Day 7 Friday 24th July
Like hell there is!
Our day started refuelling in Camooweal, afterwards, whilst I waited for G undertaking some important ablutions, a small, scrawny and somewhat worse for wear pony emerged from the pre school grounds, opposite the fuel station, and wandered ip the road causing some minor concern for a low loader carrying a huge piece of roadwork equipment, as it moseyed completely unconcernedly across the road!
Remarkable by its absence today as we entered the Northern Territory, after the obligatory photograph, was the incredible array of roadkill we had encountered on western Queensland roads
. Wondering why this may be the case occupied us for a few kilometres.
Graeme's desire, nay need, for a good coffee saw us stopping at a rest stop where he put his hiking stove and my caffetiera to use and we enjoyed a nice brew while we read the graffiti scrawled over the table and shade shelter.
Bopping away to Fleetwood Mac, Graeme did battle with my gps trying to see if it had any more success locating our site of accommodation – a free camp near Tennant Creek than his did. It didn’t.
When we emerged from the car for a photo at the border we noticed a firm if not strong breeze. Later, we saw road signs indicating that wind resistance needed to be taken into consideration by motorists crossing the rather featureless plain. Obviously the wind is reasonably consistent up here.
The only feature between Camooweal and the "three ways" intersection north of Tennant Creek, is the Barkly Homestead, where we refuelled and had a quick lunch
. It is a well implemented tourist stop and service centre.
After what seemed like days of long straight roads we came across a very, very large Brahman bull which it seemed, was determined to take forever to stroll across the road. This stroll was so mesmerising that despite seeing the figurative whites of its eyes, I neglected to get a photo!
All this brings me to the title of today’s missive. When we arrived at Tennant Creek, mercifully heading South again away from this infernal heat (it’s been around 30 degrees or more the last couple of days!) we decided to continue through to the free camp we’d identified previously. If I’d had a phone signal we’d have stayed in town.
Anyway, we missed the turnoff and had to double back. Then we trundled out about 10km and G drove past the turnoff. Another “U” turn and we were on the Juno Rd. we were supposed to be on. Things didn’t look especially promising as the single lane of bitumen deteriorated to potholes and gravel. Several km later it just stopped in the middle of nowhere with no free camp to be seen! There’s a camp here? Like hell there is!
So, back to town we went, booking in at a vanpark for the night, where I sit typing this.
I will try to insert some photos in previous blog entries so please check back again. I don’t want to chew up all GG’s data limit (because I can’t pick up any bloody networks on my phone!) so I haven’t been uploading photos. I have some nice ones so I do want to put them in!
Stay tuned…
Like hell there is!
Friday, July 24, 2015
Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, Australia
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