Day 7 Leaving the tropical north

Today’s 830km road trip began at 8am at Mataranka.

Our first stop was the Daly Waters Pub. The iconic hotel, is the oldest in the NT and was recently featured in the Australian movie, The Last Cab to Darwin. Without spoiling the plot, the movie tells of a road trip from Broken Hill to Darwin undertaken by a cab driver, played by Michael Caton. The story has a serious message about life, death and what really counts. It is genuinely funny and very Australian.

The Daly Waters Pub, even at 10am, is a classic. Business cards, photos, licences, photographs and memorabilia of all description cover every flat space, including the bar. Hats, number plates, road signs, flags, singlets, navy rank slides and much, much more mean that this place is something of a museum with contributions from the many who have travelled the Stuart Highway over the years. Outside, the beer garden is also filled with quintessential Aussie kitsch. In the movie, the cabbie is assisted by an attractive, young, English barmaid. Sure enough, behind the bar today is a charming young Pom, no doubt backpacking her way around Australia.

Just short of Tennant Creek we arrive at the Three Ways Roadhouse where we do a 90 degree wheelover (navy speak for lefthand turn). From there to the Queensland border is 400kms of nothing. Nothing…except for the expansive Barkly Tableland and the Barkly Homestead (a roadhouse and campground). We enjoy utilising a drive-through caravan site with power pole, tap and a square metre of astro turf. Strangely, it reminds us of how we used to drive up beside the speaker pole at the drive-in movies, when we were teenagers. It’s a pleasant 28 degrees with a cool breeze blowing, so we are very happy to bunker down in Matilda for a delicious meal of chicken mornay and vegetables cooked on our ancient butane stove.

Sometimes a road trip is hard to beat!