Victoria River roadhouse was the first sign of settlement along the road and as a new bridge had been built across the mighty river we were able to park and take a walk down across the old bridge. What a magic country this is.
Victoria River NT
There is no shortage of water in the river and we couldn’t help but wonder how many crocs were looking back up at us!
management discussion needed?
After leaving the roadhouse we headed out and came to a turnoff to the old Victoria River crossing so went to take a look. Had to leave Destiny parked at the top of the last leg as the sign advised no caravans so we were happy to take a walk. It was certainly worth the effort (uphill on the return) as the photos hopefully show. The old causeway (covered with water) showed the way and the exit at the other side would have been interesting. How many 4wd would there have been back then?
exit from crossing
Old Victoria River crossing
Timber Creek was where we planned to get fuel and yeh the BP had autogas so we only had to travel 40km on petrol before being able to refuel a little cheaper. This looked only a small settlement however the school bus needed a driver, there was a vacancy for a classroom assistant at the primary school and also someone with a NT licence to assist with home help for the aged. We chatted to a chap who had been there 12mths assisting at one of the two caravan parks and he was from Brisbane. It is surprising what work is available without too much looking.
Our first overnight stop was to be the rest stop after Timber Creek and we arrived around 4.30pm so were able to choose a likely spot and had other travellers join us before dark. Whilst we had been in Darwin we had packed away all our winter things and wouldn’t you know it that night was rather cold. Well we pulled our jackets out of the top cupboards and put on socks and beanies to just keep warm through the night. Needless to say soon after the sun was up the next morning you were taking the jumpers off again as it turned into another glorious day.
Our journey for the second day was to be only as far as the next rest stop (another free camp!) 48km. Needless to say we were there not long after leaving the previous stop. The scenery was changing with lots of Boab trees either side of the road.
What fascinating trees, they have shed their leaves at present and their branches stretch up and out. We have found out that during the wet season their leaves return and they flower at night with clusters of white flowers that only last till morning but have a soft perfume that can be smelt on the still night air. Some of the trees were amazing shapes and sizes so the scenery was constantly changing. Another story about the Boab trees was telling their age by where their branches faced. Evidently if the branches point up the tree is less than 100 yrs old but, if they face out they can be some hundreds of years old and if they point down they are approx. 1000 years old. Fact or fiction this info was told to us by a local of the Kimberleys. At Saddle Rest Stop we were able to watch the full moon rise over the hill behind us and how beautiful the surroundings became as the moon rose in the sky. The trees cast shadows on the ground and there was no need for a torch. We had nearly a dozen other travellers join us at this rest stop including buses, campervans, camper trailers, motorhomes and other caravans. Most like us were heading west with only a couple heading east. They were the ones who scored the excess fruit from the ‘westies’ who would not be able to take it across the border in their travels tomorrow. We still had fruit and salad things but we planned to have another stop before the border. No rushing this part of the trip for us.
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