MT ISA to KATHERINE

Day 15, Friday 8-May-2015
Mt Isa to FREWENA Rest Area 497k (2596k)
15.89 L/100k, 188.9 c/l
We turned out of the caravan park and then turned right onto the Barkly Highway, the best strip of bitumen in Australia, dead straight and dead flat, not a bump or a ripple for the next 600k, the GPS voice said drive for the next 490k, you don’t hear that too often!
35deg and cloudless blue skies over dead flat landscape, we pulled into the rest area in CAMOOWEAL on the QUEENSLAND-NORTHERN TERRITORY Border for morning smoko and were greeted by our fellow members of the Mitsubishi 4WD club, Gwen & Garry, and Pat & Nev on their way to DARWIN and KAKADU, what a surprise! they were camping nearby for today, now in the NORTHERN TERRITORY we still had a fair way to go and continued on to BARKLY HOMESTEAD where we refuelled, 188.9c per litre, the only consolation is we’d had a strong tailwind pushing us along all day to give us some excellent fuel economy. FREWENA Rest Area is a gravel clearing 85k west of BARKLY HOMESTEAD, nothing there except red dust brown grass and another 5 caravans stopped for the night, we all got to know each other, the conversation as always about where are you from and where are you headed, this was one of those stops where we don’t even unhook the van.
Day 16, Saturday 9-May-2015
FREWENA Rest Area to LONGREACH Water Hole 312k (2908k)
19.84 L/100k, 165.9 c/l
The next morning we rescued two young girls who had pulled in late, slept in their car and left the lights on, we got them going with jumper leads and then we were on the road again to the 3 ways and the Stuart Highway, not quite as good as the Barkly Highway, we had to mark it down slightly because of one patched pothole which was only slightly uneven, they certainly know how to make great roads in the NT and a speed limit of 130k, no we did not try that with the vans on , the landscape is now green bushland as we head towards the town of ELLIOT where we turned left onto a dirt road for LONGREACH Waterhole, 11.2k of corrugations and soft sandy track where we set up camp on the grassy banks of this small lake with an incredible amount of birdlife, Pelicans, Ducks, Cormrants, Egrets, finches, parrots and Kites and Hawks that can hang stationary in the air waiting for the next meal.
Day 17, Sunday 10-May-2015
LONGREACH Water Hole
Mothers Day (PHOTO's), a relaxing day on the banks of the

waterhole, John and I cooked up a Chinese Banquet for the Mothers, following Happy Hour -- Chicken Stir Fry, Special Fried Rice, Dim Sims, Spring Rolls and Seafood Bites with Cheese Cake, Ice Cream and Custard desert, served out doors to a spectacular Red/Orange sunset
Day 18, Monday 11-May-2015
LONGREACH Water Hole
Another relaxing day on the banks of the waterhole including a walk partway around the waterhole and some time knitting and in the hammocks reading.
Day 19, Tuesday 12-May-2015
LONGREACH Water Hole to MATARANKA 331k (3244k)
Time to move on from this beautiful spot, back across the corrugated dirt road and then onto the iconic Daly Waters pub (PHOTO,s), plenty of character and a huge “Hilux Burger” for lunch before moving onto the Mataranka Homestead Caravan Park. We arrived

mid afternoon and went to the Thermal Pool – 28C for a swim.
Day 20, Wednesday 13-May-2015
MATARANKA
John and I decided to try our hand at fishing in WATERHOUSE RIVER, no fish, although we did see a couple of 2 metre fresh water crocs. In the afternoon we all went back for a swim in the thermal pool.
Day 21, Thursday 14-May-2015
MATARANKA to KATHERINE 117k (3361k)
17.9 L/100k, 136.9 c/l
We stayed at the North Bank Caravan Park, its quiet and shady, cheap and different to every other Caravan Park that you will ever stay at, a bit like camping in Uncle Bobs acreage back yard, there is all sorts of machinery part buildings, permanent’s with their old vans wrapped in silver tarps to protect them from the elements and flying foxes, the owner is retired, very friendly funny old bloke with plenty of plans for development of this old property which, well, just ain’t gunna happen. John stood on his glasses a couple of days ago so we headed down to the OPSM to organise a replacement and then to the shops for groceries. Back to camp to do a couple of loads of washing.
Day 22, Friday 15-May-2015
KATHERINE
We went to NITMILUK National Park today and hiked up to the lookout to Katherine Gorge, lunch at the NITMILUK CENTRE and then back to camp for a relaxing afternoon