Bitumen Bush Camp - Sun 17th June
It was after 4pm when we arrived at the Devils Marbles (about 100km south of Tennant Creek). The camp site was already jam packed. We are far too antisocial to be around this many people.
The hunt was on for a suitable bush track on which to set up an impromptu camp. If we don't find one in the next 10km we'll go back and camp amongst the Devils Marbles crowd.
For 8km we didn't see a single bush track, suitable or unsuitable. Suddenly there it was, a bitumen "bush track". Quick check ... perfect. Turned out to be a bit of the old Stuart Highway. No red dust tonight. We set up camp at the edge of the bitumen (leaving room in the unlikely event that another vehicle wanted to drive along this road). Then back to sunset at the Devils Marbles.
Next morning we got out the bikes to see how far this bit of the old highway went.
Turned out to be a great nature trail. As well as the plants pushing their way through the bitumen there was an impressive array of wildflowers; red and orange holly leafed grevillea, yellow wattles, purple bush tomatoes among others. Furthermore, after a kilometre or two the old highway rejoined the new one, so we didn't even have to turn the caravan around.
