Edith Falls to Darwin!

After a bit of a sleep-in, we went to check out the main Edith Falls. The falls turned out to be a little bit of a disappointment after the one yesterday, but the pool was much larger and probably better for families and the like. However, there was also this lovely sign warning us of fresh and salt water crocs. Once we packed up the car, we decided to drive all the way in to Darwin this morning (a little over 300km).

We got in and went to go visit Pete at the Travelers' Auto Barn here; try and get some advice on the car and places to go in Darwin. After walking up and down Mitchell St, pretty much the 'main drag', we decided to stay at Melaluca on Mitchell. The place has a really nice pool/deck, a small but active bar, and nice enough rooms. Since all the hostels go for pretty much the same rate ($30 per person per night) we decided to go for the one that seemed the nicest. After some dinner, we're gonna check out the town, hopefully it treats us well!

Daly Waters to Edith Falls

Had a low key night drinking and playing pool at Daly Waters Pub before packing up and heading north this morning.  We stopped off at Mataranka Homestead; where the book We of the Never Never is set.  Never heard of it myself and after poking around the replicated homestead, it seems there is good reason.  Something about a woman making it in the bush.  Yawn.  The real reason for the for our visit was to take a dip in the thermal pool.  The pool is filled from Rainbow spring with lukewarm water (34C) at a rate of 30.5 million liters per day.  Citation not known, just trust me.

The springs were a welcome relief after a bit of driving.  To prevent erosion and increase ease of access for the oldies the edges of the pool have been cemented.  Not the most natural of places but pleasant enough and free.

From there we headed north to Katherine, after a brief stop over for supplies we set up camp at Leliyn (Edith Falls).  We took a short hike to an awesome little water fall and swimming hole.  Along the way I managed to destroy a flip flop and walked most of it bare foot.  A little unnerving to swim in as it is very deep and we are in crocodile territory, but we made it back in one piece.

Devil's Marbles to Daly Waters

In the morning, we got out of the car before it could heat up too much. Had some quick breakfast before exploring the rocks a bit more. On the way out we saw the two most famous ones that look so impossibly balanced. The whole place was a lot nicer once all of the people with their huge caravans pulled out. After that we continued north through Tennant Creek and Three Waters, stopping only for gas.

We reached Daly Waters around 2 or 3, clearly too early to stop, but we wanted to check out this historic bush pub. The walls and ceiling beams are all covered in memorabilia, including a large number of ID's, international money, and articles of clothing. After a beer or two and an envious glance at the pool, we knew we had to stay the night. The pub is known for being a stopping point for backpackers and the like, so we were hoping it would fill up with something other than the families and grey-nomads we found.

Alice to Devil's Marbles

This morning we left Toddys in Alice after doing our best to use up as much internet as possible. We made a short trip to get some coffee and other errands, figured out how to transfer some money home, and all of sudden it was after noon! We wanted to make it to the Devil's Marbles tonight, over 400km away, so we knew it was gonna be a stretch. Luckily, we forgot that the speed limit is 130 in NT, and people seem to go a lot faster in the uninhabited areas.

Devil's Marbles are a collection of large boulders that seem impossibly balanced on others, but were in fact formed by the weathering of the rocks left by a lava flow. We managed to get here by about 4:30, checked out the rocks a bit, and then headed over to the campground. Boy were we surprised when we came around the corner to find the place packed FULL of caravans! We managed to find a spot mostly out of the road, had dinner, and then watched a dingo wander around the camp looking for scraps. Though no one fed him, he seemed very brazen and was going really close to the caravans and people's food.

Blog Neglect

Sorry we haven't updated the blog in so long. Things in Melbourne were pretty good, though a bit monotonous. We worked a bunch and saved up money (when we weren't going out with our roommates) so now we can travel!

Today we reached Alice Springs and its the first time we've had internet since we left, hence: updates!

Enjoy!

A Big Red Rock!

This morning we decided to sleep in a little bit before heading in to the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. We stopped in at the Cultural Centre to learn about the Aboriginal stories related to the rock and had a quick coffee before going to see Uluru itself. Unfortunately, between these two things we missed our chance to climb to the summit as it was closed due to high winds, but had been open earlier. Instead we decided to do the 10km walk around the base, which was good, but it seemed as if all of the coolest sites were sacred so we weren't allowed to take pictures there. Once finished we headed to the Resort to sort out some camping and relex a little before going back to the park to see Uluru at sunset.

Encountering Wildlife

Left Riba's early and hit the road towards Uluru (Ayers Rock). Once we crossed the border into the Northern Territory, the speed limit became 130 km/hr, making the journey considerably quicker than expected. We stopped at a couple of rest stops/road houses to fill up on LPG and get some snacks, as well as kill some time.

The only place to stay at Uluru is the Ayers Rock Resort, with exorbitant prices even for camping, so we planned to stay about 100km away from the park. Before we got there we stopped for a quick view of Mt Connor, often confused for Uluru. A little bit further on we reached Curtin Springs, a roadhouse that offers free unpowered camping. $3 fee for showers, but all in all, a pretty good deal. As we pulled in, we were treated to a unique sight: an emu was chasing a mid-sized dog around the camp!

It turned out that this emu was in fact very friendly, probably used to being fed, as he walked around to all the campers and then took a little nap next to our car. Though it was a bit windy, we decided to have a campfire and use up the last of our wood we got in the Flinders. Once we went to bed a huge wind/dust storm picked up, luckily we had just put the fire out or things could have gotten ugly.