On the last night before the start of our road trip, Filip had arranged for him and me to spend the night in the home of Val(erie) and Charlie, a New Zealand / Australian couple which he had met during his time in New Zealand. They gave us a very warm welcome! We enjoyed a roast of lamb leg with oven baked vegetables (not our daily meal as a backpacker!), good conversation, useful camping tips and a good night of sleep. Next day, we headed to the stores to buy some camping equipment (for me, only a basic tent and a blow up mattress (Val and Charlie had given me some old blankets so I would not have to buy a sleeping bag, 30 AUD in total, thank you Kmart!)). Due to some trouble with the roof rack Filip had ordered, we ended up leaving Townsville in the dark. But off we were. The next days, we drove km and km of straight road, and camped at free, low-cost and medium cost camp grounds. Highlights were the beautiful wildlife (birds, kangaroos and wallabies, possums), the superb starry nights, the Australian monster trucks called “Road Trains” and the vast (though sometimes rather boring) landscapes. 4 days later, Filip dropped me off at Tennant Creek, from where I would continue my journey to Alice Springs by Greyhound bus. Tennant Creek used to be a gold mining town, but those days were long gone. Except for the excellent Battery Hill mining tour and the aboriginal talk with included bush tucker (ie bush food), it seemed to me a pretty depressing place. The hostel I stayed at (the only one in town) seamlessly fitted that picture: ramshackle buildings, dirty dorm rooms smelling (badly) of cigarette smoke, run-down bathroom and kitchen… My worst hostel experience so far. The only upside was that I seemed to be the only guest, so my four bed dorm turned into a private room.
2 Comments
John
7/5/2016 12:38:21 pm
I am maybe not jealous about the hostel, but I sure am jealous about the weather and the sights. Enjoy!
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Sarah
12/3/2017 12:06:13 am
O MY GOD! So beautiful! Pictures are very nice. A lot of nature for sure,...
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