Sunday 29th June

This morning we packed up quite quickly again as we did not have the awning out again. Our time of departure from Barkly Homestead Roadhouse was about 0830. We were not the first to leave or the last. There were numerous familiar vans that passed us by. They obviously do not worry about the cost of fuel.

About 1100 we arrived at “The Three Ways Roadhouse” and had our cappuccino for the day. Its cost left any of the up market cafes far behind. A large cappuccino was $4.50 and a muffin was much the same. One might say they have a captive clientele.

We then had a look at the diesel price and it was $2.23 cents per litre at “The Three Ways Roadhouse”. Many people had warned us of the excessive price here and at Barkly Homestead Roadhouse. After seeing this, we drove about 23 kms into Tennant Creek as the word is out that it is cheaper there. All reports were correct and we paid $1.99 cents per litre. No discount vouchers in this area.

Originally, we had planned to travel north from Tennant Creek but we had been told about the Devil’s Marbles that are about 102 kms south towards Alice Springs and quite close to the village of Wauchope. As our son, Andrew, said what is a few hundred kms when we are nearly there. So a deviation of about 204 kms. This will probably not be the last deviation.

After refuelling the Bravo, we then went and visited the Bill Allen Lookout. From what we could read at the lookout, Bill Allen was a supervisor of the stock routes across the lower half of the Northern Territory. He lived mainly in Tennant Creek, especially in his latter years of his work. He was on the town committee for 13 years and when he started the town only had 2 streets that were tar sealed. He was instrumental in getting reticulated water, sewerage and electricity into the town. It looks a reasonable town.

However, being a Sunday morning we saw many aborigines waiting to gain access to the hotels. Their homes looked quite dilapidated and uncared for with washing hanging on the fences that were still standing. Along the road we saw 3 aborigines, one being a child, walking into town with no footwear and looking quite ragged. My guess is that we will get used to this spectacle as we travel.

We arrived at Devils Marbles about 1400 and had a late lunch and watched the remote caravan free park fill up with people from everywhere including Mannheim, Germany. There are more than 24 caravans, motor homes, slide on campers and tents in the parking area. All that is here is a pit toilet! The scenery is spectacular and both of us have climbed the Devils Marbles not only for some exercise but also to take some incredible photos.

Some of the included photos are of the Devils Marbles both prior to and during sunset. There is one very ‘natural’ looking one! Prue took the sunset ones and the natural one! J