What a long way we have come since our last entry 7 days ago. And I mean a long way - 1300km. It took so long that Jude aged a year and is now 3 years old!

Well we didn't get to go down a mine in Mt Isa (minimum age 7) but we did get to look over a lookout, fix our CB radio that stopped working the day I left Richmond, spend lots and lots of time delighting in the smoke stacks pouring out smoke (when we arrived in town Jude was convinced they were parts of giant trains!) and visit an awesome water park and playground (this is getting to be a bit of a habit).

We also got to spend a couple of hours with Carly whom I used to work with on the Gold Coast which was lovely and met Marnie & Gail at our caravan park whom we hope to bump into again as they too are making their way around our great country.

Nothing wrong with Mt Isa (apart from the way your nose gets all stuffed up with all the pollution in the air but then I remember Sydney doing that to me too). Only thing is I think you want to be working cos it is just too dry and hot (tho still with cool nights) to be sitting around doing nothing and being so far from everywhere else.

One highlight was visiting Lake Moondarra and heading down to the playground area (as we do) and seeing a dozen peacocks and looking out for feathers (as suggested by Carly) and finding some beautiful ones that now adorn our campervan. (Also wondered about the heavy duty fencing with turnstiles that surrounded the playground/bbq area but my questions were answered when we saw the small herd of large cattle come wandering past Felix.)

Our first night out from Mt Isa we stayed at Camooweal at one of 2 caravan parks in this tiny town - we chose the one with the swimming pool. There were only us and one other campervan and a few guys staying in dongas. (Everywhere you go out here there are miners or council workers or some such staying in dongas at the caravan park). Highlight here were the black kites that performed aerial acrobatics screaming down to catch the meat thrown into the air for them, catching it with one foot and then eating it before they landed. They were clever too, the guy in the other campervan was throwing bread to them and they weren't gonna be fooled, not once did they fly down to catch it but as soon as a piece of sausage went up - zoooom!

Next day it was drive, drive, drive. 270 kms to Barkly Homestead where we paid $1.25 for autogas (but petrol was $1.97) and then 189 kms to Threeways and a short 26 km stint down to Tenant Creek for the night.

My beautiful boy's last night as a 2-year old - where have the last 36 months gone?

Next morning I had a bag of goodies waiting for Jude which he very much appreciated but I could almost have just got him the Gordon train (from Thomas the Tank Engine) because he hasn't gone anywhere without him since.

A few more presents and cards and a few birthday phone calls and we took off to the Old Battery to look at old mining carts and trucks and stuff which is right up Jude's alley. Another town, another lookout and after a quick stop in the supermarket we were once again heading north.

Lunch was had at Attack Creek (yes, you guessed it, someone was attacked there by someone else back in the day) and Jude opened his last pressie and played for a while mostly with his new remote control car which my sister so thoughtfully bought him knowing we have no space in the van and he would love it so much I couldn't possibly take it off him! Thanks Karyn! Now I have the joy of him driving it around my feet in the van when I am cooking or doing the dishes.

On we went and although I rarely use my CB (cos I feel like a bit of an idiot and an interloper) when I saw a big blue semi coming up behind us I got on the channel and asked the fellow if he could blow his horn for Jude's birthday as he went by. Of course he was happy to do so and Jude got 3 loud toots and now wonders why other trucks don't do it when they pass us by.

With Jude soon falling asleep with all the excitement and because the park at the town I had thought we would stop in was so terribly derelict (that's coming from someone who excels in finding dodgy caravan parks to stay in) we drove on another 70km to the next roadhouse where Jude woke up as I was filling up on gas and outright refused to go any further. Fine with me, only after I had set up I realised that there was no phone coverage so there could be no more birthday calls for him. As is often the case, this was only something that bothered me (and perhaps the people who tried to call him) with Jude being happy that his playtime with his new toys was undisturbed.

After dinner I gathered the 2 people who were having a drink in the bar and asked them to come outside and sing Happy Birthday while I presented Jude with his cake (and the owner of the roadhouse came out and presented him with a couple of chuppa chups.)

We stayed up late in the van playing games and reading books and I think all in all Jude will count this birthday as a great success regardless of the lack of party and presents he probably would have got if we lived a more conventional life. It just goes to show….

Next day we visited Daly Waters which may be famous for its pub, but when you get there at 9.30 in the morning and you don't plan on going in for a drink it really doesn't have a lot to recommend it. Nevertheless its struck off the list and Larrimah which I had barely heard of before more that made up for it with a more kid friendly pub (The Pink Panther) which had a free 'zoo' out the back with parrots, emus, wallabies, lizards and 2 crocs. Needless to say Jude wanted to stay here for the night but as it hadn't even got to lunchtime yet (and there was nothing else to the town) we soldiered on.

In my mind I was picturing the crystal, clear waters of Mataranka Hot Springs as remembered from my visit some 18 years earlier and that was where we would be spending the afternoon. Or not. It seems some 1 million or so bats had beaten us to it, arriving a week before and taking over the trees above and around the thermal springs so they had been closed to the public.

What about Bitter Springs just down the road I hear you ask. Well we went there next but Jude took one look at the algae growing all around the edge and the roots poking up from the bottom (which you could see clearly because of course the water is so clear) and turned to me and said, 'Mum, I don't want to swim in there.'

So we left Mataranka to its own devices and made our way to Katherine instead.

The obligatory visit to the Info centre and we found a bush camp to our liking on the outskirts of town and made straight for the spring fed swimming pool. Not quite thermal pools but it would do us.

Today we made the trip out to Nitmiluk National Park (Katherine Gorge for those of you that are old school) and had a very pleasant wander around but a bit of a let down for me cos I had been very lucky on previous visits and done both the gorge cruise and flown over the top in a helicopter, so wandering along the river path (that you can't see the river from) between the info centre and the picnic area was not really the same. Never mind, we saw wallabies and that was enough for Jude.

A late lunch at the biggest playground we have seen yet. Three separate and fully shaded areas and not another soul in sight. A bit of a shame for Jude cos normally playgrounds are where he gets his child interaction but it did mean I could release my inner teenager and take him on some of the 'big kid' rides.

Back 'home' and another big swim and then today's adventures were topped off with two sightings of Elvis the resident freshwater croc who lives in the lagoon that splits this bush camp in two. He just sits on the bank no more than 10 feet away from us (yes I had a firm grip on Jude) and strikes a pose. Quite big for a freshie at around 6 feet and with a big, round belly which was probably explained by some locals who turned up just as we were walking back to the van and started throwing him fries from their McDonalds happy meal!!!!!

And on that note we bid you Adieu.