September 5 - 6, 2012…Monkey Mia

 "Should we or shouldn't we?" I ask Kev.  "What?", Kev replies.  "Stay another day in Coral Bay to see if the weather calms down?", I state.  "It is up to you Sweet Cheeks!", Kev smirks.  Damn, I cannot make a decision.  "Do you want to feed the dolphins at Monkey Mia?" Kev asks.  "Of coarse I do", I state.  "We can see anything we want, just not everything we want!", Kev smartly perts….Yeah, Yeah!…Let's Go!

Heather and Don bid us farewell with smiles, best wishes, hugs and kisses….they are a lovely couple!  

Another windy windy day this 580 kilometer day will be tiring but I feel like a kid and grin with the thought of dolphins swimming around my feet!  The wind was stirring up the sweet smell of what I thought could be jasmine.  The Western Australia wildflowers are beginning to bloom, and it is a most beautiful time to be riding on a bike.  Flocks of green flirty parakeets dart in, out and around the small trees and bushes by the roadside.  Sometimes they scatter abruptly then regroup and catch their rhythm.  I do not know the name of these vivid green birds but they are a delight to watch.  Wag tails and wrens enjoy pecking by the roadside and are startled and sometimes confused by the bikes.  They take flight and at times turn back into the bikes path.  Today, one was not so lucky when it was caught under the lights and fender of my bike!  

We arrived at Monkey Mia, set up camp and headed down to the water.  I could not believe it there were dolphins swimming in the shallows!  You could actually walk out there and they would swim right by you.  It was just amazing.  A young Aussie girl ran up beside me and said "Can you believe it?  I can't!  I pinch myself cause I can't believe this is happening to me in Australia!".  I replied "You took the words out of my mouth!".  

Wild dolphins have visited the beach at Monkey Mia since the 1960's.  Dolphins are offered fresh fish randomly between 8 am and 12 noon.  It is up to the dolphins if they choose to visit.  The next morning in the shallow waters of the designated dolphin area the Park Rangers were out ready to feed the wild dolphins.  A crowd was gathering and we all stood in calf deep water waiting for the playful creatures to approach. The dolphins continued to swim and play close to shore but did not approach the shallows.  Finally one approached and swam up and down the length of people, I think checking us all out, or smelling our feet!  A Park Ranger selected a person to feed the dolphin.  They held out the fish and the dolphin swam up and retrieved it!  Awesome!  The dolphins continued to swim in and out of the shallows along the entire coast throughout the day! 

Kev and I were captivated by the calmness and magic of the area and we decided to stay an extra night in Monkey Mia.  By doing so we needed to commit to a 900 kilometer day in order to make it to Perth by Friday night. Ahh we can do that! 

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September 4, 2012…Coral Bay

"Is that rain?" Kev asks.  "No. I think that it is sand blowing against the tent", I reply.  I zip open the tent and sure enough I feel sprinkles, and the sky is dark. "I think that we should make a move.  The sky is dark and it does not look promising.  It would be a good idea to pack up now before everything becomes soaked!"!" I boast!  We barely get everything packed up before the skies unload.  Lucky, lucky!  A confused rouge roo bounding through the park almost bounded into us, then into a car parked just up the hill, it was excitingly crazy to watch!  Free of all the obstacles in his way he paused as if to say "Phew! Just missed you guys!", then continued on.  

Accelerating onto the coast road I find myself inhaling large deep breaths… the coast smells beautifully clean and crisp with this morning shower.  As we travel closer towards Coral Bay the rain has subsided but now the winds are picking up.  Bonus my riding gear has been freshly washed, and now will be dried.  "Woo Hoo", Kev radio's me.  "Did you feel that?".  "Crazy!", I reply.  Mother Natures breath is picking up!  Now completely dried out we slow our speed down to handle the surprising swift blustery criss cross gusts that are literally pushing us across the road into the other lane!  I look ahead at Kev, he is riding like a hunchback angling his bike 10 to 15% and leaning into the wind.  I watch him for angle changes, anticipating those nasty gusts.  I  breathe a sigh of relief as we pull into our next camping location.  That was hard work!  I am glad that we only traveled 150 k's.

"I have a nice little patch of grass next to the camp kitchen that would be perfect for you", offered the friendly weathered camp site lady.  "You have Grass?", I queried pleasingly "Not only Grass, but our showers are freshwater, the only ones in the area!", she proudly boasted!  Wow!, we have not camped on grass since Ularoo!  "SOLD!"  We putt our way 8km/hr way to the back of the caravan park, and sure enough there is this lovely patch of grass being freshly sprinklered…great!  We park the bikes, turn off the sprinklers and park ourselves in the camp kitchen out of the crazy winds that have started to give me a headache.  We will give the grass a couple of hours to dry before we set up camp.  I cannot believe this wind.  The waves are pounding, crashing over the reef, it is definitely beautiful to watch but a shame that we cannot be enjoying this spectacular marine paradise just north of the Tropic of Capricorn.  Boat charters and dives have been cancelled for the day with a high chance of the same outcome tomorrow.  I decide to focus my energy on laundry and cooking!  Our clothes will dry in a nano second, that's a bonus, and there is a great selection of fresh meat and veg at the camp store that I can peruse through.  I start a load of laundry then head on over to the store.  I feel like making butter chicken!  They have have fresh cilantro/coriander for the Aussies, tomatoes, capsicums/ bell peppers for the Yankies, yoghurt, cucumber, red onions, spices, brown rice and chicken…boy, I'm having too much fun!  I return to the camp kitchen with a box of goodies, lay it all out, pour a glass of wine and begin to chop.  My wound up wind tension begins to ease as I finish my first glass of wine…I pour another and I find my eyes watching this lady walking towards the kitchen.  "Oh my God, Oh my God…I know you! I can't believe it Heather and Don!" I call out running over to them!  "Cathryn!" Heather surprisingly calls out.  "Fancy that, I thought that you were not coming down the west coast.  We had not seen you in Darwin and figured that we would not see you moving on!", Heather states.  Now Heather and my mother proudly attended Footscray Girls School together.  I referred to them as Aunty Heather and Uncle Don in my childhood years.  A terrific fancy chance meeting that kept us up chatting for much of the night.  You never know who you can meet on the road!?

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September 3 - 4, 2012…Exmouth, Ningaloo Reef

The red sandy landscape ride into the Exmouth area was quite a beautiful surprise.  The sky was a light sherbet blue and the contrast between the ground and sky colors was purely breathtaking.  "Look out for that emu in the middle of the road!" I hurriedly radioed Kev as he was quickly approaching the large bird.  "Wow, that is a big bird!" he responded.  Awe, and it has babies, four of them waiting and watching for Mum's cue to cross the road.  I continued to spot emu's here and there in the tundra like landscape all the way into Exmouth!  "Wow! Look at that ocean", I radioed Kev.  It was once again a breathtaking and most unbelievable shade of turquoise blue.  I never tire of that first ocean sight, and it is all I can do to not stop and take a picture.  I have thousands of ocean pictures, I think they out number the sunset pictures!  In fact, to date, I have snapped 11,000 photos of this amazing country! We had planned on camping at Cape Range National Park, but all the camp sites were full, so we ended up camping at a Caravan Park just outside the park.  I realized that it was Fathers Day weekend, and made a mental note to myself to call Dad!  Uggh, NO mobile service…I will have to use a phone booth!  Wow, this is fun, it has been a long time since I have done this.  Dad, I called the farm, home and your mobile but unfortunately did not reach you.  I hope that you enjoyed a wonderful relaxing day, I love you and will see you soon! 

Our camp is situated out under the cliffs of the lighthouse and it is quite a blustery area.  The Indian Ocean is absolutely raging today and we were stunned to see kite surfers attacking the reef breaks.  We watched in awe at their experience and agility on the water. The windy weather had worn us out and we decided to have an early night reading in our tent.  Tomorrow the plan is to get up early, enter the National Parks before the ranger office charges opens and begins charging for entry…sneaky, very sneaky!

The morning was beautifully bright and crisp.  Kev and I saddled up and headed into Cape Range National Park and Ningaloo Marine Park.  It was literally raining roos this morning, they were everywhere! They were bounding out across the road left and right, and where there is one, there is two!  We had to totally slow it all down trying to avoid a potential collision.  At one point I was riding alongside a decent sized red who was bounding parallel to me looking at me, amazing…I knew he wanted to cross so I stopped, and sure enough he crossed, literally it felt like a scene out of a movie, you know the one I am talking about!  Emus were out grazing, their long feathered plumage ruffled by the gusty winds.  A magnificent wedge tailed eagle in the middle of the road caught sight of us cruising towards him and slowly, majestically took flight, lifting his marvelous body into the air.  Before turning he turned his head making eye contact with us, another sight I will not forget!  A purely magical morning.  Before exiting the park we pulled into Turquoise Bay.  Here the Ningaloo Reef is right at your fingertips.  Ningaloo Marine Park stretches along 260 kilometers of coastline from Exmouth to Coral Bay.  The reef and waters are home to 220 recorded species of coral and 500 spices of tropical fish.  Although the morning was brisk and blustery and the waters were choppy I could not leave without swimming in this bay.  As I entered the water a school of Angel type fish swam by me in the shallows.  Without a mask I was limited to what I could explore, and the choppy water was tossing me around a bit.  I had to give it up and returned to the bike.  With luck the weather will calm down, we can locate a mask and return for another look?  I quickly dried off as we rode back to camp.  The off shore breeze was picking up, the sky began to cloud over, a front was definitely moving in.  Kev and I decided to ride into town chill there for the remainder of the day.

   

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September 2, 2012…Karratha River…OMG Rave Camp

Blog readers:  You may notice a style change today as Cat's on vacation and I'm filling in for her.  -Kevin

We were well rested, our clothes were washed and neatly packed away in Cat's panniers, our supplies were replenished and we had fueled the bikes up the night before.  We were ready for the road ahead.  We woke up early, packed up our camp and got on the road towards Exmouth, around 1400 kilometers Southwest of us.  We were a little sad leaving Broome as it was an incredible town.  We have a lot to see in the next month, as we make our way back to Melbourne for Diane, Cat's mum's, 70th birthday.  As the day warms up and we rack up the kilometers, I couldn't help but think back over the last 5 months.  I'm amazed at what we've accomplished and how we've changed as individuals.  We are certainly much more accomplished as motorcyclists and campers.  

Ahead, I watched Cat approach one of the many road trains that we pass each day.  The road trains in Australia's outback are as common as the kangaroo's, red dust and incredible sunsets.  These monster trucks are classified as triple's and quad's.  A triple, as it's name implies, is 3 trailers behind the semi and a quad, of course, has 4 trailers.  They have up to 21 sets of axles behind the turning wheels.  That's 86 tires to change, if you're counting.  At up to 53.5 meters long, and up to 200 tonnes in weight, you need to be certain that you are committed before you decide to pass one.  Cat downshifts, peeks around the road train, signals and pours on the throttle.  She's going for it.  If there is any wind at all the rear trailer is usually whipping left and right a few feet and I can say from experience that today was definitely a windy day!

Further down the road a cow and a calf cross the road in front of us.  I'm thankful that we haven't hit any wildlife on our journey, so far.  I'm sure they bounce right off the road trains, but, they would do a lot of damage to us.  We covered over 800 kilometers and then pulled off the road alongside the Karratha River to camp.  It was late in the day and we could feel the weather cooling and the moisture in the air.  What a relief!  As we road along the dirt road next to the river we came across a group of maybe 10 cars and vans that had set up next to the river.  They all looked to be in there 20's and I thought how fortunate they were to be experiencing this incredible countryside.  Little did I know that I'd be cursing them later in the evening.  

Cat and I set up camp just before the sun went down.  I had collected firewood while Cat started dinner and we we enjoyed a quiet dinner fireside under a full moon when the music started.  I say music, but, it was really more of a tribal beat that repeated itself over and over.  Oh well, the kids will tire out soon enough and we'll get some sleep.  As we cleaned up the kids were continuing to walk, and drive, by us to the party a few campsites away.  Oh well, let's hit the sack.  11pm, midnight, 1am the beat continues.  It's really creepy now as we're overly tired and you can't help but feel like someone is being sacrificed the next camp over.  I'd like to politely ask them to go to sleep, but, decide to nestle down into the sleeping bag and cover my head.  We don't have cell service, we'll just wait it out!  2, 3, 4am, "they have to stop soon right, Cat?" , I asked.  "Uhhhh, I don't know, but this is just not fair", she replied.  At 6am we got up and got dressed.  Everything was wet from the moisture in the air and it's actually foggy outside?  We made a quick breakfast, packed up wet and hopped on the bikes.  As we pulled out of camp we could still hear the rhythmic thumping, through our helmets as we left the first and last "rave" that we hope to ever camp next too! 

As tired as we were, the beauty of Western Australia calmed us as we made our way to Exmouth.

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August 27 - September 1, 2012…Cable Beach, Broome WA

Charlie and Wendy had assured us that we would have an easy ride to the coast today, and I was just pumped!  Charlie and Wendy honked as they pulled out of the gravel pit traveling east…we were not far behind heading west.  I wondered…Why do we meet the coolest people traveling the opposite direction?  It would be fun to travel the same direction at some point!  The day was off to a raging start as Kev had already ingested 2 flies while going over the days riding schedule!  Now that is a funny sight! I do not know what is funnier..the sight of the entrance, or the bonus sight of the cough up exit!  Sorry Kev…it was hilarious!  So, now that Kev fueled with extra protein, we hit the road headed towards Broome.  Your senses are so in tuned to temperature and smell on a bike.  You can smell the ocean before you can feel it.  My helmet fills up with moist salty air, then 20 kilometers later you feel the cool damp air enter your clothing vents.  I never tire of this!   Like a cold shower the coolness reactivates my warm drowsy body from the heated ride across.  I am now alert, excited and full of interest as we enter the Broome area.  It was at least 15 degrees cooler by the time we pulled into the Cable Beach parking lot.  The ocean was an amazingly clear fixating turquoise blue and the sand pristine!  I'm in love!  We ordered an iced coffee oceanside, enjoyed the views and researched where we should stay for the night.  Now, that iced coffee went down really easily, especially since we had not had any coffee or tea this morning, and secondly that they make iced coffees with ice-cream here! Totally rich, wrong, but yum!  We decided on a caravan park within walking distance from Cable Beach.  Our tent site was located in front of a waterfall, pool and palm trees.  It totally felt like we were on some exotic holiday and became a very, very comfortable spot for us!  Broome is 18 degrees south of the equator situated on the southern most tip of the Kimberly Region and is best know for its pearls.  Cable Beach is named after the communications cable which linked Broome to Java, Indonesia in 1889. This allowed the pearling masters to get the best sell price from Singapore.  Broome's township is charming and quite unusual.  It developed from the early colonial Asian influence of the pearling heydays.  Kev and I caught the local bus from Cable Beach into the township and enjoyed a day of browsing, exploring, a Yum Cha lunch, Dim Sum lunch for the yankies, and were caught by surprise how this small town stole our heart!  There are no traffic lights in Broome, just a series of strategically placed roundabouts which I have grown to love, and have at odd times been know to ride around in circles a couple of times before exiting…just because I can!

Kev and I spent a complete blissful day on Cable Beach reading, shell collecting, relaxing, sleeping, and swimming. The water today was clear of stingers, yesterday they were dotted throughout the water and washed up all over the beach.  I spent several hours playing in the crystal clear turquoise surf feeling like a carefree kid.  I did get dumped by a couple of large waves that caught me by surprise.  I felt myself tumble uncontrollably over the sand before surfacing only to be hit again!  I actually surfaced laughing, with a slight headache but lost my sunglasses in the process, which, bummed me a bit.  I headed back to the lounge chair that we had rented to recover.  About an hour or so later I said to Kev that I was going back out to find my glasses!  Yeah, "Good Luck" he boasts!  Wouldn't you believe it as I am heading out I see a small pool of water with a brown object reflecting from it…I bent over to check it out…my glasses!  I could not believe it, neither could Kev!  For the rest of the arvo that is all I talked about! I can't live without my sunglasses! We watched humpback whales breeching silhouetted by the sunset over the Indian Ocean…what an amazingly, beautiful and lucky day!

Would you believe that you can view actual dinosaur foot prints in the reef here at low tide?  These prints are 115 to 120 million years old and extend from the south of Broome, Gantheaume Point all the way to Cape Leveoue, 200 kilometers to the north.  The tracks are embedded in the sandstone and are from the meat eaters species related to the T-Rex.  After trekking and rock hopping/slipping around the coastline at low tide to view these tracks it blew my mind to actually see 120 million old foot prints in the reef before me!  Wowzer!!

Now Broome was really turning on the charm and just when we thought that it could not get any better, it did!  We watched the Australian Movie "Sapphire" at the World's Oldest Picture Garden, Sun Pictures.  An outdoor open air movie theatre located in the heart of Broome.  The ambiance could not have been more surreal…Lounging back in a beach deck chair watching a movie under the Milky Way sporting the Southern Cross.  Occasionally, we were excited by a jet engine roaring as Virgin and Qantas airlines flew over while preparing to land 1 kilometer away at the airport.  Flying foxes winged it across the movie beam into the neighboring mango trees and we enjoyed eating a "choc top". Broome, you swept me away!  Yeah, I know that last line is corny, but, it's true!  What originally was planned for a 2 night stay in Broome turned into a 5 night stay.  Even after 5 nights we were trying to figure out of we could squeeze out 1 more night in this amazing place!  We also managed to squeeze in a small "staircase to the moon" viewing prior to leaving!

Marie, from Gunnedah I  really enjoyed our daily talks, thanks for introducing yourself, your kindness and your interest!​  And Hugo and Jet if you are reading this…thanks for chatting and visiting with us daily…we loved your guys bright energetic spirit!  

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​Cable Beach.

A stinger on Cable Beach.​

​Mmmmm..  Chinese food is on it's way!

Future Adventure Motorcyclists, Jett & Hugo​

Dinosaur footprints in Broome, Western Australia.​

Sun Pictures, the world's oldest outdoor picture garden.​

Enjoying a choc top at Sun Pictures.​

August 26, 2012…Bush Camp in a gravel Pit near Ellendale

We covered over 700 kilometers today in the baking heat and made it further than we had planned!  Amazing what a fresh shower can do!…ha ha ha!  This country never ceases to amaze me.  There is so much to see and unfortunately we cannot see it all in this trip.  Kev and I decided to pass on the Bungle Bungles on our way across.  We will have to come back through the Kimberley's at some point in time and explore the dramatic gorges and areas we missed. We keep reminding ourselves that "You can do anything you want, just not everything you want!"…Damn!

We have broken our 4pm rule, once again.  The countryside is dry and sparsely vegetated. The sun, now directly in our eyes, is piercing through our polarized sunnies.  I need to tilt my helmet down and squint at the golden blur of a road ahead.  Although weary, my senses are pricked watching for roo's and stray cattle as we continue to scan the countryside for a suitable spot to camp.  The time keeps ticking away, the sun continues to glare and and is finally starting to fall.  Finally we spy a gravel pit that is hidden from the road and pull in to take a look.  There is a camper van over in the far corner.  This looks good!  We ride around and decide to set up camp on the other side of the pit.  The sun is beginning to set now…I'm glad that we are off the road.  A man from the camper van across the pit is approaching us!  "Giday, my name is Charlie!  Where have you come from? You must be hot after riding today, can I offer you a cold drink?"  Wow, Kev and I look at each other and in harmony blurt out a thankful "YES!".  "Well, when you are done sorting your camp come on over and meet Wendy, too", Charlie warmly offered.  "Will Do!"  We quickly set up camp, assembled our Kermit Chairs, and headed over to Charlie's caravan.  "What would you like to drink?" Charlie warmly offers.  "Beer, ginger beer, water, coffee or tea?"  "A beer would hit the spot", I reply.  Let me say that nothing goes down easier than a chilly VB! I don't think that I ever have enjoyed or drunk a beer as fast as I did that night.  Kev and I enjoyed laughing and visiting with Charlie and Wendy from Rochi.  After a couple more drinks and now in complete darkness we thanked them for their kindness and headed back to the bikes to cook dinner.  I had just fired up our stove and was boiling water for couscous when a figure emerged from across the gravel pit.  It was Wendy!  "What are you cooking for dinner?" she asks with warm curiosity.  "We are going to eat our usual which is couscous and tuna!" I reply.  "How would you like to join us for dinner?  I am making chow main and have plenty for the 4 of us!", Wendy warmly offers.  One thing we have learnt, never turn anyone down!  "That is very kind of you, are you sure?" I reply.  "Yes, Yes, just head on over when you are ready", Wendy confidently states!  WOW, cold drinks, and now dinner… how lucky are we?  Kev and I head on over to their caravan awkwardly holding our forks and bowls, ready for a free feed!  "You do not need your bowls, tonight you are our guests and will eat off china plates", Wendy proudly states!  Ahh I can't help but feel all warm and fuzzy by the random act of kindness, friendship and hospitality!  Not only did we enjoy a fabulous meal of home made chow mien and brown rice, but freshly stewed apples with runny cold cream for dessert!…Absolutely hit the spot!  We had a wonderful night amongst the gravel piles…Thank you so much Charlie and Wendy from Rochi!!

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​Wild horses in the Western Australia countryside!

​​Another roadhouse petrol stop. 

August 25, 2012…Kununurra

Our goal is to cross over into Western Australia today!  We were up and out by 8am!  We slept pretty soundly considering we were camped only 20 meters or so from the bitumen, with the road trains hurtling their loads down the highway for much of the night.  It is going to be another scorcher of a day today, and we decide to punch out as many kilometers as we can.  We fill up at every petrol opportunity along the way and, at times, it feels like that's all we seem to be doing.  The station fill ups give me a chance to remove my helmet, stretch and refresh… ahhh…just long enough to attack another 200 k's or so!  I usually ask for a cup of ice at the stops too.  Ice is like GOLD!  The stations are reluctant to give it up and usually only give you about 10 cubes or so.  Hey 10 cubes will do the trick!  Now if I purchase some cold water I can make those cubes last a lot longer.  I can get another 2 hours of chilled water sucking pleasure as I ride through this raw and beautiful countryside!…ha ha ha

Ta Dah!!!  We finally have crossed into Western Australia.  We pull up at the State Border Agriculture stop.  "Do you have anything to declare?", firmly states the perky blonde border agent!  "Yes we have some honey, there is only a little left do you want it?", I say.  "Yes!  Do you have any fruit, plant or animal samples that you have collected along the way?", the perky blonde agent asks with authority.  She then cracks a huge smile, "I guess that you do not have the space to carry samples?" she realizes!  "No…we can only carry what is absolutely necessary", I reply.  We chat for a minute and then open up the panniers for her to peer into.  "Looks good, ride safe", she states.  "Oh yeah don't forget to turn your clocks back 1 1/2 hours!", the border agent calls out as we are securing our helmets.  Wow, bonus, Kev and I look at each other we can ride a little further today.

The landscape changed yet again…I always get a kick out of that when you cross state lines!  The Kimberley Region of Western Australia extends from the rugged sandstone formations in the northern areas down to the dusty red sand dunes of the Great Sandy Desert in the south.  I was absolutely captivated by the wild west feel of this rugged area.  Although dry, the rock formations were very much alive with fiery reds, burning browns, oranges and yellows.  The creamy circular tufts of spinifex grasses dotting the roadside reminded me of sphere like crew cuts and caused me to chuckle from time to time.  Patchwork portions of the sweeping landscape had been burnt.  It was harsh, dramatic, chard, and beautiful.  Spooky, old, gnarled and twisted bottle trees began to emerge.  These trees were fantastic!  Really they could have come right out of a spooky witch scene or Harry Potter forest.   It was great to be on a sweeping road again and for the next bonus 1 1/2 hours we soaked in the countryside wonders as we rode towards Kununurra.  We decided to pay for a caravan site and grab a shower.  Several days of sweaty sticky heat and mozzie repellant was starting to get to me!  

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​Welcome to Western Australia!

​A bottle tree and termite hills stand out in the burnt outback...

​One very large bottle tree!

August 23-24, 2012…Wangi Falls, Litchfield National Park

The bikes are reassembled and once again ready to take on what Oz has to offer us.  We need to stick around the Darwin area until Friday arvo as I am waiting for my rear box to be delivered to the dealership.  The parts guy says "Ya know what NT stands for don't you?" I reply, "Northern Territory".  "No love, it stands for Not Today, Not Tomorrow, Not Tuesday, and Not Thursday!"  Crap!  "Well it is supposed to be delivered on Friday, so I guess that works!" I wittily respond!  "Love, that is tomorrow!", the parts guy smirks…Double Crap!  

Kev and I decide to head down to Litchfiled National Park while we wait.  Darwin is already in the 30's by the time we are packed and prepped for our ride, and it is only 9am!  Litchfield National Park is not that far away and is known for its cascading waterfalls, woodland and rainforests.  Some say that it is more spectacular than Kakadu!  I have to just mention quickly that travelers we have chatted with along our ride have said to us that Kakadu is known as Kakadon't!  Humm!  I would have to say "Kakadon't go there with out powerful bug spray…but most definitely Do Kakadu!"  Ahh, I feel better that I have that of my chest!  I find it very interesting in all the varied opinions, suggestions, must do's, and misses, people express!  OK, back to Litchfield! 

I was totally loving the long sweeping curves and amazing views of Litchfield and was thinking to myself that it reminds me a compacted Kakadu with a little Cape York thrown in. We rode past the magnetic termite mounds, past the tabletop swamp, down and around Tolmer Falls, past Greenant Creek to make camp at Wangi Falls…it was only 11:30am!  Today is a very hot day and I am looking forward to spending the rest of it in the water.  Kev and I automatically transition into our set up camp routine, and are heading down to the falls 20 minutes later.  If this heat does not discourage any of the insects that are annoying me to fly off and take a nap, maybe the water will?  The falls and billabong are amazing!  The entire place is colorful internationally buzzing with people of all shapes and sizes splashing, floating, swimming, sitting, standing, snorkeling, chatting, jumping, and laughing…there is a lot of laughter!  Now there was this one guy who caught my attention by the falls!  He was trying to climb up the rock face to sit himself in a small plunge pool that was hidden from immediate view, and he was caring a book!  Who brings a book to read in water let alone a waterfall? I had to get out of the water and grab my camera.  I watched him awkwardly clinging to the rocks and then… and then…he fell!  The entire international bathing community let out a gasp…no kidding…Beauty, I captured the entire thing on film, ha ha ha!  He quickly fished his book from the water and held it over his head, but it looks as though he is no longer wearing glasses?  I watch him peer into the water around him.  You'll have to put that book somewhere before you take a retrieval dive, I'm thinking.  He gives up on the search and attempts the climb again, this time successful!  He senses me watching him and we make eye contact.  I put down the camera and enter the water.  He waves me over, but I am not going to go…I will just breast stroke around in circles for a bit until he comes to me!  He realizes what he has to do and begins his approach.  I watch from the cool waters around me and smile at the sight of him still holding his book in his hand out of the water.  He is within arms distance of me and says "I lost your glasses Babe!"…ha ha ha…(Did ya know it was Kev?) "Nice show, Stud!" I laugh!

OK back to flies, mozzies, sweat and dirt!  Dinner is the usual tuna and couscous, we clean up and head over to the community campfire.  We watch bush tv for a couple of hours and decide to call it a night, pleasantly tired from our day in the water.  Still in the high 20's, our dew guard is off the tent so we can keep as cool as possible avoiding as many bites as possible.  It is a a wonderfully clear, bright, balmy night and I lay and watch the stars, wish on the odd falling star then finally fall asleep!

On the way our we backtrack to Florence Falls for a morning dip.  We lock up the gear on the bikes, pull our gear off, already sweaty and togs on and proceed to head down the pathway towards the falls.  Sometimes these stops can be a lot of work…securing the bikes, sorting ourselves, but the reward is always worth it!  We ride back to Darwin wet and refreshed.  As soon as mobile phone service registers Kev calls the dealership to see if my box has arrived…it has, so we book on over!  I park the bike under the shade of a large sign and we proceed to install the box.  It installs without any drama…we clean up, water up and head on out of the Darwin area eager to escape this heat that just seams to continue to rise the later it gets into the day. 

Ride, ride , ride…It has to start cooling down, I'm thinking, but the heat does not let up.  I am tired, dehydrated, and grumpy…Ok, maybe even a little bitchy by the time we decide to call it quits.  Realistically we should have stopped over an hour ago.  Kev and I have been unplugged from each other for the last 100k's…we have both had it.  Im literally dripping with sweat…it is 35 degrees Celsius and it is 5pm!  Tired, hot and exhausted we pull off the road at a free camp site around Emerald Springs.  We automatically go into our camp set up mode, loose the hot sticky riding gear and slump down at the picnic table next to us.  What a day!  

​M​agnetic termite mound.

Wangi Falls​

I spy a great rock pool​!

Florence Falls​

August 20 - 22, 2012…Darwin

All geared and loaded up, the exit out of Kakadu was just as hot, sweaty and sticky as the entrance…and just as enjoyable.  Now, I could be fluffing just a bit, because, by the time I arrived in Darwin I was miserably hot and bothered.  We decided to ride straight to the BMW dealership to go over the work order on the bikes before looking for a place to stay.  After discussing servicing options on the bike we set out to find accommodation that was in our budget.  Darwin is quite expensive, and, what you get for your money can be very little.  The closest caravan parks were booked out, so we decided to just wing it and ride towards the city to see what we could find.  We came across a budget motel in a place called Fannie Bay… a little seedy, but clean, nevertheless!  I unstuck myself from my bike seat and walked into the motel office.  A middle aged, greying, blonde haired woman dressed in a very low cut black tee and short shorts, wearing a pair of reading glasses that were skew whiffed on her nose from missing one arm, rose from behind an old 70's style wooden desk!  I chuckled to myself, obviously sporting a smile at this interesting scene in front of me, and was cheerfully greeted with a friendly "G'day!" This place definitely has character…maybe more than I need, but after inspecting a room was satisfied enough to complete a transaction.  Kev and I needed to remove the panniers and gear off the bikes before the service and felt that having a room would be the safest way to store our stuff!  Boy…What a character of a place!  Very nice owners, very interesting occupants, that happened to be in quite a magical spot!

That evening we crossed the road and enjoyed a drink, dinner and watched an amazing sunset at the Darwin Sailing Club.  The pale blue turquoise waters of the Timor Sea slowly darkened as dusk fell.  I have to tell you that I don't think that I have seen a more spectacular sunset in all of my life!  The colossal fireball slowly fell into the sea sporting flaming reds, burnt oranges, yellows, then magenta's pinks, purples, indigo's, and blues.  The spectacular show continued for 45 minutes. The  night sky actually becoming paler after the sun had disappeared beneath the horizon before reversing back into darkness!  A sight that I will never forget!

The alarm was set, and we were up and out and headed over to the dealership for our bike service by 7:30am.  The rest of the day was spent aimlessly wandering around the dealership fingering through their miscellaneous stock that was for sale, drinking shop coffee, frequent trips to the loo, awkwardly dozing off on their well worn, slant foam cushioned couch and watching the clock calculating the cost per hour in labor. 

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Another spectacular sunset!​

August 19, 2012… Ubirr, Kakadu

Wow, what a great night sleep. No mozzies, no noises, no sweating, no rocks under my thermarest, no wrestling with the sleeping bag, a flushing toilet…heaven!  Kev called the front desk, negotiated another night, and a better deal, so now we are ahead!  Score!  Today we rode out to Ubirr, right on the edge of Arnhem Land.  It is a luxury to dress down for riding, meaning less clothing, specially in the heat.  You do sacrifice protection and safety for carefree comfort, but, in 38 degrees Celsius heat, it is worth it!  We dress down… me in my only pair of pants converted to capris, sun top and my havis, Kev in shorts, teeshirt and havis also.  Our tank bags and most of our gear are off the bikes…and the bikes feel nimble, smooth and quick!  Ahh, it is such a pleasure to ride like this.  The air is warm, smokey, thick and sticky.  The faster we move, the cooler we feel.  We do not have far to travel and enjoy every sweeping bend in carefree gear free comfort.  As I pulled into the parking area of Ubirr a Ranger popped out of a bush…ha ha ha,  and allowed us to park in an unauthorized shady area.  Thanks mate, we'll take that!  Kev and I hiked into the rock art area and were completely blown away.  This amazing Aboriginal artwork dates back 25,000 years!  It is really quite hard to fathom!  The rock art depicts traditional foods and tells stories about Aboriginal law and creation.  We climbed up the rocks as far as we could go an gazed out over the lush flood plains towards Arnhem Land.  The sweaty, lip chapping, headache forming trek was worth every step.  What an absolutely beautiful view!  The land was a buzz, even in this stifling heat.  I saw flying foxes, hanging from surrounding trees, flapping their black leathery webbed wings to cool themselves.  Crocs were stealthy zig zagging their way along the muddy waterways and flocks of cheeky playful chattery squawky Correllas flying a muck!  Awesome!

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​Cat's pointing to Arnhem land.

​See the rock wallaby in the photo?

​Aboriginal artwork.

That's not a logodile that's a crocodile​!

Flying foxes hanging in the trees.  ​

August 18, 2012…Jabiru, Kakadu

Damn, Damn, and double Damn!…I have been eaten alive by these gigantic sized mozzies!  I really do not know how they get into the tent??  It was even hard for me to get out of the tent this morning because they were all waiting for me….buzzing around with their high pitched engines all shuffling for prime attack position. Yowzer…I'm quite uncomfortable!  I waited until most of the big ones released their cling from the tent netting before getting out.  I grabbed my socks, riding pants, shirt and boots and danced around trying to prevent a landing while getting dressed.  It has only been an hour or so since the sun has risen and I can already feel the heat.  The flys are beginning to buzz past your ears and it sounds as like you are at NASCAR…fairdinkum!  I really do not have the patience for this today as I am already hot, sweaty, extremely itchy.  I'm probably slightly grumpy…ya think?

Back on the road the tension starts to ease…no more flies, mozzies and the warm air breezing through my vents feels good.  The next stop is Jabiru, just up the road.  By 11:30 am the temp was reading 95 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 35 degrees Celsius.  Hot, and only a little grumpy, we pulled into the Crocodile Holiday Inn to sit in the air conditioning and have lunch.  Slowly I began to crack a smile as the air conditioning, fresh turkey salad sandwich and ice cold water revived me for round two!  "How much do you think a room would cost here?", Kev asked me?  "I'm guessing $275 per night?"…"Hum" he said.  "I'm guessing $250!" Lets ask on the way out!  "Hi, hot day, hey?..We were wondering what a room would cost for the night?", I queried.  "For tonight?" asked the front desk Manager.  "Yes, tonight?" I said.  "You are on the bikes…Have you traveled far?", Jo the Manager asked.  "Yes that's us, we traveled from Cooinda this morning, but, it is quite hot today and are thinking that Jabiru looks like a good spot to stop?"  "The rooms are $280 per night!"  I turned and smiled at Kev…I won the bet..ha ha!  "This is unfortunately out of our budget" I said with a sigh! "Well what would you be willing to pay?  We are not full, so, maybe we can work something out?" Jo said with gusto!  Wow, I turned to Kev with a huge grin…"Whats fair?" I asked  "Throw out a figure", Jo said!  I gave her our budget and Jo accommodated us with a warm friendly comforting smile…Deal!  I can't believe it!  No monster mozzies, NASCAR flies, sweat, heat and dirt…Hello fresh white crisp linen, clean, fluffy towels, cold water, and the peace du resistance…Air-conditioning!

We unloaded only as much as we could handle off the bikes…the heat was a doozy, we will get the rest later!  I jumped into the shower washed my hair, washed all of the repellant off my body, itched my mozzie bites with my loofa hands, moisturized and felt like a new gal!  I flopped down on the crisp fresh cold bed, and next thing I knew it was dinner time!  We had a hot water jug in the room so I boiled water, made some couscous, topped it with a small can of Thai tuna, and we enjoyed a very simple dinner that cost under $1 per serving!  Granted the bottle of wine brought the serving to $16, still a bargain, and most enjoyable…ha ha ha!  We enjoyed the movie channel on the telly that night.  It is a special feeling to appreciate comfort and I feel very privileged to be experiencing this!

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August 16 - 17, 2012…Cooinda, Kakadu

The dirt road out of Gunlom was most enjoyable…although fairly hairy in sections of deep rutted and grooved sand!  We definitely attack these areas with more control and less craziness now?  Our next stop was not far up the road.  We leisurely swept through Kakadu leaning and curving more than usual to try and round off the squareness that had developed on both of our rear tires from riding so many straight roads.  We pulled into Cooinda only a couple of hours later.  I was very surprised that it was a resort camping area with a full bar, restaurant, shop, 2 pools, camping, and hotel amenities.  We decided that we would stay for 2 nights so that we could check out the Yellow Water area.  We picked a camping spot, pitched the tent and then headed to the pool for a cool off.  Damn…this place has so many mozzies, horse flies, ants and anything else that could possibly bite you.  May be they are attracted to the sprinklers that are running throughout the park sight?…Heellpp…starting to go a little batty, do these things ever quit?

Kev and I booked a Yellow Water boat cruise, and I have to say that this was an absolutely fabulous experience.  Our boat driver, Murray was skillful, fabulous, passionate, and, witty about his job and Kakadu!  I love it when I meet people like this!  I saw crocs sleeping, feeding, floating, sinking…birds lilly hopping, drying, sailing, feeding, paddling, preening…Jabiru's, Cranes, Kingfishers, Plumed Whistling Ducks, Jacana, small, medium and large Egrets, Herons, Spoonbills, Pelicans, Darters, various water Geese, Ibis, and one green tree snake! Murray maneuvered his vessel into every nook and cranny that he could fit into, for just over two hours making this one of the most incredible water expeditions I have been on!  O.K., maybe I say that about every water experience…it just took my breathe away!  The sunset over Yellow Water was the grand finale of this truly magical area!  Ahh, crocodiles are just incredible creatures!  I have seen a croc in a park, but never in the wild, and to have the privilege to watch them do their thing was amazing. Sleeping alongside the muddy river banks they look like rubberized prehistoric monsters, too knobby, motley and ugly to actually be real.  Crocodiles travel with such an eery ease through the water.  Their bumpy jagged tails partly submerged sweeping back and forth, with ease.  Moving in the water they remind me of a wooden child's toy…you know the croc or snake model?  You hold it in your hand and it moves back and fourth?  

The next day for us was a down day spent relaxing by the pool.  The flocks of Correlas kept me amused and entertained for much of the day.  I never grow tired of watching birds, and the Cockatoo variety are very fun to interact with.  

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August 15, 2012…Gunlom Falls, Kakadu

It is very, very toasty today!  My camelback is loaded with ice water and I am ready for the challenge!  Entering Kakadu National Park was hot!  Not WOW hot, but, Phew hot!…the temperature was in the high 30's and knowing that we were traveling towards water was a huge relief.  Kakadu covers 20,000 square kilometers ranging from coastal sand dunes and tidal flats to elevated rocky creeks and plunging waterfalls.  This is the only park in the world which completely encompasses a major and untamed river system, The South Alligator. The bitumen swept back and fourth through the eucalyptus studded bushland.  Tropical flora began to present that reminded me of the Cape.  Rounding one corner the road ahead was filled with Kites…of the feathered kind.  There must have been 100 or more!  As I road closer I wondered if there was a lot of road kill to cause this and slowed down…the Kites took their time in scattering and I realized they were seeking refuge on the road as the bush around me and them was a blaze.  The flames reaching the tree branches they had nowhere to rest, it was quite an eerie sight one that I will never forget!  Riding threw the smoke the road curved again and the bushland was fire free…why didn't the Kites fly around the corner?

The turn off to Gunlom Falls and billabong came quick…Ahh dirt, sand and corrugations, we have missed you…slowing down fully loaded we vibrated across the red dry burnt patched bushland for the next 40 k's.  The river crossings were dry….really there is a waterfall out here?  We pulled into the very dry, dusty, horse fly infested camp site area.  Kev and I looked at each other…Really we just vibrated our way to see this…there has gotta be more!  It was stinking hot, and we were a little stinky ourselves!  I felt very claustrophobic and restricted.  I was very likely dehydrated and had to get this heavy, hot and sweaty bike gear off before I could do anything.  I changed into my jandles and skirt…ahh, much better now I can function!  I pitched the tent and set up the camp site while Kev hunted and collected wood.  We were pretty hot and bothered after all of this so we left everything at camp and decide to head down to the waterfall and plunge pool!  Wowzer…this is what I am talking about!  There was a guy in the water already…promising, although he was fairly close to shore and did look somewhat awkward?  I spied a rock close to the shore and I felt comfortable enough entering the water and hanging there for a bit.  Slowly, my body finally began cooling down, I felt rejuvenated and refreshed.  I ventured from the rock a bit, but not far as I was nervous about rogue crocs!  A group of local kids entered the area, and it was not long before that plunge pool was filled with laughter, splashing and excitement!  A fantastic and comforting sight!  Kev and I climbed up to the top of the waterfall, a hot and jagged climb.  Jandles were probably not the greatest things to be climbing in but we eventually made it.  The climb was worth every step.  The view was of Kakadu was breathtaking, the upper rock pools were clear, refreshing and amazing.  We hung out for an hour or so then started down.  Even though we were dripping wet, we were dry once we had reached the bottom.  Once again we had entered a National Parks camping area on a Ranger talk night which is always a bonus… so I made dinner and then we headed over to the presentation.  That night we learnt that the plunge pool is occupied by a "freshie", a fresh water croc, and has been for three years!  Freshies are not usually aggressive…but "What the?" I would not have risked swimming there if I had known!  We learnt a little about the Jawoyn people, the owners of the land.  Their customs, beliefs and relationship with the land and Australian Government.

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​Gunlom Falls, Kakadu

​The view from the top of Gunlom Falls, Kakadu.

August 14, 2012…Katherine

Our plan was to catch Katherine on the way down, but finding that we had internet coverage kept us locked up in the township Macca's for most of the day planning and gathering for our Kakadu adventures.  We had only rode 65 kilometers today and thats all it was going to be!  

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August 13, 2012…Mataranka

Fresh camel tracks through the camp, gibberish budgies, peeping finches and a couple of nasty crows graced our morning.  We ate brekky, packed up the site, loaded the bikes and hit the road.  We rode up on Daly Waters by the late morning and decided to stop by the famous Daly Waters Pub for a light lunch.  The pub reeked of Aussie bush wackiness and the bar was already beginning to warm up at 11:30am!

It would have been a great place to hang, and maybe we should have… we decided to head on out to the thermal springs perking in the capital of "Never Never" for a soak.

The bush was burning off and on as we moved closer towards Mataranka.  I enjoy the sight and smells of the burns, the colors and rawness and complete country package it brings to the rides!

Kev and I changed into our togs and walked through the messy palm treed forest towards the springs.  The water was warm, clear and very relaxing….Ahh we soaked for a couple of hours, becoming more lethargic as the time passed.

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​Daly Waters Pub

August 12, 2012…Bush Camping it…Somewhere between Banka Banka and Renner Springs

Riding north up the Stuart Highway we pumped out the k's today and continued to pay at the pump.  Crossing the Tropic of Capricorn and felt relieved that we would be moving into warmer nights.  Another day of strong headwinds and frequent bursts of burly crosswinds kept us focused, determined, and by the end of the day, tight shouldered.  Today we broke our rule and rode past 4pm!  We were looking for that sweet camping spot…a safe place to pull the bikes off the road and have them out of sight and a secluded clearing to pitch the tent and make a fire.  "That looks good", I radioed to Kev and we would slow down, check it out and move on!  We probably did that for the next hour…ha ha ha! Finally we found the perfect spot and settled in for the night.

The dusk sky was more than amazing as we watched the sunset over the outback scrubland and enjoyed the peaceful serenity that this brings.  The indigo sky now moving into a black ink darkness illuminating the Milky Way in full glory!  There was no moon tonight and the canopy of the stars stretched entirely across the curvature of the earth like a dome.  If you took a mouthful of milk and hit your cheeks, spraying it out over a black canvas you would have what I saw!  I wish that my camera could take a picture and I could show you!  Crickets, dingo yelps, the dying fire and silence is all that could be heard during the night…

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​Tropic of Capricorn Landmark.

Aileron.​

​Bush camping.

August 11, 2012…Alice Springs

Moto Guzzi saw us packing up this morning and came over for a chat.  We were dragging a little this morning. Chris saw the signs and offered to make us an espresso!  I questioned "You have an espresso machine?"  "Yes!", she exclaimed proudly!  "On the bike?", I queried?  "Yep!", Chris beamed proudly!  Low and behold, blow me down!  She had a single cup little espresso spitter…I've gotta get myself one of these!  Chris kindly made Kev and I a wonderful espresso…  we continued to pack up, swap bike stories and visit until the road was calling once more!

Again riding across the treadmill highway, powering past rode trains on the Stuart Highway back to the Big 4 Camp Park we left just a week ago…Chris and Brian, if you're reading this, that powerful espresso powered us all the way back to Alice! 

The gas gremlins were in the tanks today!  The head winds were fierce and we were on a mission…a mission to cover miles, and move into warmer weather.  It seemed every petrol stop we took, we filled more than expected, and forked out more than expected…funny how that works!  

Our bodies were tight and achy pulling into Alice after 5pm.  We decided to get a 70's type trailer house cabin that was loo less, for the night.  The trailer cabin was full of formica and wood panelling, clean, had a bed with linen, fresh towels for the community showers, a heater, free didgeridoo entertainment happening as we arrived and came with a free pancake brekky in the morning…SCORE!

We cranked up the heater, enjoyed the didgeridoo show, cooked up some bacon eggs for dinner and hit the sack!

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Chris, Brian & Moto Guzzi!!​

August 8 - 10, 2012…Uluru, Kata Tjuta

I woke up very excited today!  I could not believe that today was the day that I would see Uluru!  We adjusted, tightened and oiled my chain, packed up the Finke River camp site, and got back on the Stuart Highway heading south towards the Lasseter Highway, Uluru turnoff.  The area was scrubbier than I thought it would be in the center of Oz!  The countryside exploded in color as you rode further into the center .  I found myself captivated by the raw beauty of the land and was anxious to catch my first glimpse of "the Rock!" (not Dwayne Johnson, on second thoughts a glimpse of Dwayne would have sufficed!…ha ha ha) "There it is", I excitingly radioed to Kev, although "the rock" looked longer than I pictured!  False alarm…Mount Ebenezer!  "Do you see it now?" I radioed to Kev as we continued down the highway through the rusty red sand dunes tufted in white spinifex grasses. Hmmm… I thought that Uluru was kind of a rounded rock and this rock has a flat top…Another false alarm…Mt Conner.  Ahh, Uluru you are a tease!  The highway seemed to be going on forever…It was beginning to feel like I was on a treadmill, the temperature was rising, the landscape beauty repeating, and, all I was waiting for was that first glimpse of Uluru!  The countryside is amazing out here!  The brilliant blue sky is cloudless, the desert oaks, umbrella bush, and bloodwood dot the countryside, and the black bitumen road splits the rusty, red earth. Some patches you ride past are on fire.  Control patch burning cleans the land of the old spinifex and protects the land from bush fires.  The smell of the smoldering charcoaled bush and trees trunks completes the picture and arouses the senses!  And there she is…Uluru…WOW…simply amazing! 

We checked in to the Ayers Rock Campground and decided to upgrade to a powered site…woo hoo, plugs! Karl, a fellow rider who we met at a petrol station just before turning onto the Lasseter Highway pulled in to the campground not long after us…ha ha ha funny we had not discussed where we were staying… and we enjoyed visiting with him.  We settled into camp and looked into the schedules for Uluru and Kata Tjuta.

The next morning Karl rode in as were were finishing up brekky and handed Kev his 3 day pass into Uluru…"Thanks mate"…you just saved us $25!  We rode into Anangu land to view Uluru and catch the 10am free Ranger tour around the rock.  She is absolutely breath taking!  The traditional landowners of Uluru are the Yankunytjatjara and Pitjantjatjara people.  In their language they call themselves Anangu , pronounced arn-ung-oo. Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is Aboriginal land and is jointly managed by its Anangu owners and Parks Australia.  The Anangu refer to Uluru as a female, as she is a provider, comforter, and protector.  She provides an abundant food source around her base, a water source, and a shelter in her many caves  "This sacred land was created by the creation ancestors" and the magical and mystical aura is very much alive.  I was captivated by the passion and enthusiasm of the Ranger's knowledge.  We listened, watched, walked and talked our way around the base of Uluru in sheer amazement!  I don't know if I can actually capture the "feel" in words!  There is a definite sense of calm, power and protection that irradiates from this area.  It is beautiful!

That evening we booked a camel ride to watch Uluru change her colors during sunset.  I was privileged to ride Hercules the largest of the group!  "Hercules, Hercules!!!"…ha ha ha…had to say that!  Kev was on Lasseter, named after the highway he was caught on, and the smallest of the group!  What a blast…this is an awesome way to see Uluru at the sunset!  We rode our camel train for 2 glorious and fun hours up and over rusty red sand dunes and in and out of century old desert oaks…and of course all ended up with camel toes…ha ha ha, just couldn't help myself on that one!!…my bad!  Kev and I have decided that our next journey around Oz will be on camels.  It was that much fun!

My phone alarm sounded off at 5:30am, we were going to watch the sunrise over Uluru!  Matt and Loretta, a super fun couple we met at the camp site have offered to drive us…talk about lucky!  It is bloody freezing this morning and I'm taking the Onkaparinga along!  We were the first ones out to the sunrise viewing area and secured our spot.  Uluru was dark and mysterious against the dissolving starry sky. Then slowly the bus loads of foreign tourists trickled in.  They all marched in like busy ants along the pathways converging rhythmically at the viewing platforms in foreign tongues, flashing cameras, surprised expressions and palming peace signs!…Funny As!  Matt, Loretta, Kev and I enjoyed the performances around us, but soon surrendered to view in front of us.  Captivated we were once again drawn into the surrealism of Uluru's color change as dawn broke.  Grays, blues, purples, turn to browns, oranges and reds…and there she is in full glory!!!…AMAZING, once AGAIN!

Later that day Kev and I rode out to Kata Tjuta…The Olgas.  Kata Tjuta is Pitjantjatjara meaning "many heads.  This spectacular landform lies about 50 kilometers drive from Uluru.  Kata Tjuta is the Anangu men's sacred site under traditional law.  Kev and I walked up into the Walpa Gorge. The dramatic towering red rock formations, red rocky ground and surrounding baroness felt as though you could have been walking on Mars.  It had a very different presence and feel to that of Uluru.  We continued to ride around to various viewing areas and I pulled off the road to take a couple of photos…a ranger vehicle drove past, turned around and pulled off the road beside us.  I'm thinking maybe we should not be off the bitumen?  They rolled down their car windows and said "This is unusual, but we would like to ask you for a favor?"  I'm thinking OK we will get back on the bikes and back on the bitumen and be on our way!  I was pleasantly surprised.  "Would it be possible for us to have our picture taken with you?"  Wow…I was not expecting that!  The Park Rangers pulled their vehicle close to our bikes and we proceeded to pose for several pictures with them.  It was certainly a privilege to have our pictures taken alongside the Anangu Rangers with Kata Tjuta in the background!  We snapped a couple with our camera and they proudly stated how lucky we were to receive this opportunity. It was a special occurrence that made the sunset over the massive rock cropping another unforgettable evening.  That night we celebrated by cooking some Kakadu bbq'd marinated kangaroo loin.  I cut the meat into large cubes and cooked it in my oblong mess pans to medium rare. Served it up with buttered noodles, a fresh salad and a nice glass of red…Mmmmm tasty, tender and terrific!

​Loretta & Cat enjoying an Uluru sunrise!

The free ranger guided tour at Uluru was exceptional!

August 7, 2012…Finke River

We needed a few supplies before heading out to Uluru and spent much of the morning in the township of Alice Springs getting it all sorted.  We purchased an old fashioned rainbow sherbet colored woolen blanket an original Onkaparinga to keep us warm at night.  Last night was really cold, and no doubt there will be several more cold nights before we make our way north again.  The blanket is a little bulky but I know we will be glad to have it.  It was 2:30pm before we finally got on the road!  Kev and I have the 4:30 pm rule…We will not ride past 4:30 pm due to the potential kangaroo activity close to the roads edge.  The roos really enjoy the "sweet grass" that grows there and have a confusing habit of bounding right out in front of you.  "Sweet grass" is lush green grass that is watered daily by the dew run off from the roads.  Today will be a very short riding day!

We pulled into a free camp just beside the Finke River, scored a picnic table, fire pit and a cozy spot under a few young gums.  We really could not have pulled into a prettier spot!  The river was dry, but the area was alive with color, mature trees and flocks of screechy Galahs.  Kev walked down to the river bed and collected an arm load of fire wood for the night.  It was an interesting night!  We had an enthusiastic visit by a couple of indigenous gals looking for cigarettes.  Only one spoke english and I could see that Kev was having a hard time trying to decipher what the other gal was saying in her native tongue.  They did not get what they were looking for and proceeded to drive onto the next camping area.  That became the story of the night as the fellow campers gathered around our campfire to exchange thoughts!

August 6, 2012…Alice Springs

It was a chilly and windy morning, as we watched the sunrise over the Marbles.  I got right on brekky and made our usual hot oatmeal and cup of tea; it warmed us up and tasted extra good!  Mr. Dingo was still around, checking out the sites for food as the campers departed.  

Just down the road a bit is Wycliffe, the UFO center of Australia!  We gassed up, had our picture taken with a couple of aliens and hit the road.

We fought our way through high cross winds today.  I cannot remember such high winds since traveling up to the tip of New Zealand!  Riding the Alice Springs area it reminded me of a cross between Las Vegas without the glitz, the desert from Palm Springs and Arizona's colors.  We found a camp ground, upgraded to a power site for $4 more, and charged everything up.  We were pretty beat from the windy day and it was not long before dinner was made and we were tucked away in our tent for the night.

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