so just as it goes over to midnight on the new day of the 6th April, we were woken up and told we needed to evacuate, so much for our nice sleep in a real bed! So we packed up our stuff and headed up the road in our car to higher ground, to the local primary school.
(PLEASE NOTE: in the last blog blabble I wrote that when we finally crossed the bridge in Kakadu and was listening to Jacques Le Cont, fabric, it wasn't track 9 that came on, it was track 11 - I now have the IPOD and have realised the error of the ranting raving ways, the correct title of the track is "also spraus zarathustra" sorry)
When we got there were already quite a few people there. Basically,it hadn't quite started to flood yet, but as soon as it gets higher than 18m (that's 18m higher than normal) they have to evacuate, most of the town is built around the river. So we found a parking space and had a wander round, they were giving out tea and coffee which was nice and could find a spot and sleep in one of the classrooms. Wehad a look and decided to sleep in the car, so we rolled down the front seats and slept in the car - again.
The next morning I got up at 7, thinking we could head off, as we the river is north of the town,we had already passed over it and we wanted to go south. So I went for a wander and spoke to a police lady and she said that the roads going north and south of Katherine are both flooded making the whole town cut off, no-one can leave or get in! MMMMM.....interesting. So that's ruled us out having an early start getting down to Alice Springs! I broke the bad news to Gary, I was told we would most likely be stuck for a couple of days. We were told that some of the shops were still open and we could have a look atthe bridge. So we got dressed and went for a wander, we got some magazines and went down to the bridge. It was closed to traffic but people could walk over it. (oh yeah - when we went to the supermarket the night before, the girl on the checkout told us that they had sold 2 crates of batteries!) The water was touching the bottom of the bridge,normally it is 18m lower, even though it hadn't actually rained that mush over night, there was an 80m gorge type thing up-river that had flooded and this was rushing down to the river at Katherine, hense the flood. So we walked over the bridge and could see where the road had flooded just on the other side, a policeman said he had been on duty for the whole of the day before, finished his shift, managed to go home, get some supplies, then had to go back to work and had been all night and all morning. The road was flooded for a couple of k's, but wasn't that deep...yet.
We wandered around for a bit and then went back to the car, by this time most of the town had been evacuated and people were also staying at the secondary school. We read our magazines and I had a big sort out of the car and managed to mostly dry out a lot of our stuff. Everyone was really friendly, lots of people were staying in their caravans - they are really popular here, one guy said if we wanted a bit more space if it rains we could sit in their camp and they had free food for everyone. There was loads of press around talking to people and taking photos and loads and loads of helicopters. All the shops were shut by 12pm. Police also had to come round to remind people to keep their cars locked cos a lady had had her handbag stolen, not very neighbourly. That night a recovery army type team came to the school with beds and blankets for everyone. We finished off the whiskey and slept in the car again.
The next morning I got up early to see if there was any change, the police said there wasn't, but would let us know if there was any change. About an hour later they came round and said the road going south was clear. HORRAH. We literally got in the front of the car and headed straight off, whoosh.
When we got to the end of the road the school was on we realised how bad the flooding had got. It was right up to the end of the road, all the roads we had walked down the morning before were completely underwater, the road the school was on was the last road not to get flooded. All the shops, houses and the hostel were flooded. This was as bad as the flood in '98, where a crocodile was spotted cruising down one of the isles of the flooded Woolworths! (we suspect he was looking for toothpaste....I'm sorry, I'll get my coat)
Enyway, we said our goodbyes and zoomed off. We stopped at the next town about an hour down the road called Mataranka, to get some petrol, there were about 50 road trains (lorries with 3 or 4 or 5 artic sized carriages) all parked up by the road cos they couldn't get any further north. When we stopped at the garage we noticed quite a lot of smoke coming from under the car, GREAT. The lady in the garage said there was a mechanic down the road who was nice, so we went down to Willies Autos. As it goes the guy, who I can only presume was Willy, was really nice. Some rubber seal had broken, only a small part, which costs about $10, but to replace it he had to take out the whole gear box and this would take about 3 hours. So we got our books out of the car and once again left Elwood at the mechanic's.
We went for a walk, down the one street of the 'town.' There was 2 petrol stations, a MEAN looking pub (the kind of place where if we walked in I think everything would have gone quiet and everyone would have stared at us, it also had a seperate bit for the Aboriginals and a bar for the 'whites' - nice place) and a shop. We had no money, cos we couldn't get any in Kakadu or Katherine and there was no cash point here. So we scrapped together and got some crisps to share. We walked around for AGES. We wandered to try and find a campsite, cos it was now getting on a bit and we weren't to sure if it would still be day-light by the time the car gets fixed (its not very nice driving at night in the outback, lots of roadkill, and a roo would write off a car, plus the guilt of killing a roo, its not worth driving at night here) We found one campsite that was completely full, apart from a motel room, which we reckon the price was doubled, cos not only was there a back log of truckies who couldn't north, there was also tourists. Basically the one and only main road north to Darwin was flooded. So we thought we would wait and see about the car.
As it goes it was finally finished some time around 5. We found out if we carried on, cos it was an oil leak the car would of eventually caught fire, so we were glad we got that one fixed, ruddy car. So we paid Willy and headed south to the next town, Larrimah. This was only about another hour down the road so we got there around sunset. Even smaller than Mataranka, one and shop/petrol/cmapsite! Aagin this place was stacked up with truckies and tourists but we got a camping spot. They also had a baby roo.
We put up the tent, finally had a shower - the first one since the evening at the hostel and had an early night.
The next morning - the 8th we got up early and was back on the road by 7am. We managed to get all the way to Alice Springs, over 900kms. We didn't stop, only for petrol and to swap driving. We basically had to drive all the way down the same highway we had driven all the way up to get to Darwin. At every town there was truckies tourists. We stopped at Elliot, a place we stayed at on the way up that had lots of peacocks and things swimming in the pool, we stopped to get petrol and I went to the loo and after I flushed I could see something moving in the bowl and there was a white frog! strange but true folks.
So Alice Springs, it was just getting dark by the time we checked into a campsite,so we put up the tent and flaked out, we had finally made it to Alice Springs, we got through flash floods, big floods, broken car and frogs. We also saw an eagle do a nose dive and I bought a paper and a teenager had been bitten by a crocodile in Katherine, he managed to punch him off, then him and his mates climbed a tree and called the police and they didn't arrive for a couple of hours cos they thought the boys were joking!!!We went to the supermarket, which was open 24 hours, and got supplies for the next few days. Oh and my berkinstock stylee shoes broke :( but I superglued them back together :)
Enway the next morning we got up and luckily it was Sunday, which at this campsite meant free pancakes for breakfast - SAFE. So we went down to the camp kitchen and had our free pancakes.
Then left Alice Springs to drive to Yulura, the resort next to Uluru, or white man name Ayers Rock. It was about a 5 hour drive. We got to Yulura which is basically a very small town just for the tourists, there are a few hotels, a supermarket, post office and a campsite. We checked in to the campsite and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon.
The next morning we got up at 5.30am - YUK! And drove about 10mins down the road to the national park and watched the sunrise at Uluru. It was incredable to see it properly for the first time. The colours did change, browns, oranges and reds. Stunning.
Then we did the base walk around the rock. It was about 7km and took us about 3 hours. The flies were disgusting. There were constantly about 10 flying around your face and about 50 on your back - no joke. GROSS. We had to buy fly nets, its ok when they are on our backs cos well out of sight out of mind and there is nothing you can do, everybody had them and they were everywhere, its just better when they can't land on your face, so we looked lovely wandering around with our nets on!
Then when we got back to the beginning of the walk we decided to try and walk up the rock. Now it says that the Aboriginal people would prefer it if you didn't cos of its upsetting for them when people get hurt, but then on the way into the park there is a massive sign whether the climb is open (they close it if the weather is too dangerous or if there is a rescue in operation.) So we had a look saw about 50 people walking up, so we thought we would give it a go. You can't do the climb anywhere around it, its way to steep, but there is one bit which is quite sloped so that's the bit people walk up. The first bit their are some smaller rocks on the side to lean onto. AH and so begins another Crazy Converse Challenge That's about 10 maybe 20m up, we got this far and then stopped, for a rest and to have a look at the view. It was well steep. The view was already incredible. Then there is nothing to hold onto for about 10m and after that going all the way to the top there is a metal rope thing that you can hold onto (again another contradicting thing about climbing the rock, but if people are going to do it might as well try and make it a but safer)
So there is this gap where there is nothing to hold onto, its well steep and we're already rather high (altough probably only about a 1/8 of the way up) I got scared cos I kept thinking I was going to fall cos there is nothing to hold onto. I tried to climb to the metal rope thing and after a couple of steps I frooze convinced that if I moved my feet I was going to slip and fall. So Gary had to practically move my feet for me and got me back to where the smaller rocks were and I set there while he ventured up further with the camera. Whilst I was waiting I got talking to a guy who had been climbing it since 1975 and that today was to be his last ever climb. I asked him if it was cos of how the local Aboriginal people don't like it and he said it wasn't but cos of his own spirital feelings, what a hippy, still nice to talk to him. But he told me to give it a try its worth it and it does get easier. I watched people climbing past and even saw these two guys walking with these 2 little girls who must of been about 7! Then Gary came back, he hadn't climbed to the top just a bit further up, I had a few practise goes at climbing without holding onto the small rocks and then built up the momentum and got the beginning bit of the metal rope thing! HUZZAH. So i clung on to that we went up quite far, its hard to tell how far you've actually climbed but I reckon we got close to halfway. It was hard work and it was still well steep and I got more scared the higher we got. You could always stop and sit down for a rest but some bits were flatter than others. We sat down and admired the views and how flat the surrounding land actually is and the view of the Olgas, a collection of massive big rocks. We climbed back down, well Gary climbed down - I slid down on my bum!
Then we went to the visitors centre and treated ourselves to some potatoe wedges and bought a nice wooden bowl, crafted by the aboriginals and is also one that the same design would of actually been used by them.
Then we went back to the campsite and I had a nap. Then we headed back down to Uluru to a different spot to watch the sunset. This was also stunning and again the colours were awesome. We also got talking to some friendly olddie ozzies who were next to us. After dark we headed back to the campsite and had another early night, we were pooped.
The next morning, the 11th, we got up early again and packed up and headed about an 45 minutes down the road to the Olgas, or proper non-white man name, Kata Tjuta. We one of the walks through a gorge.
Gary wasn't feeling to good, so we then headed 3 hours down the road to the King's Canyon resort. Similar to Yulura, only smaller. We checked into the campsite and went in the pool. The next morning we got up really early again (its important to do walks in the red centre either early morning or late afternoon when its cooler) and packed up and headed over to the King's Canyon, it was only 20mins from the resort. On the way we stoppped at a look out of the canyon, it was breath-taking.
We got the base of the canyon and did the 6km through the canyon. There is a steep climb to start but I preferred this walk to the walk around Uluru. The scerenery was mcuh more interesting and constantly changing and was much more dramatic. And at the bottom of the canyon there is the "Garden of Eden" and oasis. All the water from rainfull drains down the canyon to this one bit and there in the middle of the rocky desert canyon is lush greenery and loads of trees. We walked down there and when we got to the bottom we realised that you could swim but we didn't have our stuff :( But we headed on and throughly enjoyed the walk.
I realised that for the last 3 days I have taken hundreds of photos and they have all been of rocks!
After the walk, which took about 4 hours, we headed back to Alice Springs, about a 4 hour drive. We checked into a really nice campsite that had wild rock wallabies that lived on the edges of the campsite grounds. We bought some food from reception and fed them at dusk. Gary had an early night and I got talking to some people who had the worst painted van in the world.
The next morning we got up early to start the 4/5 day drive back to Brisbane. We left at 6.30 and only stopped for petrol and to swap driving and managed to drive 1200kms to Mt Isa. We did have to drive in the dark and as the sunset we saw the most incredible storm develop, but it was miles away so we only got a bit of rain. But we could lots of strange clouds and a funny lighting and we also saw lots of lightening forks! We got to Mt Isa, found a campsite, went in the pool, ate some dinner (macaroni cheese out the saucepan,) luaghed at the friendy dog who belonged to the tent next door and read and went to sleep. BUT my pair of flip flops broke beyond repair and I have to throw them in the bin:(
UH OH only one pair of berks and my good old converse left!
So Easter Friday, the 14th, we headed off early again, we were doing really well, just got through a town called Longreach and the road was flooded, but no worse than Kakadu, we watched a car drive through with a caravan and the guy reckoned we would be ok, so we thought sod it and drove through. We got through ok, but after the battery light came on. We carried on thinking it would charge up as we drive. We did really well, and we were going to stop at the next town. I was driving, the battery light was still on and we were about 10kms away and then I noticed the milage counter stopped counting then a minute later the car died. CRUMBS. The sun would be setting soon. Gary got out to have a wee and just as I was opening the bonnet a car drove past. He stopped, thats lucky I thought, first car to drive past stops, then as he pulled over I saw what it said on the side of his car "Outback Mobile Mechanic" OMIGOD so not only was he a mechanic, he was a mobile mechanic who had all of his tools.
So he has a look at the car and the alternater has broken. He said he would jump start it and follow us to the next town, where we were heading anyway AND where was also staying! ALSO while he was looking at the car he asked where we from etc etc, I told him we were from Croydon, not far from London and then this little old ozzie mechanic man turns round and says "Oh yeah, I know Croydon, I used to build and race cars in Bromley in the 60's" !!!!!!
SMALL WORLD - blimey o'riley, I couldn't believe what happened in the last 30 minutes.
So we got to Blackall, we had to be jump-started again but we made it. Then Neil, the friendly one time Bromley race car driver now mobile mechanic said he would come back in the morning to actually fix our car! This was such good news, Blackall like all towns in the outback was tiny and we really didn't think we would find a mechanic on easter weekend so even though Elwood was as usually being a disater we were really lucky to bump into Neil.
So we put up our tent and decided that Elwood's final insult was enough for us to strip him of his title, he is now called a name to rude to mentioned. Enyway we got talking to the guy next door, called Ken, a rough ozzie guy with lots of really old tattoes of meramids and anchors. It turned out he was a prospecter and he drives around Australia digging for gold, diamonds, gems and stones. He also had a dog called Angus, a jack russell, who Ken said was a "savage terror."
The next morning, now daylight Ken showed us some of his findings, he had been saving up to sell the goods in Sydney and buy a new van. He about $13,000 worth of gold and also diamonds and some black diamonds, which he had sent to Germany to be cut, opals, emeralds, sappires and loads of others and loads of rocks too. He keep all the gems and golds in baggies in a bumbag! Whilst we were looking at the tresure the couple next door to him came over, they like Ken were older and the guy - Jean-Pierre was from France and the lady, Patricia was from USA. As it turns out she was really into Geology and knew a fair amount about rocks and so Ken started giving her loads of rocks, which he just collects, then he gave me a small pot full of opals! They are small chips, so I don't think he can sell them but they are well nice and there are some dark opals in there too! We all talked for ages and found out that JP and Pat lived on a boat and had been sailing and travelling around the world for the last ten years! NICE.
After a while Ken packed up and headed off to an Opal field and the crazy french man and yank lady headed off too and Neil turned up to fix the car. He tried to fix the alternater but couldn't so we had to pay for a new one and luckily the shop was open so he could buy one. After about an hour it was all fixed and Neil only charged us $30 labour!
So even though the ruddy car broke again, in the space on 12 hours we meet some thoughly nice people and made the whole afternoon/morning very bizzare and most fun so it all balanced out, the good and bad.
Right so we eventually headed off around 11am and got to a town called Roma. Cos its easter weekend it was very busy, we got to campsite and it was full apart from one space, by the entrance, we didn't mind though it was only for one night. As it goes it actually the niced grass yet from a campsite. We went in the pool and relaxed.
The next morning, Easter Sunday, we left Roma to set off for a last day driving, so we decided it would only be fetching to listen to a classics set, albums which through all the hours driving we have done we just kept on playing:
REM - out of time
Nirvana - Nevermind
Oasis - What's the story
Fabric - Jacques Le Cont
Hardfi - stars of CCTV
Fabric - Scratch preverts
And then we got to Brisbane. Gary was driving and then the following events that unfolded we now refer to "crazy's finest map hour."
Normally when we get to a bog town, I drive and Gary reads the map, it benefits all concerned, bascially cos I cannot read a map this way it prevents us from getting lost. So as we drive into Brisbane, I pcik up the map book, we thought about stopping and swapping but couldn't find a spot so I just carried on with the directions and got us to the campsite. Right into the town, didn't have to turn around, go back on ourselve or swear at each other once!!! An event probably never to be repeated but at least once I managed it! hahaha
So after this mamouth writings that is it. We checked into the campsite, the same one we were at before, when we did our 10 day stint when the head gasket broke.
After all the dramas that happened before with the pikeys and the fights here is a breakdown of what has happened since we have been there:
. we went to see march of the penguins (brilliant brilliant brailliant)
. the irish couple across from us kept getting really drunk and rowdy and having lots of rows
. after one such row the irish lass 'had relations' with a random who lives in a house at the back of the campsite
. she told her boyfriend (Paul) and they split up, sorting out tickets and passports
. he started sleeping in their car with all of his stuff in the car park at the front of the site
. Ian,the weird hippy who lives on the site, let Paul sleep in his spare tent
. Then Paul's car got stolen, with all his gear
. then found out it had been used in robberies
. so it got impounded and he has to pay $230 to get it out
. so he got so drunk and rowdy he got everyone on the campsite put on 'warning'
. on St Georges day (last sunday) all the English had a few drinks and played cricket
. we were quiet by 10.10 (10pm being the time when you should be quiet)
. apparently there were complaints so everyone has to leave as soon as their payments run out
. all of our friends had to leave cos of the problems the irish caused
. paul and his ex. got back together
So its been an eventful couple of weeks. We paid up to when our flight goes so we are ok.
And that's it folks
Sorry its taken me so long to update, I have now been online for 2 and half hours, which is probably how long it has taken you to read through this - my longest blog entry ever!
We fly to New Zealand on Monday. WOOHOO
Hope all is well wherever you are
:)
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