Day 23 - Three Ways to Waterhole Creek

I left Three Ways and up the Barkly to Mt Isa. I've notice that the eagles have cleaned up all the road kill 2:00pm most days when it is just a red smear on the tarmac.

Today was uneventful other than the wind which I'm now used to.

I arrived in Waterhole Creek just on dark and decided it was time to get off the road, I'd seen quite a few roos on the way in. Accomodation is a very expensive donger at the pub which was in one of the Crocodile Dundee movies. The site seems to be a popular stop for the road trains. I was awoken this morning to a seranade of mooing cows, hundreds of them, all stacked up in the road trains surrounding the pub.

I also saw my first sunrise over the scrub.

I have a big day ahead of me, nearly 900k to Emerald.

Day 22 - Bitter Springs to Three Ways

Gorgeous day. Down the windy Stuart Highway I went stopping at Daly Waters for breakfast. I bumped into the two guys I met at Pine Creek who were on their way back to Mt Isa. Apparently some other bloke on a tricked up GS Adventure was trying to tag a long with them and they were trying to get away. Ha, the tricked up bloke pulled in, and boy was his bike tricked up. He had every add-on available including an onboard fire extinguisher. His getup was particularly funny though. He was wearing internal and external armour. He looked like a gladiator and he was obnoxious to boot.

I stopped at Rennie Springs for a coffee and got accosted by a very strange man. He wouldn't go away and wouldn't leave me alone. He wanted to know where I was staying the night, in fact he really freaked me out. Its the only time on this trip that I have been scared. I jumped on my bike and bolted going as fast as I could for at least 15 minutes.

After that experience I decided to stay the night at Three Ways as I didn't want to get caught and have to spend the night on the Barkly.

The Three Ways is not the Hilton, it isn't even the Peoples Palace. What a dump. My donger, which was described as a cabin, was alive with baby cane toads. I saw at least 5 and couldn't get them out of the room. In the end I went to sleep with my clothes on and my hat over my face just in case one jumped in my mouth.

Day 19 - 21 Mataranka Manor and the Bitter Springs

I'm staying here for a few days. What a lovely spot, the Manor is a motel and caravan park at the top of the road to Bitter Springs. The park fills up every afternoon with campers, winnebagos and caravans, only to empty the next morning. It's such a peaceful place. The staff are all fabulous, very friendly and chilled even though they appear to be run off their feet. (they don't even seem to mind me being a pain in the backside with my coffee!) Definitely worth a stay if you are heading up this way.


They hand feed the barramundi twice a day, I never realised how big they are.

 Link to their website www.matarankamotel.com/


There are two sets of springs available in the town, Mataranka Springs and Bitter Springs. The surrounds of Mataranka Springs have been cemented so it has a more organised and formal feel to it, whereas Bitter Springs are just a wonderful oasis in the bush. I can't describe how truly beautiful they are. Both springs feed the Roper River producing more than 30 million litres of water per day. The water temperature is about 34 degrees. Limestone from the Georgina Basin is the aquifier that supplies the springs. The springs have large concentrations of salts which definitely helps with buoyancy. 


The spring fed pool is surrounded by palms and tropical woodland. The water is turquoise blue and so clear that you can see the bottom. There are a couple of entry points to the pool, which is quite deep. Once in the water, the current drags you along, through the lillies and palms on the banks. As you meander through, dragon flies dart across the water and small fish swim through your legs. There is a the odd log submerged below the water, which makes for a good resting point along the way. Once you reach the end if the pool which is about 200 metres, you 
can walk back along the banks and through the woodland to jump in and drift down again. It really is stunning. 

There is a path that winds its way along the banks of the pool which is laden with palm fronds wrapped around the trees from when the pool and Roper river have flooded during the wet. These fronds now serve as matts on the sections of the path that are still sodden from the overflows.

Day 18 - Adelaide River to Mataranka Springs

I stayed up late writing up my lecture notes, so another late start, made even later by the local Saturday market. And you won't believe it, but someone has nicked the end off the air hose at the garage. Another day with dodgy air pressure. I do have a hand pump, but it is buried in the bag with my tent. Obviously the pressure cant be that dodgy then can it!

First stop Pine Creek to refuel and have some breakfast and maybe some air pressure. I had breakfast first, to let my tyres cool down before I added air.

Pine Creek is famous for the annual Pig and Pussy Hunt held at the end of July each year. People flock to the town hunting for feral boar and cats. The hunt lasts for a week with prizes awarded for the largest boar etc. The hunters display the boar heads on the rear of their trucks and utes, "very deliverance!"

Whilst eating breakfast, I saw something wander across the road. At first I thought it was some sort of lizard, on closer inspection it turned out to be a Pheasant Coucal. I was lucky enough to get a really good picture of him.

And now for fuel and air. Oh my God, the friggin compressor isn't working properly and the pressure in my tyres is stronger than that coming from the compressor so what ever air I have has just spewed out of the front tyre. One of the locals saw my obvious distress and he spent half an hour with me trying to get the air into the tyres. We finally succeeded.

Note to Australian Government - When granting extended visas to backpackers ( the Aus government will give you another year if you agree to work in the NT for 3 months) please teach them to treat the Aboriginal community with the same respect that they treat everyone else with.

The backpackers staffing the roadhouses treat Aboriginals like crap.  They will be serving an Aborginal person and then as soon as a white person walks in, they stop serving them and serve the white. Its disgusting.

So many eagles on the road today, it was amazing, swooping down on the road kill and not leaving until the last minute. I kept ducking behind my screen and slowing down so as not to hit them.

I'm surprised that I haven't seen many bikers on this trip. Today I bumped into two guys who had come across the desert. They had banged up their bikes pretty badly, but they were still ridable.

After Pine Creek I decided I would ride out to Katherine Gorge. It was so hot, the temperature never went below 32. There are no trees or shade on the highway and you can feel the heat coming up off the tar as you ride along. By the time I got to Katherine Gorge I was pretty dehydrated, I had been drinking a lot of water but I think I must have been losing electrolytes as I felt really faint.

I found a quiet spot and stipped off went down some steps to a pontoon that was for authorised personnel only, but no one could see me. I quickly jumped in and out to cool off, after first checking for crocs. I sat on the steps with my wet shirt on my head for about an hour.

The gorge.

I got into Mataranka at about 5:00pm only to find the Bitter Springs caravan park booked out. I made my way back up the road to Mataranka Manor and scored the last cabin. This will be home for 2 nights whilst I catch up with some study and work.

Day 17 - Leaving Darwin to Adelaide River

I had grand plans to get up early and be on the road by 7:30. It didn't happen. My nephew's apartment is four floors up, its stinking hot, I'm still doing his washing and I have just managed to spew water all through the cupboard under the sink. Not a good start.

I finally lugged all my gear downstairs and packed the bike. I need to go back up and have another shower, it's just so hot. My old friend Michael catches me before I leave and we arranged to have breakfast, I also have to drop off a mail bag full of clothes to send home.

After breakfast, I got on the road intent on putting air in my tyres, the pressure is a little too low. Seven service stations, yes seven. That's how many I had to stop at to get air in my tyres, either the air wasn't working or the nozzle was too long and wouldn't fit. It was a nightmare, one actually let the air out of my tyres rather than put it in. I was hot and frazzled and hadn't left Darwin yet. And I was grumpy! And my tyres still had the same pressure I started with. So I gave up and headed on down the road.

I pulled in at a rest stop and realised it must be getting late as the rest stop was chockas with grey nomads, all set up for the night. One bloke must have got in real early as he had bagsed the best spot complete with picnic table and cabana. Just to be sure he wasn't disturbed and to prevent others from mooching in on his space, he had his generator going full bore and had this lovely sign on display.

I can imagine everyone there hated his guts.

I'm still worried about my tyre pressure, I've been well trained by Greg, never start a ride without checking your tyres. And mine are low, I'd give anything for a bicycle pump.

I decide to end the day early and pull up stumps at Adelaide River. Adelaide River was the base for 30,000 Australian and US soldiers during WWII. There is a cemetery with war graves. Some of the boys were only 17 years old, very said.

I'm glad I decided to pull up stumps early as I have a microbiology test on the 26th and need to catch up on lectures.

Day 13 - Frans Place

I forgot to tell you about bossy Fran. She has a tea house between Daly Waters and Mataranka, just south of Katherine.

I pulled up, you can't miss it. The place is surrounded with Blackboard signs advertising Fran's cooking, the best this the best that etc. So as soon as I got off the bike, out came Fran, all 5ft nothing, to tell me not to park where I parked as "people was bustin her pipes!"  Then she gave me a blackboard and told me to make a sign to tell people not to come in and park. The people who were already sitting at the tables were giggling, they obviously had already been read the rules. One of her signs said she made great cappucino's. so I asked for a double shot, not too much milk ( I know you all cringe when I order coffee). Well Fran gave me short shift, "Love she said, waving her hands at me the way Julia Guillard does when she says "now friends", you can only have it the way it comes, but not to worry love, its good coffee. Now sit down and talk to those nice people there and tell them where yerv been and where yer going!"

"Er, OK I said" Yes, I was intimidated by this dwarf of a woman as was everyone else sitting there. She went inside and we all started whispering like naughty school children. Then alas, a women dared go inside. Taped to the plastic fly door was another sign "Private Office". The lady that had attempted to enter was shoved outside, told to sit down and Fran would be with her momentarily. Fran came back out and told me to have scones as she had just baked a batch. Obediently, I ordered the scones. The coffee and the scones arrived. She wasn't lying , the coffee was good. Later I asked Fran if she had a bathroom, she came back with the key and told me to lock it when I was finished as she had nice toilet paper. Well of course, there was another sign. "Don't even think about stealin me toilet paper cos I have a camera". I read this as I was perched over the loo and did a quick scan for said camera. I think it was a bluff.

I decided the only way to deal with Fran was to suck up to her big time. Initially, this didn't bring me any success as I was relegated to directing traffic at her front gate and told to stop them coming in at all costs, "cos of me pipes". After my traffic duties, I told Fran that I had to go and could I please pay.  I had not realised that there were no prices on her menu! Fran invited me into her private office. Eyebrows were raised at various tables "Yes, I had struck gold, the sucking up worked". The other customers eyed me jealously as I was invited into the private office to pay my bill and given the guided tour of Fran's menagerie of stuffed animals. Very freaky.

My scones and coffee cost me $13 which I thought was a bit steep, especially after all the sucking up.

I went on my merry way and stopped at Mataranka to refuel. I told the shop assistant that I had just been to the weirdest teahouse. She said "Oh, you've been to Fran's, what did you have and what did you pay for it?" I told her and she said she must have liked me, Fran has been known to charge $25 for scones and coffee.

Day 14 - Katherine to Darwin

Hooray! I'm here and its hot. My tyres have arrived and the Quiver is going in for a makeover tomorrow. I caught up with the boy next door (we haven't seen each other in 35 years), had a couple of drinks and brought each other up to date with our lives. He reminded me that we saw ACDC at the Hurstville local dance when we were 16!

I'm going to spend a couple of days in Darwin, resting my backside before I head home via Emerald and the Polocrosse.

Oh and a stop at Mataranka thermal springs.

Day 13 - Daly Waters to Katherine

Not much to report today other than the misery of Aboriginal Australia. Its depressing, I'm depressed and ashamed.


Today in Katherine, people are milling about, drunk, or with no purpose, women with terrible scarring on their faces from beatings.  Its shite

Day 12 - part two - Daly Waters and the Dog People

Daly Waters deserves a post all on its own. The pub is a few kilometres off the highway about 300k south of Katherine. The village is comprised of the pub, adjoining caravan park and cabins and then a few houses. It seems they just party day and night. They put on a show every night and the food is fairly delicious too.

The inside of the pub.

,,,,,,,and more on grey nomads. But before I continue with the story, a little background. For those who don't know, grey nomads are senior's who travel around in Winnebago's or caravans and camp. They like to be off the road by 2:30 so as to get a good camping spot....... and now on with the story.

Just after I arrived at Daly Waters I was sitting in the bar having a G n T when a German couple walked in. The man said they had just come down from Darwin and they wanted to know where they could find the "Grey Nomad".( Please use a German accent when reading as it's much funnier) They had only been travelling in the NT for a week, but had heard the Grey Nomad mentioned quite a lot and wanted to know if it was a bird or an animal, and where they would go to see it. The Irish girl at the bar tried to stifle a smile, the rest of the bar wasn't so successful. One bloke yelled out that they wouldn't see one now as it was too late in the day, they tend not to be around after 3:00pm and they travel in pairs. The German, yarred a bit and then asked again, was it a bird or an animal? The bloke at the bar told then it was an animal, whilst we all sniggered. It was v v funny. The poor bloke is probably still looking for them.

and now for the dogs...

I've noticed over the past few days that there are lots of vans towing trailers that house dogs. The vans pull up and they bring out the dogs which are all fairly spiffy. It turns out that there are 3 weeks of dog shows, starting in Alice Springs and culminating in Darwin. 

Tomorrow I'm off to Katherine.

Kilometres travelled -  245

Day 12 - Renner Springs to Daly Waters

I thought the wind was bad yesterday, well today was worse! I cannot tell you how frightening it was. The road from Renner Springs to Elliot sits atop the Barkly Tablelands with a never ending horizon in all directions. There aren't any trees, just very low lying scrub and therefore nothing to stop the wind. I had to ride just on the wrong side of the centre line as the wind would push me all the way over to the edge of the lane. I would push against the wind and then all of sudden get hid by a wind shear and Quiver would get the almighty wobbles. It was terrifying. My terror was further exacerbated by the fact that Sally's friend Damo told me all about his terrible accident in the NT, when he was hit by a wind shear and lost control of his bike, ending up with serious injuries. I would find that I was tensed up as I was holding on to the handlebars for grim death, so would tell myself "think Thunderbirds, think Thunderbirds" a tip Greg Aldis told me a few years ago. Thinking Thunderbirds wasn't really helping, so as I'm a lapsed catholic, I started praying to St Jude, St Anthony and any other saint that was in mum's cupboard and might be listening. I suppose what bothered me the most was the fact there wasn't anywhere to pull over and pull myself together. I did see one intersection to a dirt road, but there was no protection and I was sure if I did pull over the bloody bike would just blow over in the wind. I counted down the kilometres to the next rest area, relief a sign telling me 20klms, then 10 then 5klms. Don't relax Karen, you know accidents happen close to home or in this case close to the end of the ride. I kept my focus and finally arrived in Elliott. To say I was a little shaken up is an understatement.

Elliott is a very sad little town. The indigenous community seems to be totally impoverished and the whites don't seem that much better off. They have a system in the NT where 50% of your dole payment is credited to a "Basics Card". You can buy food, clothing and other essentials on this card. However the only shop in town has an extremely limited range of food and no fresh vegetables. The nearest proper supermarket is in Katherine, more than 400klms away. All in all it is very depressing. An old aboriginal guy, who very obviously had diabetes, unhealed wounds on his feet, hit me up for $10.00 and I coughed it up immediately as I felt so guilty about my quality of life compared to his.

The wind finally died down after Elliott and I continued on my journey north. I saw a sign to Newcastle Waters which Greg had mentioned, so decided to take a ride in and check it out. I'm so glad I did, the road  meandered through the scrub and then it dissected a body of water that was teeming with bird life.

Newcastle Waters is on one of the most treacherous stock routes in the NT, there are a few buildings left that are held by the National Trust (suc as the general store below), otherwise it seems to be uninhabited.

The wind had started to die down thankfully (those saints must be working) and I plan on spending the night at Daly Waters as it has been recommended to me by various people along the way.

Day 11 - Soudan Bore to Renner Springs

What a day, the head wind was unbelievable. Road trains galore, everytime one went passed the screen on the bike was shaking like Rolf Harris's wobble board, if I wasn't so terrified I would have sung Tie me Kangaroo down sport. The wind was blowing so hard that I was hanging off the bike as if in a corner just to keep it up straight, then a road train would come along and I'd have to lie down on the tank and then slap back into the wind. It was really tiring and my neck was killing me, so I was grateful for the rest stops every 70 or so kilometres.

Barkly Station is my next fuel stop. I discover that fuel in the outback is mightly expensive, as is coffee and pretty much everything else. Nearly $2.00 per litre. Thank goodness I'm on a bike and not filling up a Winebago.

The wind is bothering me so much that I have totally forgotten about numb bum. Riding the bike all day at a 45 degree angle isn't fun.  I'm taking advantage of literally all of the rest stops on the way just to give my poor neck a rest.

Checking into Renner Springs for the night. I need a shower!

Kilometres travelled - 514

Mantra - Take away the wind, take away the wind.

Day 10 - Mt Isa to Soudan Bore

Before I tell you about my day, I have to have a whinge. Rubbish, loads of it. People just chuck it out the window up here, its disgusting. The campers are shocking too, toilet paper everywhere, these same people probably pick up their doggie doo, but leave their own poo uncovered and just throw the toilet paper on the ground. Is it too much trouble to dig a little hole? Shame on them!


Back to nicer things, a very slow start for me this morning. I'm 3/4's of the way through the girl with the Dragon Tattoo, so I headed to the coffee bar and sat for an hour reading. A reporter from the ABC spotted Quiver with all her gear and wanted to do an interview. When we were finished I said my goodbyes and hit the road.


Just outside of Mt Isa, I saw a ute on the railway track, I looked again and the ute had some sort of contraption that lowers train wheels down on to the track which allows the vehicle to use the track.

This isn't the vehicle I saw, but it gives you an idea of how it looks.


I stopped at Camooweal, which is just before the border to refuel. I met this guy who is one of the elders of the Wunara people who have a community 200k up the road. He was bringing his mum back home. She had been living in Brisbane with him for 2 years as she was ill. She was very excited to be going back home.


I also met a couple of blokes who were on their way to the Katherine Show for the Cattle Dog Trials. As a child I loved watching the sheepdog trials on TV, apparently the finals are on next Saturday so I plan on being in Katherine for the finals.


This is me at the border.

The further north I get the redder the earth is. It's basically red sand and gets into everything.

The speed limit in the NT is 130 thankfully. I pulled into a rest stop a little way up the road and it is already chockablock full of vans setup to camp for the night. I’m constantly amazed at the number of grey nomads out there. It is rare to see a car that isn’t towing something.

I decide to end my day reasonably early and pull into the Soudan Bore to camp for the night. There were already 3 or 4 people there and they were all over 60 so I figured it was reasonably safe.




Note to self: Do a drive through and check out the people before you pick a camping spot. I pulled up near two other campers, close enough for them to hear if I am murdered in the night but far enough away so as not to be an intrusion. I put the side stand down and down and down it went. Didn't matter where I moved to,  the bike would sink into the red dusty earth. The bike is loaded to the gunnels so I can't really get off and hold it up at the same time. Then I remember my trusty diary which has a hard cover. I threw that down on the ground and manoeuvred the side stand onto it. I must remember to keep a crushed can in my pocket for such emergencies.

As I was setting up my tent for the night, my two neighbours who were a pair of old geysers came rushing up with hammers, extra tent pegs etc. I told them I was fine, but they insisted and I didn't want to be rude. I must really learn to be rude! They were desperate for company and very obviously lived on the road. I think one in particular; Merv was a permanent resident at the Soudan bore. Merv had a long grizzly beard and told me his nickname was Yowie because he could make yowie noises and would I like a demonstration? I politely refused the demonstration assuring him that I believed he was capable of sounding like a Yowie. Not to be put off  he started telling me stories as I was putting up my tent, then his mate next door, not wanting to be outdone, starting interrupting him and telling his stories. I tried doing the Greg long face and grunt but it didn't work. They had adopted me and I was stuck with them. What was I having for dinner, where was I going, was I married, was I coming back this way. I'm sure they thought they would luck out one day and a future bride would just pass on through the Soudan and they would live happily ever after.

I did feel sorry for them and put up with them for a while longer and then went and hid in my tent. After a while it all went quiet and I snuck back out and built a fire only for them to arrive one by one for more of a chat. I apologised and said that I really had to do some work (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and they went back inside. After I finished dinner Merv showed up with a billy of hot water for me to wash my dishes. So of course I felt really mean.

The camp site was fairly windy so my tent was full of red dust the next morning. The old curmudgeons just talked and talked whilst I packed the bike, it really didn't require much input from me other than the odd uhhuh and yes.

I met a lovely lady Jeannie at the campsite who told me she was much older than she looked, she was somewhere in her 70's. Her husband had died 8 years earlier and had never wanted to travel. So of course she bought a Winnebago and off she went with the dog. As far as she was concerned these old blokes were a pain in the butt and I should just be rude, as she had been.



This is Merv

And Jeannie

Kilometres travelled - 300

Lessons learned - Do the drive thru first.