Day 20 – Wednesday 6 July 2016 – Wycliffe Wells

A well earned holiday sleep in this morning – well 8.00am anyway! 

A hot shower was a welcome start, although I could have lived without the conversation I had with a woman who had come to the toilet with her dog (a border collie) who was complaining constantly about the fact that there was no soap to wash her hands “and how about the disgusting noise of those Boongs last night” she said.  “I can’t wait to get some phone reception because when I get on Facebook and mention I’ve been here it will come up with a rating and I’m going to give them the lowest rating possible”.    “Well at least the showers were warm, the grounds are clean and there’s lots of shade” I replied.  “Hmmph” she said “It’s still one of the worst caravan parks I’ve stayed in” as she toddled off to her little A shaped van with dog in tow.  Yep – you go girl. 

A yummy breakfast of pancakes and then it was off for a bit of a tour around.  First stop though was to the booking office to pay for an additional night since we had decided to stay and take a look around.  Shane came back quite amused that the Indian lady behind the counter had said “you want to stay another night?” in a manner indicating that request wasn’t something they experienced very often. 

We first had a good look around the caravan park which is quite large.  Talk about an amazing facility that just isn’t being used to its potential!  There is a mini railroad which on following the tracks we found many breaks and buckles in the rails.  The “Wycliffe Lake” is a manmade dam that still has water running/being pumped into it from somewhere.  There is also a huge restaurant/function centre that apparently once catered for 200 people including indoor and outdoor seating areas, a stage and dance area.  Old fences stand where there was once a wildlife park but there are still lots of birds in the area.  The whole caravan park must have been amazing in its heyday but sadly now would need a lot of money put into it to get it back to that point.  We could imagine from what we saw last night that there’s a good reason why the function centre is no longer in use.  The number of alcohol cans and bottles and general rubbish out the back of the park was astounding and pretty obvious that it wasn’t left by the campers.  Such a shame.

It was about 11.30am as we drove out the gate and sitting on the edge of the bridge on the highway were two aboriginal women, both drinking cans of beer. 

From the park we headed north to the Devils Marbles.  WOW.  You can see this as you pass along the main road, however it’s a must stop and look place.  The formations of the rocks and the spectacular results when they split are incredible.  The rocks against the magnificent blue sky were indeed a sight to see.  As we were looking around Shane heard his name called, and we were amazed to turn around and see Kerrie & John driving through on their way to Tennant Creek.  We caught up for a quick chat before going back for a few more photos.

On the way back to camp we also dropped in at the Devils Marbles Hotel to take a few photos of some old vehicles parked on the edge of the driveway.  These old utes and cars had so much character and I bet have a few stories to tell.

Back to camp for a late lunch and a bit of down time as the caravans rolled in again throughout the afternoon.   As we returned to camp, the one of the same Aboriginal women was sitting off to the side underneath the bridge, surrounded by cans and rubbish which was strewn around everywhere beneath the bridge.  We wondered if last night’s commotion was a regular occurrence. 

Just before turning into the park entrance we noticed a large white cross with a memorial and ventured over to take a look.  I’m not sure if it was a grave site or just a memorial, but it was for a 34 year old man who died in 1899 after being a station hand for his brother.  The saddest part was the last line of the plaque which said his death was still undetermined.  The cross although a couple of metres below the level of the road is also within a couple of metres of the verge and so out of the way I couldn’t help but wonder why there!

At around 5.00pm several cars and about 20 Aboriginal people, including children, converged on the roadhouse and while the voices weren’t angry this time, they were very vocal, yelling at the tops of their voices. 

One of the things I hate most about caravan parks is people.  Now I’m not adverse to talking to people or being sociable, but sometimes people just don’t consider the impact they have on others.  A van pulled up next to us, husband and wife and two kids pile out and set up.  OMG that woman didn’t stop talking – and talking in a loud voice - from the moment she arrived and not just talking, issuing orders was more to the point.  Even with the windows closed I was tempted to turn on loud music just to drown her out.  I’ve never been so thankful to know someone was going to the toilet – it gave me at least 3 minutes of peace!  I hope their van is soundproof!  While a little while later a husband and wife trying to get their van into a site - the wife yelling the left and right, a bit more, too far - at the top of her voice.  I don't know folks - but hand signals always work for us and don't impact the whole bloody caravan park in the process!!!!!

While things quietened down some come nightfall, we were a little concerned about the Aboriginal presence when Shane went out to take Kitty to the toilet around 8.30pm and two men and a woman enter the caravan park gates.  They obviously didn't see Shane initially and were walking down the roadway that led past the back of the drive through van sites.  When they did spot Shane a few moments later, they turned around and headed back out the gates again.  Not at all suspicious................!!!!!!!!!!

We made sure we had everything locked up tight and started to wind down for the night.  Winding down is somewhat easier for some..........

On a more pleasant note - this was the view outside my door today!