ALICE SPRINGS DESERT PARK

In the MacDonnell Ranges of Alice Springs visitors will find the 'Alice Springs Desert Park"
We arrived at 9.30am and did not leave until 5.00pm.
Absolutely a must for any traveller to see and experience this beautiful park.
Set out in three sections- Sand Country, Woodland and Desert Rivers.
Visitors are given head sets and small recorded information disc's. The Park has numbers placed around the walk ways where you press the number on the disc and all the relevant details produced.
Alice Springs Desert Park is a protected area where disturbance of plants, animals and natural features is an offence.
Large aviaries with desert birds and animals have plenty of area to move and fly around.
Some aviaries allow  visitors to go in and sit amoungst the birds and listen to the beautiful calls.
The cost to enter is very minimum. Open daily from 7.30am to 6.00pm. Closed 25th December.
There is a well equiped cafe, visitors centre and the staff are always helpful.
If you are planning a trip to the centre of Australia- you can not go pass this park.

alicespringsdesertpark

The Amphitheatre where a Park's Ranger and wild birds give a brilliant demonstration 

The Nocturnal House well worth a visit.
Park Rangers give tour guides

French Toast - Simple campfire breakfast

This is a very simple breakfast to have on your campfire.
The ingredients are 4 to 5 eggs, 3 tablespoons of milk ( I use Soya) 8 slices of bread and about 2 teaspoons of cooking oil or butter.
Crack and put all your eggs in a medium size bowl, add milk and whisk together with a fork or whisk. Now dip the slices of bread into the egg mixture to soak as much liquid into both sides of each slice.
Heat your oil or butter in a fry pan - not too hot- then place and fry the slices for about 3 minutes on each side until they are a nice golden brown color. Serve it up as is or with bacon.

The above  is just the basic recipe you can add to the mixture to create different tastes. For example try
adding a pinch of salt, grated cheese (about half cup will be plenty) and some chopped herbs if you have any handy. Serve up with fried mushrooms- yummy!

Devils Marbles ( Karlu Karlu) Northern Territory Australia

Devil Marbles Conservation ReserveThe Devils Marbles or Karlu Karlu is a living cultural landscape and the traditional country for the Warumunga, Kaytetye, Alyawarra and Warlpiri people of the Northern Territory.
The reserve of 1,802 hectacre's extends along the Stuart Highway 393km north of Alice Springs and 100kms south of Tennant Creek.  The small town of Warchope is approximately 9km south.
The Devil Marbles were formed from an upsurge of molten rock that cooled and became solid beneath a layer of sandstone. The solidifying granite caused vertical and horizontal fractures creating rectangular blocks. Over time water infiltrated the cracks breaking down the sandstone, and then the granite. As a result rounded granite boulders perched on top of each other have been revealed.

Yes !  this is me at Devil Marbles

Frank at Devil Marbles
trying push over the rock!!



Devil Marbles

There is a simple bush camping area with pit toilets located right behind the Devil Marbles.

No water or firewood is provided.

Campers must bring their own supplies.

Camping is only permitted in the camping area and there is a very small camping fee.

The camping area is extremely popular and in the tourist season is often full with campers.

There is an easy walk trail to follow with signs explaining the formation of the 'marbles' for visitors to enjoy.

Once again, no matter where we stop and camp, we enjoy the surrounding area.

Mataranka in the Northern Territory Australia

Mataranka Thermal Pool

Only 100 km south of the town of Katherine
Have a relaxing swim in the many thermal pools and crystal clear streams.
We walk along the many shady walking trails amongst the massive palm trees.

The Mataranka Thermal pool is the biggest draw card to the region. Nestled amongst tall shady Mataranka Palms (Livistonia ) the thermal pools pump out a tremendous amount of warm water which has soothed many a traveller over the years.

Only a stones throw from the Roper River, the turquoise waters of the main pool add to the atmosphere of the springs.

The pool does get  overcrowded sometimes with up to 50 people relaxing in the water at any one time as the tourist buses stop for their  passengers to freshen up.
Half an hour later there may only be half a dozen of you there.

Yes ! we did enjoy the Thermal Pool.

The recent floods caused extensive damage to the Mataranka Palm trees and surrounding area, but the staff have done a marvelous job in cleaning and restoring the area for visitors and campers.

The Rainbow Spring (photo below)  nearby bubbles up and flows into Mataranka Thermal Pool area

When in Northern Territory it is a must place to visit and relax and enjoy your camping.

There is motel accommodation available.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time there.

DARWIN NORTHERN TERRITORY AUSTRALIA

Darwin is a beautiful fascinating tropical city, situated on the edge of a harbour bigger than Sydney in New South Wales.  People and cultures that prides itself in it unique and friendly laid-back lifestyle.A modern city steeped in history and it has endured many hardships on it's way to establishing itself as the gateway to Asia
World class natural and cultural attractions, home to Northern Territory commerce and businesses. A thriving hub of activity in terms of tourism, nightlife and retail.

Cullen Bay Marina

Featuring an eclectic mix of restaurants, cafes and gift shops, Cullen Bay Marina is also home to beautiful privately-owned boats, as well as many of the sunset harbour cruises and fishing tour operators. Vessels must pass through a double-action loch to access the sea, established to protect the marina from Darwin's fluctuating 8-metre tides.

Mindil Markets

Held every Thursday and Sunday night from April to October, these are Darwin's largest and most popular weekly markets. They feature a multitude of stalls offering international cuisine, arts, crafts and entertainment. The combination of great food and an electric atmosphere make a visit a must. Enjoy a picnic dinner on the beach while watching a spectacular tropical sunset.

Other popular markets worth visiting are the Saturday morning Parap Village Markets, the Sunday morning Nightcliff Markets and Rapid Creek Markets (Darwin's oldest markets) and Palmerston's Friday night markets.

Lake Argyle Kununurra

Massive Lake Argyle is one of the most spectacular attractions in Western Australia offering boat cruising, fishing and an abundance of native animals and birds. 
Lake Argyle is the biggest man made lake in Australia. It’s several times larger than Sydney Harbour and holds up to 32 million cubic metres of water.
Created by the Ord River Dam, it’s so huge that it’s classified as an inland sea.
One of the best ways to appreciate its grandeur is to take to the air for a scenic flight – you can even go by float plane and land on the lake. Boat cruises take you up close to its diverse wildlife which includes fresh water crocodiles, fish, wallabies, and more than 240 species of birds – which is almost one third of Australia’s total known species.
The 900 kilometres of shoreline support a variety of reptiles and marsupials and some of these are found on the many islands dotted across the lake.
You’ll find a picnic area at the base of the dam wall. This is a good place to spot fresh water crocodile’s sunbaking on the waters edge or cruising the water.
Lake Argyle is about a 40 minute drive from Kununurra.
Book your holidays through Discover Australia for now is the time to see the Northern Territory

I took this photo on June 2nd 2011.  We are travelling the North West of Western Australia and  the Northern Territory- camping out most of the time in our 4WD Mobile RV.

Camping Gas Stoves

Camping Gas Stoves
Camp gas stoves are available in various designs.  Single burner that attaches to your gas bottle, or top stove models with 2 or more gas jets. Stands are also available for these stoves. www.mydickersales.com has kitchen stands with additional shelves, preparation areas and sink bowls.




The Portable Butane Gas Camp Stove is an excellent standby when camping in the outback areas and your main gas bottle runs empty.
The one has saved us many a time.

Mindil Beach Markets Darwin Northern Territory Australia

Thursday and Sunday from late afternoon  you will experience the relaxed vibe and cultural dynamism that Darwin is famous for at the Mindil Markets. The Markets are by the beach and are a sprawling collection of craft and food stalls, live entertainment and children activities. There are over 20 different ethnic cuisines to choose from for your dinner or snack. The view from the beach with the sun setting over the ocean is breathtaking and many photos are taken of the view.  Mindil Beach Markets is a haven for tourists.  Many Tourist buses bringing visitors from outside Darwin destinations to view the Markets and see the sunset over the beach.  

Sunset at the Mindil Markets

For your holiday to Darwin book through Discover Australia then  click on "Northern Territory" tab and get ready for a fantastic holiday escape.

Kelly Kettle (also known at Bush Kettle)

Aluminum Base Camp Kelly Kettle, perfect for Cooking, Hiking, Camping, Kayaking, Fishing, and Hunting. The Kelly Kettle is the Outdoor Enthusiasts best friend. Kelly Kettles are also ideal for Emergency Preparedness Kits and being prepared for any disaster. Not only is the Kelly Kettle the perfect camping kettle for Emergency Preparedness, but it is also the perfect camping kettle for Car Camping. Boy Scouts also love to use the Kelly Kettle on all their campouts. The Kelly Kettle comes is 3 sizes.
Our Bush Kettle is made of Copper and many years old and still going strong-hard to obtain copper ones these days.

Wyndham in Western Australia

3440km north east of Perth and one hour from Kununurra, where the King River meets Cambridge Gulf, is Wyndham.

It is Australia's northernmost town and port and home to a number of attractions including Western Australia's first Crocodile Park, excellent fishing, horse riding and walking trails, exciting wildlife, magnificent scenery, secluded billabongs and many fine historical buildings.

Wyndham was originally a small service town for the emerging cattle barons Kings in Grass Castles of Australia's north west before a massive influx over 5000 of gold diggers entered the colony through Wyndham, heading for the southern goldfields near Halls Creek.

A large jarrah jetty was built in the 1890s to export cattle that was also a catalyst to Wyndham's growth.

In the 1880s, a second smaller settlement was set up three miles away, at Wyndham East or Three Mile as it was known.

In 1919, the government developed the local meat works and processing center, which became Wyndham's chief industry until it was closed in 1985.

Many saltwater crocodiles are found in the estuaries surrounding Wyndham, especially this particular area. 

Wyndham is also home to Big Croc, the 18m-long, 3m-high model of a saltwater crocodile and Western Australia's first crocodile farm. You can watch and feed crocodiles, alligators and komodo dragons at the Zoological Gardens and Crocodile Park. 

 Wanting to visit Wyndham and surrounding areas- visit our ( click) website and book your holiday through Discover Australia.

eBook Readers take less room when packing your camping or holiday gear.

Relaxing and camping in Wyndham is an ideal time to enjoy a good ebook

Even the good old faithful books are enjoyable.
 

Kununurra in Western Australia

Kununurra in Western Australia (WA), makes the ideal base for anyone wishing to get around the East Kimberley region. With so many places to go and so much to see, the hardest part will be deciding whether to stay for one week or two in the East Kimberley. See natural wonders and rugged ridges and be awed by the magnificent Lake Argyle. From sparkling diamonds to barramundi fishing, Kununurra has it all.

The township of Kununurra was gazetted in 1960 and is the youngest town in the East Kimberley. From its humble beginnings as a small settlement that catered for the workers employed for the construction of the Diversion Dam, Kununurra is a vibrant centre that offers modern services, shopping facilities, an intensive agriculture, mining and tourism sector, a host of community activities and a lifestyle that suits the 6000 people that call Kununurra home.  Although modern in its structure Kununurra retains a lot of its laid back feel and it is this quality that brings many people to town, either to settle here or just to visit. 

Book your holiday travels through Discover Australia by visiting our website   http://www.mydickersales.com 

Camping gear, Caravans, Mobil Homes, RV's, hotel or motel accommodation well catered for in Kununurra.


The Coleman Sundome tent is great for backpacking or hiking as it is light weight.