Aug 15

Barkly Homestead

Well luckily Marjo corrected me or this post was called Burke’s Roadhouse. I have a problem with names I guess. For the ones under you noticing, this is our first post from Northern Territory. On 14 August, 12.45 pm with 301,550 km on the odometer we crossed the border between Queensland and Northern Territory.

I hear you asking: “so, what is different?” and we kept track for just such a question:

– Northern Terrestials (or whatever they’re called) do a proper job of roadwork. No guy with a bucket of tar filling potholes like in Queensland, but serious road replacement.

– in NT they actually care for tourists with proper roadside stops and water that people and birds enjoy

– in NT they’re way smarter than QLD, well at least the animals as during the past 250 km we have seen NO dead animal on the side of the road. The downside is that it becomes a bit more boring, with no distractions and only the straight road and every 30 km the only human structure is a repeat transmission tower from Telstra. Otherwise dead grass, some shrubs and the odd tree.

Then we arrive at the only food, drink, fuel and sleep place for 500 km (250 km either way) on this road. We saw one house that said “sorry no fuel” and a few signs (one who pathetically tried to outdo others and called itself “Austral Downs Station” and a new couple of “Plains”. So if you want to be hip then for your next house sign you can choose between “station”, “downs” and “plains”.

The campsite is quite big with a lot of unpowered options which, as you know by now, has our preference. Sometimes it’s nice to have the facilities for a shower and….tomorrow it being Marjo’s birthday, I can see dining out coming up and then it’s handy to have a homestead within reach 😉

Marjo is feeling a bit under the weather with stuffed nose from all the dust and bushfire smoke along the way, and after just haven driven 1800 km in 6 days we deserve a break. So we decide to take it slow. Marjo gets breakfast in bed and even stays there to have her once-a-year after-breakfast smoke in bed. Despite feeling a bit under the weather she is glowing.

When I come outside a young Dutch couple that camped next to us took care of decoration and even left a present. So nice!

Then it’s unwrapping of the gifts, a pan to cook over a wood fire, a shawl, some books: termites, Northern Territory camping and understanding Aboriginal art and a black-bag shower (fill it with creek or other water, lie in the sun for an hour or two, et voila, a hot shower).

Also Dotti had to test the working of the shower, and needed a nap after that!

Then it’s time for coffee with cake.

The rest of the day is taken by
– changing our bedside planks so the bus can accommodate springbed mattresses (the foam mattress started to sag) and now we can put in two instead of one. The only thing we now need to find is a place selling them…..perhaps Alice Springs or otherwise Darwin.
– changing some of the clothes from cold to warmer
– hand washing of some of the dirtier clothes
– a walk with the dogs where Marjo spots some nice birds.

Then at dinner time I take care of dinner. The homestead bends the rules for a birthday girl and gives takeaway fish for Marjo and Schnitzel for Axel and throws in a piece of chocolate cake with a mini candle.