We left you last at Alice Springs on Day 14, and were about to embark on the Tanami Track...a lot has happened since then !

Tess probably described the Tanami best when she asked (on Day 2 of the Track) - "when is this crappy bumpy road going to end"? We only managed 250kms on Day 14, before we pulled up for the night at a gravel pit off the track. Day 2 of the Track (Day 15) was a long, long day - we were up at sunrise at 530am and had a very enlightening stop at Yeundemu for fuel at 9am (very outback indigenous community). Day 15 was probably the first time we were sick of each other in the car - we did 700kms at an average speed of 80kms over the corrugations - and it was hot and dusty. The highlight of the day was the Thorny Devil we found on the Track - and of course stopped to pick up. We stayed at another Bush Camp - a pump station off the track. Day 3 of the Tanami (Day 16) saw us roll into Halls Creek mid morning, fuel up and then continue onto the Bungle Bungles. The Bungle Bungles are a short 100km skip up the Hwy and then a 50km drive in - the 50kms took us nearly 2hrs to cover....more corrugations, rocks and blind rises. We made it to camp at 3pm before heading back to one of the streams (kids were calling them River crossings) for a swim - see pic in photo album. We got back to camp in time for our first tropical downpour - it was still about 36 degrees and steamy.

Day 17 was in at the Bungle Bungles - we were up again at 530am, packed up and ready to do the walk into Cathedral Gorge by 715am. We walked for an hour and a half and both the kids had beads of sweat across their top lips - it was 38.6 degrees in the shade when we made it back to the car...HOT. We hit the road after another swim in the stream and lunch, then drove onto a Bush Camp at Mary Pool where Mark got to mix his Generator noise with the many Caravans and Gennies !

Day 18 saw us head into Fitzroy Crossing and was one of Max's favourite days of the trip so far. The boys unhooked the trailer and left Tess and I at camp at 12 noon while they put they boat in at Geikie Gorge on the Fitzroy River. Tess and I opted for a swim and to do some much needed clothes washing. The boys were obviously having fun, and I was starting to get a little worried when they still hadn't returned by 5pm (it gets dark at 545pm). My friendly neighbours at camp had offered to drive me to Geikie Gorge, but thankfully Mark answered the mobile at 520pm when I phoned, so all was ok (he had about 20 missed calls). The boys returned with two Barra - one of which was given to them by a local (as they'd caught none at that stage), the other was 72cm and pulled in by Max - his first Barra ever and his first fish of the trip - see pic. It was late, so we decided to celebrate by eating dinner up at the pub - our first night out on the holiday.

Day 19 saw us on the road again and this time heading for Broome. I drove my first 200km stint of the trip - the kids were very impressed (Mark had done all the driving to that point - over 5000kms)! We arrived in town to re-stock the beer supplies (goes down very well in this heat) and found our very-waterfront campsite - see pics in album. We set up camp and then joined our new neighbours for a beer (beer o'clock is earlier here - about 330pm - 4pm). The kids had a wow of a time looking at the gecko's in the bathrooms!

Day 20, 21 and 22 were spent up at Quandong Point - a spot on the beach about 40-50kms Nth of Broome - see pic. We found this spot 9 years ago with Ty and Ess, and although it was Ty who (deliberately) bogged himself in the sand last time, it was a young lady and her dog we found bogged this time. She'd been trying to dig herself out for 3 hrs when we came along - Mark came to the rescue by letting her tyres down, dragging, snatching and re-hooking the rig up. It worked well for us - we decided to take her proposed camp spot as payment - shady and lovely and 20 steps from the beach (but protected from the wind - there was a Severe Wind Warning out at the time). The boys tried some fishing from the bank, but the only exciting visitor was the Mulga snake who appeared to look at me less that 2m from where I was standing - thankfully Tess got off the rocks and came to me when I asked her too (first time for everything). We did a drive to Cable Beach on our way back to Broome, and although the swimmers were packed, the knickers and t-shirts worked just fine!

Day 22 - 28 was spent back at our very-waterfront site at the Roebuck Bay Caravan Park. I did the Courthouse Markets with my cards on the Sat and Sun mornings and have sold enough to pay for some more beer and diesel ! We had a great time with our neighbours at the Park - Bernie and Margaret in particular had become stand in grandparents for the kids (I think they're missing Mumma, Pa, Pom Pom and Pop). Margaret was drawing pictures on shells for Tess to colour in, and Max and Bernie had a rippa time belting out "The devil went down to Georgia, he was looking a soul to steal.....". Max tried some fishing out the front of camp most days but had no luck (other than catching the mangroves on his first cast). We had a great trip up to Barred Creek (40kms Nth Broome) on Mon (Day 25) and Tess caught her first fish of the trip - a 25cm Striped Butterfish. Unfortunately it spat the bait out when Mark put it back in the water - something that he had been instructed by Tess not to do! Needless to say she wasn't happy missing out on the photo opportunity with her fish, and she stormed up the bank in disgust at his antics. The Caravan Park doesn't have a playground or pool, but thankfully there's a great one at the end of the caravan park which is free - and has a water park. Mark did his trip to Perth Weds-Thurs and it all went well, although the kids and I were very sad having to say goodbye to him at the airport (Tess was very worried about him being on the plane as she know he doesn't really like flying). Mark had a great time catching up with his cousin Andrew and his Aunt and Uncle (Pop's sister Pam and hubby Rob).

Day 29 today and I should be packing up instead of finishing my Blog ! Heading Sth towards Exmouth and Ningaloo and then back to Broome in a fortnight so Mark can do the flight to Perth again for his next dose. Over 6000kms travelled so far, and over $1500 in diesel gobbled up. The most we've paid so far is $2.60 a litre at Billiluna on the Tanami.

Till next time !