Our adventurers are moving on from Banka Banka Cattle Station…

Leaving Banka Banka cattle station we continued heading south on the Stuart Highway, past Threeways Roadhouse which stands at the junction of the Barkly Highway, and eventually arrived at the town of Tennant Creek where we stopped for a couple of nights. What is now a town was originally only an overland telegraph station built in the late 1800s, but when gold was discovered it attracted a lot of prospectors to the area. It also became a major junction for cattle drovers moving cattle across Australia. It only has a population of around 3,000, of which about half are of aboriginal descent. We used our time there to go a further 100 kilometres south without our caravan to visit Karlu Karlu, known as the Devils Marbles. It is an area of huge granite stones piled up on top of each other and shaped like marbles in an otherwise flat landscape just outside the town of Wauchope. Local aboriginal legend believes the boulders are the eggs of the Rainbow Serpent. They are certainly impressive as the way they are piled on top of each other they seem to defy gravity.

Back in Tennant Creek we were once again reminded of the alcohol problem with the indigenous population as alcohol is strictly controlled and drinking it is banned in all public spaces.

Next day back on the road we returned to Threeways and joined the Barkly Highway heading east. Yet again it soon became clear to us just how remote the outback can be as there was absolutely nothing for well over a hundred miles until we reached the Barkly Homestead Roadhouse. These roadhouses are oases in the outback and you need to plan your journeys carefully to make sure you have enough food and water and fuel so that you can be sure to reach the next one without running out of anything. That night we camped out in the bush, which I much preferred to staying at caravan parks. Next day we crossed the border out of the Northern Territory and into Queensland, through the town of Camooweal and ending the day at the city of Mount Isa, or The Isa as it is usually known. It is designated as a city but only has a population of around 18,000, less than half that of Bury St Edmunds so not actually that big as cities go, although ironically it is the largest city in the world by area, covering over 43,000 square kilometres. Air pollution makes it the most polluted place in all of Australia as it only exists because of the rich abundance of metals and minerals found there. The Mount Isa Mining Company boasts the worlds most productive mine as it is the largest single producer of copper, silver, lead and zinc. Despite all attempts to limit emissions there is a palpable smell of sulphur dioxide which hangs over the city. There is big money to be made working in the mines and there is no shortage of workers prepared to put up with the conditions for the big pay packets. Personally we couldn’t wait to leave!