1000+km Club

Well today we have joined the 1000+km a day club.  Left from Kununurra pretty early after we had stocked up on another spare fuel can, have got two now, as some days it is a long way between fuel roadhouses and if we have a head wind it cuts our range right down.  Didn't go far this morning before we passed into the Northern Territory region of Australia.   Stopped in the small town of Timber Creek for fuel and there was much  in the way of option for breakfast so got yoghurt and fruit again before we headed of to do a detour on the Buchanen Highway which is a dirt highway to Top  Springs.  Only went about 5km down this road, it was like riding marbles of concrete so decided to give it a miss and head back on the Victoria Highway to Victoria Bridge Roadhouse.  It was then onto Katherine and then south to Alice Springs.  We got 110km from Katherine down through Mataranka when Scott came to a halt deciding that we should be doing Darwin before heading south.   Makes sense but he had been looking at the short cut route through the dirt road, otherwise we would be double backing for a long distance.  So turned around went back to Katherine and filled up again, it was 5.00pm by this time (we had lost 1 1/2 hours today also because of the time difference between Western Australia and Northern  Territory, and headed for Darwin. Had a good run for the first hour then as the sun went down had that right in our eyes then for the last 120km it was dark,  watching out for cattle beasts, kangaroos and now another sign, caution horses  also.  We were trying to use each others lights to scan the sides of the road but then a car would come in the other direction and we were riding pretty blind then.  After a while a bus came up behind us, Scott hadn't seen it because he a moved his rear vision mirrors coz my lights had been beeming into them.  We had come to a passing lane and I moved into the left lane and Scott stayed right in the middle with the bus right up his backside, tooted.  Then it was, follow that bus and use its  lights.  So for about 120km followed the bus right into Darwin.

Anyway we got here safe and sound and are holed up in a nice hotel room and are going to stay for 2 nights and have a day off tomorrow,

In the process of the day we did 1068km.

Didn't have time for photos today but did get this one of bush fires on the side of the road.  Ever since we left Broome the sides of the roads have been burn't fairly recently.  There was also a fire works display as we came into  Darwin.

Bush fires on the side of the road.