Plenty left

Having overreached the plan yesterday, we were able to put in another big one today and covered the entire Plenty Highway in one hit. That has put us in Alice Springs a day ahead of schedule, perhaps a little more tired, and under overcast skies. And also with almost a quarter tank of Boulia diesel left.

Tobermorey this morning dawned fine and clear. In true farming tradition the day started well before dawn with much activity back and forth in Landcruiser utes. Perhaps a little less traditional was the warm-up and departure of the mustering helicopter. Elliot was a little disappointed he didn’t capture it on video. I was heartbroken! The old dog missed the mutton bone last night but came around in hope of scoring a breakfast sausage, but hadn’t reckoned on the defensive skills of hungry campers.

The advantage of crossing a timezone is that you can justify yourself of timings depending on which one gives you the more comfortable answer. Having had a leisurely breakfast, an 8:30 departure under blue skies felt real good.

The general wisdom that the Donohue Highway on the Queensland side is rubbish compared with the Plenty Highway in the NT was not our experience. While neither road is in any sense bad, the prize for the roughest and the longest corrugation sections clearly goes to the NT.

The Plenty passes through many distinct areas, ranging from flat open Mitchell grass plains, to rolling hills, rocky ranges, rock farms, spinifex and open woodland. Specific attractions are few, but we called in at Jervois Station to avoid buying diesel for $2.10 a litre, and at the various free camps and rest areas on the rivers we crossed.  Apart from the parts of rocket trophies scored by Jervois as a side benefit of being down-range from Woomera, none were that exciting, so on the basis of our brief survey, Tobermorey is the way to go.

We did briefly pass into termite mound country.  While not common, they were on the large side. Roadside melons were sporadic, as were wildflowers. Anitjere looked promising but a single drive-through showed us many broken and wrecked cars,  rubbish in the streets and nothing open to appeal to the tourist, so we settled ourselves with a brief private discussion about why the townspeople don’t show a bit more civic pride and moved on.

The weather closed in with heavy overcast skies and a little light rain to accompany the last two hours into Alice Springs, but by then the road was sealed. You wouldn’t call it busy. The last 70km of the Stuart Highway saw one car pass me, and I don’t recall anything oncoming although there may have been one or two, it certainly wasn’t busy.