Day 20 Home Again

Adelaide to Melbourne
Distance traveled 8303km
Temp 35-24
Track

Picked up our car this morning from Adelaide Terminal, and headed straight to Melbourne
Would you believe 160km out from Melbourne a flat tire, ran over a steel tube.

Day 19 The decent

Yes we are on our way down to Melbourne, the Nissan started it's journey this morning on the ghan at 10:00am we are catching a jetstar red-eye from darwin and will meet it in Adelaide Friday morning. It's been a long day (yesterday) we checked out 1:00pm and have been loitering round Darwin shops and cinemas for the past 12 hours, currently waiting to board the 1:35am flight. What we will do for cheap flights....

Day 16 Final Destination

Mataranka to Darwin
Distance traveled 7833km
Temp 35-39
Track
Left Mataranka today leaving behind the deafening cicada noise on route to Darwin. More of the same trip of yesterday we detoured again to Litchfield national park to take a dip in the local watering hole, wish we had one of these at home; Emma is acting more like Elaine everyday when she led us on a bush-walk through the park regularly stopping to take photos. Staying in Darwin..

Day 15 Springs at last

Kununurra to Mataranka
Distance traveled 6968km
Temp 35-39
Track
We headed for Katherine this morning, passing through magnificent escarpment after escarpment, the roads were patchy after repair from recent floods; the roadside was so green and absolutely teaming with life, cicadas, birds, frogs, butter-fly's, grasshoppers...  hot and sunny we had lunch at Katherine and took a 100 km detour to Mataranka to visit the springs there. I think we were all satisfied by what we found.

Day 14 Further North

Halls Creek to Kununurra
Distance traveled 6343km
Temp 37-39
Track
We left Kununurra this morning in search of springs to take a dip, traveled to the Palm Springs 70km trip where the local aborigines go, was not thermal but a nice spot. The locals were coming in droves behind us obviously they use this spot quite a lot during the wet season when the temperatures remain in the high 30C.
We then set off to Kununurra at a leisurely pace, given all the parks (bungle bungles)  were closed off during the wet season we could not make any other detours. Staying at the Hidden Valley caravan park for the night before closing in on Darwin, no rain today back to high temperatures and very high humidity. Darwin has been stormy the past few days and has a forecast of storms for the next few days so there is no rush to get there. We have been lucky with the weather to date as Broome had storms today also.

Day 13 Just can't wait to sniff some xxx-xxxxx with my friends

Broome to Halls Creek
Distance traveled 5894km
Temp 28-37
Track
Yes we are on the road again after spending 4 glorious nights at the mantra Broome. JC departed the group today heading back to Melbourne after shipping the GS by truck. Given the changes to the group we have changed plans also and will be heading to Darwin via Katherine. Today we had our first taste of Kimberley rain albeit just enough to cover the roads in flood-zones I'm sure it can get a lot worse. The temperature dropped below 30C the first time for days. Tonight we are staying in Halls creek cooking our staple diet of noodles and salmon, skies are clear again and temperature is back up to 37C.

Our last sunset in Broome

Day 10 Rest

 Broome
Distance traveled 5034km
Temp 32

A rest day at last with a visit to Cable Beach and the shopping center to stock up on supplies. Most of the day was spent in the pool. JC arrived from Fitzroy Crossing around midday. We managed the obligatory sunset camel ride on the beach, Matt and JC on Jamal and Emma and Pete on Ely. Emma of course now wanted to bring a camel back to Melbourne, probably as practical as a stray dog...

Pizza in the Weber tonight a far cry from the sachet pasta and salmon of the previous nights in the desert.

JC dropped a bomb-shell tonight, that he had had enough riding in the hot temperatures and was going to ship the GS and himself home.
JC was struggling with the high temperatures, understandable with +40C of course but we thought that hydration may have played a role at some stages of the ride drinking less than 6L of water and no mineral replenishment. Something that should have been planned better.

Day 9 The Kimberley

Billiluna to Broome
Distance traveled 5034km
Temp 35-45
Track
The final 170km of the Tamami would be completed today but not before re-fueling at Billiluna. Pete's vehicle was escorted by JC to the fuel station (without being deserted this time) and luckily they made it with the gauge on empty. At $2.60/Liter this was the highest that was seen. They met a few of the local aborigines at the store and one of them showed Emma his camel and dogs, Emma was so besotted by one of the pups she was instigating a kidnap.It was a long drive today Travelling all the way to Broome after dark with cattle frequently crossing the highway. JC decided to stop in Fitzroy crossing after travelling through the hottest temperatures seen yet on this trip.

Day 8 The desert

Tilmouth well to Billiluna
Distance traveled 4139
Temp 32-43
Track
The real battle of the desert starts today, the Tanami in summer showed its true colours a blistering 43C for most of the day, JC was particularly struggling with the high temperatures and deep sand in patches although overall the track was in surprisingly good condition and so 100+ km/h were achievable in most parts so all was going well, we had reserve fuel for the extended km's we had to travel between stops (650km). But then a change of plan JC didn't want to travel to Bolga to re-fuel as it would mean travelling 35km off the track and a further 35km to return, he suggested travelling to Billiluna an additional 72km, Pete knew this would mean using up all fuel, he foolishly agreed and had to reduce his traveling speed in order to make up the short-fall in fuel. Well that was where the cunning new plan would start to unravel as when they reached Billiluna they had difficulties locating the campsite, leaving Pete red-lining on fuel. Temperatures and tempers reached boiling point when for the first time on this adventure the tables had turned and now Pete required help from JC in order to make it to the campsite JC unfortunately failed in this duty and deserted Pete when supposedly escorting Pete's near stricken vehicle to the campsite using even more fuel than was necessary. Lets just say a few words were spoken that cannot be reported in this blog given its G classification.
The campsite was ant ridden but had a great outlook over lake stretch, the temperature overnight did not drop below 37 and there was little to no wind (insert fart joke here). It made for a very un-comfortable bush camp.
The fate of Pete's fuel exhaustion would not be known until they returned to the fuel station (15km away) that would not be open until the next day at 8:00am.

Day 7 the beginning

Kings canyon to Alice and
Distance traveled 3399
Track
We got up early for a helicopter flight over kings canyon, it was awesome. Then headed on the road to Alice taking a short cut on a 100km dirt track, we dropped in on the xxxx meteorite craters, where JC decided to make his own track through private property rather than walk. It didn't quite go to plan especially when the GS hit the dust again. Anyhow into Alice to prepare for the real adventure being the tanami. We filled both Jerry's and headed down the arriving at XXX at 7:15pm to set up camp. No one about except a truck driver who had just come from the mine halfway down the tanami, he said it should be OK now the water had subsided but showed up some photos a few days back of his road train pushing through soggy corrugated track, was slow going he told us.
After a billy cooked meal set had an early night ready for the big day ahead.

Day 6 kings canyon

Uluru to kings canyon
Distance traveled 2859km
Temp 32-38°
Track

A short trip this morning after checking out from the rock. Some of the party got a camping site at kings canyon the rest of the party (the softer one) had to get the penthouse suite.
The separation of the parties caused a miscommunication when hooking up for a hike in the canyon (sorry JC , we did instigate the dirt bike rule when separated)
We were considering a heli ride over the canyon however the wind was not conducive for flying and when the pilot warns you its a bit bumpy , what his really telling you his gonna pack extra vomit bags.
We have rebooked for the morning.