Toward Borroloola

We leave Pussycat Flats on Tuesday morning driving south to Katherine once more to collect mail and to re-stock the fridge.  As it turns out, the mail was not there but shopping was successful with enough cold beer back in the fridge, vegetables, meat etc. all done.  Monday has been apublic holiday in the Northern Territory (Darwin Cup Day), therefore slow mail delivery.  We are staying at the "Red Gum Caravan Park" again before going to the local RSL for dinner, a reward from Eckhard to me for having done a lot of cooking for all of us.  Thank you Eck, it was an excellent Barramundi dinner!!!

 About Borroloola...

The following morning when I go to the Post Office again, I have resolved to have my mail forwarded to Mount Isa, surely plenty of time until I get there in a few weeks.  As it turns out, my mail has arrived, all is sweet.

The sky is overcast this morning as I drive south west toward Daly Waters where we are planning to spend the night.  It is also much cooler than the last few weeks, a perfect day for a comfortable drive although some drizzle rain at various spots but not lasting.  There is blue sky again on the southern horizon and by the time I get to Daly Waters Pub the sun is back.

 Little River campsite

After a nice and cool night I leave the Stuart Highway and turn eastward on the Carpentaria Highway toward Borroloola.  About half way, this Highway is single lane, which means, only one vehicle can drive on the bitumen going either direction.  When I encounter oncoming traffic, I have to move over onto the dirt with my two left wheels, the oncoming vehicle doing the same, so there is plenty of space to pass.  Because you are both on the shoulder of the road, there are usually lots of rocks in your path, so its important to slow right down as you pass to avoid windscreen damage.  I pass about a dozen 4-wheel drive vehicles coming the other way as well as 3 Road Trains which have to stay on the bitumen.  Naturally you get right off the road to let them pass.

 The road to Borroloola and 'Backburning' by the roadside

Roadtrain approaching I am waiting by the side of the road

There has also been quite a lot of backburning done with plenty of black, often still smoldering tree trunks by the roadside.  I must say, I quite enjoyed today's drive, away from all the traffic on the main highway.  By early afternoon I pull out at "Little River Rest Area" about 10km west of the "Heartbreak Hotel" at Cape Crawford.  The Rest Area is by the side of a Billabong, really peaceful, perfect to sit and read after a more difficult Sudoku.