Friday July 1st 2011 Katherine to Timber Creek

The long and winding road...still straight in parts but with rises and curves in places. We reached Timber Creek after 1:00 p.m. Today is a bit humid and over 30. 

on road to Timber Creek

It's another caravan park where you can park where you like - very haphazard. Some areas are grassed but the majority is red dust. Tall, shady trees compensate for the red dust. Not far from our site is a grassed area that slopes to a narrow river/creek. A bridge provides a way to the other side but on the other side basks a freshwater crocodile very well camouflaged in the vegetation.

oversize load

After a  wander to the bridge and checking out an ancient Boab tree in the park, I noticed a couple of people about to cross the bridge. I called out to them and discovered that it was Cheryl and her husband who had camped at Mataranka when we were there. Cheryl and I had several conversations and she bought a pair of earrings from me. While Cheryl, Patrick and I were chatting on the bridge, Patrick told me to look over there. 

croc on bank

Just below us was a crocodile that had come to the surface of the water as silently as a cat  burglar. It was smiling. Freshies don't look as scary as salties but they both have sharp teeth. 

smiling

croc near bridge in caravan park

changing landscape

We decided to swap emails so that we can keep in touch on our trip and after.

Bobby found someone else to talk with. Tristan is a photographer who travels Australia (80,000 km last year) with his brother and father taking photos of people. They have their own portable studio. Tristan gave us a few places to check out when we leave here in a couple of days.

Boab tree in van park

Smelly bats creating a cacophony of squawking yelps hang from trees near the river. Small striped fish swim in the water. Other bitey bugs flit along the surface of the water. We know that there will be more noises later in the night as this is Territory Day across NT. 

Someone from the park feeds the crocs and tortoises after 5 each day so people headed down to the bridge to check out the attraction. The croc wasn't too interested but the tortoises snapped away at the food. 

self-contained cyclist

Not far from our site but close to the river, is a man with a different mode of transport. It's a bike that rider reclines slightly on seat and pedals and steers in usual way. This bike had a solar-powered yellow esky. As you can see from the photo, it's a very compact way of travelling. I chatted with the cyclist and discovered that he rode about 100 km per day and had been on the road for 8 months this time. It's something that he does regularly. He looked quite fit. When the large trucks pass him, he justs makes sure that he gives them a bit more room. Legend!

Victoria River

As I write this entry, the relative silence of the caravan park is blasted away  by booming fireworks that have been decorating the sky for over 3 hours. They are so loud that it feels as though they are only a few metres away. I hope all the pets are safe across this state. Anyone is permitted to purchase fireworks to celebrate the day. It's one of the busiest days for the fire services and we did wonder why this practice was still happening given the dry conditions. 

Bobby watched the fireworks for a while and returned a few times thinking they had finished. Wrong! They're still going off. He's enjoying some Friday night footy now - Bulldogs and Melbourne. 

Sightseeing tomorrow - checking out the Victoria River and doing a sunset/night cruise later in the day. The landscape has changed significantly  since leaving Katherine. 

The fireworks are still going at 10:30 p.m. - they are supposed to cease at 11:00 p.m. Obviously, Bob can sleep through anything