Day 100

Sunday 14th June 2015, 33 degrees hot

Kununurra to Victoria River NT

Day 100 and we cross the border into The Northern Territory! They needn’t put up a sign to tell us that we’ve crossed the border, the speed sign of 130kmh is enough. Not that we’ll be getting up to 130 with Priscilla on the back. We stretch our legs at Saddle Creek at the foot of rather imposing cliffs but from here on the scenery is less dramatic. Timbered grasslands and a lot of dry creek beds.

Our intention is to call it a day at Timber Creek, after all we have lost 90 minutes with the time zone change. However, in the heart of town a woman is trying to throw herself in front of traffic after having had a blue with her husband. Thanks to CB radio for the back story on that one. Her mates are dragging her off the road just in front of us and she can be thankful that it is a quiet day traffic wise and that most of the drivers are sedate grey nomads. Thus, we continue on to the peace and quiet of Victoria River. As we draw near the road winds between towering red escarpments. It is stunning scenery.

Beside the roadhouse there is a paddock of new mown hay. This is the first grass paddock that we’ve seen since south of Kalbarri. It’s funny the things that you miss. The roadhouse is neatly mowed and the sprinklers are on. There is no shortage of water here as the river is just metres away. We park in the paddock out the back with about thirty other campers. We have power and water for as little as $25 a bargain and no traffic noise. This is serenity, the smell of hay, lots of birds and kangaroos grazing. As it is quite hot we spend the afternoon reading in the shade of a tree (we’re learning to do as the locals do). Best of all the sun doesn’t set until 6:30! There is no TV reception so we break out the second series of Foyles War. Damn, if we were in civilisation we could have bought the latest series of Downton Abbey by now.

Now, like us you’re probably wondering where Double or Nuthin’ and Shirley Temple have gotten to. Well, after several attempts at phone conversation we got a garbled text, which said something about a lake and bad reception. It turns out that they’re camped at Lake Argyle and absolutely loving it, I think they’ve found their own piece of paradise and we caught up on all the news over a cuppa when they came into Kununurra for supplies.

Accom: $25.00

Travelling Kms: 319Kms