TOD Tour 2.0 Day 39 - Barkly Homestead to Banka Banka

Where the Barkly Highway meets the Stuart

Odd day.

The run across to the Three Ways, where the Barkly Highway meets the Stuart Highway fairly close to the geographical centre of the Northern Territory, was just a steady drive. The new Forester is achieving better results than I could have predicted and tows the AVAN with such ease that cruising on 100km/hr is an easy task for it. With the open road speed limit set at a ridiculous 130km/hr, we are still slower than the cars but we occasionally overtake another van. With thousands of kms of road with unfenced stock roaming about, it seems a road toll just waiting to happen.

We knew we were about to run into several days off the reservation, so first turned south for Tennant Creek for supplies. We spent an uncomfortable hour there picking up what we needed and feeling like intruders. This was more than looking different to the locals. There was a very definite “attitude” and the bars on the buildings, ten feet high fences topped in barbed wire and drawbridge front gates of the caravan park made us feel uneasy. We have traveled a lot through Australia’s outback but this was something different. Our lack of comfort appeared to be backed up by reviews on social media and travel sites. We have never felt frightened among Aboriginal people before.

The last 100kms of our day was north to Banka Banka Station, formerly a working cattle station owned by the Kidman group. We had tried to stay here on our way to WA in 2008, but arrived just on sunset to find the gate locked and a sign saying “Don’t embarrass yourself by coming up the drive”. Today we arrived about 12:30pm.

Sites are arranged in a rough circle. Water is available but we weren’t keen to try it. There is no power. Overnight gigs are pretty easy as the car stays attached and we often don’t need the usual infrastructure. About 6:30pm, the bar opens and visitors are invited to join the smaller circle around the Banka Banka fire pit: a two part road culvert which has been inverted and filled in at each end. All ages gathered around, for along with oldies, a German couple with their three young children also  communed with us. The big attraction tonight was an infant children’s python, found in one of the washing machines.

It was a quiet, dark night. A new moon did little to help the stars shed light over the campsite but they did a good job of providing a marvelous spectacle. This is why we head off to far flung places.

Click for today's photos

Banka Banka itself was a bit of a disappointment. We had read much of it and in the end, it fell short of our expectations. Not that it wasn’t pleasant but rustic charm loses its unique appeal when you’ve experienced it so often and when it just appears tired.

Sue did enjoy watching the donkeys. This wore off with the braying into the small digit hours.

Marla

Uluru to Marla
Curtain Springs, Mt Ebenezer, Erldunda, Kulgera (Lasseter & Stuart Highways) 526 kms

Another brilliant morning ! Clear skies, warm morning sunshine and the singing of our resident top notch pigeons ("they think we make the noise with our wings !") greeted our departure from a very special, wonderful place.

A tour record was set with the completion of a full pack of the big rig in 85 minutes !

There were tears from youngest to oldest as we pulled away from Yulara and set our sights on heading into South Australia and a new phase of ourjourney.

Lunch was taken at the junction of the Lasseter and Stuart Highways and despite the madhouse, it was a true desert setting. As we swallowed our cheese sandwiches and billy tea, we considered maps and tour guides in order to make some changes to the planned itinerary over the next few days.

Following lunch, the boys and I had a lively conversation with the rider of an Indian motorbike which was manufactured and used during the Second World War. An American bike, the Indian was the only opposition to Harley-Davidson until the company closed in 1954 and Japanese bikes took over the market. Apparently, owners of "Indys" had many funny lines about Harleys. They often referred to them as cattle dogs, because the factory sent them out and they came back in trucks ! This particular bike was part of the 308th USAAF Bomber Group stationed in Northern Australia and had been part of the same motorcade as the Desotto we had seen on our way to Uluru.

After some head scratching, we determined to push past our planned stop at Kulgera and continue to Maria in South Australia. This would give us only a short hop into Coober Pedy on the following day and allow Sue the time she required to browse in the underground town.

The scenery was much the same for the entire day, with the only major change being the addition of Mulga trees.

Maria offered many sevices, including supermarket, post office. Commonwealth Bank, fuel, motel, caravan park and camping ground. This turned out to be all contained in the one complex ! The sights were grassy and the campsite reasonably well back from the mad, making it a good spot for a one night stop over.