We went to Kings Canyon and walked around the rim of the canyon, was about 6km which took about 2 hours. It was great to be so high up and to scream into the canyon to hear the echos :)
Driving north to Alice Springs we had 2 kangaroos jump across the road right in from of us, thankfully not TOO close.. but man it was crazy to see them come so close... esp while driving so fast!
Arrived in Alice Springs and had to figure out finances because our travel mate Raphaela is leaving us today and we will search for a new travel mate to join us to Darwin.
We split up to use internet and shop and eat etc... met back up on Anzac Hill to watch the sunset!
We snuck into a hostel to take a shower.... such a simple thing but man its good to be clean!
It was cold in the night, but nice the next day. I went to the shops to buy a hoodie- BONDI RESCUE.. love it (its a popular show here about lifeguards at Bondi Beach, NSW)
We drove to the West MacDonells Ranges, walked a lil hike and saw Simpson Gap and the Ghost Gum Tree.
We had to go back through Alice Springs to head north, and also so
Mario could book a flight to Bali from Darwin.. anyways.. good thing we went back, cuz the lady who sold me my hoodie forgot to take the security tag out and it would have made a mess!!! It didn't beep when I left the store the first time, but it beeped when I went back in- just thankful its out now!
Heading north to DEVILS MARBLES............. rounded rocks... amazing really!
We stayed here to eat and camp and watch the sunset around the rocks!
There were some guys making a fire near their camp area, so we walked over to join! Kyle and Nick.. from Sydney... very nice guys and we asked if they played Guitar and they did so we got Mario to get his guitar out and Nick had a lil guitar too.... and a SONG BOOK! A Christian song book.... oh man what a treat!
We sat and sang many songs.... it was like a night at Hermosa (my summer camp) with songs I know, campfire and good chats!!!! Koombya etc and closed with a great version of "friends" by Micheal W Smith!!
Traveling with the same person for many days can be fun.. but not if you really don't know them well and things they do start to annoy you.... almost everything started to annoy me by now.. Mario was so stubborn about everything... which made it less fun, but I had to remember this a trip of a lifetime and to enjoy it for ME! I tried not to let his habits annoy me/gross me out... and I did my own thing and just kept quiet :P
Made it hard that the new girl we found Dany is also German... so Mario and Dany would chat in german to each other.... ugh!
It got very hot and humid as we got more north... I love heat, but not while driving in a van with 2 other people and no A/C. We made it to some place to camp/eat for the night!
I was thankful they had showers there too... but really no point cuz you sweat as soon as you get back outside! I even slept in the front of the van to try to have space and maybe a breeze, but no breeze and the Mossies (mosquitos) were bad!
We headed to the thermal pool at the campsite but I didn't want to go in at 8am.... be all wet then get in the van and get hot n sweaty again!
We stopped in a town called KATHERINE to charge phones, camera batteries, shop and chill for a bit. Continued onto to Edith Falls and went for a great sweaty 2km hike!
The next place we went to was Batchelor (lol spelt different but was funny) sounds like a single girls heaven.. but really wasn't :P
We stopped at Rum Jungle Lake to cook and watch the sunset over the hills/trees, very pretty. The stars are amazing in the middle of nowhere... so bright and clear. The southern cross is a very small constellation... I thought it would be BIG!
The mossies were SO bad... cuz we were near a lake, so I wanted to drive to find somewhere else to sleep... plus the lake was a no camping zone.
We finally found a dead end road and stopped, but a man came out of his house with a flashlight and so we didn't want to stay too close to his house.. we drove up the street toward the main rd.
HOTTEST NIGHT EVER.... oh my word...I thought I would die..... 3 people in a humid van with NO air coming in cuz the mossies were so bad.. it was awful.... I had to get out a few times just to breath. It was like fat camp... sweating to death... I barely slept.
We got up early... not that I was alseep... went into Litchfield National Park, first to the Termite mounds...
but I saw bigger ones along the hwy then here. Then onto Buley Rockhole and Florence Falls, where I saw HUGE bats in the trees, so cool!
Headed to Tabletop Swamp... really wanted to see a Crocodile, but nothing there. Onto Tolmer Falls, very nice view/lookout. The last waterfall was called WANGI pronounced wong guy... lol (like the wrong guy) Did a great 1.8km walk around the falls and to swimming pools, but again no point to get wet and then back into humid van.
HUGE spider in the rain forest walk around wangi.. yikes def the BIGGEST spider I have EVER seen... (Trish you would die, it was as big as my head)
Mario stopped at Walker Creek... I didn't even go on the walk, I stayed at the van to eat lunch and journal and pack my things to prepare for Darwin!!!!
He then wanted to take the short cut which was an unsealed (not paved) road.. we got about 30km then we encountered a HUGE puddle.... we could make it but thankfully a 4WD guy came from the other way and said we wouldn't make it through the next "puddle" with our van.
So we headed back through the whole park and it would take us a bit longer to get to darwin but at least we would arrive and not be stuck in the mud somewhere. It rained/poured on and off for the first 50km.
Arrived in DARWIN around 4:30pm!!!!!!!!!! I was So excited... we got gas and had to figure out finances.. then I wanted to go to Maccas (McDonalds) for free wi-fi!!!
So good to be online and in a city... I love life! Searched for jobs and places to stay.
Headed into town to go hostel to hostel to find the best price for the night.
I wanted to check into GECKO but the office was closed... so I checked into ELKES.. thought dany was coming too... nope her and Mario were sleeping in the van again... (thanks for telling/inviting me) NOT that I wanted too... I would gladly pay for a bed/shower/sheets/space!!!! Well worth it!
FREE FREE I'M FREE AT LAST!!!!!! Sorry but 14 days with one guy you hardly know is NOT the best.... but I survived and I loved the journey, cuz now it is a great story and a great adventure that I went on in Oz.
I put on my dress and put on make up for the first time in over 2 weeks... walked downtown and just enjoyed being in a busy city! I treated myself to ice cream at Baskin Robins :P
Then headed to KITTY O'SHEAs pub.... So good! Met a whole group of people that live just outside of town and so don't get out too much... fun group. We were dancing and singing n they were buying me drinks and shots... I loved it all!
A few of them were drunk and got kicked out... I kept dancing! Met more people in the pub and enjoyed the live music!
The best was that the live band played "shackles" by Mary Mary.... A Christian song played in a PUB by a COVER BAND.... so funny to me... so cool!
When I checked my FB I saw that Lucas got my postcard and he said "Tanks Aunty Chelle"
HE CAN SAY MY NAME.... oh that made my day/week/month <3
Slept GREAT that night in my bed in the hostel, with space and air and A/C... life is good.
I got up early to go for a walk.... need to lose my "travel" weight :P
Went to Maccas for wi-fi and found an ad for a place to stay in Darwin... I walked downtown to eat lunch and shop, then went to see the place.
Mick is the owner and he is in the Army... his place is AMAZING!!!
It has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms... so I can have my own room, my own bathroom, my own double bed, my own space with a huge balcony that has a table and beer fridge with a view over the harbor... BRILLIANT!!
So I have to praise God for providing me this place...... the best part is its FREE!
Mick travels sometimes for work... so he is home this week and we hang out and its great and then he leaves monday for 3 weeks.... so I have an amazing place to myself for 3 weeks... it has a POOL and everything!!
I LOVE LIFE!!!!!!!
Job hunting now in Darwin... wish me luck!
I have an interview tomorrow at a fine dining restaurant... we'll see!
Love to all... most pics on facebook... sorry!
Ciao for now!
Sorry so long... had heaps to say/write!
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