When you camp by the side of the road, the stars are spectacular! I took this picture of the moon, Venus and Jupiter against the sunset.
Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles)
After crossing into Northern Territory, we reached the northern most point of our tour, just east of Tennant Creek, and then we turn for home, but stopped to walk around Karla Karla. (Well, poor dog had to stay in the car – he will not see much of the sights of NT alas.)
The walk around the stones is most pleasant, and quite astonishing. There are rocky outcrops all over the NT, but for some reason only here are large, nearly spherical boulders formed.
When you get close, you cannot see how it is happening, but you can see daylight as a new boulder separates from the base rock.
Ash enjoyed the climbing opportunities the boulders offered.
Even Carmel allowed me to take a photo of her.
Termite mounds in the outback
Termite mounds are quite common in the outback, but not ubiquitous. You can drive for 100 km with them everywhere and then another 100 with none. At one of the rest areas, I saw how they formed.
At this place I saw them form on blades of grass. They also form on boulders, street signs and metal posts. Oddly, they never seem to form on dead wood.
From the simple beginnings, they seem to grow organically.
Farewell to Queensland
We said farewell to Queensland last week and crossed the border into Northern Territory near Camoonweal. This town is famous for its location and had the highest diesel prices we had seen to date.
Just over the border we pulled into a rest stop for the evening. So did everyone else!
Entertainment in the Outback
There are no cafes, cinemas or wifi hotspots in the bush, so you have to be more creative in the outback. A very common hobby is to dress termite mounds in spare clothes. These look disturbing like a group of people from the distance until you get close enough to realise.
