It’s fair to say that most of the time Ken and I have been pretty average at researching the areas we are travelling through. However, it can’t be said for Barrow Creek. Not high on the must-see list but for Ken who has had a morbid fascination with the Falconio murder, Barrow Creek was a must stop.
It was the last stop Joanne and Peter made before being flagged down, and just 12 km up the road where Peter disappeared / was murdered and Joanne escaped, hiding in the dark in bushes. Following the ordeal Joanne was taken back to Barrow Creek and stayed there until police arrived and the investigation warranted she could leave the scene.
We’d left Alice in the morning with the only plans being to stop at Barrow Creek and get as far up the road as we can. We had the sense that there wasn’t much to see on this road but after travelling it and studying WikiCamps while Ken drove, I realized how wrong we were. It was a shame but as with much of life you have to make choices and it not that they are right or wrong, they just are. We were feeling pressured for time and made the decision to make a leap up the country.
As it turned out we got to Barrow Creek as the sun was setting so it was absolutely time to pull up for the day. After a look around the Hotel and a look through the display and information on the whole business we drive a few kilometers up the road to a great little free camp- Matt’s Quarry. Tucked away a bit away from the road, nestle in with the spinifex grasses and with impressive views of red cliffs towering over our campsite. With the setting sun casting its warm glow upon them, they were lite up like a beacon.
Friday night had rolled around again. Burgers and movie safely tucked up in the van were enjoyed by all and it was a peaceful and quiets night rest.
A long travel day today. Again with no destination in mind just getting as many kilometres under our belts as we can. There were two stops we just couldn’t drive past though.
Firstly, Wycliffe Well – The UFO Capital of Australia. Who could go past such a quirky stop and we needed fuel. So it seems this spot is a bit of a hot spot for UFO sightings. It’s not surprising really, of an evening there is nothing else to do but stare up at the gorgeous night sky. We’ve certainly spent a lot of nights staring up at the stars since being in the NT and we have to confess to seeing some interesting and unexplained moving lights in the sky.
Our second stop was for lunch just up the road at the unique and beautiful Devils Marbles. The photos really tell the story I guess, big rocks that looks likes marbles.
As the sun started to dip in the sky and near the horizon I got busy with WikiCamps to find us a spot to pull up. We alway try and find something a bit off the road to limit the noise during the night from road trains. Gravel pit usually don’t make a great or scenic camp but this one had a 4 star rating. I was curious!
Turns out to be worth each one of those stars. A road leading to a large gravel pit set way back from the road. The pit itself was interesting and would have done but there were campsites along the road in. We selected one on a little rise that gave us a small view across the bush, complete with a campfire and surround by these flat green creeping bushes you could even call it pretty. A perfect spot for a good nights kip.
Our third long travel day in a row would eventually deliver us to Katherine. Although we did skip the ‘must stop’ Mataranka which I have regretted since. Fallen victim to our lack of research we learned of this gem after we’d reach Katherine and while I tried to find ways to get us back there it wasn’t to be. That’s one for the ‘next time’ list.
It was a long days drive with no stops of any significance other than the puncture and tyre change required 30 minutes out of Kathrine. We’ve been without any tyre issues the entire trip but have had three in the last month. Still its all part of the adventure and we are thankful for the fabulous bit of kit – Safety Dave tyre monitoring system, that alerts us as soon as the pressure suddenly decreases and we’ve been able to change/repair the tyre before any significant damage is done.
We pulled into Katherine Holiday Park just before the park closed for the night. It is a lovely park on or next to a nature reserve about 7km out of town.
Again we seemed to have a fair amount of chores and organising to do here, leaving little time for sightseeing. We had a pile of mail and parcels to collect, the usual shopping and restocking, tyre repairs, research and bookings to make for our time in Kakadu and school/project work to complete.
Two of our flat tyres have been to do with the valves now, (possibly all the airing up and down taking its toll), so Ken asked the guys to replace all the valves, rotate the tyres and balance the wheels too. The other thing Ken was busy with was booking and planning our time in Kakadu. With campsites, tours and permits to buy and book, he needed to research, plan and schedule our next week’s itinerary.
One of Charlotte’s school projects for this term was to plan, document, budget, cook, serve and clean up a 3 course meal for the family. She’d decided on a Mexican theme, done all the planning and documenting so we just needed the time and supermarket to complete the project. Our first shopping trip ended up being all about the fiesta dinner party and she was going to need all the space in the fridge for her gastro extravaganza.
Ken hung some party lights, put on Mexican music and we were treated to corn chip, chorizo and guacamole bites for entree, nachos for mains, and homemade ice cream sandwiches for dessert! So delicious, she’s a great cook and getting better at cleaning up after herself. She had fun and it felt like a real treat to have a night off cooking. It was a stroke of genius setting that assignment, one of my finer homeschooling moments.
We’d taken a big jump up the country and the climate certainly reflected that. The beanie, scarf and woollens have been put away, t-shirts, shorts and bathers are in! Swimming now is firmly on the cards. The park has a huge pool and we visited Katherine Hot Springs.
The springs were lovely, not too hot and not too crowded. There had been some reports of kids coming down and pinching phones and money while you swim and right enough, a few suspicious types turned up but they were watched by all like hawks and eventually the stares moved them on. The water was so clear and it was fun scrambling over a small waterfall to travel along a narrow little creek to the lower pools.
Lulu just loves the water, floating and kicking with delight. Georgia is an absolute fish, under the water more than she is above it and Charlotte loves it too but has recently been having trouble with pain in her ears when she goes underwater. With a lot of warm weather and swimming ahead of us I booked a visit to the doctor to have it checked out.
Unfortunately we ran out of time for a visit to Katherine Gorge which was disappointing, just another one for that ever growing ‘next time’ list. We are excited about our next adventure, Kakadu here we come.
