Philippe

After a cold night on the surface of Desert Oak, We are back in Alice Springs for a few hours. We had already planned to sleep thirty kilometres from the town on the Tropic of Capricorn and the rear window of TS confirm us because it goes on strike again ! Ironically the carton that is Ronald to replace the window time to ride to the area, affiche en grandes lettres noires « Handle with care, contain glass » – Manipuler avec précaution, contient du verre. 😕

Le matin du jeudi 9 juillet après que Ronald ait nettoyé et graissé toutes les parties mécaniques du système du coffre, la vitre remonte sans que nous soyons sûrs d’avoir vraiment trouvé le problème ! Nous reprenons notre route vers le Nord, traversant la terre de la communauté Anmatjere et la petite station d’Aileron où trônent les sculptures géantes d’une famille Anmatjere : l’homme mesure dix sept mètres et pèse huit tonnes, observant la région du haut de sa colline depuis 2005, la femme et l’enfant ayant été rajouté en 2008, toujours par le même artiste Mark Egan.

Then Barrow Creek and its old telegraph station, including the construction of the Trans-Australian line completed in 1872 has allowed Australia to interact more quickly with the rest of the world, particularly England. The landscape hardly changes except the kangaroo carcasses were more or less replaced by those of crashed cars - tow surely more expensive than buying another ! – and sometimes even a few cows are probably ventured too close to the road - all farms are not fenced, properties sometimes covering thousands of kilometers.

Après avoir aperçu un extraterrestre dans la ville de Wycliffe Well – l’auto-proclamée capitale australienne des OVNI – nous nous arrêtons dans la petite réserve des étranges Devils Marbles, sur le site sacré des Karlu Karlu où les hommes des tribus Warlpiri, Warumungu, Kaytetye et Alyawarra orchestraient des cérémonies. Ces billes du diable ou rochers ronds sont les vestiges d’une masse de granit que le passage du temps érode lentement.

Plus d’une centaine de kilomètres après nous entrons dans la plus grande ville de la région de Barkly : Tennant Creek – 3000 habitants 😉 – établie en 1934 lors d’une tardive ruée vers l’or. We just have the time to connect to the Internet before the information center closes its doors, to learn that a friend has died from complications of a stroke. Nice, rider, helpful, smiling, are the first adjectives that come to me when I think of Philippe. Now we are, tomorrow maybe more, insignificant and unique both. Today our thoughts are with his son, his wife and all those who knew.
It is on the site Kunjarra that we drink a beer in his memory and that we spend the night.

The Pebbles is slightly similar to the Devils Marbles website, but if it was a place for Aboriginal men and ceremonies, Kunjarra is generally forbidden and only Aboriginal women can get there.

Friday morning we repeat a few kilometers back to branch off toward Lake Mary Ann where we enjoy free showers before traveling sixty kilometers and settle on the Attack Creek area for an afternoon rest after the most five hundred kilometers of road yesterday.

The closer we get to the Top End region more mercury rises in the thermometer and lead the afternoon becomes a sweaty experience. On Saturday 11 July we stop in the middle of nowhere on what was perhaps the old Stuart Highway, taking refuge in the shade of eucalyptus frail. The night brings freshness but also the return of so many mosquitoes in the tropical north. The next day we set off earlier to take advantage of the relative cool of the early hours of the morning. We turn off Daly Waters, known for its established pub 1930 walls covered with words people passing, but it is a little early to stop for a beer. The pub Larrimah a little later suffered the same fate and we just have a look at his giant Panther Rose next to a bottle of beer over four meters high.

A Matarranka nous visitons brièvement sa source d’eau chaude car si l’eau est bonne et sa couleur très jolie, le petit cours d’eau est aussi rempli qu’une piscine municipale en été ! Ce sera pareil à Bitter Springs où nous parcourons la petite marche qui en fait le tour, observant depuis les plateformes au-dessus de l’eau cet étrange espèce en train de buller : l’Homme. 😉

We stop briefly in the town of Katherine for some shopping and see that this must be the city of the Northern Territory with the most alcohol problems among Aborigines for a couple of policemen present in every bottle shop - in Australia the alcohol is sold in specialty stores, you will not find in large supermarkets. They ask for ID and where do we plan to consume alcohol bought, question that Ronald responds : " In my car. "... And after a pause added," When we stop at a rest area at night ! » Oui parce que dire à un policier que tu prévois de boire au volant ça fait désordre ! 😀

Nous remettons la visite de la région à plus tard puisque nous sommes obligés de repasser par là pour prendre la direction de l’Australie Occidentale et faisons quelques kilomètres pour trouver une place dans le bush où passer la nuit… et boire les bières ! 😉

Monday 13 juillet la vitre fait de nouveau des siennes le matin puis plus tard dans la ville de Pine Creek où nous faisons le plein d’eau après avoir jeté un œil sur l’ancienne mine d’or transformée en lac en 1993 – il leur a fallu 6800 mégalitres d’eau et quatorze mois pour remplir la fosse. On the road the scenery is always the same except the appearance here and there by small palm trees that tells us that we are back in the tropics. In the quiet town of Batchelor we use the Wi-Fi - Pay, 1$ fifteen minutes - from the library to look for a host HelpX in the neighborhood. We fall on the profile of a couple holding a coffee in the Litchfield National Park next door and decided to go there directly. The owners are absent and will be back tomorrow morning, never mind we planned to spend the night in the park. The Wangi Falls of the area is already full and we spend the night in private campground just next door - 25$ instead of 6$ requested on park areas.

eh yes, sadness again. I lost a friend to good rock flavor & roll.

Avid Perkins, Santana, Jim Croce, the Stones, The Doors and I pass tons, he was also furious percussionist in the reggae group The Chillers : philou, a big thank you for what you taught me.

these thoughts, stolen from the road, again diversifies kilometer, accompany me throughout our journey. I would have liked to see you the Friend, I kiss you !

Saying – I drink the [beers] in the car, me semblait une bonne idée et logique sur le moment, vu que je les bois toujours dans (ou autour de) la voiture … Question d’habitude 🙂