Top Didj (by Ellen)

Today we got up early to go to Top Didj. When we got there we were met by two wallabies called Jack and Jill. We learnt how to paint a picture and for that day we were part of the Dalabon tribe.　After the painting we went to lighting a fire. It was hard. Finally we got the fire lit and went to spear-throwing. I think I was the third best (there was another family with us). It was so much fun!

At the shop I bought a flat stone with a painting of an echidna on it. After that we went for lunch at Katherine's thermal springs. I didn't enjoy the hot springs as much as I enjoyed Bitter Springs or Mataranka thermal pool. Later we came back to the caravan park and went for another swim in the pool.

Manuel telling us about the Dalabon style of painting

Dalabon connections - all the kids on this trip are sisters & brothers to each other & call both Ben & Pete "Dad"

Fire sticks in the background

The steps, not including Step 7 (called "touch 'im up")

 

Ben working on his creation

All our pictures! Aren't we clever? Can you match the pictures with the person?

Ellen showing how it's done!

Link:

More about Manuel

Bitter Springs (by Kath)

Picture a tropical forest path meandering through palms to a crystal clear pool of water. The water is lovely and warm being fed from a thermal spring. You are floating slowly down stream with the current, past flowering water lillieys under palms and along side mossy banks.

The water is clear, the sand at the bottom a pure white and the sky above a deep blue - better than any mineral springs spa. That was our experience today and the fact that we shared the experience with 6 kids and grey nomads detracted from it only slightly!

Mataranka

A few images which demonstrate the old adage "Like Father, Like Son". First we all enjoyed Tom's butter-on-the-outside sandwich developement. (inadvertent .... oops!)

We weren't so happy when Pete managed to drive the van too close to a camping ground star-picket....Richard and Annie, you know how you said we should expect damage to the vehicle and van? Well ummmm...... so sorry!

A bit of metal straightening, a few screws and some silicone later ....

... we have a functional & vaguely comestic result that should see us through until it can be repaired properly upon return. I may have got over it myself in that time! But I must stress to Annie & Richard that several times each day I find myself grateful and full of gratitude for the things we are experiencing thanks to their generousity.

I was helped of course by a mystery bushman ....

Ant hill or termite mound?

Codi and Ellen in Mataranka's thermal pool

"Goanna" at Bitter Springs

Some camp ground scenes....

We swam in the Roper River which flows to the Gulf of Carpenteria (after checking the crocodile signs!)

The view from the Roper River pontoon

This is tonight's campfire  (a couple of book readers in the Jayco beds)

We hope you enjoyed our Mataranka updates. Off to Katherine area tomorrow. New posts entirely dependent on signal!!!

Hannah's Narrative

We got up early, packed up and left the camp by 9am. We stopped for lunch at a petrol station near Daly Waters. Mum chose a place to eat just under a tree and it all seemed peaceful until a huge flock of apostlebirds came and landed on the tree and landed on almost anything except our table. Mum & Dad got distracted from protecting our table by a bowerbird and a few of the apostlebirds almost flew off with a Cruskit. They came so close to us that if they let us we could have touched them.

We are now at Mataranka staying in the Mataranka Homestead Resort.

Hannah's Imaginative Narrative (inspired by our snake experience!)

It had been just another of those boring, uneventful days when Mum suddenly shrieked "Snake! Snake! Snake on the table!" So we all went outside to see if there really was a snake on the table. I was there first and I saw it. It was huge, black and it had teeth as long as a knife and its fangs were as long as this book!

It was huge and could wrap itself around our car and could squeeze the life out of anything including us! We were so scared that we started screaming for help and as we did Dad, who had just come back from birdwatching, shone a torch on it. Everyone went quiet and started to laugh. It was only a toy snake!!!

Here are some drawings and images from the Stuart Hwy.

Sometimes long drives can be tiring! Hannah reading about the Devil's Marbles

Arriving @ Mataranka, by Tom

We set out early to get to our next stop, Mataranka. The drive took about 4 hours with two stops at Newcastle Waters and Daly Waters where we had some lunch while apostlebirds overwhelmed us and tried to steal it! Once, we got distracted by a bowerbird and an apostlebird tried to grab and fly away with a whole "Cruskit".

Mataranka has lots of hot springs that are rivers that are heated from under the earth. The caravan park that we stayed in (Mataranka Resort) had its own hot spring so we walked down and had a swim in our bathers. The caravan park has lots of wild animals like wallabies and peacocks. There was a tree snake that slithered through our neighbour's caravan and up a tree. After that we got a bit nervous when we went to bed because we didn't want a snake to slide into our caravan and wake us up!

Here are copies of some of my drawings from my journal. They are from our trip along the Stuart Hwy up the middle of Australia including the Devil's Marbles.

Dad's caption: THE DEVIL with one of his marbles!

We saw one of these slithering around the caravan park!

Banka Banka to Mataranka

Awaking at Banka Banka we had our first morning where it wasn't brisk. It was shorts & Tshirts as we jumped in the cars for the planned drive to Mataranka.

There are a few shots from a nature trail (one of pete's birding jaunts - Grammie, you would have loved it) heading to a waterhole from Banka Banka.

The kids have proved great travellers - we have 2 in the back and 1 in the far back (they are rotating)! Sandwiches and drinks can be passed forward.

We stopped for birding reasons of the Jabiru kind at Newcastle Waters. Yes, Rich we saw two with good views. While we were there they must have both left because they weren't to be seen as we drove out!

We found ourselves refuelling at lunchtime near Daly Waters and liked the look of a shaded picnic table. We were mobbed by apostlebirds & quite happy to move on!

We've had a swim at the Mataranka thermal pool and will explore tomorrow. The sounds of John Williamson songs surround us here as we join the great aussie nomad tradition!

Tonight we are all zipped up as this friendly snake slithered through a neighbour's campsite!

Photos are from:
Banka Banka walking trail
Newcastle Waters
Apostlebirds
The snake which we now think is a Banded tree snake (aka Katherine Brown aka Night tiger)
Icy poles at Mataranka

Alice Springs to Banka Banka

A few quick updates from the phone - will try to get some kid reports up when conditions allow!

Today (tuesday) we left family in Alice feeling bad that we weren't staying longer (but then that always happens to us when leaving alice!!!)

Thanks again Richard & Annie for the loan of rig & equipment!

The newbies at campervan trailer pack down were ready for the Shanavanners who really do need a few pointers on the art!! :)

Pictures below include (sorry, but can't adjust order or add captions with this phone app!)

Some Oleander Cres scenes (in the public interest Rich & Annie!)
The van ready to go
Road scenes
Devil's marbles
Banka Banka setup & campfire