Tripping Across the Savannah Way

Monday 17 July

Our thoughts are with the grandies heading back to school today for third term (and Daniel tomorrow), and missing them all. Also thoughts are with Cat and Keith returning to classes and Jenny and Cameron, no doubt with loads of stories to tell of their three week expedition. 



I took a walk across the campground heading for a dip in the falls and I ran into a group of people standing around watching two 4' brown snakes slither across the cut grass!  Yikes! They were really quite thin and they were well camouflaged by the fallen brown leaves. 

Our piece of paradise at Edith Falls
Edith Falls
Our inverter finally carked it completely on the Oodnadatta Track. Thankfully AOR finally came to agree with us that spending $2,000 to have a Redarc 2000 watt inverter fitted in Katherine was a better option than them flying in a 1000 watt inverter to Derby and a final replacement 2000 watt inverter into Broome.  We were well and truly over it!  The capacitors had come completely free from their housing and were rattling around as free as a bird - well, nearly. 

Since leaving Katherine we've travelled along the Victoria Hwy, which is part of the Savannah Way. A nights stop over at Victoria River Roadhouse gave John and Sandy an opportunity to get their brand new fishing lines wet, first off the old bridge and then at the boat ramp ... No fish caught but a few lovely pics caught.

The view from the lower bridge up the Victoria River 

The days have been absolutely glorious; temps around 28-32 C. But last night at Victoria River Roadhouse was cold enough that puffer jackets were donned and blankets were wrapped around legs. With no fires allowed here Sandy and Jim's bag of wood is now well travelled! The boab trees are abundant in these parts but it is sad to see that so many travellers have found the need to carve or paint their initials or love hearts into their bark.


Timber Creek 

Several dozen empty Vic Bitter cans were strewn all over the nature strip outside the local stores. "White man's trash" we were told!  They should be told their mothers don't work there. Several large road trains were lined up along the highway with their load, heading to market or to the live export port.  There were some sad looking faces peering out at us.

Road trains all loaded up.

NT/WA Border





At the border crossing we were met by Quarantine officials who once again divested us of whatever fruit and veg we hadn't managed to consume.  On to Lake Argyle, for some glorious days of infinity pool swimming and gorge walking. 

50 million litres of diesel now not used for Argyle diamond mine because of the damning of the Ord River.





Heading west from the NT into WA, then to Lake Argyle










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