We have just spent 5 nights in the best caravan park in the Darwin area. Tumbling Down Waters is only 40 mins drive from Darwin, but light years ahead in hospitality and value for money. The price for a family unpowered site was 30 bucks, compared with the insultingly inflated 50-60 dollars required by parks only 20 kms up the highway. I salute the owners and hope they prosper. We used it as a base to visit Litchfield National Park, home of the most glorious s...

The drive from Alice Springs North is a long one. 1485km of the narrow single lane Sturt highway that stretches North to Darwin, skirting the Tanami Desert and Aboriginal lands of the Warumungu, Warlmanpa,Walpiri and Mudbura. Its not without its interesting moments, taking in a few well known spots such as the Devils Marbles (Karlwe Karlwe), Wycliffe Well ( sight of the most UFO sightings in Australia) and the famous Daly Waters Pub, home of the tree of thongs,...

Actually, this picture is of Katja Juta at sunrise, commonly known as the Olgas. Its a formation of enormous conglomerate rock mini mountains that surround a wonderful valley. In Indigenous law, its a place that only the men went in to and I felt quite uncomfortable walking through it. We spent four nights in total in Uluru, visiting the rock twice and marvelling at its shear enormity and presence. My sister, Cathy, told me the other day that I was incredibly ...

Ribas'- not your average caravan Park. Nowhere else in Australia can you camp underground. Although you don't actually drive underground as some visitors thought according to Rick, the proprieter, you can either have a room in the disused mine, or sleep in a tent or swag in one of the open plan nooks. We opted for a tent for the boys and a air mattress with sleeping bags for Tom and I. Its strangely pleasant being underground- the air temperature is a constant ...

Day three on the Oodnadatta track sees us safely in William Creek, 204 km from the last settlement of Maree. This tiny settlement boasts a permanent population of about 5, but managed to produce one of the best counter meals I have had for a long time. There is nothing here really except for the Pub, the caravan park and the airstrip that flies tourists out over Lake Eyre. We were going to do the drive out to Halligans Bay which is 60 kms of rough 4 WD track, b...