Beautiful Clare Valley & Adelaide

Beautiful Clare Valley, the wineries were beautiful

This is Sevenhill the oldest winery in the Clare Valley. Founded by Jesuit Monks and it is set next to the old church St
Aloysius

This is St Aloysius.... the kids thought it was a castle

kids loved the maze

It was cold enough in Clare that Craig needed to buy a jumper it was only 10-11 degrees

Adelaide Elizabeth warf

Craig enjoying a Stein at Handorf

Our park was right on the beach and a great spot but as you can see it rained overnight our first rain since leaving 10 weeks ago and we didn't even see it as it was a beautiful day when we poked our heads out of the van. This is our pack up day heading for Mildura and Griffith then home.

What about a short cut!

Good idea at the time lets take a short cut........ through the flinders ranges to Wilpena Pound. Looks good on the map and apparently on 22kms of gravel road (yeah right)

However........the track changed to driving through creek beds dry and full ...... all with the caravan in tow!

Beautiful scenery on the way.... Flinders ranges

Starting to get better .....but when will it end....... 2
hours later.

Middle of no Where!

After Coober Pedy we headed for the oodnadatta track. The start of 600kms on dirt roads, following the old Ghan railways. There is not much out there expect old ruins of houses build along the railway, and of  LAKE EYRE. What a great experience to see Lake Eyre full. It is hard to explain how amazing this is as it appears out of know where and there is just so much water.

Inside William Creek Pub

It said diesel $230.00 a litre (which wouldn't surprise me) which I am sure was supposed to be $2.30 it was still the most expensive so far even Uluru was only $2.08. Luckily we had our jerry cans full.

Hard to show in photos how much water there was and how it just appears from the dessert.

Maree

Old Ghan railway engine at Maree (end of the oodanadatta track)

The track was not always that great.

Maree playground

Guess where we are?

Underground houses
OPALS
No water (have to pay for a shower)
Underground churches
mines

Uluru

What kids!!!!! They had seen enough of the sunset by this stage.

That was our vantage point for the sunset.

Campsite at Uluru red dirt everywhere (although I think there was worse to come)

Nothing like playing in the red dirt!

Kata Tjuta...... stopping to create a masterpiece

Around Alice

Archie learning to throw a boomerang ay Simpsons gap Alice Springs

What ever Archie does Bridie must do...... and Dad, he put one up in the tree luckily it came back down.

Family Shot Simpsons Gap

Lunch at Glen Helen Gorge, after driving the West MacDonell Ranges from Alice Springs

One of the kids favourite stops on the West Mac drive........after you have seen one Gorge not really interested in the others.

Lots of face painting and getting dirty wonder why it was a favourite.

What the......only in NT

The weird and wonderful.

Wycliffe well alien capitol of Australia.......was it really a UFO or just a few at the pub after the 2pm rush who saw some flashing lights?

 What can I say 20 meter high aborginal women at a roadhouse.......

 Larrimah highest pub in NT.....it had a croc out the back in a pen called Sam!

Larrimah pub had alot going for it.....only pink panther in NT

The oldest pub in NT Daly Waters Pub but I think its claim now should be busiest and most over rated in NT, by lunch time there were over 50 vans in the dirt car park camping over night.

Life is good at the Dunny (or so the saying goes) the Dunmarra Roadhouse. Archie having his usual nuggets and a pot of water!

Keen to see some Devils?

We were definately keen to see the Devil Marbles and decided to camp there (especially after we drove through Tennant Creek). Tennant Creek is a wild, wild town on a quick drive through we saw approx 10 police some on horse back some in cars some on foot. (I might add it is only a small town). We therefore decided not to stay and head to the Devils Marbles about 100km further down the Sturt Hwy (great decision).

 

Love a campsite with a view only cost us $6 for the night but the pit toliets were a bit shocking!!!!

 

 

 

Katherine

We were sorry to leave Kakadu but you had to book into Katherine in advance to get a powdered site........so off we went. The Caravan park 'big 4 low levels' has to be the worst so far, but the top end was filling up fast with vans it is unbelievable. The only places we had to book so far have been Darwin and Katherine everywhere else has just been a rock up!

We had a wonderful breakfast cruise on the gorge which was brillant and the kids were excellent. Give them something to eat and something to see and according to Archie everything is good!We also visited the School of the air and this was cheap and great. Really enjoyed this tour.

Craig thought he had finally mastered all the alcohol laws in the NT, but he threw a spanner in the works at the drive through bottle-o in Katherine. They can only sell if you are in the car and of course Craig wanted to get out to see what was cheapest, so than you have to get back in the car to pay. Plus it is the busiest place in Katherine at 2pm when you can buy booze so, Craig caused a bit of a traffic jam in Katherine!

 Katherine Gorge Sunrise

 Breakfast on the Gorge

 Breakfast on the Gorge

Edith Falls below