Kendalls Gap Year: Step 82 Lake Argyle – Victoria River 318 km's

Friday 1^st July – Saturday 2^nd July

A bit further to travel today and another couple of milestones to pass. Before morning tea time we have crossed the border from Western Australia into the Northern Territory. So that's all the mainland states visited. Except for the ACT which obviously is a territory not a state anyway.

Not long after we rejoined the main highway we came across a couple of tractors with cutters on the back, mowing the roadside verge. Behind them was a couple of hundred kilometres of cut grass. I can only imagine the conversation with their wives when they left home: “Just popping out to mow the nature strip darl. Be back in August.”

In momentous news today, after 8 months (7 in MM) and 15,000 kilometres we have fixed the rattle that has been driving me (more) insane since we left.

Cost of the fix $0.

Time to implement fix 5 seconds

Resulting increase in Steve's well being – priceless.

The fix: put a hand towel under the glass top to the sink whilst travelling. D'oh

Stopped at Timber Creek for lunch in MM and a quick Telstra fix. For some reason the two service station, one general store town has phone and internet reception, that we haven't had for the last two days. Incidentally in a sign that petrol pricing is insane everywhere, the two petrol stations, which share the same driveway and have pumps 50 metres apart have a 10cent per litre difference in their prices.

Whilst there we also managed to get a food parcel from a family travelling the other way. Fear not, it was not because they thought we looked destitute ( I don't think it was anyway). It was because you can't take fresh fruit or vegetables into WA so they had to get rid of it before the border crossing. To be honest I wasn't as excited as if the rule was that you can't take chocolate or cakes into WA.

With the crossing of the border comes a time change and we are now only half an hour behind the Eastern states. Good for chatting with people there, less good for watching GP on tele and probably not so good for chatting to Elke. But wait, that's right she will be back in Melbourne THIS month. Wow, another year gone.

Stopping at the Victoria River Roadhouse overnight on a couple of recommendations, including a very big recommendation for the helicopter flights they do there.

Valid reader question: "Oh no, is it too soon Steve, have you gotten over the bungled Bungles flight?"

To make us feel welcome and maybe to ease Steve's troubled mind (re the helicopter flight) the roadhouse put on a firework display tonight. Very pleasant, laying on the bed in MM watching the display. Yes I know you are supposed to go outside to watch fireworks but refer to our previous comments about our princess status. There were bugs and ooglie things flying about. We got a good view anyway.

Editors note: They didn't really put the fireworks on for us.

Proof readers note: No kidding Steve. Good job you owned up, people would have been wondering.

Editors note: OK, OK, it was Territory Day today.

Saturday 2^nd July

Steve up early for a short walk and to partake of a Kodak moment down by the river crossing.

In the wet season, I would have needed a very long snorkel to take this shot.

After the bungled Bungles flight we're going up in that ?
Where are the doors?
Oh there they are, hanging on the wall of that shed!

You will also be thrilled to learn that we are not complete woozes (not sure how you spell that). Anyway, we were also thrilled when we took the helicopter ride before hitting the road. OMG. It was fantastic. The helicopter was tiny and had NO front doors but the ride was just fabulous. We ended up being up in the air for about thirty minutes and got to fly over the Gregory National Park, the Coolibah cattle station, along the Victoria River and even INTO one of the gorges. It was truly sensational.

Incidentally the Coolibah Cattle Station is the setting for the recent TV show “Keeping up with the Jones's”. In fact they actually own the helicopter we went up in.