Three week update!

Greetings from the Northern Territory

Intrepid travellers Jeff & Maddy

Where are we? After three weeks on the road we are in Darwin where I'm finally getting the time and adequate internet connection to update my blog! Warning up front - this will be a bit longer than usual. I've embedded my Instagram feed into my homepage so non Instagram users can keep up with the photos!

Where have we been? We've been everywhere man, we've been to Pomona, Gympie, Biggenden, Coringa, Gin Gin, Rockhampton, Notch Point, Sarina, Mackay, Ollera Beach, Bowen, Ayr, Townsville, Alva Beach, Ingham, Cardwell, Innisfail, Millaa Millaa, Ravenshoe, Archer Creek, Atherton, Cairns, Mareeba, Undara, Georgetown, Croydon, Normanton, Karumba, Leichhardt River, Burketown, Gregory Downs, Adel's Grove, Boodjamulla NP, Doomagee, Hell's Gate, Seven Emu Station, Borroloola, Cape Crawford, Katherine, Douglas Daly, Surprise Creek, Litchfield NP, Dundee Beach, Crab Claw Island... and Darwin!

What a whirl wind trip so far, we've done about 5,500 km, only stopping for two nights four times in three weeks at Adel's Grove, Cape Crawford (not by choice - mechanical issues), Crab Claw Island and Darwin (partly due again to mechanical issues).

It's incredible how many Australians are out travelling at this time of year. We've rocked up to free camp sites to find them full of caravans and camper trailers. The grey nomads are out in force. We've met some lovely people and now have invitations to visit Port Augusta in SA and Echuca in VIC. Most travellers are on short holidays (4 - 6 weeks) or their annual escaping the Winter holiday (4 - 6  months). We haven't met anyone younger than us yet and only one other couple so far have been on an extended trip. Jeff did meet one man who has been on the road for 18 years and reckons he will go for another two and stop when he's 77.

SuzieQ our GQ Nissan Patrol has been challenged by the corrugations and rough, rocky roads - and we haven't even reached the Gibb River Rd in WA yet. At one point it was like a Country & Western song. "We're outta beer, outta water, outta spares, outta food, outta brakes, the diffs leakin' oil and there’s a strange new flapping sound... but we have our love and a sense of humour". 

A few observations from the journey so far:

• Water is precious. I know it's an obvious one but until you don't have clean drinkable water on tap 24/7 its hard to understand. When you do it's a luxury - appreciate it.
  
• Phone reception in rural Australia sucks balls (one for Mandy Downs). Come on Telstra, give everyone in Australia phone reception, please, and then Optus can follow.
  
• There is no recycling out here (until you are in Darwin). WTF? I'm having to come to terms with throwing cardboard and glass into normal bins. It hurts each time I do it.
  
• My fingernails are never clean. I don't know how but they are constantly filthy. My feet are also filthy and I'm getting a thong tan.
  
• They only way to cope with red dirt is to make friends with it. It covers everything including the first six feet of vegetation on each side of an unsealed road. It also does not come out of clothes in a normal wash cycle and sticks to every surface of every item in the car.
  
• Caravan parks, as well as being a great place to have a long shower, are a wealth of information. Most conversations centre around three topics - the price of fuel (farking expensive), the state of roads and the price of beer (also expensive). I was horrified to pay $39 for a carton of XXXXGold in Innisfail. Should have stocked up as it was $70 at Cape Crawford and we've been told up to $85 in some more remote areas.
  
  

• The smell of the ocean after weeks in the bush is incredible. But it's heartbreaking when you can't just run and dive right in for swim because of crocs. 

• Fresh water, crystal clear, deep swimming holes are hidden throughout this dusty, rugged country and they are incredible when you find them. Many are only accessible at this time of year and exploring them has been one of the highlights so far.
  
  
  One of the best we found was Butterfly Gorge in the Douglas Daly area of NT. It was a 17 km drive from the main road on an unsealed 4WD only track (one of the worst we have been on). Then a long walk on a poorly marked track over rocks up a steep hill and then a steep scramble down to a sandy beach and large swimming hole. We met a couple walking out as we came in who advised swimming across the gorge and climbing up between the high rock walls. A 50-60m swim and we climbed through to find an amazing series of deep plunge pools. No photos due to the swim and lack of ways to keep the phone/camera dry. Memories only.

• I do not love sand flies, mozzies or march flies. I never did but I also haven't seen one living in Melbourne for 20 months. I currently have somewhere around 90 bites and have been using every pharmaceutical and natural remedy I can find to stop the itching. Luckily one of them is working.
  
• Watching the sun go down over the water is magical as is the afterglow that continues for the next 20 mins - even if you do share it with several hundred other people.

Farewell Darwin, you're an interesting city. A massive thank you to our hosts for the last two nights Gay, Henry and Shirley, and Petra. Thank you for your hospitality and welcoming us into your beautiful house. Next stop Kakadu...