r ellenberger

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Another sticky and hot day. Spent most of it swimming at the only swimmable waterhole in Kakadu, then climbed the waterfall that feeds it and swam some more at the pools at the top. Didn't do much more in the way of exercise. The fridge (or more precisely the battery that feeds the fridge) has died and is only holding 1/2 a days worth of charge so I'm eating every thing fresh before it decomposes in my car. This morning had the last of my milk for breakfast, then spent the morning swimming at the waterhole. Drove around some more but I also tuffed out a few short walks. Drove out of the park in the arvo and now I'm staying at a carvan park in Adelaide Waters which at $10 is a fairly solid deal compared to the $30 they want at the hostel in Darwin. It's raining right now, rather than cooling things down the humidity has instead reached 110% and I have developed the ability to spontaneously drip water from any part of my face or body. I am also now charging e...

So to carry on from where I last posted... Checked in to the YHA (which is a bit skummy by YHA standards, but it does have a pool thank god). Spent the arvo swimming, wandering around town and buying some groceries. I was hesitant to head back to my dorm room as there were some strange guys in there who were perpetually on their beds in the dark (but not asleep)? Had a greasy meal of Mcdonalds for dinner then pretty much just went to bed. Woke up fairly early the next day, had a swim and breakfast and then walked the esplanade of Darwin city. Checked out the government buildings, a new harbour development further north complete with an artifical swimming beach and wave pool, then headed to the WWII oil storage depots built under the city. A strange city centre with high rise buildings but only three main streets. By now I was buggered by the heat, walked back to the hostel for lunch and a long swim. In the evening I started talki...

So from my last post Denise and I woke up in Mataranka, had breakfast and then tried our hand at some Barramundi fishing. No crocks or barra to be seen and the heat meant we didn't spend too long out and about. We drove over to Katherine and checked out the hot springs, bought some more food and fuel, then drove over to a place called the Springvale homestead where were going to spend the night. We had a really nice, peaceful spot next to a creek that was brimming with tame turtles and barra, that is until some yobos in a ute rocked up blasting their music so everyone in the camp could hear it. So we stayed the night at the homestead where thankfully the yobos finally shut up, and then the next morning we headed to Katherine Gorge. The weather by now (since about Mataranka) has been really hot. I know I complained bitterely back in Tas about the cold and rain but it appears like there is no middle ground, only extremes in aus....

Woke up after a really cold nights sleep (it got down to 3 C) and even though my sleeping bag it meant to be comfortable to 5 C it was a very uncomfortable night. While I was having breakfast and talking to the guy next to me he pointed out that the front left tire was balding itself on the outside of the tire. He said I probably needed a tire alignmet so I ran off to get that done before I met Denise . The first two tire places couldn't do an alignment but the third one slotted me in pretty quickly and they sorted the alignment out and swaped the rear and front tires. A relief to have it done before the next big drive. After that I picked Denise up and we went shopping for food and fuel, and by midday we were on the road heading up the Stuart Hwy. Not that much to see along the way aside from lots little historical markers. We stopped for the sunset at the Devils Marbles which was quite cool and then set up camp next to them....

Woke up and took Paul to the airport, spent the rest of the morning cleaning everything that has been solidly coated in red dust when we had been offroad. I hadn't realized what the big rubber mats that hung down from the back of 4wd's were for until I found half the simspon desert in the back of mine. Went op shopping and baught a pair of shorts for 50c (bargain), then wandered around town. I'm never quite sure of the aboriginal people who hang around the town; for all I know they could just be waiting for a friend or chilling out but I just don't get the most friendly feelings from them. I also posted some signs in the other hostels telling people I am looking for someone to come with me. Watched a movie at the hostel in the evening and that was the day. The next morning I decided to switch to a carvan park from the hostel dorm that I had been staying in as there was just way too much snoring going on in such a small room. Someone had stolen my thong (just one) so the...

Not sure why the last post was truncated so here is the rest of it: We followed Namatjira Drv road and last night camped at the Serpentine Chalet after checking out all the spots closer to Alice. The Ellery Big Creek Hole was particularily nice but ball numbingly cold. Refreshing though. Today we spent the morning checking out the next few spots until Mt Sonder where we turned around and drove back to Alice. Spent the arvo walking around town, Paul has his flight an 9 tommorrow so everything has to be ready now. A relaxing two days and soon I will be on my lonesome.

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Woke up at around 7.30, had breakfast (free At the hostel!), and then went in search of car parts for the next oil change. Amazingly Alice springs has 2 car part stores so getting the parts was no problem. Drove back to the hostel and 45 mins late oil was changed. Paul had booked a flight over to the gold coast in 3 days time so we had two days to burn. We settled on driving back west into the Macdonnall Range. There are a heap of gorges, water holes and canyons to explore all within 150 km of Alice, most of them on the Larapinta trail.

Woke up at 6.15 for the sunrise, personally I thought the sunset was better but there were still lots of people at the viewing area. We had breakfast in the carpark, then spent the next 2 hours walking around the base of the rock. Previously Paul and I had discussed climbing up The Rock but I didn't really see the attraction, when we got to the base though I changed my mind. Big, red, steep and a little dangerous, here was something to be conquered. Unfortunately the climb was closed due to high winds, but after 40 minutes of dicking around someone opened it up again. It's hard to describe how big the rock is, when you climb it the views are amazing and the climb is somethig in it's self. We spent the morning doing the climb and walking around, and then in the afternoon we drove across to the Olgas. They are amazing in their own way, walking inbetween these massive boulders you suddenly move from arid scrub into a lush, shaddy canyon complete with a small pon...

Woke up (7am) to the sounds of lots of birds squaking the morning away. Headed back to the main road along some very bumpy and eroded roads (with the only highlight being the sight of some dingoes wandering around) and then ~700km later arrived at Uluru just as the sun was going down. A lot of driving. Uluru. It's a very big rock, made even bigger by the fact it's out in the flat nothings of central Australia. I didn't see what was so special about it but when you see just how big it is (somehing photos can't show) you realize why it's such a big attraction. After the sunset drove back to camping ($33 for camping, $25 per person for entry into the park... They rip you good) and had dinner. We should be waking for the sunrise tommorrow and then possibly a walk around or over the big red thing.

Woke up (by Paul at 6.30 again, I'm thinking that while I drive he sleeps and thats where all this excess drive comes from), watched the sunrise, had breakfast while watching the (what appeared to be) seagulls bathing themselves in the lake. Flying along the road by 7.30. Its strange that the earth often varies in colour from white to yellow to ochre and back again all within 200m. We reached Williams Creek around 9.30 am, spent 20 minutes looking around and then drove off for Oonadatta. The dirt roads are in reasonable condition but there are a endless floodway crossings over the road. These dips are sometimes minor requiring no drop in speed, but sometimes they appear small from a distance and then wham, the suspension is pushed to it's limits and you are jarred right through. The Oonadatta track that we were driving on follows the old Ghan railway. We drove through varying terrains along the way; moon like landscapes either red or grey, littered with small rock...

Woke up in Woomera thinking it must be about time to get up as Paul was already kicking his sleeping bag off and putting his clothes on. Turned out it was 6.30 and the sun was about to rise... The man sets a dangerous precedent. We drove the remaining kilometres to Cooper Pedy without drama, the long flat straight roads lending themselves to good speed and great fuel economy (11.9l/100km), if at the expense of any driver input. The red stony earth with it's small spiky grey-green shrubs engulfs you in a mesmerizing way. At various points from down in a shallow creek bed you rise up to a small hill and before you opens a stretching vista of grey red nothingness on all sides. Cooper Pedy appears at first like most other outback towns. It's only when you look closer that you notice buildings that appear to be cowering beneath the hills are actually emerging from them. Rather than being built down into the ground, most of the buildings are carved into the side of the s...