Sunday 7^th July, 2024

 The Mereenie Loop was not a ‘doddle’ as I predicted. It was pretty rough. We camped overnight at Gravel Pit near Gosse Bluff just a few kilometres back on bitumen. We noticed that the signs into the Bluff said it was a 4WD road, and this was off putting after the hard driving. This morning we decided to continue on to Ormiston Gorge. On the way we went up to the Tylers Pass Lookout and stopped for lunch at Redbank Gorge Campground (Ridgetop).

Glen Helen campground is closed at the moment. From Mt Sonder Lookout we noticed campers near the river below, and it looked lovely. However, we wanted to get to Ormiston Gorge as we needed drinking water.

At Ormiston Gorge the campground was full. We enjoyed hot drinks at the lovely café, run by Indidgenous folk. There were two possibilities, to go back to the Finke River camping, which is on a 4WD track, or go further along the Ranges to another lookout which has a free camp. As we wanted to explore Ormiston Gorge tomorrow we headed back to the Fink River and took the track. We were worried by the 4WD label, but it was a fairly easy track and having high clearance was about all that was needed.

So, here we are, after two tiring days, settled in by the river.

This whole area, the Mereenie Loop and now on the Namatjira Road is incredibly beautiful with so many different types of landscapes. No matter how difficult the driving on the gravel road section, and then looking for a place to stay, we are rewarded everywhere with incredible views.

When we woke up this morning at Gravel Pit it was cloudy and misty, but the rest of the day has been sunny, getting quite warm in the afternoon.

We have taken some video and lots and lots of photos. Here are just a few from my phone. I need to download others from my cameras, and check with Stephen who has also taken lots of photos.

Saturday 6th July, 2024

We packed up and went into the Canyon at about 4.00 p.m. It gave us a chance to see the layout of the walks and test out the flushing toilets, very clean. It’s unusual to have septic tanks in national parks, but very much appreciated. There are also some drinking water taps.

The highlight was seeing a brown falcon. I saw another photographer with a big lens taking photos of it and after our short walk the falcon was still just sitting on the branch waiting for me to have a go (not). Anyway, I have at least one photo that stands up to being cropped.

The nights are still very chilly, but last night at Ginty’s it was slightly warmer, a welcome change.

Yesterday we packed up everything, again, dumped our toilet, filled up with water and fuel, and did some shopping. Phew! I bought some freshly baked rolls and when we arrived at the Canyon Stephen made us cheese and tomato rolls to take on our walk. We were leaving at 12.00, so this was a good idea indeed.

We did the River Walk, only about 3kms return, but very much worth doing. There are lots of little birds that are very hard to photograph, even when they are enjoying a puddle and flying in and out constantly. At the end of the walk there is a platform and seating with a view up the cliffs. This was a great place for our picnic lunch.

On the way back we walked separately, as we usually do, so that we can stop where we like and not hold up the other person. I was using the DJI Osmo pocket to try to capture bird sounds, but they are pretty faint when I play them back. I also checked out the first few steps of the Rim Walk. Although in photos they are appear to be not clearly defined, in reality, the steps are fine, you would just need a good sense of balance. We did the walk 30 years ago when Stephen was doing his around Australia Greyhound trip and I flew to Alice Springs to do a tour of Uluru and Kings Canyon with him. It will have to do.

Our fuel guage and reported range on the car dash were not showing the correct amounts, so we topped up a little, just to be sure. We may be able to get fuel at Glen Helen, and it’s only about 390 to Alice, but we need fuel for the diesel heater and it won’t work if we get down under half a tank. The fuel guage adjusted after a few kms, but the range indicator still didn’t report correctly.

We are doing the Mereenie Loop, a mostly gravel road that will take us to the West MacDonnell Ranges. The gravel road is rough, but is only 155kms long. People who’ve done the Great Central Road will consider it a doddle.

There is a short section of bitumen to get to Ginty’s, fortunately as the road became very steep. It is a popular stop over with at least 15 other campers here last night. Some sections are very stoney so we had to work out how to get to a camping spot without going over rocks.

Thursday 4^th July, 2024

This is another day for torturing dogs with fireworks. At least it doesn’t happen here!

This is just a quick note to bring us up to the present.

Yesterday we drove from the Peterman Rest Area to the Kings Canyon Resort. The drive was mostly beautiful, but with some boring bits. We took photos of the entrance to the Red Centre Way, actually Larapinta Drive, which leads to the Canyon, but then goes further to the West Macdonnell Ranges and eventually to Alice Springs.

On the way here we stopped at Kings Creek Station for lunch. They have an excellent café, sell fuel, and have a caravan park. Although it looks very attractive we decided not to stay, but to continue to the resort. It is a little closer to Kings Canyon and appeared to be the same price. That turned out to be not true, but it is the school holidays. We booked in for two nights as we had washing to do.

The washing happened this morning and was quite a bit job. We settled down for a coffee afterwards and are getting on with some desk work.

The plan is: maybe go there this afternoon, but could also go tomorrow for the day, then on to a free camp less than 30kms from here. We have quite a lot to pack up if we want to go out there today as we are connected to water and power and had to use the levellers to prop up our rear.

To get the levellers out we had to open our rear box. Dust had penetrated it, but surprisingly things in bags were OK. Nevertheless, I’ve decided to keep my good shoes inside from now on. Our chairs took the worst of the dust so we washed them off and left them out in the sun to dry. They are very cheap chairs and we don’t care if they get dirty, just need to be clean to sit in them.

Our camp site is right next to a toilet/shower block with it’s own laundry, camp kitchen and BBQ area. When no one is behind us we have a good view over towards the bluff. It feels luxurious and I can easily slip over to have a bedtime shower in my oodie. It’s also very handy for doing washing as I don’t have a long trek to see how things are going.

We had no difficulty getting a site even though we hadn’t booked. We could see why later on as although a lot of caravans and motorhomes arrived there were still spaces free. It cost $81 per night, and that was with our member discount.

Monday 1^st and Tuesday 2^nd July, 2024

All the things that we wanted to do yesterday got done, including the therapty planning meeting with Matt. He greated me as soon as I came on screen and mostly stayed focused during the 45 minutes. He answered questions and showed his various ways of communicating to Abby. He often finds meetings boring and drifts off, so I felt proud of him.

After the meeting we drove over to Uluru to the Cultural Centre, thinking of having lunch there. But, they didn’t have much food left. I had soup whilst we were having coffee at the Yalara Village shortly before the therapy meeting, but Stephen hadn’t eaten at all. We went back to the Sherwood and Stephen made his own lunch, whilst I had a muffin and we shared a lime tart from the cafe.

Early in the drive around the Rock we took a short walk to another water hole. There was a lot more water than the waterhole we saw on the other side of the rock. Despite all the other visitors it felt like a very peaceful place. We met James and Carol, who took a photo of us together, then we talked about our travels as we walked back to our vehicles. They have a Subaru and a tent, but they are younger than us.

Last night we camped at the Sandy View Roadside Rest Area. Now that the rain has passed it’s very cold, even during the day. Fortunately I’ve realised that having the windows closed and covered really helps to keep the warmth in. We do have a draft under the fridge, which will need to be looked into when we get home.

We watched the ABC NT News and heard all about the Territorians celebrating the beginning of self rule 40 odd years ago by being able to buy fireworks and set them off during a four hour window each year. This results in the sort of injuries you’d predict, but they don’t want to give it up.

The last time we were here for Territory Day we were in Tennant Creek and went to the official celebration. We were just swallowing our disappointment about missing out on all of the fun when a tour bus pulled up in front of us and disgorged many noisy young people who trooped up the nearest sandhill and had a party with music and intermittent rocket firing. We were invited to join them, but actually we got quite a good view near the car.

It was very cold and we couldn’t help feeling they were quite brave, apart from the danger of fireworks, of course. The music wasn’t very loud, just enough that we could identify the songs. Stephen was grumbling about the fireworks interfering with his star gazing. I got too cold standing outside to watch, but found I could see them well sitting in the front cab of the Sherwood.

So, how often are you at a free overnight camp and have a group of young people arrive to have a party and fireworks?

We have had someone come into our campsite and offer us a free pizza. That was very nice as we hadn’t worked out what to eat that evening and it was very helpful. But that was near Toodyay in WA, and a few years ago.

In the morning we climbed the sandhill used by the fireworks crew. There was an easy path and we were rewarded with good views to Uluru and the Olgas.

We were warm and snug in bed overnight, in fact we slept in until about 8.00 a.m., hoping the sun would warm the van. It didn’t, but our diesel heater works well. Today we stopped at Curtin Springs Roadhouse, hoping for a nice coffee, but they only have instant. You can camp overnight without power for free and they do pub type meals in the evening.

Our next stop was at the Mt Conner Lookout Rest Area, which has a view to Mt Conner, often mistaken for Uluru by newbies, including us when we first came here. It was our tour guide who misled us as a joke. I think we felt discomfit that Uluru didn’t look like the photos. Mt Conner is a mesa, a flat topped rock, and is really impressive as well, though not as famous.

We then drove onwards to Petermann Rest Stop. We had planned to go further, but this place is so nice, large, fairly flat, with desert oaks and other trees, that even though it was only 2.30 when we arrived we decided to stay.

We have used the Starlink at both campsites. Last night we had a faint Telstra signal, here we have none. I put the Starlink on a camping table as it doesn’t have a stand. This morning it blew over onto it’s face in the strong wind. I righted it and then laid it flat on a towel. On the app it showed there had been a bit of a blip, but it recovered quickly and kept online. This afternoon is still very windy, in fact driving was quite difficult, so I’ve put it out on the towel again, flat, not even using it’s small kickstand. It’s giving us fast internet. It got a little cosmetic damage from landing on it’s face, but I wiped off the dirt and it seems perfectly happy.

Monday 1st July, 2024

Yesterday (June 30^th) we had a leisurely morning before heading off to the Rock. On our way Stephen took time at the shower block to wash his hair in a basin and we also put more water in the tank. We went shopping for essential supplies for the trip to Alice.

Once in the park we drove to the Cultural Centre to check out the café. We enjoyed pre prepared sandwiches and hot drinks. Then we drove to the parking area at the beginning of the walk around Uluru. We had a rest before setting off. A little way along there is a walk to a gorge, and we chose that as a shorter option.

It was very beautiful, with cultural sites along the way. There was water in the gorge and we could see tadpoles. Below is a gallery of photos. You can click on the first photo to enlarge it, then click through the enlarged images.

Back at the van we had a cup of tea and ginger nuts whilst we waited for sunset. I successfully set us up with a selfie with the rock in the background.

After sunset it was time to head back to camp. We weren’t successful in getting a camping spot closer to ablutions and grass, so are still out in the paddock. At least it hasn’t rained again, although yesterday and today are cloudy.

We had a good session with Matt in the evening. He was very relaxed and we stayed online for about an hour. At the end he watched us do the dishes. Then, without any prompting he called a staff member to help him end the call.

This morning we have a therapy planning session with me attending via a Teams link. Due to the time difference this is happening at 12.00 noon here. We plan to fill our water tank and get fuel before going to the centre to ensure we have the best 4g signal for the call. Stephen can pick up any items of shopping we may have missed yesterday (like crunchy peanut butter).

Stephen mentioned that you can drive right around the rock, but not until we were heading home at twilight. Of course, I was intrigued, so we are going to do that today as well. The last thing will be to go to the dump point. It’s out of town, but on our way, so that seems the best option.

Then we will head off and find a camping area just up the road for the night. Today is Territory Day and there may be fireworks later. We once celebrated Territory Day in Tennant Creek with all the locals.

I will let you know in the next chapter how this works out.

Thursday 27th and Friday 28th June, 2024

In the evening we took a walk up to the Giles Weather Station to see the sunset on the ranges. About a 3km walk. The sunset did not disappoint.

Yesterday morning we made a reasonably leisurely exit from the roadhouse. We filled up our water tank and the car and did some more grocery shopping. We have found all of the roadhouses to have a reasonable supply of basics with fresh and frozen vegetables and some fruit. 

As we had made a later start we arrived at the Gill Peak Viewing area by lunchtime even though it was only about 65 kilometres. It has a good view of the next lot of ranges, plus Gill Peak. I found this camping spot from a review on the Great Central Road, it’s not on Wikicamps even as a Point of Interest. We can be seen from the road if you have a high vehicle, but we felt reasonably stealth. We can feel a bit anxious if we are the only campers at the spot, but at least we didn’t have any campers with bright lights.

We have a view of ranges all around the camping area. I’m not naming them because they seem to have several names, but you can find Gill Peak in Google Maps.

We are not expecting rain until Saturday in this location, but Laverton have closed their end of the Great Central Road as of 5.00 p.m. yesterday. As clouds rolled in yesterday afternoon we were worried that we might wake up to rain, but fortunately the sky is fairly clear this morning. We still have a lot of gravel road to cover, it’s 267kms to Uluṟu and the road is not bitumenised until you get to the Olgas.

It’s 7.48 a.m. and the sun has just risen over the horizon. What we really love about camping in the bush are the sunrises and sunsets. There are bird sounds, including the sound that I think is my phone sending an alert. It’s one note repeated at set intervals.

We’ve decided to wait until we get to Docker River to check on road closures. As usual we brought the Starlink in overnight and rather than set it up again we will do other things. I’ve been out photographing the landscape and writing in this blog.

Saturday 29th June, 2024

Yesterday (Friday) was quite a tough day, 300kms in one go is more than we usually do, plus the road was quite difficult. However, we were treated to more beautiful scenery and enjoyed a brief stop at the sign welcoming us to the Northern Territory. We did make a stop at Docker River, and it is a nice campsite, with beautiful toilet blocks dotted about that actually you can’t use. We don’t know why.

The road did not appear to have been graded since the heavy rain, with some deep ruts. Fortunately it was easy to drive around them. The corrugations were pretty bad in places. Stephen did not realise that we often achieved ‘flotation’ over corrugations that made more a much smoother ride. However, there were some unexpected obstacles that made it difficult to drive at 75-80kms an hour, so we couldn’t really do it some of the time. Also, I sometimes drove in the soft sandy part at the edge of the road to give some relief, and for this I had to drop the speed as well as it’s easier to lose control.

We made a stop at Lasseter’s Cave in the late morning and had a cup of tea and a savoury snack. This kept us going until about 3.00 p.m. when we arrived at the Olgas. We noticed that they looked exciting and mysterious as we caught glimpses on the road, but were oddly less impressive close up. We also noticed this happening as we were driving to Yulara, as we drove away they seemed larger and more impressive. And then Uluru started to appear in the distance.

We booked into the campground at Yulara, then drove to the dump point, about 5km away, then back again. We had only been able to get into the overflow area, a great dusty area a long way from facilities. The town generator is just over the fence and very loud, but fortunately constant. When we went to bed it was just white noise in the background.

Stephen went and bought a bottle of Sprite and we had potato chips and Sprite as our celebration. To buy alcohol we have to show our driver’s licences. Which leads us to assume that the local Indigenous community is ‘dry’.

We’ve had a good night’s rest. We usually wake up to an alarm, but I cancelled it for this morning so we could wake up at our own pace. The rain started earlier, but not heavy. It is forecast to be heavier this afternoon and evening. We don’t have much planned, just shopping and we will have lunch at a cafe, still celebrating!

Wednesday 26th June, 2024

We stayed overnight at the Warakurna Roadhouse and got up early (well, slightly before 7.00 a.m.) to get ready to go to see the release of the weather balloon at Giles Weather Station. Stephen was willing to forego breakfast so that we could get here in time for 8.45 a.m. Central Australian Time. Lots of people get the timing wrong because they think the station operates on Western Australian Time. We often get things wrong, of course, but in this case we timed it perfectly. The weather station operator gave us a short talk, then the balloon release happened.

Afterwards we went back to the Sherwood for our normal breakfast, cup of tea for Stephen and coffee for me, with cereal. It was definitely handy to have it here for this purpose rather than walking up from the campsite.

After breakfast we walked over to the Museum. As well as some objects there was a really good film about setting up the weather station, starring the actual staff. It gave a really good insight into the development from a primitive tent camp to a really comfortable place for them to work. The Giles Weather Station is responsible for monitoring the Gulf Stream and provides information for the Eastern States on upcoming weather.

Yesterday, we were really thrilled to have seen the dingos, but as we drove along I commented that we still hadn’t seen any camels. About 10 minutes later, there they were. I stopped the car and got out my camera with the ‘wildlife’ lens, a fairly cheap 24-240mm lens on my 61mp Sony Camera. It’s quite good, but you get a better view with Stephen’s binoculars.

We also stopped to inspect some gnamma holes at a parking spot. The water in them looks surprising fresh and I saw a tadpole in one. The evidence suggests that they are used by lots of animals. One has a ‘spider’ contraption over it which is supposed to stop the animals falling in. Why was only one of the holes covered, given that there were others equally large? One had some large bones next to it, we guessed from a camel.

And then to the Warakurna Roadhouse. It is an Aboriginal community, but without the problems of Warburton it seems. It’s a pity about Warburton, the locals we saw in the roadhouse shop seemed very sweet and shy, especially the two tween girls making the very hard decision about what to spend their $5 on ahead of me in the queue.

It’s also very beautiful, something of an oasis at Warburton.

We like Warakurna as well, again we have trees and views to a range of hills. Our host says that in the four years he has been here there has been no problems with the locals as far as visitors are concerned. As with Warburton the local people are hard to connect with due to shyness, you would have to be here a long time to get to know them.

The young woman working at the Weather Station said that she is doing some community work, I guess because a lot of the weather station is automated and she has lots of free time. However, the balloon launch is still a manual process. All of the weather balloons around the world are launched at the same time and most of them are automated.

We were able to return to our same position at the roadhouse. We did some shopping. The roadhouses have all had a good supply of groceries. We lashed out and bought hamburgers with ‘the lot’, which really filled us up. They were lovely, well worth it.

Yesterday afternoon I did a small load of washing, followed by the rest today. Once you know how things work it feels easier to get things done.

One of the interesting things is that it will probably be far more expensive for everything in Ulara, certainly to stay the night and I suspect for groceries as well. They can’t claim it’s because of remoteness because all of the roadhouses are even more remote, yet don’t overcharge.

The other good thing that happened today is that Matt is going to get a new bed. The therapist had taken him to the showroom and he was lying in the demo bed looking very relaxed and happy. We know this because we saw him in it. We did a FaceTime session to discuss all the pros and cons, they said that Matt really sparked up when we were involved. Of course, being NDIS the actual funding will take ages. He is going to have a King Single bed to give him a bit more room. The sides are soft, but strong, and have a clear section so he can see out.

We stayed in this spot thinking it would be good for watching the moonrise. It was, but unfortunately someone decided to camp close to where it rose and had bright lights shining. We still enjoyed the moonrise, but I didn’t try to photograph it. It was good to see that after about 20 minutes the moon made their bright lights looks dim in comparison.

Before moonrise we had a beautiful view of the night sky, the first really good one for this trip. As there were no clouds, it was very cold overnight, but we are warmed by the sun on the Sherwood this morning.

We are the last people here at the camp today and were rewarded by seeing a pair of dingos come and wander around. We used the van as an animal hide and they didn’t run away when I put the window right out so we had a clear view for the photos.

Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd June, 2024

We only drove about 120kms yesterday. It would have been double the kilometres to get to Warburton, which felt too much for a day when we weren’t getting away early. Also, after leaving the stretch of bitumen that spans the roadhouse the gravel was very rough again, not much fun for driving. But, after a while we struck gold, a section of newish bitumen road and we haven’t left that section. Perhaps this is the 40km section of bitumen we’ve heard about.

After packing up we farewelled our host and bought some mixed frozen veggies and a meat pack for our dinner. We have eggs and cans left, but as we were only planning a shortish drive I thought we would actually enjoy cooking in the evening.

We then drove across the road and out to a stand of rocks called The Zoo. We couldn’t really make out animals, but were able to walk to the top where there was a wonderful view. It was our first completely cloudless day and the atmosphere was very dry. We drank more water than usual to keep up.

On the way to The Zoo there was a big area with smashed cars, Stephen has a photo, so I must get that from him. There are smashed up cars along the road, but this was a proper graveyard.

We stopped at a place called Paradise Camp for lunch. It was a very wide area of blue metal and we set up the Starlink on the ground as it was so clean. There was no one else there, but it looked like a good spot to spend the night.

I had read about the Desert Surf Central campground which had positive reviews. It is a huge area, with lots of possible camping places. We initially drove left along the cliff face through an area that was like beautiful parkland. I wanted to stay there, but Stephen was keen to see the moonrise over the horizon, which meant going to the right of the entry road. It was difficult to find a level spot. The road to the top of the cliff was too steep for us, though it would have been an ideal place to view the moonrise.

Then, after we had settled in the clouds rolled in. We walked to a place to watch the moonrise, but couldn’t see anything. On the other hand, the clouds helped to make for a beautiful sunset.

We had a peaceful night, a little too close to the main road for my comfort, but there isn’t much traffic anyway, I just don’t like being visible.

This morning was less chilly than usual due to the clouds, though there is a strong breeze. It’s still partly cloudy.

I’ve suggested to Stephen that we stay at Warburton tonight. It’s only about 130kms away, but the next free camp along the route is called Piggies Place, which is too much of a come down from places called Paradise Camp and Desert Surf Central.

And so, we made it to Warburton. We had bitumen for a while, then gravel, then some bitumen, then some gravel. If we had let down our tyres for the gravel we would be forever pumping up and letting down. Very annoying.

We had a brief stop for morning tea at a roadside parkup with a view to the Brown Ranges, we think, though it could have been the Warburton Ranges.

On arrival here we booked in, checked out their well stocked grocery range, then struggled with the lock to the compound where we are staying. With the help of the kind staff we got in and found a pleasant camping place with grass. There are all of the usual amenties, which look a little nicer than those at our last roadhouse. Plus a dump point.

We have some young people with a rooftop tent next to us and they have lit a campfire in the supplied firepit. I can’t see it from where I am sitting, but the smell of the smoke is really pleasant.

The caravan park has a locked gate and fences with barbed wire at the top. It is well lit and there are CCTV cameras. Nevertheless, locals have been known to snoop around and take stuff. There is no danger of violence.

There were people wanting to sell paintings following us a bit when we arrived, including into the roadhouse. The paintings looked nice, but we don’t have room to buy stuff.

There is a 4G Telstra signal here, but it’s slow and we have put out the Starlink for our call with Matt. We will bring it in later, of course. Even when we were parked on our own last night I bought it in at bedtime. We could hear dingos howling and I worried that an animal might come by and bounce it over, or nibble the cord, or something. Once it came in I could enjoy peace of mind.

We saw the beautiful moon later in the night, but it would be good if we could see it coming up over the horizon. We have one more chance tonight. We will drive half way to the next roadhouse to a free camp. Then stay two nights at the roadhouse. After that we cross into the Northern Territory with one more stop before we reach Uluru. We are not in a hurry as the Great Central Road was the major part of this trip, a destination in itself.