Time off in Broome

We all got a few days off so I ended up flying to Broome with Meg (one of the ringers) to meet her parents. It's a very beachy place with resorts everywhere and I got to catch up with some Hunterville locals - Marty and Mels Walsh! Meg and I rode a camel along the beach at sunset. His name was Sparticus.

Mt King

On Saturday, the kids and I got up early and decided that we would climb Mt King! It is the highest point on Bedford.... Although I'm not sure exactly how high it is...
Sterling dropped us at the bottom in the chopper and then left us to it. It took us just under two hours to climb and the view was pretty amazing! We had to watch out for snakes and what not but we made it! Sterling had dropped our smoko at the top on his way back so we had more water and food there waiting for us.
After about 40 minutes, Sterling then came back and picked us up! Here are some pics...

This is Kanta at the top looking out at the view

Kanta and me.

The Kimberley's

We have made it to Bedford Downs and it is beautiful! Here are a few pics... Completely different to Alroy!

On the road to Bedford

On Monday we left Alroy Downs in the NT to start the long drive to Bedford Downs in WA in the Kimberlys. We have 7 horses, 5 poddy calves, 3 dogs, 6 ringers, the 3 kids, the Govie (me!) and Rachel! 

Currently we are in Kununurra with one more days drive to go! Here are some pics from the trip so far...

Day one on route to Katherine...

Just about to leave Katherine...

Day four- Katherine to Kununurra 

The Buntine Highway is named for Noel Buntine who is Sterlings father.

Hunter and Jollie

A Boab tree- these are common in the Kimberlys 

I have made it back to Alroy!

Following my awesome few weeks catching up with friends and family, I am back in the outback. Term 3 for school has started and the heat is still here! Everybody on the station is getting ready to move over to the west shortly... There are only a couple more mobs of cattle in the yards to work and then we all pack up and move to one of the three stations in the Kimberly's in Western Australia. As the kids go to Bedford, that's also where I will be. If I was worried about the heat here, apparently its nothing compared to what waits for me out west!


Here are a few pics I've taken lately of Alroy...

Pukeko? Purple Swamphen...

As I was walking outside the kitchen today I came across these Pukeko's! Over here they are called Purple Swamphens. Was very strange to see a bird that is always representing NZ in gift shops etc just casually walking around in the outback in Australia! I learnt something new today! Is it just me? Or is that common knowledge....

Another bush fire...

Heading back to Alroy and we stop at a gas station and a bush fire is raging across the road...

I forgot about the heat too... Mid 30s today with extreme humidity... I'm back in the NT!

NT - Not today, not tomorrow, not Tuesday and not Thursday!

I am currently on school holidays so that means I'm in Melbourne - with internet!

Life in the NT is definitely laid back. Since being at Alroy I have noticed that while things do get done, there is never really a sense of urgency about getting things done RIGHT NOW!

I thought the weather was cooling down but no - it was still hitting the high 30s last week before I left. All of the workers have arrived now so it went from four of us on the station to about 24!

I have seen heaps of dingo's around the place. They are really bad as they attack the cattle - mainly the calves. I am still going out on the station every weekend, and the mustering is about to start so all the horses have been rounded up and getting saddles put on them.

To get to Melbourne for this week I had to catch an 8 1/2 hour bus trip to Alice Springs where I stayed for two nights. As it was Easter, there was nothing open! I couldn't really see many touristy things which was a shame. It then took me two flights to get to Melbourne from Alice so I can see why people just don't leave the stations for a while!

Here are a few more pictures from the station...

The store truck arrives every second Thursday to deliver all the food and mail and anything else that needs to be delivered to Alroy.

We have just killed another snake outside the kitchen - here it is being examined to figure out how poisonous it is!

They are slowly starting to install solar panels to power the water pumps now as the windmills can't keep up.

A goanna! Not sure if you can see it very well... He's a big one!

Galah's hanging out...

Alroy Downs

In the weekend I was able to get out and see a bit more of the station. It is just sooo massive! Its the end of the wet season now so everything is drying up again. I got to see a lot of the cattle and experience the heat out in the wide open spaces! Here are a few pics...

This is a baby black python that was just hanging out in the back of the trailor...

Hi Kermit

Just found this guy in my bathroom!

Cowgirl in the making

As I get ready for station life I've been taken out to Delany's to stock up! I now have boots for riding, work shirts and jeans. Now all I need is a belt and a hat! 

Possums are a pest?

Last night while I was sitting out on the deck with the kids eating our dinner, something quite unusual happened. We were talking about all the different creatures and living things that I might meet when I get to the station when I noticed something move in the background. It was dark by this stage but straight away I called out (in a bit of disgust) "oh look its a possum!" (I was about to add "where's the gun" - lucky I didn't!) Straight away they all stopped talking and all tried to be really quiet as they crept to the edge of the balcony to see it. Hunter, who's nine, looked at me and whispered "I've never seen a possum in my whole life!". This is coming from a kid who has seen EVERYTHING in the outback. I couldn't believe it!

Thunderstorms and tropical cyclones!

Its been an interesting week weather wise in Darwin with extreme thunderstorms! On Friday night the thunderstorm was directly above the house and happened in the night. There were two massive claps of thunder that were so loud, I jumped about half a metre off my bed! The rain then continued to pour and pour. The heavy rain and the king tide meant that there was too much water for the storm drains to handle and the bottom floor of the house got flooded! We had to top some of the couches over to help dry them out! Last night we went and had dinner by the beach and I took this picture of our view over Darwin harbour...

School, School, SCHOOL!

I have met the kids - they are awesome! I have also been into the school at Katherine and met the teachers which I was very lucky about. They are very organised. All the students have set tasks for each subject that they have to complete each day/week. They then scan and upload their activities to their dropbox account so their teacher can see their progress. They have certain assignments that they have to complete every few weeks that go towards their final grades. Each day they link in to a virtual classroom where they can see their teacher while they give them a lesson. Its all really cool!

As I was a bit late getting here we are a few weeks behind but we are all working hard to get back on track.

Darwin is still VERY hot! 

En route to Katherine

So I'm currently making my way down the Stuart Highway from Darwin to Katherine. I wasn't able to buy a vehicle in the end as there's not a lot around. I'm meeting the family in Katherine so I'm getting excited about that. I'm seeing a lot of road trains on the road! I'll try and get a pic of one... Haven't seen any wildlife yet but no doubt I will soon...

The Croc Cove!

After attending the memorial service for the 73rd anniversary of the bomb attacks on Darwin, I went to the croc cove! I got to hold a blue-tongued lizard, a snake and even a baby crocodile! I also watched the handlers feeding the adult crocs, and then I got to feed the baby crocs.

I also watched as two people went into the 'cage of death' and basically swam in a big tube while a croc swam around them. Check out the pics and videos below...

A northern blue-tongued lizard.

Better that guy than me!

A visit to Aquascene!

Yesterday after I had got all my jobs done, I headed to the end on the esplanade in Darwin to a fish feeding sanctuary in a place called Doctors Gully. Basically, since the early 1950s, hundreds of friendly local wild fish swim in to the shore with the high tide. Over the last 60 years, people have continued to feed them so now they are willingly hand-fed!

I had a go...

There were heaps of different breeds of fish! Milkfish, mullet, catfish, bream, batfish and barramundi.

Thats my hand....

Today marks the anniversary of the bombing of Darwin in WWII. I didn't realise I'd be here for it so I'm going to attend a memorial service at the cenotaph shortly. They will also be setting off the air raid siren and a few other shows will be on display. I might also visit the croc cove later and hold a real life baby crocodile! Whoa.... Watch this space!

I have arrived!

So all my warnings of the heat have certainly been true! Its already 29 degrees at only 8:30am. The thunder started to really boom last night - then came the rain!
Since I arrived everything has gone pretty smoothly. I'm starting my ute hunt today so will get a picture up when I've purchased one (hopefully!).
Pictures will come soon...