Day105

Date:- 27 June 2010
Distance:- 68.86 Km
Distance to Date:- 5198.2 Km
Start:- Caravan Park - Camooweal
Finish:- Avon Downs Rest Area
Comment:- The caravan park I stayed in Camooweal was very comfortable. It was behind the Post Office Hotel. Had a new Camp Kitchen with a fridge, BBQ and hot and cold running water for washing up. The amenities were a bit Spartan though.

Had a good nights sleep again. It must be all that exercise. Got up about 7am and had breakfast, charged all my batteries, packed up and on the road by 8.45am Met a couple in the camp kitchen who were from Whittington, a suburb of Geelong.

Stopped at the Service Station and picked up some fruit then on the road. Very good road with a breakdown lane. A cloudless sky but a 5 - 10 knot SE wind gusting to 15 kts As I will be travelling in a westerly direction it will be a side wind blowing me into the traffic lanes.

About 13 Km out of Camooweal was the Queensland/ Northern Territory border.. Stopped for the obligatory photo. Asked a caravan couple to take my photo. They were from Stawell in Victoria. As we entered the Northern Territory the breakdown lane disappeared, but the road was quite wide and the traffic was light. The speed limit in the Northern Territory is 130 Kph, but I don’t think too many motorists are travelling at this speed.

A sign about 21 km from Camooweal; listed the rest areas ahead of me on the Barkley Highway:- 48, 114, 199, 240, 294 and 356 Km which tallies with my listing from “Camps Australia Wide 4” book.

Stopped and helped a couple change a flat tyre on their caravan about 35 km out. As soon as they were on their way I had my break. Then on the road again to my destination of Avon Downs Rest Area.

There were a lot of Side show rides and food trucks on the road today. The Mount Isa Show finished last night so they were all heading for Alice Springs, then Darwin, then Katherine for their respective shows.

Arrived at the Avon Downs Rest Area just across the road from the police Station so we should be safe tonight. There are two toilet blocks, two water tanks “Water may not be suitable for Drinking”. and two rotundas with table and chairs. Plenty of room for vans

At this stage I have no mobile reception. Maybe as the day progresses it may change.

Tomorrow I will head for the Soudan Rest Area which is 66 km down the road.