Northern Territory

Saturday 7 August 1971

Start at 8.00 drove through to Freuena to get petrol about 50 mile from Tenant Creek, just out of Freuena the exhaust pipe came loose and was blowing hot exhaust gas onto the fuel tank and boiling the fuel very lucky that I found the trouble, while they fixed it I took some photos of wild flowers. We then drove to the cross roads which is about 15 mile north of Tenant Creek and turned Right past Flynns Monument an onto Katherine, we drove straight through to Materanka Hot Springs, the hot springs are just in the creek untouched except for a ladder, their are also allot of feral Donkeys around here.

Sunday 8th August Headed off at 8.00 drove north to Katherine Gorge. We booked for the night &a a boat trip ( cost $3.00)through the gorge . It is a national park and took 2hrs to do the 1st & 2nd gorge ,there are 11 gorges altogether we saw 2 crocodile's, the cliff that Jeda fell off in the movie Jeda, a map of Australia,& an Indians head. You have to walk from gorge to gorge an viewed aboriginal paintings on the way. We then returned and had a look around the park which is very picturesque you could spend a week in here.

Monday 9th August 1971
Returned to Katherine then on to Tennants Creek past the Devils Marbles & camped about 170mile from Alice Springs, very boring country.

Tuesday 10th August

Pulled into Alice at 11.00 phoned mum then looked up the Raja we found him at his Betting Shop under the name of Victor Lomas, he asked us to stay at his home so we settled in & he told us he had a copper unloading contract and a betting shop and allot of real estate including a couple of large cattle properties. His home was his office and set up very well, he is said to have a fortune of $300 million. We also met the Lord Mayor a good friend of Victors.We got an oil change & went to see the Pitchy Ritchy Sanctuary and the view over
Alice