Leaving Barkly Homestead Roadhouse behind, we head to The Three Ways Roadhouse, where Barkley and Stewart roads meet in the Northern Territory. This is an engine of 180 km.
It's very hot, the temperature rises to 43 degrees, and since our Mazda T3500 has no air conditioning, we suffer. The best time to travel in this area is the winter months from April to September. From October to April is hot and humid, and streams and rivers may suddenly rise, causing sudden floods.
It would be wise to never try to cross this water if you are not familiar with the depth and flow, and are confident that the road surface is in good condition. Suppose you are not traveling safely.
We travel in late November, since we have a home to get to Alice Springs. Like my hubby and I love to travel and stay at home, the combination of the two is great.
Another road train passes by us. The primary engine can be 53.5 meters, carry about 115.5 tons of cargo, up to four trailers. Driving the bus and towing our 18-carat caravan means that we sit at a constant pace of 80-100 km, but the speed limit is set at 130 km / h on the Barkley and Stewart highways. Rural roads are 110 km / h without other signs. Since the bituminous roads are wide enough, it is best to stay on them when passing the truck.
However, travelers must travel at a speed suitable for the car, road, weather conditions and their own driving experience. When driving on unsealed roads, sudden rains can quickly change conditions, and both sealed and unpaved roads can be cut. When traveling to remote areas, be prepared for additional food, water, and necessary spare parts. We have a mobile phone with a high antenna installed on the caravan, and a UHF radio station on the bus for communication.
We reach the intersection and turn right about 50 meters, where The Three Ways Roadhouse sits. You can either head north to Darwin (962 km), or south to Alice Springs (533 km).
Our next stop is Tennant Creek, which is 25 km to the south. We find the Hill Hill Mining center 1.5 km east of the city along Peko Road. This underground mine has working mechanisms, lighting and displays, as well as authentic sounds that inspired us with the spirit of early gold miners. Ray, our very informative host, gives us a fantastic tour, having fun with all his life experiences as an industrious miner in an underground gold mine.
Battery Hill is also an information center for Tennant Creek visitors to learn more about the area by talking to the staff. Be sure to ask for directions to the Ninki Nureni Indigenous Cultural Center. Some of the employees are Aboriginal, so they should be able to pronounce it for you.
Here you can meet local military people and listen to their stories. The gallery presents constantly changing exhibitions and presentations with amazing ideas about the modern life of Aboriginal people, history, cultural events and art. We see outstanding interpretive demonstrations demonstrating the relationship between Varumungu and the land, family, bushes and bushes.
We travel another 130 km to the south and call for the Barkley badge, Karl Karl, known as the Devil's Marble, which are 10 minutes north of Wacliffe-Kolodez Recreation Park. Devil's Marble is awesome, and I'm happy to take a lot of photos. Passing through a short loop, we return to the Stewart highway.
Wickliffe Well Holiday Park is very different and unusual with frescoes throughout its caravan park. Most of all, we are pleased with the peaceful place in the bushes and a very friendly couple who run the park.
It is also known as “UFO Capital of Australia” because of so many observations of strange lights and crafts. After Chinese food at a cafe prepared by a Chinese couple, we were looking forward to the UFO newspaper clippings that covered the walls. Scattered through the park are statues of the Hulk, Elvis Presley and the Ghost. Very unusual.
About a dozen aboriginal people gathered outside the store, as their public store was broken last night, and it is closed for repairs. They went to the Wycliffe Well Holiday amusement park to buy their gear. Unfortunately, one of them is very drunk and politely refuses alcohol. He retreats to the street and turns his car loudly, forcing him to get bogged down in heavy sand in the next bed of the river. No wonder the engine explodes.
Beautiful morning to wake up, and we wander along the train tracks to the lake of rest, where several ducks and geese inhabit. Railways? Yes, the park owner installed a small train to entertain visitors during the tourist season.
We say goodbye to friendly staff as we have to continue our journey to Alice Springs for our next interesting adventure.
