Aus Day 19 - Site of the Last Great Gold Rush

Friday 8th October Aus Day 19

Late up again this morning, 07.40, this is getting to be a bad habit. Still, I am still not in a hurry. Weather cloudy and dull but dry and it is reasonably warm, although windy. Departed the caravan park soon after 9, and made my way to the Tourist Information Office which is actually situated at the Battery Hill Mining Centre.

Tennant Creek Visitor Information Centre - With Photo Opportunity Board

I had hoped to be able to get on to one of the Gold Mine Tours but guess which day they don’t conduct them – Yes! Friday. So, I will have to find something else to do. Actually the guy in the Information Office was very helpful and highlighted a number of other attractions in and around the town. The first of these being the Bill Allen Lookout (I forgot to ask who Bill Allen was) about 2 kms up the road. Being in tourist mode I duly set off and was soon happily snapping away:

View from the Bill Allen Lookout

JB at the Bill Allen Lookout

View from Bill Allen Lookout - Towards Mount Samuel

However, it wasn’t too long before I had to tear myself away and head for pastures new. This turned out to be the Mary Ann Dam. Mary Ann Creek, on which the dam is sited, was named after the Mary Ann Mine in the Honeymoon Ranges. The mine was named after Mary Jean and Wendy Ann Williams, daughters of the mine’s owner, Harold Williams. It is a delightful oasis in an otherwise arid environment.

Mary Ann Dam - Tennant Creek

The Other End of the Mary Ann Dam

I wandered about the area for some time trying to get close enough to the local bird life (Herons, Cormorants, Budgerigars and Parrots, to name but a few) however, they were all too quick for me although I did manage to snap these 3 from about 20 metres.

Birds at the Mary Ann Dam

Additionally, I stumbled across the following art work on the side of the toilet block:


Art Work on the Toilet Block

The rest of the day was spent in trying to get a reverse charges phone call to the UK. Difficult but, successful in the end. This was a pre-emptive call to ensure MBNA didn’t block my card, despite my emphasising to them that I would be in NZ and Australia, well before I left the UK.

Visited the local supermarket for yet more provisions and then spent time camped outside the BP Filling Station logged onto the Internet via Nomadnet, in order to get the Blog updated for Wednesday and Thursday. The things I have to do!!!!!

Having then booked into a different, and better, caravan park I went over my plans for getting to Darwin and revised them somewhat to take in a detour; down the Barkly Highway, to the Barkly Homestead Roadhouse, Tablelands Hwy to the Cape Crawford Roadhouse and then West along the Carpentaria Hwy back to the Stuart Hwy at the Hi-Way Inn Roadhouse. This will probably take an extra 2 days but, I’ve got the time to spare and it seemed like a good idea.

Following my prized Skype session with Eileen, I decided to treat myself to dinner at the caravan park and was delighted with the Barramundi with salad and chips that was served up along with the usual tourist conversations with the other diners.

 

And so another day comes to a close with the keys on the laptop taking a hammering as I try to get the Blog draft done before Zebedee comes calling. However, It will have to be posted tomorrow morning. G’Night All.

PS: It is 6 weeks today since I left the UK.