Back in Oz, Darwin to Broome

11 aug Touched down in Darwin at 4am this morning. I was amazed at the levels of security in the airport and I was questioned twice before leaving arrivals not to mention the scanners & sniffer dogs. Finally got onto the shuttle bus and headed off into town. The driver dropped me off at Frogshollow backpackers, where I stayed in 1995. Nothing had changed in that time and the place had turned into a bit of a dive. It was 5.30am and i headed off up the town to see if I could find something a bit nicer. I stopped at a place and checked in. I went up to the dorm and as I shuffled in I was waking people so I decided just to dump the bag on the bed and take a look at the town. Darwin has grown a little but is still the same. It seemed busier when I was there before but everything is seasonal here. as id seen darwin there was not much point in hanging around so the day was spend looking at tours, cars and campervans for sale and rent. I finally decided on renting a small campervan for 30 days and drop it off at my exit point in Sydney, am collecting it tomorrow morning. A girl in the hostel from Northern Ireland has decided to go as far as Broome with me which is good for company and sharing the petrol. Picked myself up an Australian Mobile number too +61.415.283.532

12 Aug Picked up the campervan today and after signing a heap of conditions, off I went. picked up Karen and set off on our 300km Journey south to the town of Katherine. After seeing a few bits and pieces along the way we went a further 32km to katherine Gorge National pk. Its a stunning place and id been there before but worth seeing again. Went on a hike to the top of the gorge and went out for dinner that night and had Barramundi and chips, a local seafood delight. Delicious. Stayed in the adjoining campsite that night and met some nice people.

13 Aug We headed off today on our 500km journey to Kununurra, the town thats in the Kimberly mountain range. We crossed through the border in Western Australia and had our fresh food confiscated (1 orange) due to quarantine arrangements. As we were late leaving Katherine, it was getting dark as we arrived in WA and due to the danger of travelling at night with animals on the roads, i asked a Greyhound bus driver if we could drive in behind him on the way to Kununurra. All the way and no stops, perfect. The hostel was full so I slept in the van.

14 Aug I was woken by the hostel owner at 6am wondering what I was doing (as if he didnt know). I explained that karen was in the hostel and that they'd no room for me. I think he was OK once he gotten something out of us. The Bungle Bunle tours was not available that day and we would have to wait around for another day. we decided to press on and take in another national park nearby. On the road again we drove for 8 hours on our journey towards Broome. We came across this Govt. run campsite just off the highway and decided to check that out. It was full of campers and was a great spot. I saw crocodiles on the shore of nearby river and walked along a dried up riverbed. Cooked my first dinner in the camper and was quiet good (pasta and tomato sauce with cheese).

15 Aug headed off this morning at 7.30am for our final 500km journey to Broome. It was great to get away early as its much easier to drive in cooler tempertures. Stopped off at a roadhouse down the way for shower and some food. Got to Broome at 4.30pm and had a look around the town and the beaches. Broome has seen somewhat of an economic explosion as nearby mines and putting big money into peoples pockets. Trck drivers in the mines are making up to $3000 per week.