Ti Tree

This is probably the last photo you see of the van still intact and in shape.

Disaster happened.

I dreamt of the donkey attacking me and steered the vehicle to the dirt road. The vehicle nearly got thrown off the road.

We reached Ti-Tree. I had been driving straight 2 hours that morning. I think fatigue had climbed over me. Gen had to take over since she hasn't drove that day.

We drove off.

I was reading the map and knew we are nearing Alice Springs, the place where we will stop by and look for a hostel before continuing the journey down to Ayers Rock and Kings Canyon.

Suddenly, I felt the vehicle vibrating vigorously. I coudn't help but shouted ,"GEN?" and by the time I looked up, the vehicle is gliding along the undulating dirt ground. We were off the tar road.

There wasn't enough time for us to react, or for gen to react. I looked over at her and saw the ground smashed into the right side door. Glass shattered. Soon after, I found myself and the van rolling. All our belongings were tossed all around the vehicle. It happened so fast as if I was in one of my dreams.

Our Van rolled over. Travelling at 140km/h and was turned left immediately will not hesitate to throw the vehicle into a rolling motion just like how a washing machine will wash the clothes.

When the vehicle finally stopped, I unbuckled my safety belt and noticed the whole vehicle was already flipped on its right side. I pulled gen out. She was shocked by the trauma.

So fearful of explosion which usually occured in movies, I told gen to get out first. I had to hold the door for her to climb out. And I realised it wasn't easy holding on to the door. After she got out, I had trouble. I could not hold the door and get out myself. I was in deepshit. Struggling my way, I had to let the weight of the door pressed down on me as I creeped out through the opening lifted by my bare body.

I ran away, and pulled her away too.

We waited. There wasn't any explosion.

It just sounded like a dream. happen like a dream. Felt like a dream. Our vehicle was gone. Bowie died.

Barrow Creek

Where we found a donkey laying restlessly on the dirt floor, we came

to Barrow Creek. I went over to disturb it from its sleep just to take a photo. It did not turn out well, the donkey became agitated and wanted to get back at me. I guess it was dragged back my its fatigue and continued its rest. I was shocked for a moment or two.

We found this adorable dog wandering about the place too.

Some interesting facts about these roadhouses are they love to hang stuff left my visitors around the place and all over the walls. Maybe I should have left something for them or have I already did.

Wycliffe

After the morning... we realised that we forgot to switch off the car headlamps and the lights inside the vehicle... this drained the vehicle battery flat... there was no more left to start the engine....


I went around to look for help...and found this photographer who came as early as us to catch the sunrise while his girlfriend was sleeping in the car...well at that point of time... gen was also sleeping inside the van...lol.... i request for a starter cable... he didn't have it... so I had to look for other alternatives...


Ran into this old couple who passed by our vehicle.... it was still early in the morning... around 9am.... they stop by and we requested for a starter cable....he too didn't own one..... however... he offer his golden hand to help us push start the vehicle....his old wife came down from the caravan too...hahaha...gen stayed in the vehicle to steer and gear the van while we push....

Vroom... and the vehicle started... and went off.... the image of van gets smaller and smaller.... it didn't return...


I wonder.... my saviour asked," Where's your girl friend going? She was only told not to stop the engine..."


"Yup.." i replied.


She didn't return .... I stood there as I waved good bye to the old couple.... waiting in the wilderness. Soon after, the photographer I met that morning came by. Curiously, he asked me where's my vehicle and I had to shake my head. Laugh Out Loud.


Half hour passed. The sound of a moving vehicle could be heard from afar. There she is. Gen. With the van intact of course. I was so worried that something happened to her.


"Where did you go?" I asked.


"That guy told me not to stop the engine.... So I dare not stop and carry on driving."

-_-

We came to a roadhouse called Wycliffe where aliens were said to be sported in these area. There you are....the aliens we caught...

Devil's Marble in dawn

the next morning we woke up early to drive back to Devil'q marble to see the sunrise.... the weather was so freezing that we could barely breathe. We reached there too early, it was still pitch dark....we took a little nap.

When dawn break, we woke up and walk around the vicinity to enjoy the fresh morning air....

Ok.. the car lose its battery power.... we left the headlight and lights inside on.... hahaha... had to get these old couple to push start the car for us..... guess what... gen drove off and left me in the desert....she only came back half hour later....

I ask,"what you go?"

"the old man say dun stop the engine so i keep on driving"

"omg... dun stop the engine... not dun stop the vehicle"

I was worried for her safety though when i saw the vehicle drove off.

Staying over at Wauchope

It was getting dark so we decided to stay over at Wauchope Road House, a nearby site for caravan....we had spagetti and met some friends there too.... nearly got killed by their dog though...haha... but they were friendly people.... gen's the cook again...lol.. i helped....

Devil's Marble

we manage to Devil's Marble before Evening... it was a marvellous and stunning sight when we got there... I have never in my life seen such a beautiful scenery with the evening sun pouring its energy over this land of marbles.... the stones glow like pearl and reflect the earth's unforgettable beauty

Finally, we reached Three Way RoadHouse. Every road house provides food accomodation petrol and other stores we could purchase to stock up our vehicle. Caravan Driving is so common in Australia that you don't have to worry that you will be left alone in the Central Plains.....haha...That's me in the restaurant....

20 JUNE 06, 1125h

As we travel South, we came to Dunmarra Roadhouse Inn. We stop at all petrol stations to top up the fuel tank and also to take a break from the long hours of driving.

Spot this sunset outback painting in the restaurant and took a picture of it. Time now is 11:25am and the sun is hot....

1202h.....we continue our journey and notice some cows peeping at us...haha....yeah... we stop by and took their pictures..... Never did I see real live cows in an open field beside the commercial on HL milk....

2o JUNE 06, 1030h.....Here we are at Daly Waters, they got a marvellous woodcutter here who can play the guitar as well..... he's quite a hilarious guy, wearing that little house on his head afraid that one day he might end up without a roof over his head......

And all the wood carving you see around Daly water is done by him alone...

you could see what the people actually leave behind in the pub... lingeries, money, caps, underwear,.....all sorts of items you would never finish guessing......there's the Reecepshun...haha... some history about Daly Water i took from wikipedia...

The name Daly Waters was given to a series of natural springs by John McDouall Stuart during his third attempt to cross Australia from south to north, in 1861-2. Stuart named the springs after the new Governor of South Australia, Sir Dominick Daly.

Stuart's first attempt, in 1860, had reached Tennant Creek. The second, in early 1861, pushed further north but again Stuart turned back. The third journey left Adelaide in October 1861 and reached Daly Waters on 28 May. The party had been pushing through difficult lancewood scrub and harsh terrain at a little over a kilometre a day. This journey was successful, reaching the north coast near modern Darwin on 24 July, 1862. Stuart's Tree has an 'S' carved into it by Stuart during his journey.

The Overland Telegraph Line reached Daly Waters from the north in June 1872 and for two months a 'pony express' carried messages the 421 km to Tennant Creek via Renner Springs Northern Territory.

The town airfield was a centre for the London to Sydney air race of 1926, a refuelling stop for early Qantas flights to Singapore, a World War II Airforce base and more recently an operational base for joint military manoeuvres. Although the aerodrome was closed to commercial traffic in 1965 the original Qantas hangar still stands, housing exhibits of photographs and equipment from the area's aviation past.

we came across this deserted World War 2 airfield .... its kinda cool...they still have the crashed plane left there....

0841h...early in the morning......we had brunch at the petrol station as well though...haha


We had to fill up petrol and saw this damn cute dog lofting around the station.

At mataranka, we went to the famous mataranka thermal pool. our original plan was to stayed over at Mataranka Homestead Resort but it was still early in the morning, so we decided to

move along and proceed to Tennant Creek

20 JUNE06

HEY! long time no post le...haha... been busy... well.. after playing with the horse we carried on with our trip...




the next morning, we were on our way to Mataranka.... thats what we saw along the road early in the morning....animals were killed easily along highway due to the high speed cars travel and mostly which met with such tragedy are kangaroos....

On our way back, we met some friends. Gen was saying I lame til I got in touch with the horses. She came and join me in the end. However, careless of her, she got cut by the barb wire and left a deep scar on her arm.

In the afternoon, we drove to Nitmiluk National Park which is in the Northern Territory of Australia, 244 km southeast of Darwin. It has been established around a series of gorges on the Katherine River and Edith Falls.

We canoed in Katherine Gorge itself during late afternoon and I nearly got washed down by the rushing river. There were a few rapids we had to dismount our canoe and pull it across the rocks. However, the return trip back was easier as we just flowed along the river.

So we entered the cave, no bats seen though. I remembered during Outward Bound Sabah the cave was really dark and bats were all around above our head. Those night creatures just pee and shit on us and the smell really gets deep into our nose.

The cave was more enriched with minerals and history. Inside the cave, the humidity was higher it feels warmer though.

We had to walk along a route before the Cave... well.. its not really a route we MUST take ... but the tour guide explained the minerals formed from the vicinity of the cave, showing us how rich in nutricient the ground is.... everything is big size in australia...remember the termite mould??

Day 5 19JUNE 06

Here we are at Cutta Cutta Caves, a well-known batcave and see what we found in the visitor centre, the preserved bones and carcass of the bats and creatures found.... reminds of my primary school science laboratory...haha....