Adelaide to Darwin Part 5

Daly River

Lee and Jenny's Bushcamp

Sunday morning and off around 9:30 so not too early! We said goodbye to Janet and Tony as they were leaving for Church and our journey of 275 kms begins. We had a very smooth tow until we left the Stuart Highway on to a one lane road for approximately 35 km. We came across some very fast drivers unusual for a Sunday morning.  At last we came to the Daly River Road which was a really good two lane road.  We saw a few Kangaroos on the way down Daly River Road but really the land was scrub and very dry. We turned off on to Wooliana Rd towards our destination and the landscape changed significantly it was lush, green and very flat with mango trees all set in line, in a number of paddocks. We past a campground that was very shady where caravans were parked under mango trees.

 

Practise shot

We eventually arrived at Lee and Jenny’s Bushcamp where there was lots of space, no regimented lines of caravans, it was just like being in someone’s garden. Jenny helped Richard put our big rig in a wonderful spot where we will be for the next 10 nights….. We had dinner and walked across the site to where we sat a listened to a fantastic trio of guys, two Kiwis and one Aussie, playing their amazing music. The two Kiwi’s worked at a place called Port Keats which is over 200kms down a dirt road.  The night sky was amazing and seemed so close that we could touch it, no light pollution here!

Our pitch for 10 nights...wonderful



The Band




Jenny had heard from Jackie and so we knew now that her and Bob would be arriving on Thursday. Jenny gave us lots of information about her site, it was over 300 acres and we could go offroading through the back of the site.  Another important piece of advice was about the electric fence surrounding the garden, this is to stop the wild buffalo encroaching into the campsite. We will go and look for said Buffalo one day!!

Most of the men on site were avid fishermen just wanting to catch a Barra! They even set pots to catch their bait which was called Cherubim a fresh water prawn!

Helen intended to just chill out here and read, knit or walk etc…. but, the first few days saw us sorting out the caravan and storing various items of clothing that we knew we would not need…..

We were 20kms from the nearest pub the Daly River Inn and the supermarket was about the same distance in the local community.  We went for a drive to the Inn/pub and found the new bridge that had been built over the Daly River. We discovered this bridge was so needed as the only the river crossing was being washed away.  This new bridge is the only access to the dirt road which goes out to a place called Port Keats (Wadeye) where there are 3000 people living, apparently it’s not a very nice place!!

Our general daily routine became quite regimented as the only spot where we could access phone and internet was over the road on the bank above the river. We were inclined to visit this spot sometimes three times a day as it was much cooler here than camp. We christened this spot “The Office” and would refer to it with our neighbours and new neighbours as they arrived.




A decent sized Croc catching the sun

 











Richard did manage to throw his line in using pieces of chicken for bait… Yes, he did get a bite or two but unfortunately he had to run down lots of steep steps from the office and missed the opportunity to bag us a Barra!!

Just two of the 10 or so chairs at "The Office"
this is where Richard had to run from, down
steep steps!



View of Richard from "The Office"

 

Jackie and Bob arrived along with other new campers, Bruce and Sheila from Tambourine, Gold Coast.  Richard had acquired a fire pit from Lee and proceeded to light a super fire.  Helen had already prepared a very large casserole for dinner so the six of us had a very nice evening. Talk of campovens and how to make Damper ensued round the fire it was agreed that Jackie will bake us a damper tomorrow night she has a camp oven.

Casserole night together
from the left, Bob, Sheila, Jackie Helen, Rich and Bruce (with back to us)



We said our farewells to Bruce and Sheila in their Maui motorhome, they had been away from home for three weeks and would fly back on Sunday.  It wasn’t long before we had new neighbours, Gary and Traci… They came Croc watching with us at “The Office” and then helped Rich to light the fire where Jackie would bake her Damper, yummy…  The damper was brilliant, we used the fire to cook our dinner too.  Gary and Traci went off in their Land Cruiser to find buffalo!! Don’t think we will bother.

Sunday 14th Helen sighted a very large Croc swimming up the river he was just taking his time, she ran for the better camera through three sets of water sprinklers and got soaked, no worry as she soon dried off! Boy oh boy he was a big fella!!



He was a big one!!

 











 



Bob and Jackie cooking their evening meal
after she had made her lovely Damper

The baking of a Damper became a bit of a ritual and Traci made one the next afternoon then Helen had a go the next day but Traci wasn't able to sample as she and Gary had left… all were delicious. See photos. Unfortunately no photos of Jackie's boo hoo

Traci's Damper ready to be baked

Traci's Damper



Helen's Damper



Helen's baked Damper

We had to say goodbye to Gary and Traci, they, like Jackie and Bob were heading back to Queensland. Jackie and Bob left on Monday morning, it was sad to see them leave. We set to and did a little spot of van housework, cleaning inside and some outside. We had to put the aircon on as it was so, so hot.

Eventually it was time for us to leave this wonderful piece of outback bush camping, Helen didn’t really want to leave, she said she could spend at least another ten nights here! Helen went off early to "The Office" to take a few more photographs, it was foggy and eerie over the water and the road.....



Early morning mist over the camp

View from "The Office" misty morning



Goodbye, so sad to leave

Lee and Jenny are just two beautiful people with a passion to create a little paradise. They have owned the land for 5 years and have developed a super Bush Camp by just sheer hard work. They have some wonderful friends who have helped clear the land and who also look after the camp for two days a week, when Lee and Jenny go into Darwin for work. Obviously we will try and visit this little paradise again, but when?? We hope to meet up with Lee at the Casuarina swimming pool one Thursday whilst we are in Darwin and treat him to a coffee.

When driving back to Daly River Road we did see a small herd of Buffalo and goodness they were really, really large animals. It was the first time we had seen Wallabies in the wild for a number of weeks too, this morning. One, just hopped in front of us missing us and a Road Train, a little scary, as, do you break or carry on? Everyone says carry on an hit it!