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Detailed travelogue on Australia and New Zealand
Detailed Travelogue on Australia and New Zealand
Larry2006-05-27 03:23:16
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the earth becomes, while isolated trees
become forests. One interesting (and somewhat disgusting) sight is that
once you enter the north, everywhere off to the side of the road are these
humongous termite hills -- some as large as a person. One little town I
passed through even solidified one and displayed it with a plaque (like a
statue) in the center of town.
Continuing north, people seemed to be very much in a hurry. It was
December 24th, and those that were driving along the vast, empty Stuart
Highway, were often going over 160km to get where they were going.
In the early afternoon, I passed a young couple that was stuck off the
side of the road with car problems. Their white Porsche had broken down
(the only Porsche I noticed while in Australia), and I pulled over to help
them. They hopped in the car, and I drove to the closest service station
(about 30 minutes up the road), where he called the auto club and waited for
help. Originally from Sydney, the guy was in the Australian Air Force, and
he and his girlfriend were heading up to Katherine, where he had just been
transferred.
KATHERINE
In the late afternoon, I arrived in Katherine, where I spent the night.
After resting for an hour (catching "Animaniacs" on TV), I went to go look
around. The best way I can describe the town is a "wet" version of Alice
Springs. A lot of Aboriginals live in Katherine, and the town seems a
little dilapidated and poor, though it is a tourist base for the nearby
Kakadu National Park. The sky was grey, and rain was imminent. I walked
around a bit, though many stores were closing early due to Christmas Eve.
There wasn't much open for dinner, but a trusty "roadhouse" saved the day
(not that food sitting under a heat lamp is delicious cuisine, but it'll do
the trick if you're hungry). Right in town is a 24hr
...
See photographs from:
Australia Gallery
,
New Zealand Gallery
