unexpected surprise last Friday night when we received a phone call from Son-in-law Ian. All of our kids and respective wives together with close friends Cathy & Adrian were on their way to see The Rocky Horror Show at Star City in Sydney. They decided to give us a call, so we were able to have a chat with almost everyone. Thanks everyone, it really made our week.

We still have almost a week to go here in Darwin before reluctantly departing on our slow treck south and the cooler weather.

Kevin and Gail.
For those interested read our blog at
http://www.2008wanderings.blogspot.com/
or a small sample of photos at:
www.picasaweb.google.com/kevinh055/2008trip

Katherine to Darwin.

Following the problems we had with our Honda generator stopping we planned time in Katherine to have this looked by the Honda people. We intended to buy a new spark plug as we felt this may have been breaking down. On explaining the problem to the Honda Service man, he asked if the oil reservoir was full to the brim and not just the full mark on the small dipstick. Apparently there is a protection cut-out against low oil level which is ultra sensitive to uneven ground. When we "over filled" the oil the problem was resolved. the moral of this story; read the instruction book - between the lines, then talk to an expert in the field.
After a brief visit to our satellite man Johhny in Katherine, to thank him in person for his no cost after sales service over the past four years, we presed on towards Darwin.
Overnight stop on the way was at another delightfull free rest area. Copperfield Dam is situated near Pine Creek, about 220km south of Darwin. As the name implies there is a very large dam there which is the main water supply for Pine Creek. Swimming is permitted. At all of these "remote" overnight stopping places we are able to set up the satellite dish and receive crystal clear TV channels, so can keep up with the news etc. Now that the generator is fixed we are also running it once we stop for the day to supplement the fridge and freezer.

Upon arrival in Darwin on Thursday morning, we firstly checked out the Pony Club camping facility where power is available for $20 per night. This compares more than favourably with the Big 4 caravan resort which is asking $38 per night. However we were unable to get in at the Pony Club as there is a big gymkhana on over the weekend, therfore they are clearing all campers out Friday.
Another location had been recommended by travellers, the Greyhound Club, which is just off the highway at Winnellie about 12km from the CBD. We checked this out and decided to stay there for a couple of nights and then move on to the very expensive Big 4 place down the road. Power is not available at the Greyhound Club, but they do have water, toilets and a hot shower available. At $55 per week plus $10 annual club membership we decided that this was more our style and we would stay here for the duration of our time in Darwin. The people here are very friendly and Happy Hour takes place most evenings. There is a bus to the city @ 50 cents return (within 3 hours) only 100 metres away - what more could we want!
Generators are permitted all day during daylight hours, so for the cost of a tank of petrol (2 litres) every couple of days we are very comfortable. An unexpected bonus occured last Friday night when we got free admittance courtesy of our annual membership to "the dogs" which had a ten event race program. They have TAB, bistro and bar facilities, so we dined out and had a flutter on the dish lickers.
We drove to Lee Point caravan village (where we have stayed in the past) and looked up caravanning friends, Wendy & Keith from Rye in Victoria, who come here every year for about 4 or 5 months during the bleak Rye winter. We plan to have dinner with them one night at Stokes Wharf pier in Darwin as the sun sets.

Saturday evening we went to the movies and saw Kung Fu Panda which was realy good - lots of laughs.

On Sunday we went to church at Casuarina where the minister was previously at Belrose in Sydney and had just moved to Darwin 4 years ago when we were last here. After church we went to the annual Beer Can Regatta at Mindil Beach, it was a real hoot - see pics on website as below.
Monday was Seniors Day at the Casino, so we went with another couple from here and had a beautiful lunch overlooking Mindil Beach.

The weather here is superb, around 30 degrees every day with a gentle breeze coming in mid-afternoon.

Don't forget to keep those emails coming, we would love to hear from everyone.

Kevin & Gail

See a small sample of photos at:
www.picasaweb.google.com/kevinh055

Newcastle Waters to Mataranka.

Our plan to watch the V8 Supercars on Sunday from our Newcastle Waters rest area almost came to grief due to a problem arising with our Honda generator, consequently no 240 volts to power the satellite receiver.
The generator kept stopping suddenly for no apparent reason. I cleaned the air filter, the carby bowl, cleaned and re-gapped the spark plug, all to no avail. The interesting part however was that every time it stopped I was able to restart it immediately, then it would run for a minute or so before stopping without warning again. Another traveller parked beside us who I had earlier helped out with an electrical problem came to our rescue and allowed us to plug into his Honda generator for the duration of the race. This also recharged our caravan battery, so our 240 volt inverter could be used again after his generator was turned off.
This is another example of the camaraderie that exists between caravaners in remote areas.

After departing our two night rest area we took a short detour from the Stuart Highway to visit the historic township of Newcastle Waters, situated on the junction of three major stock routes. Until about 30 years ago when cattle were walked overland across the Territory Newcastle Waters was the great gathering place of the drovers where they could stock up and have a break before heading on. The abundance of water from the extensive permanent water hole meant that the cattle could also be assured of a refreshing drink. This water hole is still brim full of crystal clear water to this day. Of particular interest was the old Junction Hotel where the old fridges were still in place in an otherwise empty building. The hotel last served a beer to drovers in 1975 during the Last Great Cattle Drive from Mataranka to Longreach in Queensland.

During our continued northbound journey from Newcastle Waters towards Mataranka we passed a number of elaborate transporters heading south following the V8 Supercars weekend in Darwin. Much to Gail's delight most of them were the various Ford team semi's. We made a brief stop at Dunmarra Roadhouse where about six more of these transporters were taking a short break. We chatted with a couple of the drivers who told us they expected to reach Melbourne in another two days. (See pictures on Picasa website as listed below).

Arrived Mataranka mid aftenoon and booked into Mataranka Cabins and Camping which is an ex cattle station homestead situated within walking distance of Bitter Springs - the warm (32 degrees) crystal clear springs. This was the primary reasn for our two night stay here before pressing on to Katherine.

Kevin and Gail.
See a small sample of photos at:
www.picasaweb.google.com/kevinh055/2008trip