We had looked into traveling on the Savannah Way (it runs closer to the coast.) We would have picked up the road from Mataranka but basically it is a 4WD track being mostly gravel. When it has been graded and with good weather we were told it was a lovely drive. We had had some wet weather and we weren’t sure when it was last graded so we gave it a miss.

To get to Queensland we turned at Three Ways onto the Barkly Highway. The idea was to stop at the Barkly Homestead, which has been made into a service station and van park. We stopped but didn’t like the look of the place and continued on. We stopping at a roadside bush camp instead. It was almost half way so it worked in well. The camp quickly filled up and it looked almost full buy nightfall. We had happy hour with an older couple. As we were leaving their van he said, “I hope you are not an early riser”. “No” “Good I dislike those people who get up at the crack of dawn and are on the road before it is light. What is the rush?” We agreed and told him we are often the last one to leave a camp. The next morning we were having breakfast at 7:30 when I looked out to see their van had already left. By 8:30 we were pulling out, (which is a good time for us), only 3 vans were remaining and it looked like they were staying for another night. So much for ‘what is the rush?’

The countryside was very flat and lifeless heading into Queensland. I don’t know if the trees have gone or were never there. We said goodbye to the Northern Territory and hello to the country ‘Where Australian Shines’