Travelling Around Oz: Outback - Townsville to Broome

Everyone said how big the place was, but until you actually travel across from the east coast to the west coast you realise it is not big - it's massive! Halfway through the journey, must have been after a few beers in Tennant Creek, we worked out the distance is the same as driving from London to Moscow.

Our first stop in the outback was Charters Towers, also known as "the World". It has something to do with the gold rush...but that was a long time ago and now it feels more like a forgotten World full of cowboys and pick-up trucks. It's bizarre how much the Australian outback reminded us of the American wild west...

Charters Towers. Yee haw!!

We didn't realise, but the western Queensland outback has some of the most amazing pre-historic fossils in the whole world. A lot of the towns like to emphasise this fact....see pictures below.

On and on and on....

Driving in the outback is an unusual experience. You can drive for hours without the landscape changing, and then suddenly, there is something new and unusual appearing out of nowhere. You also need to look out for all the wildlife, especially kangaroos. We were wondering were all the kangaroos were, but soon discovered them when we decided to drive at dusk. The roadside was covered with wallabies and kangeroos. we had to slow down to standstill in some places. Unfortuneatley when we were getting back up to speed a kangaroo ran into the side of the van!! Was a shame, but there was nothing we could have done. Seeminly they come charging out the bush completely unaware of the oncoming traffic.

Things you do to keep yourself sane...;)

Got there eventually!!

The Northern Territories was very hot and barren but has some little surprises like the ghost town of Newcastle Waters, Katherine and the rather quirky Daly Waters.

Sunset at Camooweal

Pub in Daly Waters

Women leave their bras at the bar....

Even soap dodgers have been here!!! :)

Outside the pub at Daly Waters

Fresh water hot spring at Mataranka

After the Daly Waters the landscape became a lot more tropical. There were fresh water hot spring on the way up to Katherine, which welcomed relief.

It took us 14 days to get across. It would have taken longer, but after days and days of straight roads and hot and dry weather we decided to put our foot down and get to the coast.

Also, beer tends to be very expensive in the outback (not to mention the dry communities) and we (Arnold) wanted to watch the AFL Grand final (Aussie rules) with a cold beer on the coast. The Australians call it football but it is of course nothing like our European football.