WEEK 3
DAY 1 - 08/04/12 SUNDAY - Easter Sunday
Alice Springs - G'Day Mate caravan park
Kerriann post: - Sleep in & Bacon & eggs for Easter Sunday girls open eggs & presents. Having a lay day Michael buzz around fix a few things on the car & van. Kerriann & Cheryl stocked up on groceries and cooked up spag bog & savoury mince to freeze as back up dinners. Girls got their Wii out for the first time for a play. Dropped the girls off to the movies to watch 'The Lorax' movie while we checked out the Alice Springs Casino few drinks and a bet together but no good. Ended up at the movies with the girls. Michael & girls watched Hunger Games again & Greg, Del,Cheryl & Kerriann went to see 'The Exotict Marigold Hotel'.
Mick post: - Kerriann again is mum of the year - up at 2am and guiding the Easter bunny to the caravan and spoils had in the morning by the girls! A beat feed of B&Eggs cooked by Uncle Greg and I spent the day on the car, van and gear. Fitted the flash new 9 powered thingy internet aerial fitted to the bull bar. Greg drove us into SuperCheap and picked up a few bits and pieces. Enjoyed not driving and just fidgeting around the van park. We did a blue heelers at the Casino sitting around a pokie and blew our $5 each into a one arm bandit. All agreed thank God we hate bloody loosing money! Was very funny when we won $4.00 and we all screamed and yelled whoopee and a Casino cashier came over to see what it was all about and laughed when she saw our fortune.
Worst part is we actually lost track of time and realised it was late and the movie that Jess and KC were at was finished….we roared around to the cinema to find the girls sitting patiently inside with a 'where have you been' look on their face! I changed a fuse in the Nissan and bloody reset the trip A, trip B speedo on me….bugger!
TOTAL KM - Have to work it out - bloody odo reset itself?
Sturt's Desert Pea, amazing little flowers they are! This was on the footpath in Alice Springs at a tyre shop......
DAY 2 - 09/04/12 MONDAY Easter Monday
G'day Mate Caravan Park
Kerriann post: Early start hopped in Greg & Del's car for a tour of the MacDonnell Ranges. First stop Simpson's Gap then onto Ormiston George & Glen Helen George. Ducked into the Ochre Pits and last into Standley Chasm but did not walk this one as it cost too much. Back to camp for a late check out (2.00pm) and on the road heading to a free camp Taylor Creek 40km N out side Barrow Creek.
Nothing flash about the pic but Albert Namatjira (spelling) painted these two Ghost Gums with the background and in this vicinity regularly!
West Mac Ranges. A cold swim with Bindy, she's the only one mad enough to go with Dad!
Aboriginal Ochre mine
West Mac Ranges - Ormistone Gorge I think? Beautiful spot!
TOTAL KM - 310
DAY 3 - 10/04/12 TUESDAY
Free camp Taylor Creek 40km N out side of Barrow Creek
Kerriann Post: - Windy cold & Cheryl's pumpkin scones in the oven girls had a little sleep in heading to Devils Marbles for Breaky / morning tea (scones). 180 Kms have internet with our new antenna. Onto Tennant Creek to meet up with Gavin & Geraldine Timmins & kids. Staying at the Outback Caravan Pk $57.00 Great to catch up with Gav & Ged lovely bbq with a few drinks. Kacie woke up about 2.30am vomiting. Big jump from the top bunk and out the door poor bugger just not quick enough ended up all over the door and just in side the van. Back to bed about 3.30am with mum & dad.
Pumpkin Scones at the Devils Marbles on our way North to the barra grounds.
Devils Marbles...The Blue bus in the background we have caught up with all the way so far and no doubt will see again in the Kimberley or beyond!
Mataranka Hot springs for a quick dip before heading on further North......
Mick Post: - Finally caught up with Gav me old china from early days. Ged his gorgeous wife and four daughters full of beans! Their shop 'Little Rippers' at TC is like a mini Myers with most everything for sale. Was really impressed as typical of Gav the shop is immaculate, the fences, interior, signage of modern brand names like O'Neil Surf brand clothing. Gav had my bloody jaw aching again as usual from laughing and really missing the mateship we shared in early days before brides, kids and commitments. Their story about making the move to TC is very inspiring and really had me thinking….especially when the boys rang from the St Bernards Hotel and speaker phone to Hargs, Guru, Beej, Tanky and Gwen at blue heelers for Tank's birthday! Long story cut short if the boys and Gwen weren't at home to come back to we are hunting for another life from the blue uniform! She'll be right!
TOTAL KM - 188
DAY 4 - 11/04/12 WEDNESDAY
Outback Caravan Park Tennant Creek
Just started raining, nice and cool. Daly Waters for lunch. Barra bites $15 very nice & Barra burger $13.50 alright 6/10 Michael just booked a site at Daly river for 5 nights of fishing a he is very very excited. 2 days to go but. Tonight we will stay at Mataranka hot pools just what we need.
After seeing what Gav and Ged had achieved in TC it's hard not to look at some of the joints like Daly Water pub and the like for a veritable money pit of opportunity. Very run down cheap businesses everywhere but all making profits due to the remoteness and only option for the ever increasing tourist trade! I think though I will be like Lenny and Anthea and if ever trying something in the future it will be on water with barra in the equation! The quirkiness of Daly Water PUb alone makes it a no brainer. KC and Del playing 10 pin in the main street in front of the pub and cars having to drive around us and give way to lunacy is rare these days. Immediately recognise though that with the accom, pub, fuel and shop staff is impossible in these places and it is actually quite frustrating that every place we've been to you are served by a backpacker who has absolutely no idea! Alas, they will no doubt be food and board and cheap work but can you imagine the cash that would be pilfered in the process! I still reckon a simple plan like a caravan park that can flood if needed, just a block of amenities to keep clean and smile with a little bit of crap for sale for immediate location needs…….we are searching……..surely somewhere in remote WA there's another 'Ash's Holiday Units!' opportunity?
10 Pin bowling main street Daly Waters.
Daly Waters Macca's
Mixing it with the locals.
TOTAL KM - 620
DAY 5 - 12/04/12 THURSDAY
Mataranka
Katherine here we come.
Katherine here we come. Staying at the Riverview caravan park $ 51.30 Popped in to see Anita Wills at the coffee shop before she headed to Darwin to catch a plane to Mt Tamborine. Had a coffee with Greg & Del's nephew & a bbq dinner at another nephews place. Del took all the kids down to a hot springs just behind the caravan park. A very well used and lovely place for a swim. Is a bit surreal to be so close to the Katherine River (50 metres?) and not concerned about croc's! Local kids beautiful, affectionate, polite and playful. Katherine was very nice! Even rang in a suspect armed robbery (that's another story in it's whole!) and three marked units turned up in good time! Boys are all dressed smartly and a crying shame to hear that the NT boys are now about to go Blue uniform! I wonder what re-joiners from other states got into the NT cop's and decided that Khaki wasn't the right uniform……starting to really hate the job in retrospect…….!?
TOTAL KM - 98
Our dear friend Anita Wills currently nursing in Katherine. She flew home to Mt Tamborine the day we arrived!
DAY 6 - 13/04/12 FRIDAY
Riverview Caravan Park - Katherine
Michael's very excited about today. Greg & Cheryl had another swim in the hot pools & the girls had a sleep in. Fuelling up and on our way to Daly River (Fishing Barra). Woolianna Tourist Park $360 for five nights and do what we say or else! But lovely people and with set rules it's good to see that if you toe the line then all is good and idiot's or non conformers can bugger off somewhere else! Nice green lush lawn the crickets in the amenities were bad ear piecing. Set up camp & boat trailer Michael very excited. (Crickets in the toilets were interesting as I was able to suggest to the girls that my head in the silent times sounds very much like the sound of the crickets but not quite as loud but almost!
TOTAL KM - 270
DAY 7 - 14/04/12 SATURDAY
Daly River Woolianna Tourist Park
Michael & Kerriann went for a look. Greg & Michael went after lunch and put the yabby pot in and a quick flick. All up 1 keeper & lots of rats. All had a nice swim in the pool. A few drinks, dinner & bed.
Magnificent specimen of Cherubin, too good this size for bait and besides, I needed a 10/0 hook and didn't have one!
The Daly……? For one, it is a barra fishing only place and fresh water/run off fishing only……. The boats or at least most of them are all the big modern Bass tip boats you see on TV that can do 100 mph and all motor and cast platforms etc….. What was the most fascinating to me was after only one day it was quickly obvious that 90% of the fishers seem to have no actual real idea about where or how to find fish? As much as it sounds condescending and 'don't talk to me about boats, I know boats!" we went for a run to the legendary "Mouth of Elizabeth mate…that's where they are catching them!" and witnessed first hand the scores of boats, tinny's and 100k + Bass boats trolling or like sheep in a pen flicking mouths of the same run off and after returning home with a few keepers in the esky and catching a dozen or so rats hear that no-one caught fish!? The most fascinating part was that the first gutter we came across that was an absolute no-brainer fish magnet and at which we caught dozens and barra and lost / jumped off / snagged some good fish 70cm to 80cm was 200 metres from the boat ramp from which the armada originated! Kerrriann and I were checking out the mouth of a creek I have learnt was called 'No Fish Creek' when describing it to Lenny and we saw the ubiquitous Great Egret fishing in a gutter almost out of sight just up the creek up accessible by boat due to a large tree fallen across the river. So tie up we do and have a stroll up the gutter and my first cast saw a beautiful 75cm barra smash the lure within seconds of landing at the mouth of the feeder creek! We both returned to the spot about 3 times and hooked up, jumped off and had a ball watching the visual splendour of mostly small barra's about 40 to 55 cm smash our plastics in a gutter only about 4 metres wide! Again the constant din of boats roaring to and fro in the main river and comment back at camp in the pool that no fish were caught as the tides aren't right yet and on Wednesday it will be better!????
Fish for dinner……? You bet ya, and despite their dark 'i come from the fresh mate' appearance the taste was sensational and certainly not a swamp dog.
Typical Daly Barra, a bit dark for my liking but taste just fine!
Jess on the pan with fresh crumbed barra!
This is an ordinary shot however what confused me is I was here all morning to day light and the croc in shot I saw and played with but the eye in the background I never saw another croc......?
TOTAL KM - 0
WEEK - 4
DAY 1 - 15/04/12 SUNDAY
Daly River - Woolianna Tourist Park
Fishing - A bit of a blur in hindsight as finally had a chance to pen some words….. We fished the Daly and with the assistance of Lenny's mud maps of the system it was impossible to troll for the number of boats doing the same and the current which with a snag up caused more grief than warranted when we had already figured out the easy alternatives. I took Cheryl and Jessy Bell this morning with some lovely small Cherabin from the pots (cheating I know but too easy to catch barra for the uninitiated as such!) and after casting Cheryl's line (too close to snags to risk and tree up) said to her "now count to 3 and be ready to strike" and as quick as the words left my mouth her float vanished with a pop and a lovely 65 cm barra was played to the boat and bled for dinner. Not sure how many we caught but every session all fishers caught at least 1 barra.
The drain in No Fish Creek - every cast a hook up, strike and some good size fish caught and lost here. Mainly trying to get to the net reaching down the bank. 75cm + fish. My first cast was engulfed by a beauty I lost dragging up the bank and leader snapped due to weight of fish.....bugger!
TOTAL KM - 0
Bindy and a sooty grunter that took a dead livey.
DAY 2 - 16/04/12 MONDAY
Daly River - Woolianna Tourist Park
We convinced Del Del ring the Bell to come on the water just for a quick check of the pot's and just had to pull up at the gutter on the way back and repeated the same process as Cheryl the day before……"Righto Del, you gotta catch a barra love so I'll cast this in and you hang on o.k.? Cast line, count to 2 and boo!!!! Del is hooked up and both Greg and I laughing a roar as Del squealing with delight and both us encouraging her she landed her barra in no time….and still the boats roared past us in their numbers to far off reaches of the Daly to return and report very few fish caught today…still a bit early.
Del's 2 second barra, small but fun!
A drain rat! Heaps of these little terbra's but amongst them lurked some large fish. Best from this drain in the boat was 80cm, jumped a heap off and lost many in snags submerged in the mouth.
Trying to hide the hook ups was a hoot….One fish I had no matter how hard I held the rod low and lead it continued to jump and jump again. A flash boat (one of there expensive set up's with men all wearing the flash fishing shirts with big barra's on them and bright colours) has caught us out and came straight over. I then see the produce a short stroker each with cumbersome egg beaters and enjoyed the next 30 minutes teaching 4 Victorian's who've never barra fished before and came to the Daly to catch heaps of barras! The Daly…….? Certainly not an amateur fishers realm to say the least.
Fishing
TOTAL KM - 0
DAY 3 - 17/04/12 TUESDAY
Daly River - Woolianna Tourist Park
Since we arrived at the Daly we contrived to catch a croc and release it (jaw tied) into Del's van to pay her back for April Fools day and a bit of a laugh! After the inevitable failures that come with trying to snag a croc with a lure Kerriann spotted a beauty little croc up a drain that basically we were able to block off with the tinny and set up the trap. First cast with a busted and broken old minnow lure and we were on!!!!! Kacie played the croc while we got the jaw rope ready and after about 15 minutes and having got one rope on the top jaw and somehow it got off and the croc got through our blockade it was all but over but the line held and Kacie's mutters included "Oh Mum we should do this all the time!" and also "I bet Mr Church didn't do this" (Mr Church is Kacie's teacher at school who did an around Oz with his family also last year). Anyway, while playing the croc to the boat we got the jaw rope on and of course it's then pandemonium as A - The croc realises it's got a real problem, and B - The twits on the other end realise the crocs not as small as first expected and C - another tinny trolling by see's the action and comes in with the camera and all the oooh's and aaaahhhhs….. We explained in truthfulness that the croc had become hooked and we had to remove the lure from it's body before releasing it. Finally all laughing a fit and camera's clicking our poor croc is in the boat and certainly too big to let loose in Aunty Del's van so we rip back to Woolianna and Kacie run's up and brings the crew down for a quick picture as we try to hide the fact that we have about a 7 foot croc in the tinny not at all happy about being there in the first place. Happy snaps aside and removed all the mites from the crocs skin she was released shortly after in perfect form and figure.
Kacie kept gentle control of the croc the whole time by straddling it like Bindi Iwrin and hence here new nickname appears to be Bindy!
Just hold still mate we have to get those nasty hooks out of your side.......this photo courtesy of passing couple that were staying in same park and caught me catching the croc.....no knock on the door from police yet but was a bit worried word would get around and they would think I was hunting handbags....
The Paul Hogan hand trance didn't work so try something different. Notice not smiling at the crocodile!
Got ya ya little ripper!
Happy Snaps, removed the telecom rope straight after shot as too much rope on the crocs mouth.
Bindy nursed the croc all the way back to boat ramp where pliers to pull out the hooks and kept in calm with wet heshian bag over eyes/head and straddled it all the way and back again for release.
Jessie Bell in for a quick photo too! Can't miss this opportunity!
TOTAL KM - 0
DAY 4 - 18/04/12 WEDNESDAY
Daly River - Woolianna Tourist Park
On our way again packed up and punkin scones are made for morning tea at Adelaide River were there were markets set up but locals or tourists it's hard to gauge? We all brought a book from the lady selling novels who had the best array of popular novels seen at any market….Cheryl and Mick both brought a Wilbur Smith for $4.50. The Ghan train went totting past. On the road again heading to Crab Claw Resort $134. Set up camp and then cooled down in the pool.
Our first home cooked loaf of bread.
TOTAL KM - 290
DAY 5 - 19/04/12 THURSDAY
Crab Claw Resort
Greg & Michael set up the boat & set the crab pots. Mick caught a huge queeny for breaky on a speculative troll & Cheryl made Nummis out of the left overs. Michael took Cheryl & Jessica out for a fish Michael & Cheryl caught a keeper each. 6 sand crabs & 2 mud crabs. Cool down in the pool. Cheryl was amazed again that within 1 minute of her cast finding water she was fighting another barra! How easy is it?
TOTAL KM - 0
DAY 6 - 20/04/12 FRIDAY
Crab Claw Resort
Greg & Michael checked the pots 2x crabs bucket full of big mullet ready for the days fishing. Breaky gone and Kerriann, Kacie & Michael off to catch some fish but the boat landed on the bucket with the mullet in it and popped the lid and the mullet got away. Not a good start. Found some more mullet and off we went. Michael & Kacie both caught a keeper each and lost about 6. Checked pots 2 mud crabs. Cool down in the pool.
TOTAL KM - 0
Now that's a barra smile Jessy-Belle! Our first two barra's at Crab Claw caught within minutes of casting in at a dirty water line on start of the run in at a shallow rock bar....GOLD!!!
Our camp at Crab Claw Island...magnificent spot and one I would go back to for potential here fishing wise is huge!
Finally a feed of muddies.....you beauty! The bloke on the right is Steve and his bride Vicky. Steve is the owner of Mooloolaba TackleWorld and our new friends. Steve was working the day Kerriann made the dreadful mistake of leaving me for 2 hours at Steve's shop whith a special on...the look on her face when she drove in and saw me standing out front with $1400.00 worth of pots, pumps, hooks, lures, etc....and Steve and his offsider hiding inside....HILLARIOUS!!!Lovely bloke and people and my new tackle shop! Nice to give you money to people you know and who are champions!
DAY 7 - 21/04/12 SATURDAY
Crab Claw Resort
Barra & eggs for breaky, 3 mud crabs 1floater. Barra, chips & salad for lunch. No fish today too windy….pack up most of the gear and got ready for our next adventure tomorrow as we head to Koolpinyah Station near Howard Springs (Darwin) with Kristy and John Geddes (friends from Micks school years and Karumba).
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