Heading up the Centre

Our lunch stop at Barrow Creek

After four days in Alice Springs it was time to mover further north.  The Easter break was over so we expected the roads to have less traffic and it did appear to be the case.  We also remarked that there wasn't many caravans on the road, I think it was too early in the season for the southerners to be heading north. There wasn't much or anything that we wanted to stop and look at so our aim was to get to The Devils Marbles tonight for camp. Apart from our normal coffee and leg stretching stops we stopped for lunch at Barrow Creek, it was hot and the flies still very pest so ate in the caravan before continuing.

Oh boy, the flies
Designed a new fly net - left over mesh from the door fly screen.
 worked a treat!!

We pulled into the Devils Marbels with plenty of time to explore and plenty of spots to choose from, but still the flies were very present!!! I got the drone out for some different photo shots while Helen stayed in the van away from the flies.  That night we had about 10 other caravans camping in the area which is not many considering on other occasions we had stayed there had been 30 plus camping overnight.
I was up early to get some sunrise photos, hopefully before the flies had woken up, it seemed like they found me within 30 seconds of getting out the van so I choose to ignore them and try to get some good photos.

Early afternoon, plenty of room in the campground.

View looking north over the Devils Marbles, the Stuart Hwy in top LH corner 

Reflections just before sunrise

Just before the sunrise, most people still sleeping, but not the flies!!

Reflections on the stone at sunrise

Eventually the flies got the better of me, so I took my camera and headed back to the van for breakfast, inside without flies.
As we hadn't unhooked that night we finished breakfast and made a hasty departure around 8.30 am continuing on our way north.  Stopped for fuel at Tennant Creek and felt that the flies had become much more bearable, in fact hardly noticeable.

As we could feel the humidity increasing we thought we might try and make Daily Waters Pub the next night.  It had been a few years since we had stayed there and previously was in January or February when we were heading back to Darwin and this was our last stop in a motel room before home.  This was the start of the tourist season so we could check out the entertainment and try the caravan park out, which many caravaners claim to be a good night. We felt we had reached the territory and the atmosphere we enjoy - it was a balmy night, sitting outside enjoying the entertainment and a few territory characters in the pub to add additional entertainment.

A balmy night at the pub, entertained by Mary-anne.

We left Daily Waters around 9am the next morning and drove to Gorrie WWII Airstrip about 70km for our first stop.  I'm always keen to stay there overnight but at this time of the year it's far too hot to enjoy, so had some lunch and headed to Mataranka, Bitter Springs another 85km. We like to stay at the Cabin and Caravan park as it's an easy walk to Bitter Springs for a dip in the spring and float down stream with your noodle. Again the park had plenty of room so was able to select a nice shady site and stayed for 2 nights.

Cooling down at Bitter Springs

We had stopped at a couple of different place on this trip up the centre and the next night was at Pine Creek, again we hadn't stayed there previously so checked into the Lazy Lizard.  As the park is behind the pub it was another opportunity for a pub meal.  The grounds where well kept with nice garden and green lawn around the sites.  The pool was most inviting and so we had a dip before dinner during which we felt a few spots of rain but nothing much.

Pool at the Lazy Lizard
You may spot our caravan thru the fence behind Helen and the bar was just through the gate on the right.

From Pine Creek it was only another 200km to Darwin, an easy drive the next day.

West MacDonnell Ranges

From Coober Pedy we were back on bitumen travelling up the Stuart Highway - boring for me, no dust for Helen!  Topped up with fuel at Marla then again at Kulgera where we stayed the night at the Caravan Park, we were lucky to get the last powered site - late at night the wind changed to a cool southerly and Helen had to shut all windows as wind was extremely strong.

Always nice to be back in the Territory.

Leaving Kulgera the temperature had dropped to 10 degrees and wind was strong however no flies!  Travelling with a tail wind up the Stuart Highway we stopped for coffee at Erldunda and decided not to go to Ayres Rock (Uluru) as it was school holidays which included Easter and there would be heaps of people.  With the news that the Rock would not be opened for climbing after October, a lot of people were heading there to climb it for the last time.  In Alice Springs we stayed in Wintersun Caravan Park, nice grassed sites, for 4 nights. While there we washed the van down, had the car serviced at Outback Mechanical NT, who I could highly recommend, even provided a loan ute!

The flys had been pretty bad this trip and still very friendly.

Went for a drive out to the West MacDonnell Ranges to Glen Helen Gorge where we even got our fly nets out to defend ourselves against the millions of flies.  After Glen Helen we drove up to Mt Sonder lookout then onto Ormiston Gorge where we had lunch at the small cafe near the car park, even inside the flies seemed to find us, but less in numbers. Travelled to the Oche Pits where desert Aboriginal people once used as a quarry for ochre pigments; Ellery Creek - the waterhole is fed by the West MacDonnell Ranges and surrounded by high red cliffs and sandy Ellery Creek. This was enough gorges for the day so headed back to Alice for a cool shower and a cold beer.  On the next day we went back to complete the West MacDonnell Ranges gorges and visited Standley Chasm ($10 each entry fee, thank you!) where the walk in took us through burnt out countryside then completing the gorges at Simpson Gap.
We called into a Camping Shop to purchase a new flask as after 40 years ours has died but had seen lots of Australian outback roads over the years! So we had a new flask to continue our travels north.

Started at the most western gorge, Glen Helen. A few were cooling off in the water which looked most inviting.

Another very popular spot, Ormiston Gorge, We had lunch at the small kiosk near the car park.

Outstanding colours of the Ochre Pits - "Tjoritja"

Ellery Creek Big Hole

Serpentine Gorge

Arriving at Standley Chasm

Only waited for a few minutes before the crowd had left to get the photo with the colour and Hels.

On the walk in we passed a lot of area burn out by a recent fire about 9 weeks earlier.

Walk into Simpson Gap was more impressive with the large gum trees.