home our venture photo's past trips friends about this site links
Kiwi-Chimp Venture past trips - australia Queensland to Northern Territory - August 1998 This is another epic from down under and most probably the last as the poor old car is now showing its age. We left cairns with no real thoughts just west and quite quickly as the car rego [mot/tuv]was soon to run out table-lands was fine then we headed of the sealed road and across to Normanton the road was fine bumpy dusty but fair compared to what laid ahead. We camped rough and left early. From Normanton we went north to Kurmanda we were expecting a nice quite retreat wrong every body and any body with a four wheel drive/tinny[small alloy boat] was there this is a mecca for fishermen oh well it was a nice place and the sundowners club was ace. From here we hoped to take highway 1 across the gulf to the Stuart highway. All the big rough tough 4wd gang said no way 4wd only then we met Andrew and Deanna they had a converted van 2wd with boat and trailer had hoped to also do the same road but worried to go it alone but would love to try it with us. Next we rang the cops [police] asked there thoughts they rang around for us and said forget it 4wd only and hard for them loads of river crossing etc etc. So that was that! Back to the sealed roads. Then passing the junction we said : sod it! Lets try. So off we travelled the two off us, ford falcon and ford van. At the beginning the road was fine, no worse then we have done before, we were laughing. A bit dusty, but we didn’t care. Then our first river crossing: and what a crossing! 4 wd's queuing to cross from each side. We thought: shit, end of the road. The 4 wd's crossed as we watched, then we decided to walk the crossing and see, forgetting all about the crocs. We walked across the 20 meter crossing and found it to be a goer! Just 600 mm deep! So everything off the floor of the car and let's go. Van first , he made it. Falcon next, we made it! All floors flooded but everything else fine and dry! So lunch was had, while the carpets dryed out. No looking back now and off we set. The road getting worse, corrigations, dust, and the occasional pothole (the sort you loose buses in). This night stop was again on a riverbank, we fished for supper and had beans on toast (fish weren’t hungry). Trailer, van and car formed in tight circle to keep crocs away. We slept very lightly that night. Next morning back on the road, more dust more ruts and more fun! Nobody else on this road. The boat was coming of the trailer and the rearwindowscreen in the van got smashed from flying stones. The falcon was still doing well. Lunch was always had in the middle of the road, no fear of anybody else coming along. The occasional radhouse we came across was nothing but a petrol pump charging 1 $ plus per liter (normally 0,86 $ per liter). More river crossings, deep ravins and of course more dust. We have now given up trying to keep things clean, including ourselves! We passed many beautiful oasis dreamed of swimming, but still feared the crocs. Each evening camp was made on riverbanks, a fire was lit and communial cooking was done, Andrew and Deanna introduced us to the outback camp-oven! Fantastic thing! We had bananacake and self made bread, damper and vegetable soups, still no fish! Our showers had now become an evening ritual: bucket throwing over your partners (this is a death defying run to the river, scoop up the water in a bucket before the crocs get you, run up an throwing over your partner). We all had the same smell , fragrant oasis. One day while following the van looking for the ideal restarea, the van became the prey of the great sand trap. Up to his oksels. Forward motion zero. So now with shovels and hands we were transformed from drivers/navigators to road builders. One hour later, van was free. And eventually we reached Ballooluulu (how do you spell that????) And just one day left for the car rego. The local garage looked at the car and said: go away and hide the rust, "what I can't see, I can't complain about!!" so, we did it. 2 cans of paint spray, one can of body filler later we had another life for the car!! So were now?? Sealed road to Tennant creek or more dust to Katherine? The dust won! We had been warned of punctures on this road as it was a flint road. We had to spars for the ford, one spar for the van and none for the trailer! This stretch of road was 400 kms and we got one puncture in the ford, 15 kms before the end!!! So now, that’s it, no more dirt roads for us, back to the easy life! We went out in the boat to the Mataranka falls, what a trip! After all the floods early this year, the way to the falls was not so easy, trees everywhere in the way and we had to get out and carry the tiny through various obstacles. But it was worth it! What a place, pools everywhere and some natrual whirlpools! Now on the road to Broome, across to western Australia! Andrew and Deanna have gone north, so we bought our own camp-oven and also a solar shower, what luxury! That was our little adventure in the passed two weeks. page 1-2 Copyright © 2003 kiwichimp all rights reserved

Kiwi-Chimp Venture

past trips - australia

Queensland to Northern Territory - August 1998

Queensland Outback

This is another epic from down under and most probably the last as the poor old car is now showing its age. We left cairns with no real thoughts just west and quite quickly as the car rego [mot/tuv]was soon to run out table-lands was fine then we headed of the sealed road and across to Normanton the road was fine bumpy dusty but fair compared to what laid ahead. We camped rough and left early. From Normanton we went north to Kurmanda we were expecting a nice quite retreat wrong every body and any body with a four wheel drive/tinny[small alloy boat] was there this is a mecca for fishermen oh well it was a nice place and the sundowners club was ace. From here we hoped to take highway 1 across the gulf to the Stuart highway. All the big rough tough 4wd gang said no way 4wd only then we met Andrew and Deanna they had a converted van 2wd with boat and trailer had hoped to also do the same road but worried to go it alone but would love to try it with us. Next we rang the cops [police] asked there thoughts they rang around for us and said forget it 4wd only and hard for them loads of river crossing etc etc. So that was that! Back to the sealed roads. Then passing the junction we said : sod it! Lets try. So off we travelled the two off us, ford falcon and ford van. At the beginning the road was fine, no worse then we have done before, we were laughing. A bit dusty, but we didn’t care.

Then our first river crossing: and what a crossing! 4 wd's queuing to cross from each side. We thought: shit, end of the road. The 4 wd's crossed as we watched, then we decided to walk the crossing and see, forgetting all about the crocs. We walked across the 20 meter crossing and found it to be a goer! Just 600 mm deep! So everything off the floor of the car and let's go. Van first , he made it. Falcon next, we made it! All floors flooded but everything else fine and dry! So lunch was had, while the carpets dryed out. No looking back now and off we set. The road getting worse, corrigations, dust, and the occasional pothole (the sort you loose buses in). This night stop was again on a riverbank, we fished for supper and had beans on toast (fish weren’t hungry). Trailer, van and car formed in tight circle to keep crocs away. We slept very lightly that night. Next morning back on the road, more dust more ruts and more fun! Nobody else on this road. The boat was coming of the trailer and the rearwindowscreen in the van got smashed from flying stones. The falcon was still doing well. Lunch was always had in the middle of the road, no fear of anybody else coming along.

The occasional radhouse we came across was nothing but a petrol pump charging 1 $ plus per liter (normally 0,86 $ per liter). More river crossings, deep ravins and of course more dust. We have now given up trying to keep things clean, including ourselves! We passed many beautiful oasis dreamed of swimming, but still feared the crocs. Each evening camp was made on riverbanks, a fire was lit and communial cooking was done, Andrew and Deanna introduced us to the outback camp-oven! Fantastic thing! We had bananacake and self made bread, damper and vegetable soups, still no fish! Our showers had now become an evening ritual: bucket throwing over your partners (this is a death defying run to the river, scoop up the water in a bucket before the crocs get you, run up an throwing over your partner). We all had the same smell , fragrant oasis. One day while following the van looking for the ideal restarea, the van became the prey of the great sand trap. Up to his oksels. Forward motion zero. So now with shovels and hands we were transformed from drivers/navigators to road builders. One hour later, van was free. And eventually we reached Ballooluulu (how do you spell that????) And just one day left for the car rego.

The local garage looked at the car and said: go away and hide the rust, "what I can't see, I can't complain about!!" so, we did it. 2 cans of paint spray, one can of body filler later we had another life for the car!! So were now?? Sealed road to Tennant creek or more dust to Katherine? The dust won! We had been warned of punctures on this road as it was a flint road. We had to spars for the ford, one spar for the van and none for the trailer! This stretch of road was 400 kms and we got one puncture in the ford, 15 kms before the end!!! So now, that’s it, no more dirt roads for us, back to the easy life! We went out in the boat to the Mataranka falls, what a trip! After all the floods early this year, the way to the falls was not so easy, trees everywhere in the way and we had to get out and carry the tiny through various obstacles. But it was worth it! What a place, pools everywhere and some natrual whirlpools!

Now on the road to Broome, across to western Australia! Andrew and Deanna have gone north, so we bought our own camp-oven and also a solar shower, what luxury! That was our little adventure in the passed two weeks.

page 1-2