From Mt Isa, Sunny Qld

Hello to all our Family and Friends,
As you can see we are certainly moving fast. One week to drive through NT.
We did stop sometimes though. The first stop was only overnight at Victoria River Roadhouse. It is beside the Victoria River which was beautiful. The locals said they wouldn't swim in the river even though it was hot because of crocs; so we went looking at old Victoria River Crossing but couldn't find any. Next day saw us arrive at Katherine Gorge; campsite right beside the pool along with all the international visitors and 3 school camps, regular ant city. Did the walk around the gorge with good views finising our trek down Butterfly Gorge. Again it was very hot and we cooled off in the pool before the school kids took over. After tea entertainment at the pool was lit by strobe lights similiar to a disco with live performers. We had a ring side seat from the camper. The music started off as country and western which had a lot of crowd participation which was encouraged. A pleasant change to what most campers had been experiencing and it was appreciated. The mood turned more up beat towards the end with the schoolgirls getting up and strutting their stuff. When they did the Bus Dance Rex remembered how well Lee and Julie used to do it at birthday celebrations. Then it was on to Mataranka - Elsey National Park. We have camped here twice before so it was only a familiar stop over. Rex did go for a swim in the Roper River and tried to catch an elusive Barra but no luck; sausages for tea once again. Bonus was we did have the only site with a sprinkler so Rex stepped back into his childhood and had a shower under it. Onto another familiar spot, Banda Banda Station. A cool grass spot to stay with plenty of water so we were able to wash the car. Interesting to watch all the oldies with their super large caravans trying to back them in. Rex couldn't contain himself and had to offer assistance as two sites were being taken up by one van. Not that they were untidy or anything they just couldn't follow their lovely wifes guidance. A few domestics were happening. They were all lined up like a jagged bolt of lightning. Night time entertainment had changed to the history of Banda Banda rather than the running of a cattle station. Reason being that they don't know what will happen in the future as it is in the process of being sold. We thought our next stop would be at Barkley Station Roadhouse on the Barkley Highway that runs acros the middle from Northern Territory to Queensland but we travelled on and crossed the Queensland Border last night and stayed at lovely Camooweal where it stays light till 7.30 pm and is a cool (cold) 24 deg C. Locals were pulling out their woolly underwear. The pool was closed as this time of the year. Not much else to do so we moved on to Mt Isa. After settling into the caravan park we went up to the Look Out, similiar to Anzac Hill at Alice Springs from which we could get a good idea of the layout of the city and where the shops were. Hustling bustling busy city where pedestrians have to give way to cars, a bit strange to us Victorians. Back at our camper a helpful neighbour thought the alignment of the a frame and the camper body was out of alignment and he thought we may have a chassis problem. Just what we needed. Rex obligingly climbed underneath to set his mind at rest an said that all was fine.The camper wasn't going to fall to bits.
Tomorrow we moved on to Richmond to look for dinosaur bones.
Love to all
Rex and Rob