Return to Queensland

16th May 2025

Larrimah to Threeways

Distance: 468 Km

Fuel: 51 L

The wind has been my enemy, the fuel consumption has gone through the roof, headwinds all the way.

Stopped briefly at Daly Waters Roadhouse to stretch my legs, bought a Dagwood Dog to eat as I drove.

Filled up at Elliot at the unattended truck stop – reasonable at $2 a litre. Visited the Elliot WWII Staging Camp.

The rest of the journey was through changing landscape

Finally arrived at Threeways where I paid for a night’s stay.

17th May 2025

Threeways to Camooweal

Distance: 450 Km

Fuel: 91 L

I considered going south from here but the 0° night time temperatures in Alice Springs put me off.

So turning left it was!

One fairly long delay due to roadworks.

First stop was Barkly Homestead for fuel, by then I had less that a quarter tank because of the crosswinds, have made such a difference to fuel consumption, much worse than the last trip to Uluru.

The rest of the journey was uneventful.

Checked into the Post Office Hotel Caravan Park instead of the roadhouse, it cost $5 more than the latter, not sure it was worth the extra except that pub was closer.

Once set up spent the evening in the pub. Had a pleasant enough meal there.

Out & About in Darwin

9th May to 15th May 2025

Spent a few days with my son and his fiancé in Darwin where they currently live.

This is my third visit to Darwin, a city I like very much however I have never visited in the wet season, all my visits have been in what you might call the shoulder season when the monsoon has ceased but the crocs have not been moved from some of the tourist swimming spots and the night time temperatures are still on the warm side, however the humidity of the wet season has gone.

This trip was visiting family so tourism was not high on the agenda however I did visit a couple of very interesting museums, the Seabreeze Festival and the WWII tunnels built to store oil and protect it from the Japanese bombing.

The tunnels were first on the list, my son hadn’t seen them before.

The Oil Storage Tunnels

Seabreeze Festival

Over the next couple of days we went to the Aviation Museum and the Military Museum as well as other Darwin social activities.

The Military Museum

The Aviation Museum.

The museum had a B52 decommissioned after the Arms Limitation Treaty with Russia, it was massive.

The Mangrove Boardwalk

Similar to the Jervis Bay Mangrove Boardwalk but with the added attraction of crocodiles (we didn’t see any).

On my final night there we visited the local pub where I had a very nice steak on their Steak Night Special.

Sorry, I ate a bit before I thought to take a photo.

The Top End

9th May 2025

Distance: 502 km

Fuel: 44L

Larrimah to Darwin

Today was basically a drive to the finish. No bookings tonight, am staying with my son and his fiancé. As they don’t get home from work until 4pm (ish) so there is definitely no rush.

Filled up with fuel in Katherine which will get me to Darwin.

The rest of the drive was uneventful, I stopped a couple of times to stretch my legs, as I got further north the vegetation got more lush.

Darwin traffic was just the same as any city.

Arrived at my destination just after 4pm and parked my camper on the grass verge. Then reversed my car into a tree! (I was too busy making sure I didn’t hit my camper.) Put a ding in the tail gate. Ho Hum.

The Pink Panther

8th May 2025

Distance: 467 Km

Fuel: 45L

Threeways to Larrimah

Originally was going to take three stops to get from Camooweal to Darwin but decided to do it in two because the last stop was only a couple of hours drive from the destination.

Today headed for Larrimah Hotel which I had pre-booked through the G’day app on my phone.

Set off about 8am after the usual shower and breakfast. First stop the John Flynn Memorial – he founded the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Almost immediately came across the cyclists I passed yesterday, I had pulled to the wrong side of the road to overtake a road train when it began to signal and pulled out in front of me as it passed the cyclists, once it had completed that it moved over and I was able to pass.

The rest of the journey was pretty uneventful, I stopped to make tea a few times, stopped at Elliot for fuel (at an unattended truck stop). My fuel consumption for the last several days has been exceptionally good with tailwinds making my fuel consumption below 10 litres per 100kms which is better than I normally get just driving the car alone.

Arrived at the Larrimah Hotel at about 1pm, I have to say it is not what I expected from a G’day Parks caravan park, nothing wrong but I was expecting something a bit more up market whereas it was much the same – a roadhouse with older facilities.

Into the NT

7th May 2025

Distance: 448 Km

Fuel: 31L + 20L (from can)

Camooweal to the Stuart Highway

Another fairly long drive today, this might become a habit as I am thinking of reducing a three day trip to Darwin to two days.

Today’s drive is basically from one roadhouse to the next but one along a straight road.

Didn’t want to set off too early because the NT is a different time zone, half an hour later than AEST.

Stopped at the Barkly Homestead (a roadhouse) for fuel.

Came across some cyclists in the middle of nowhere.

Before continuing onto Threeways and the Stuart Highway.

Where I stayed for the night.

Turning East

25th May 2024

Distance: 592 Km

Fuel: 68 L

I think that the Renner Springs Roadhouse is the worst caravan park I have ever stayed at. I am sure there are showers with hot water but I couldn’t find one. Could not wait to leave so packed up as quickly as possible, had breakfast, a cold shower and was on my way by 7.30am.

My first stop was at the John Flynn Memorial (founder of the Royal Flying Doctor Service) just a short distance from the turn off toward Mount Isa.

I waited until I had completed 200km before finding a rest area to stretch my legs and empty the 20 litres of fuel that I was carrying into the fuel tank. This meant that I had a nearly full tank to get me to Camooweal without refuelling.

The road itself was in a very poor state after the summer floods with some sections full of pot holes and even whole sections of roadway missing (replaced with gravel)

For the first time on my travels I didn’t stop at Three Ways however did stop at the Barkly Homestead which has had a facelift since I was last there but not for fuel only for a snack and a rest.

The road from the homestead onward was much better and very easy driving and I arrived at Camooweal Roadhouse just after 2pm having entered Queensland a dozen kilometres before and gained the final half hour to be back on AEST.

Booked in to the Roadhouse and set up my camper, rang a caravan park in Cloncurry to book for tomorrow night before having a lovely warm shower and settling down for the afternoon and evening. Filled up with fuel while I was at it, not cheap at $2.23/L but much cheaper than Barkly Homestead or any of the roadhouses on the Stuart Highway.

Today should be the last really long drive of my trip unless I decide NSW is too cold and do a long dash home.

Heading South

24th May 2024

Distance: 525 Km

Fuel: 59 L

Today was spent driving south down the Stuart Highway, it is a long road between Darwin and Adelaide, in the NT some of it has no speed limit at all and most of the rest is 130kph. I didn’t go that fast – sticking to about 104/5kph or 110kph according to my speedo.

In one place I came across a grass fire, not sure if it was a controlled burn but there was a small truck in attendance.

The rest of the drive was through pleasant countryside.

Stopped for fuel at Daly Waters Roadhouse.

Roadhouses are busy places, they might be the only services for hundreds of kms, selling not only fuel but food and groceries as well as usually having a bar. Resting places for road train drivers.

Passed the turn off for the famous Barkly Stock Route.

Also made a couple of rest breaks, one at this memorial to Sir Charles Todd and the inland telegraph which joined Australia to the rest of .the world via Darwin.

When I arrived at Renner Springs they had no powered sites left so took an unpowered one. Not a very well appointed roadhouse to be honest, probably been as well off in a rest area but it is only for one night.

Katherine Gorge

23rd May 2024

Distance: 75 Km

Fuel: 39 L

Had only a couple of projects today but set out early to avoid the heat of the day.

Katherine Gorge is about 26km from the caravan park so that was where I headed first, I have been here before about seven years ago.

These days there is a charge to enter the National Park and they have constructed a lot of infrastructure including a brand new visitor centre and paths with railings. The boat cruises up the gorge are still there but I am not a fan of boat cruises, even the best ones last far too long, I just wanted to climb up the gorge like I did last time. The route is now a created path with a handrail the whole way, it was great for me but perhaps not as much fun as before but you cannot complain about the views.

After returning from the gorge I drove straight into Katherine for fuel and bread – that was my day apart from a brief stop at the Katherine School of the Air. I could not see the sign for tours so perhaps they no longer do them?

Katherine

22nd May 2024

Distance: 309 Km

Once again not far to drive today, just under 300km to cover.

Stopped a couple of times after leaving Timber Creek.

At one stop was a massive rock as a memorial to the opening of the Bentine Highway.

Arrived at the Caravan Park at about 12.30pm I was able to use the credit note I received last September when I was forced to cancel the trip to Alice Springs because of the bushfires closing the Stuart and Barkly Highways.

After settling in drove to the Katherine Woolworths to top up some supplies.

Timber Creek

21st May 2024

Distance: 343 Km

Fuel: 43 L

Not a great distance to travel today but moving from one time zone to another means that our arrival time will be 1.5 hours later.

Set off about 8.30 (ish) but stopped to view The Grotto just 35 km outside Wyndham. At the bottom is a swimming hole where it is safe to swim (ie no crocodiles). Too many steps for me so I admired it from above.

The second stop was at Kununurra where I stopped for fuel and filled up my empty container.

The journey from Wyndham to Timber Creek was through different types of countryside. Once I entered the Northern territory the speed limit became 130kph abut I just upped my speed to about 105kph (in WA anyone towing a trailer is limited to 100kph).

At about 1.30pm arrived at Timber Creek Roadhouse where I filled up with expensive fuel and booked a powered site. The creek at the rear of the park has Freshwater crocs in it though I didn’t see any until..

The Roadhouse has a show of feeding the Freshwater Crocs at 5pm three times a week so I went along. I had seen this last time I visited and quite enjoyed it. Unfortunately the spectacle has been lost somewhat, previously you were on the bridge looking down at the action whereas this time everybody was kept behind a rope barrier, in the end I just wandered off before it was finished.