We camped for 2 night at Devils Marbles after leaving Alice Springs and staying one night a a roadside rest area. Devils Marbles is a very popular camping spot, we arrived at about 1.30 and we were lucky to get a spot, there would have been about 20 or so caravans, campers, motorhomes, buses and fifth wheelers. Devils Marbles are (you are going to get bored with this) an amazing formation, in particular just before sunrise they take on an ethereal red glow, beatiful.
The only wild life sighted was a lone Dingo, he would wander through the camp at any time of the day or night, showing no fear and not really careing about much at all, other than on the second morning it took an interest in one of the campers' little dog, oh well it missed out on the feed.
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| THE DINGO TOOK ........ |
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| SUN RISE ON THE MARBLES |
Seeing this rock formation, you ask your self how the hell do they stay there?
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| LOOK MUM NO CEMENT |
After our couple of nights we headed off and planning to stay at Banka Banka Outstation. Banka Banka was in years past a cattle station which had an area for visiting caravanners. The station has been purchase by the Aboriginal Land Corporation, their plan is to turn it back into a cattle station and use it as a training facitity to train young Aboriginals in the workings of a cattle station. They plan to keep the caravan park as well and I assume that they will also be trained in that. Bank Banka is a little green oasis in the middle of red dirt and dust, supplied with and never ending supply of spring water. The manager encourages you to empty your water tanks to help water the grass and to fill up with spring water, you are also encouraged to wash you vehicles to help keep the grass in good nick. Happy hour was usually held behind the bar (licenced) where they had a large fire pit, a few hours of pleasent conversation with other travellers was had there.
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| BANKA BANKA STATION |
Following our couple of nights at Banka Banka we headed off towards Daly Waters Pub, on the way we decided that we would have a free night at Newcastle Waters. This free stop appeared very popular, so we were lucky to get a spot. We arrived around 1.30 and there was probably 10 vans etc in by then, but by 3.00 the place was chockers, about 30 vans, motorhomes etc had set up for the night. We had a fifth wheeler pull up next to us and after setting up the wife decider to go for a walk in the bush behind the stop - luckiy she took a 2 way radio with her. She had lost sight of the vans and didn't have a bloddy clue where she was, after some time of stumbling around we could hear her talking over and above the 2 way. Her husband told her to turn off her radio and to follow his voice because she was so close to the rest stop. She managed to stumble her way into camp and her husband said that her directional awareness was hopeless, turn her around twice in a shopping centre and she's buggared. Anyway Newcastle Waters itself is a cattle station and has a memorial to the drovers how lost their lives droving in the Territory in particular out of the Newcastle Waters area.
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| NEWCASTLE WATERS |
So we finally make the infamous Daly Waters Pub, reasonable caravan park, $24 per night with power and water (plenty of water, empty your tanks and refill with our great water). The pub is well known for its interior decor, knickers and bras hung over the rafters and cash stapled to the walls. The pub is a territoy institution for its meals, the specialty of the house is "Barra" and Beef, at $27.50 a head although it was nice it was a little over priced. They do about 14,000 a season, so with the attached caravan park which they put about 90 vans a night for the season. Thats before you start adding up the beer sales - of which there was plenty, not a bad earner. There was entertainment every night, firstly from 4.30 to 7.30 was a girl playing the sax - her act was called "Sax and the Single Girl". She was really good, played all sorts of music, from rock and roll to ballards, she was folloewed by "Chilli", he sang and told stories and "took the pi.." out of anyone in particular - very entertaining and humerous, a lot of old jokes but very good. after Daly Waters we are heading off to Mataranka Springs Homestead for a week of R&R, this is very exhausting you know.
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| DALY WATERS PUB |
The only wild life sighted was a lone Dingo, he would wander through the camp at any time of the day or night, showing no fear and not really careing about much at all, other than on the second morning it took an interest in one of the campers' little dog, oh well it missed out on the feed.
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