Chapter 15 - Northern Territory (NT)

Day 91 – Wednesday 27 August – Kununurra into NT - 406 km

We departed Kununurra around 8:25 am and were in the Northern Territory (NT) by 9am. We were sorry to leave WA after 76 days. It was 27 degrees as we departed.

The superb roads of WA became the very ordinary roads of the NT.

The magnificent Kimberley rock formations continued for the entire day, interspersed with shrubby plains.

4 minutes to wait

We stopped for a coffee stop, then fuel at Timber Creek, then lunch at Victoria River. The Victoria River was the only significant stretch of water for the day. There was significant burn-offs all day making for hazy photos.

We were impressed with the road-works stop sign that displayed how long we had to wait.

We camped 100 km west of Katherine at Mathison Roadside Camp. It was hot, damn hot.

The sunset was pretty good. The smoke haze was a big factor in the colours.

Above - Sunset at our camp just after sunset
Below - Sunset a few minutes later

I set up a 12 volt fan as the caravan was over 30 degrees as we headed to bed. The fan worked well.

Day 92 – Thursday 28 August – In to Katherine - 106 km

After a very hot night and a 90 minute change of clocks we were on the road about 45 minutes after sunrise. The temperature was pleasant, yet to get hot. Wildlife was present on and beside the road thanks to the early start. Thankfully they all stayed well off the road.

The quality of the road was much better than yesterday.

It was a pleasant drive in to Katherine where the first stop was for a 'dip' in the hot thermal springs. My guess is that the water temperature was around 25 to 30 degrees.

Katherine Hot Thermal Springs

The water was crystal clear and you could float from one pool to the next. It was an excellent way to spend an hour - and was followed by an iced-coffee and a milkshake.

Thanks to the forcast top of 37 we decided to stay in Katherine, so we booked in to a caravan park that was walking distance to the hot springs.

Not much happened apart from a walk to the hot springs for another dip. We chatted to a couple who are 13 months into an 18 month round-Aussie trip. They have two boys in Grade 4 and Kinda. Dad is a teacher.  Mum works from home (i.e. the caravan).

As I did not take the camera I missed out on photos of red-tailed black cockatoos and a rainbow bee-eater.

It was still 30 degrees one hour after sunset.

Day 93 – Friday 30 August – Katherine to Darwin - 290 km

The A/C was on nearly all night and it was a slow start. A Pheasant Coucal wandered passed the caravan as I pondered how to start the day. My first ever photo of such a bird.

Pheasant Coucal

For the first time ever in post-retirement caravan travels The Kelly's left the caravan park late - at 10:02 am. We blamed it on the recent 90 minute clock change that messed up our body clocks (not that Shirley needs any such motivation).

We stopped at Pine Creek for a coffee and Adelaide River for lunch and an ice-cream - as it was around 34 degrees. More Kimberley-type rock formations were common. The road was mostly ordinary, some was excellent. We had a tail wind for the last 200 km. 

By 2:45 we were in Kate and Dwight's driveway - our niece and her husband. They have land outside of Darwin. Camp was established and Kate soon organised a great coffee.

Lots of chats later and all workers and school attendees arrived home.

Some time later pizza and red was consumed for dinner. All was good.

Stories were read, kids went to bed, and so did we. It was a good day.

Day 94 – Saturday 30 August – Darwin 

The day started slowly and continued that way all morning.

After lunch Shirley and I drove 100 km around and in Darwin looking at street art. The following are some examples of what we saw.

Larrakia Water Tank

East Arm Point Water Tanks

Murals on Wall at Charles Darwin University 

Above & Below - Murals in Austin Street

Two Parap Water Tanks

Didgeridoo Tower

Late in the day the lamb and pork hit the 'spit' in preparation for our host's birthday party. It was an excellent evening.

Above - Early Days
Below - Ready to Carve

Day 95 – Sunday 31 August – Darwin 

Another hot night and another early start thanks to the loud voice of a 4-year old.

It was another slow start. Around 10am we headed to the Nightcliff Sunday Market. Shirley and I invested in a superb mango smoothie. Everyone had some form of snack, alleviating the need for lunch.

It was then more rest time for all.

A superb lasagna became dinner, then an early night.

Day 96 – Monday 1 September – Darwin to Katherine 

We said goodbye to the relatives and were on the road just before 9am.

It was a leisurely drive to Katherine and we were on site just after 1pm.

We had extended our stay so that we could revisit Nitmiluk Gorge - formerly called Katherine Gorge.

A visit to the "I" locked in a gorge tour for tomorrow and we were in the local hot springs around 3:30. We chatted to other grey nomads. A great soak preceded curried sausages for dinner.

Shirley invested in some frozen mango that will accompany breakfast over the next few days.

Mango Man

We decided to watch the news and found out that Katherine does not have an ABC TV channel.

Day 97 – Tuesday 2 September – Katherine Day 2 

Another casual start, some exercises, then a 30 km drive to Nitmiluk/Katherine Gorge, for a Two Gorges Tour.

We visited the gorge over 30 years ago, and we were pretty impressed again.

The birds we saw today - Rainbow Lorikeet, Galah, Red tailed black Cockatoo, Pied Cormorant.

Our chariot for today

Indigenous Rock Art

We were back at camp by 2:30 and in the hot springs just after 3pm. A good soak and a chat with other folk was a pleasant pastime.

Shirley made some rissoles for dinner. I was allowed to cook them.

A top of 34 had dropped to 23 by 8pm.

Day 98 – Wednesday 3 September – Katherine Day 3 

It was a cool/good night for sleeping. Another normal start - casual shower, BBQ breakfast, clothes washing, exercises, coffee. It was 24 degrees at 10am.

A bit of shopping plus some diesel and we were ready for departure tomorrow.

We had our third soak in the hot springs in as many days and our fourth in the last 6 days. I then went for a drive to get photos of some of the fine street art on show in Katherine.

Above & Below - Katherine Street Art

We had baked spuds for dinner.

Day 99 – Thursday 4 September – Katherine to Sir Charles Todd Memorial Rest Area - 356 km

Our departure from Katherine was hastened slightly by a power outage from Darwin to Katherine – over 300 km. Hair was not dried properly, and a couple of other 240v jobs were bypassed. We were south of Katherine by 8:45 am and in the hot springs at Bitter Springs around 80 minutes later. It was a pleasant hour floating in the warm water.

Above & Below - Heaven on Earth at Bitter Springs

We drifted into Mataranka and tried milkshakes and a Danish at the bakery. Both were excellent.

Further south we pressed. Sadly we bypassed Gorrie Airfield (a great free camp spot) as it was too early and too hot to stop.

We stopped at Lorimar for a sandwich for lunch and smiled at the Pink Panther. The further south.

To rekindle good memories we stopped and strolled through the Daly Waters Pub.

Daly Waters Pub

Around 3:30 it was time to stop at the Sir Charles Todd Memorial Rest Area. I spent the next 90 minutes trying to get a decent photo of two kites who seemed to be local residents. In between watching kites we also watched the passing road trains.

Two Beautiful birds - Kites

A selection of road trains

The hot day cooled appreciably once the sun set.

Day 100 – Friday 5 September – Onwards to Bonney Well Rest Area - 415 km

Spartan Travel

We were both up at dawn, around 6:45 am, and on the road before 8am. Overnight a caravan had joined us at a very late hour (around 12:15) as well as a female on a bicycle towing a small trailer. She slept in a small tent. Not our preferred way to travel.

Not long after we stopped at Elliot and filled up with diesel then enjoyed a tail wind for the second day in a row.

The scenery was constantly changing.

We could not find a shady spot for lunch in Tennant Creek so we headed out of town and found an appropriate spot.

Onward we pressed stopping 90 km later at a free camp spot between the highway and the Ghan railway line. It was somewhere around 34 degrees. We have stopped here before.

Day 101 – Saturday 6 September – South to Alice Springs - 426 km

We have clocked up just under 1200 km in three days on our way south.......

The start time was a repeat of yesterday and on the road before 8am.

Today would be our best and easiest day of driving this trip - by a long way. The 400+ km was very straight and very flat - hills virtually non existent and bends a rarity. The road quality was excellent. The early breeze behind us got stronger as the day got hotter. Most of the day we sat around 95 km/h at around 1600 RPM.

It was also a very safe trip as we had a two-car police escort for the last 275 km - probably courtesy of the busy weekend in Alice Springs. They even stopped at the same place for morning tea.

We passed 'Devils Marbles' enroute, but no photos can be posted here as they are banned at the sacred site.

This weekend Alice Springs is hosting the "Red CentreNATS 11" event. It is a 'show and tell' for folk to show off their vintage and veteran cars. Some of the cars were in the same park.

Two of the cars in the "Red CentreNATS 11" event

It came to pass that our caravan park was beside the Alice Springs brewery so we headed there for a late afternoon refreshment.

Products of Alice Springs Brewery

I cooked a stew to use all the veggies before we crossed (yet another) border. While it was cooked we admired the lovely lights above the caravan.

Our caravan under lights

Stew ready for the trip home

Day 102 – Sunday 7 September – Father’s Day – Alice Springs to Agnes Creek - 360 km 

Another day, another 360 km behind us. So was the sun and the wind making for another excellent day for driving. The majestic Aussie landscape also added to the enjoyment.

As it was Father’s Day I was allowed an easy start, so we hit the road just before 9am.

Some time later we passed the turn off to King’s Canyon – some great memories there.

Next was the turn off to Uluru – more great memories from three different decades. That turn off also provided the Erldunda Roadhouse, which provided great memories (with friends) of eating hot chips on a hot day. So we bought some freshly cooked hot chips and they were great. However we forgot about the flies from the first time. They were still there, and so were their mates.

Above & Below - More Central Australia Scenery

Soon we crossed into South Australia. Onwards we pressed and found an excellent spot around 1:30 pm to prop for the night – Agnes Creek Rest Area. We relaxed in the shade and so did 3 trillion flies – more than we found at Erldunda. The fly net came out, which made it hard to drink coffee or do a sudoku.

The sunset was also pretty good.

Sunset south of the NT/SA Border

Sometime during the day we passed 16,000 km for the trip.

Coober Pedy tomorrow – just 320 km away.

Day 103 – Monday 8 September – Agnes Creek  to Coober Pedy- 317 km 

Not far to go equals casual start. We left just before 9 am.

Art or Graffiti 100's of km from the nearest town

Around 1:30 we set up camp in Coober Pedy.

Footnote:

We have travelled just under 1900 km in five days from Katherine to Coober Pedy. Interestingly there are only two towns in that 1900 km, Tennant Creek (675 km south) and Alice Springs (another 508 km south). There are plenty of roadhouses or fuel stops.

Furthermore, the next town of substance after Coober Pedy (heading south) is Port Augusta - 545 km away.

This chapter is now complete.

Last updated at 4:30 pm on Monday 8 September 2025 (NT time)

Jump to the Next Chapter 

Jump to the Previous Chapter

Open the Table of Content