Monday 21st July

Today we left Katherine for the last time on this trip.

First up in the early morning, I went for my last cycle around Katherine. Just a short 30 km ride into and around part of the town. When I arrived back and before a shower, we started to pack up. Put the chairs and fold up table away in the back of the Bravo before we could pull the Karavan awning down. After all that, I went and had my shower.

After lowering the Karavan down and hitching up the Bravo, we drove the 6 kms into Katherine to our favourite Cinema Cafe. The owner, Leanne, welcomed us back and sat and chatted to us while we had several coffees and some toast. The atmosphere is wonderful in this Cafe and the staff is really nice. Eventually, we said goodbye.

Whenever you go to get something from a retail outlet in Katherine, you stand in a line and wait. I waited in line at Repco where all I wanted was some insulation tape and Prue joined the express line at Woolworths. While Prue was enjoying Woolworths, I joined the long line to get fuel for the Bravo. That took almost ½ an hour and then the amount was around $210.00. The list price for diesel was $1.91 per litre and I guess our next lot may be more.

Eventually, we left the Katherine CBD for the industrial area so we could collect cryovac meat from a recommended butcher. It had been pre-ordered but someone had not written it down so a short delay in collecting it.

After the butcher, we took the bypass of Katherine and started our westerly trek to the Kimberley region. On the way we stopped briefly to take a photo of the Noel Buntine Highway memorial stone. Noel Buntine was the earliest road train operator in the Kimberleys and is a legend in these parts. His transport hauled the first road train load of cattle to Wyndham abattoirs in the early 1960s. Thanks to him the roads have improved to the great surface we are travelling on.

We had lunch at a rest stop and while there spoke to a Japanese cyclist. He departed Cairns 5 months and 3 weeks ago. He remembered travelling through Lennox Head as he followed the coast down to the south and across the Nullarbor and up to Broome. He actually rode across the Gibb River Road. He will finish his ride in Cairns in 3 months. He said he has lost count of the number of kms he has travelled. He aims to ride 100 kms each day and he has experienced all types of weather. Mostly, he said he camped in the bush. Amazing.

Later, we arrived at Victoria River which is our stay for the night. We set up with a powered site. At about 1745, we made our way up to the roadhouse/tavern for some drinks and dinner. While we were having our first drink a youngish fellow sat at the next table. We made conversation with him and discovered he had jackarooed for Richard Rouse near Gulgong almost 20 years ago. His name is Scott Leonard and he is just driving through from Broome on his way back to the south. He knows quite a few people we know, too. He camped in the same caravan park.

That was our day and it was 5 weeks since we left home!