The Last Leg(s)

Blog #23 – The Last Leg(s) – Days 190 to 208 Finally, after ten days in Alice Springs all repairs were now complete and the replacement solar blanket had arrived.  The tally in damages from the Tanami Track was another $1500 but I have never looked at the expenses this way but more the price of the adventure into places less travelled.  I had…

Purnululu & The Long Shortcut

Blog #22 – The Bungle Bungles & The Long Shortcut – Days 183 to 189 of 220 (Maybe) On the road again!  My first thoughts were to drive down to Turkey Creek, now called Warnum, although I like the character of the former name.  There was supposed to be scenic helicopter flight company based there but when I arrived, I found it to be…

In Search of Gouldians

Blog #21 – In Search of Gouldians – Days 157 to 182 of 180 (it will be longer) The distance to Wyndham is 1006 klm so I decided to split the trip into 3 of 2 day stays at Pine Creek, Victoria River Roadhouse & Timber Creek before crossing over into WA and onto Wyndham. Game plan was to find Hooded Parrots & Red-winged…

Out onto the Wildman Plains

Out onto the Wildman Plains – Days 144 to 156 of 180 It has been sometime since I read Tom Cole’s diary & letters when he rode the Wildman Plains hunting water buffalo & crocodiles between 1925 and 1943 (Riding the Wildman Plains – The Letters & Diaries of Tom Cole – Published 1992).  I have always enjoyed a good yarn about the bushies…

Darwin

Blog #19 – Darwin – Days 131 to 143 of 180 Strange that after 4 ½ months on the road I have lobbed into Darwin with no game plan.  My travel plans went out the window after Greg left as the main reason for going to Darwin was to fly to Perth.  Now that was cancelled it was time to take a proper timeout…

The Trek North to Darwin

Blog #18 – The Trek North – Days 111 to 130 of 180 The game plan was to stock up on supplies in Alice before heading north as there not many large towns on the Stuart Highway with large grocery stores.  There are some places out here where cash is king so it is wise to make sure you are carrying some.  I also…

Alice Springs & The East MacDonnells

Blog #17 – Alice Springs & the East MacDonnell Ranges – Days 95 to 110 of 180 We drove through some beautiful scenery on the way into Alice Springs.  It had been 11 years since I had been there last on a photography holiday with my mate Bernie Rosser.  The place has not changed.  One of the joys of returning to civilization is flushing…

Oodnadatta To Finke via Dalhousie

Blog #14 – Oodnadatta to Finke via Dalhousie Springs – Days 79 to 82 of 180 It seems such a long time since we left home nearly three months ago but the time has flown by.  I suppose this is because each day we added to our adventure.  After replenishing supplies in Oodnadatta and getting over the sticker shock of paying 198.9 cents per…