Day 107 - Saturday 20th April 2024

Awake well before the alarm today, I started by reviewing the video I finished editing yesterday evening. Just one small adjustment needed, and I set it off rendering (building the final version that can be published), had a shave and shower, then went for a very nice cooked breakfast. I returned to the video, and it was just about finished ..... another review and then publishing on YouTube ..... it's now available here.

I was all packed up and loaded in the car by the time that loading the video onto YouTube had completed, so I checked out and hit the road at 08:30. A stop for more fuel on the way out of Alice Springs, and I was soon setting the cruise control to 130kph (which is the speed limit in these parts for much of the Stuart Highway).

My first intended stop was at the marker where I crossed the Tropic of Capricorn, but things didn't go to plan. A 300 metre warning when you're doing 130kph (80mph) having just pulled in after overtaking a truck isn't enough to pull over safely, so I sailed on past .... I'll have to remember to stop when I pass the tropic again on the west coast.

Today really only had one other planned stop quite a way up the road, so I had a couple of unplanned stops on the way; one to recycle the coffees I'd had at breakfast, and another as I felt my attention wandering so thought a 10 minute break was wise. The roads north of Alice Springs seem to be a lot straighter than those to the south, and so finding things to break the monotony is quite a pass-time. 

One thing I have noticed today is that I seem to have come into a latitude where the termites are building their mounds; there are a lot of mounds resembling red gravestones standing a couple of feet tall either side of the road. I believe that further north people dress these mounds with T-shirts, so I look forward to seeing that.

The other thing that I've noticed today is that the Road Trains seem to be longer; they have been passing in the other direction with four trailers today where the longest I'd previously seen was three trailers. I've not come across any on my side of the road just yet, but now that I've said that I'm totally expecting a plague of them tomorrow!

About an hour from Tennant Creek where I'm overnighting, I arrived at Karlu Karlu, or The Devils Marbles. I wonder why they always seem to name stuff after the devil? It was 12:30 when I arrived at a site covered with large boulders, some perched on top of a collection of others, some on the ground and others seemingly precariously balanced on an angled rock.

I took a 20 minute loop walk to explore these, then spotted another walk up to a lookout so explored this as well. As has happened a few times, I don't think I have the words to paint the picture, so I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Back onto the road for the hour run into Tennant Creek where I've organised the accommodation tonight. The travel agent was able to arrange all of the accommodation apart from two locations, and tonight is the first of those. I arrived at the motel at 14:00, and was able to get checked in straight away and also pay for the room. I spent the afternoon doing not much really after the drive, and went to a local Chinese restaurant for a very nice Lemon Chicken. Then back to the room for my weekly chat with Mum before completing the blog.

Tomorrow is according to Google Maps a long 7 hour driving day, so perhaps an early night is called for.