DAY 30 FROM SOUTH TO NORTH - TOP END (NORTHERN TERRITORY) TRIP

24 May 2010

TRAVELLING DAY - STUART HIGHWAY - KUNJARRA (THE PEBBLES),  TENNANT CREEK,  THREE WAYS,  NEWCASTLE WATERS

The day started badly. The fourth and fifth gears played up yesterday. So under the car hubby went . There was a lot of mud that needed clearing. In the process he found he was missing some tools.  It seems that someone left a roll of tools behind, those he liked to have handy, when he refilled the gas tank. Apparently many needed replacing so he was not unduly upset. However, we back tracked to Tennant Creek just in case someone handed them in at the caravan park that we had filled the gas tank up at. No luck. So to auto pro we went to get replacement tools. There was one he couldn’t replace so he will try to get it along the way.

It will take us several days to get to Timber Creek. There is not much along the way here. The road is very straight. We are travelling mainly through flat open land with the occasional rise or fall.

The scenery does change from time to time.

Lots of flowering wattle lined the road.

Every so often there was field upon field of termite mounds.

A lot of the information sheets mention that burning off is getting to be rarer in the Territory.   However, there was an area that was burnt out.

Mt Castle was impressive as there was nothing else simliar around. It was not very tall but rising out of the flat surrounding area it commanded a certain of presence.

Some of the creeks had water and north of Renner Springs there was again some water on the road.

We went past a very rock section of terrain and then back again to flat green area with small trees and scrub.

We stopped at a most imposing roadhouse at Three Ways.  Big and little boys would drool at this mural with an actual bull bar attached.  My grandsons would love it!

And for those with time to spare tables with the chess board all built in.

We pulled up for the night at Newcastle Waters rest stop. Caravan city it was. There were a few campers and one tent. Some had arrived at 1.30 pm to get there spot. By 5.00pm it was full. Some arrived later and chose to move on whilst others tried to sqeeze into any little bit of space available.

The storms clouds to the south of us looked ominous as they kept building. As we ate dinner we could see lightning in the distance but did not hear any thunder.