Day 41 to 43. July 30 to August 1, 2022. Camooweal, Barkly Homestead and Banka Banka. Clicking up the K's

Camooweal has only one pub, what can I say. Nothing here, move on. NT is only 12 k’s from this place and basically it is like they have given up. Like they have said if you are going, no need for an effort to try and keep you here. “We are an ordinary one pub town and have a servo. However, please choose from one of our two caravan parks, required because so many of you decide to stay here regardless…..”

Next day we cross the border. My first time to the NT, other than flying over it on the way to Singapore for work which was a much quicker way of doing it.

First stop in NT is the Barkly Homestead, and they know how to put on a party. Unfortunately, we have missed it again. Bill Chambers played the night before and of course Kasey made an unannounced appearance as well. Apparently, the night went off! Regardless, we are at the site early and get a prime spot, are able to do the boring stuff like washing and some admin, and then hit up happy hour at 5pm, which lead into dinner. Really nice to meet some other people and chat about different things, a nice welcome to the NT.

Pushing off the next day we are all about clicking up the k’s and heading into Banka Banka Homestead. To get there, you need to get to Three Ways. This is the intersection of the Barkly Highway and the Stuart Highway where left takes you to Tennant Creek and even more dodgy places like Adelaide, right and you end up in Darwin. Like a good opportunist, the servo at Three Ways had their marketing up to speed and along with the CU in the NT merch, they had the obvious Three Way double entendree, Benny hill type Merch. Didn’t buy any, but would have been disappointed if they didn’t have it. Reminded me of a trip that my parents did many years ago and they went to a place in the Philadelphia called Intercourse. They did buy the hat.

Banka Banka West Homestead was different. It was our first stop without internet for the night. We didn’t miss the world, and annoyingly it didn’t seem to miss us much either, but that was fine. This homestead is chock a block full of vans and campers, most only staying a night. They have a nice lookout over the plains, and a walk to an empty billabong, and not much else. They light a fire in the afternoon and cook up some damper, open up the bar and most people come for a drink and a bite. Great to chat with others again, and surprisingly, got a great Indian feed from the one food van they had there. Nice, simple, safe and fun for a night, will do again on the way back.