DAYS 27-28 FROM SOUTH TO NORTH - TOP END (NORTHERN TERRITORY) TRIP

21-22 May 2010


DEVIL’S MARBLES – BINN'S TRACK - OLD POLICE STATION WATERHOLE, DAVENPORT RANGES NATIONAL PARK

Camped by the billabong near the old gum trees – what a wanderful place to be.

The birds are chirping from all directions, but not a single one is in sight as I write this blog covering the last two days.

Yesterday started as another overcast day. It was a warm night last night and just a slight drizzle of rain. The day was cool reaching only 17C by mid morning. When we got back onto Stuart Highway it was surprising to see the grass verge being cut alongside the road.

Before long we were back on the Binns tracks heading via Kurundi to Davenport Ranges.

Scenery was different again – more colourful - yellow and red flowering bushes.

The ant hills were getting to be bigger and more numerous.

There was lots of water on the track

or alongside the track.

The bottom of the Oka was getting very muddy.

The waterholes were full.  Still no sign of camels but we saw wild donkeys in several places along the track.

As we drove along a friend called up on the HF radio via a cell call. It was great to hear from him. He’d tried to get through to us before but we have had a bad signal. Last night we tried to call the kids but we just couldn’t make a connection. Anyway, he said „ I suppose you pulled over to the side of the road“. Hubby answered „No, I pulled up in the middle of the road“. As there was no traffic on the dirt track he had pulled over in the middle of the track as there was water on either side.

Kurundi appeared to be a staging post for road trains as there were several set up ready to go and lots of trailers waiting to be hinched up. Our grandsons would just love these big trucks.

We were jolted out of complacency seeing a road train coming towards us when we were past Kurundi.

We were further surprised when we came to the intersection at Epenarra - the homestead gardens were just beautiful. One can get fuel and supplies here. The connecting track to Barkly Homestead was still closed. We continued on the the Old Police Station Waterhole. It is a huge waterhole and except in severe drought a permanent water hole.

Red river gums line the bank.

There is an abundance of bird life judging tby the bird calls we can hear but we haven’t seen that many of them. But this is spider kingdom! You have to be very careful where you walk as the likelihood of walking into a web is very high and there can be a number of large spiders in a single web.

Davenport Ranges were mined for wolfram, gold, zinc and scheelite along the tributeries of the Frew River. Mining continued in the area till the mid 50s. There are ruins across the other side of the waterhole but there is too much water to get across the waterhole to the ruins. The ranges themselves are very weathered and low as they rise out of flat surrounding tableland. The tag along leader told us that where we were camped the waterhole was such that you could walk across it at this point. Not today – it extends quite far.

When we arrived we were the only ones here. So hubby checked that all was right with the vehicle.

As there was plenty of water we did our washing and relaxed.

Before long more vehicles arrived. We started to count them – eleven in all. It was a tag-a-long 4WD camping tour.

We decided to stay an extra day here and enjoy the setting.

We tried to listed to skeds on the HF radio but all we got was chatter from Indonesia and Malaysia. We tried to get through to the kids but again we couldn’t make a connection. So after a barbeque cooked over an open fire

it was time for some music and then bed.

On Saturday was hubby’s birthday so we had a special breakfast of Tia Maria banana pancakes.

I also made him Nigella’s Chocolate heart cake (but not in a heart shape). Thank you Vaiva for introducing me to this recipe. Then a roast pork dinner to finish off the day.

We spent the day talking, walking, and hubby reading his new book by Colin Rivers „ Campervan and Motorhome Book“.

Pam and Jim from the tag-a-long group that we got to know in the morning joined us for afternoon tea and some cake.

A lovely relaxing day.

We also seem to have escaped most of the rain that has come down the territory.

In the evening we joined the Outback tag –a-long tour at their camp fire for a most enjoyable evening.