On the road again and we are heading home.

Having filled the food box and last minute goodies we left Broome.

We had an overnight stop at Larrawa Station again and made Kununurra the next day.

Had two nights here to do some washing and get some more food.

On night one, just after nightfall a loud annoying noise began and continued for hours.

It started like someone pumping a lilo up but went too long. As it went a long time it was decided that it had to be mechanical and maybe from the swimming pool plant.

We complained to the park management who did not know what it could be.

The noise started again at 4.30 the next morning for a while.

Come night two and the noise started again so torches in hand we went looking for the cause.

On the other side of the road in the park from where we were camped was a medium sized Boab tree. Sitting about 6 metres off the ground was a Tawny Frogmouth and he was the noise maker.

After that realisation we were quite happy for him to continue and thought it was funny, but reported it to the office and were told they often find him in different spots in the park.

After Kununurra we headed for Katherine. Due to the 90 minute time difference after crossing the state border we arrived after the park office had closed but the two girls working there opened up for us and we camped there for the night.

A rather large campsite all grassed and treed and a good spot to camp.

Next morning we had a late start which got even later after we saw a sign pointing to some hot springs just beside the Katherine river.

Two km later and with hot and tired feet, we arrived and as it looked so good we decided to return with our bathers for a swim. This time we did not walk but drove around the area to find a short cut at the top of the springs.

KNOW THAT BALD HEAD ANYWHERE

THERE IS THAT WOMAN AGAIN

The water is crystal clear and reported to be about 34 deg warm.

A nice place to relax and enjoy the warm surroundings..

After our swin we went into the Katherine township to have a bite to eat and refill the food box.

Safeways must be happy as there were maybe 50 American Marines buying food in the shop. Cooked chickens were the most popular. I guess they are from the detatchment training at the nearby Tindal air base just outside of town. There is also a multi country defense exercise in the area according to the local paper we got for a read.'

All stocked up and we headed down the road to the CutterCutter caves. The caves get mentioned in the local travel info so we went in for a look. Having got our ticket we had to wait for 30 min for the tour to begin.

Time's up and off we went with about 10 or so other travellers.

About 700 metre walk and down we go into the cave. Hand rails and steel matting to walk on and the interior is quite impressive.

STALIGMITES AND STALIGTITES

ROCK OUTSIDE CAVES IS ACTUALLY SANDSTONE BURNT BLACK BY BUSHFIRES

After the tour and we are off to Mataranka and more hot springs for the next morning's exploring before heading further South. We arrived about 5.00pm so it was just time to set up and check out the facilities before dinner gets underway.

Mataranka.

Is an old town from back in the cattle driving days and now looks to tourism for income.

TERMITE NEST BESIDE OUR CAMP

GIANT TERMITE NEST

The ants out of the big nest must be huge and great builders. There was a rumor of some dogs and cats disappearing every full moon and being taken by the ants. I am not sure but will keep the story going.

FEEDING BARRAMUNDI IN POND

First thing was an early breakfast so we could pack and go up the road to watch live barramundi fish feeding. The campground up the road has a large lake mostly covered with water lillies. At the start time of 9.30 a chap came over and got into the lake which was about knee deep where he stood. He explained what was to happen and called for volunteers to get into the water to feed the fish. Which several bystanders did. Standing in the water and dangling small fish about as big as a large sardine soon produced a large splash and the small fish was gone. This happened with a handful of small fish. We were led to believe that sometimes the fish jump out of the water to get the bait but I have my doubts. We could not determine what was grabbing the bait and will have to watch the pictures taken at the time to see if any fish can actually be seen. After the fish feeding it was back down to the camp where we had spent the night to hire some plastic noodles. The ones kids use at the beach for floatation devices.

A short drive of about 300 metres and we come to the car park at “Bitter Springs”. A short walk in bathers and towels and we come to a creek running between palms and grasses. The creek is about 5 to 6 metres wide and reportedly up to 4 metres deep in places. The water is crystal clear and you can see the gravel on the bottom. Down the steps we go and into 32 deg water. Here is where the noodles come into action. The idea is you run the noodles under your arms or where they fit, relax and you then float in the hot water down through the trees and grasses about 200 metres down stream where there is a ladder for you to climb out. The idea is you put your thongs over the ends of the noodles and you then have them to walk back to the start point to do it all over. If you have the time.

As we heard of another hot spring just down the road we had the one turn and then off to the next pool. This turned out to just be a concrete pool that had the hot water flowing through it at a great rate of 30.5 million litres per day. What a waste of a resource. This looked a bit grotty compared to the otthers we had seen so we gave it a miss and hit the road.   Outside this thermal pool is a replica of the old station house made for the film 'WE OF THE NEVER NEVER"

OLD STATION HOUSE

INSIDE FURNITURE AND FITTINGS

THAT WOMAN IN PERIOD DRESS

Leaving Mataranka we head down the highway towards Alice Springs.   About half way there, just before you reach the township of Elliot you come to the turn off to the “Longreach Waterhole.” This waterhole is actually part of the Lake Woods complex and I am not sure of the name implications.

7 Kms of bumpy dirt road later and you come to what looks exactly like the river Murray in Victoria. A water course about 2 to 3 hundred metres wide with shady trees, BBQ, tables and chairs etc and a dirt road that follows the bank of the water. Looking up and down the water course it appears to be maybe 4 kms long with a turn at both ends. A short drive to the right and we select a camp site and wait for what we were told was a mass of birds that come in at dawn to feed.

We camped about 6 metres from the waters edge , put the billy on and had a cuppa.

Next morning we were up bright and early waiting for the show to start.

Just before 8.00am flights of cormorants and pelicans began flying past and landing up the far end from where we were waiting.

THEY CAME

THEY GATHERED

THEY WAITED

THEY STRETCHED BANK TO BANK 

THE WHISTLE WENT AND THEY BEGAN FEEDING

WHERE ARE THEIR MANNERS

Flight after flight came and went and the water at the end was getting covered in birds. Thinking we were about to miss the show we walked up to the end and soon the head pelican must have blown a whistle as the birds in the water came together and started feeding together. They moved away from where we were and we thought we had come on a bad day but after a short while more and more birds came and it was bank to bank pelicans and cormorants dipping and diving and feeding as they swam down to where we were and all the way back past where we were camped and way into the distance, and amazing sight. At a guess I think there were about 500 plus pelicans and maybe up to a thousand cormorants covering the water course and feeding. About every 2 to 3 hundred metres or so the cormorants would fly off to patches on the banks and in the trees cover the bank like a black carpet. They seem to dry off then back to the water with the pelicans..

With the warm weather and watching the antics of the bird life we decided to stay another day.

SUNSET AT LONGREACH WATERHOLE

THE FULL MOON OVER THE WATERWAY

The second day we were up early again to witness the same feeding frenzy again, not once, but another frenzy late in the afternoon..

Just as well we have digital cameras as they worked overtime with still shots and videos.

Some will be listed below and others will have to wait and their size may be too large for the blog.

The next day we started packing up the camp early so we could watch the spectacle again before leaving the waterhole.

Talking to the locals in the garage where we refuelled, this has been happening for years and only gets about by word of mouth with the campers.

Leaving Elliot we head down the road to Alice Springs. It's a bit quicker coming down as its all down hill on the maps.

Down the road a ways we stayed a night at Wycliffe Well camp ground.

This place we looked at on the way North but did not stay.

Wycliffe Well is the centre for UFO sightings in the red centre.

THAT WOMAN AND HER FRIENDS

Arriving late we were offered a two for the price of one meal so that was the end of cooking dinner that night. While waiting for a chicken in pajamas and some barramundi a young girl came in and brought a small kangaroo with her. The mother had been shot and the youngster was being hand reared by the owner of the roadhouse/campground.

GUESS WHO WANTED TO TAKE HIM HOME?

Waitress had to take Joey away so we could have dinner but promised to bring him back after.

BOTTLE FEEDING JOEY

Stopped at a roadhouse named Tee Tree for a toasted sandwich for lunch and a stickybeak at two police vans with people locked in the back Further back up the highway at Barrow Creek there were two police vans and we had four other police vehicles pass us as we had driven down.

Some one must have been naughty or had thumbed a ride in the back of the van back to Alice Springs for the big regatta here this weekend. “Henly on Todd.”

Arrived at Alice, caught up with the washing and then some shopping.
First night was freezing with a wind off the ice.

Second night and out came the thermal underwear and a lovely warm night was the result.

It's Henly on Todd River tomorrow and Sunday we are off on a tour of the West Mc Donnell Ranges