Divine Appointment

Prior to arriving in Darwin we tried to book a double room for our first week. It was the Darwin cup the weekend we were arriving and everything was completely booked for the next two weeks. So we talked about skipping Darwin completely and just heading back to Cairns to start the East coast trek. We checked out flights back to Cairns & called to see if there were any campervan relocations available. The flights were extremely expensive and there were no relocates available. Although we were frustrated we really felt God telling us to go to Darwin. We managed to find a dorm room at Chilli’s backpackers that was available until they could get us into a double 5 days later. We checked into our 4 person dorm room which had two bunk beds (Christa quickly called the top bunk). The first couple of nights we had different girls check in at night and check out early the next morning. The girls seemed to be very shocked when they heard Casey’s manly voice greet them with a friendly “hello”. They would ask us ”is this a girls only dorm???”with Casey’s obvious reply “sorry no.” Well Monday morning we had our new roommates check in Roxanne and Joel. They were a married couple from the UK whose booking for a double room was lost and so they were stuck in a dorm as well. In talking with them we found out they met at a Christian camp in England and have been going to church on and off for the last 7 years. The funny thing is they changed their travel itinerary to come to Darwin from Asia 2 weeks early. Joel and Casey got talking and Casey was sharing with Joel a little of how Jesus had completely changed his life when he fully surrendered to God. Casey told Joel of when he was on the fence with God and heard God tell him that he needed to make a choice. How it is not enough to just believe in Jesus, but our lives must be completely Gods and line up with God’s word. God has such amazing things for our lives. Not knowing where Joel was at with God or how God would use this to speak to Joel. After sharing this we just went on with our day. Later that day after dinner Joel told Casey he would like to go back to the room and pray. Long story short Joel and Roxanne completely surrender their lives fully to Christ!! We have a truly amazing God!!

Driving back to Darwin

Well Casey & I at 2:30 am Friday morning (Aug 3) got up and ready to meet up with Gayle to jump in her little car and head to Darwin. We got a phone call at just past 3 am to tell us to jump back into bed for a bit as the battery in her car was dead and she was working on finding a new one. The phone rang at 4 am to let us know she would be picking us up in five minutes, she had found a gas station open and a battery. We headed on the road in the dark and about an hour out of Darwin the car died! Now this is the outback and the likely hood of us seeing a car in the next hour was slim. But I was praying and I knew Casey was also and we know God is faithful and what do you know about 15 minutes and a car that was heading to Darwin pulled up. They jump started our car and as we couldn’t use head lights as it was draining our battery we followed behind them till day light. A couple hours into our drive we arrived in Tennant Creek to see if anyone could look at the car as we figured it was the alternator but no one had parts. So Gayle purchased a spare battery and we drove till the battery died again then put the new one in, stopped at a gas station and charged up the dead one. Well we arrived safe and sound in Darwin in the evening (drive is about 1500 km). We were very grateful to Gayle who also arranged getting our luggage in town (her car was to small to bring it) as well as picked it up and dropped it off at out hostel for us! It was definitely an adventure! What’s life without a little adventure!

Back in Alice Springs

Casey and I hung around Alice a few more days before we were catching a ride with Gayle to Darwin. We hung out a bit with some of the people we had met on the tour. Casey went golfing one day with our guide Peter and Liz (from UK). We enjoyed some amazing coffee at the Red Dog cafe which we seemed to be regulars at. We also had the best pizza at a little pizza shop more than once for dinner. Our last day in Alice we went to a Kangaroo rescue centre where they had little joeys. When you drive through the outback you can see so many dead kangaroos on the side of the road. We learned at the rescue centre that the kangaroos come to the sides of the roads at night for the green grass and most of the times are killed by passing vehicles. The vehicles hit the kangaroo’s upper bodies while their lower bodies are not injured at all and that’s where the joeys are, in their mom’s pouch. The joeys stay in their mom’s pouch for security or because they are too young to get out so this rescue centre was set up to help rescue these little joeys. It was an amazing experience holding these cute little guys. Casey & I got

Uluru Tour - Day 3

Day three with still no showers and another 5 am wake up we headed to Ayers Rock again to watch the sunrise on it. Again it amazed me that as the sun shone on the rock it became alive with vibrant red color. After breakfast it was time again to walk around part of the base of the rock as the hike up it was closed due to the intense wind. Some of us were so exhausted from the weekend and with the wind and flies decided to head to the cafe in the cultural centre to relax and read. A few hours later we headed on the road back to Alice Springs. Stopping along the way there was a camel farm that does camel rides and camel safaris. For $5 you could have a short camel ride around the yard. Well why not, we smelt as bad as the camels anyway from not showering for 3 days so I talked Casey into it. They got the camels to run part way which made you feel like you were going to fly off these very tall camels. It was a lot of fun and a good laugh. Our tour was over and as soon as we arrived home we enjoyed a very refreshing shower. Later all of us met in the hostels restaurant for dinner. We had a great time and met some really awesome people which made it even more incredible

Uluru Tour - Day 2

The next morning we were up again at 5 am with it very cool and well before sunrise. We went to watch the sunrise at the Olgas which are these beautiful rolling huge rocks. It was amazing watching the sunrise with Ayers rock beside the sun in the distance, then watching as the sun hit the Olgas as they transformed in color. After sunrise we had breakfast then off to the Olgas to hike the trail “the valley of the winds” which takes you through these majestic rolling rocks. One of the amazing things was the sound of these birds that echoed their beautiful songs through the valley. After the beautiful walk through the Olgas we headed to Ayers Rock. We had a choice between walking around half the base of the rock or climbing Ayers Rock. The climb up Ayers Rock is at a 40% incline with a chain you hold on to while climbing up. The rock was 380m high and took them about 1 hour to hike. Well I decided to walk around the base as it seemed more leisurely to me while Casey was up for the usual challenge and hiked the rock. He said it was the most exhilarating thing. At the top you could see everything; it went on as far as the eye could see. The hike around the base was nice but the flies could drive a person insane. After the hike we were off to go to a perfect place to watch Ayers Rock at sunset. When we arrived there were so many people there it was crazy. As the sunset behind you the colors on the rock changed every moment with the rock red as ever and the sky around it changing from blue to pink to violet it was breathtaking! As soon as the sunset the rock was no longer vibrant but dull. It’s amazing how the sun can bring life and such beauty to things....just like the Son. We had dinner once the sun was gone and then headed to a spot in the outback about 20 minutes away to sleep under the stars again. This night there wasn’t a cloud in the sky so it was a definite star gazing night and the moon shone so bright that you could see everything so clearly it was amazing!!

Uluru Tour - Day 1

Friday morning (July 27th) 5 am and we were up getting our belongings into storage with our small bags ready to head off on our Ayers Rock tour. We jumped on the bus with about 16 others from the hostel and headed to Uluru. It was still very dark and cold at the same time with no heat on the bus. We snuggled up and slept for the first few hours till the sun rose. Our first stop on the tour was Kings Canyon which was about lunch time. The hike was about 4 hours long and the beginning of it was the steepest and the hardest of the whole hike. It was beautiful with enormous Canyon’s with sharp sudden drops. Half way tucked away in between an area of the Canyon’s was a swimming hole with ice cold water and a wall of rock surrounding you. Casey of course jumped right in and encouraged our guide and an English girl named Liz to take the plunge too. They said it was so cold it took your breath away but worth it as it cooled them down nicely from the heat of the day. After the hike we headed to find our campsite which was about another hour or so hour drive in the middle of the outback. We arrived and set up camp which was a big fire with our swags around. Yep this was sleeping under the stars with your sleeping bag tucked into a swag that had a thin mattress. We also had dinner which was pasta with a camel Bolognese (definitely not my favourite).The night was warm but unfortunately you couldn’t see the stars because of the clouds.

Alice Springs

The morning we woke up in Alice (Wed July 25th) we decided to drive to Anzac Hill to take a look at the city. Alice Springs is pretty small and from what we could see there is not much to see or do except go on a tour to Ayers Rock. So the first day with no plans or arrangements to get back to the East Coast we were really questioning why we were there and how we were going to get back. For you who really know me I’m not really the spontaneous type and like to have some kind of a plan. So we both felt it was odd that we hadn’t any plans past going to Alice Springs. Talking we decided we wanted to go back to Darwin for about a month then head back to Cairns to start heading down the East Coast. How we were going to do that at a cheap price we didn’t know. We dropped off the campervan and asked if they had any relocate vans needing to be driven back to Darwin. The lady who was helping us informed us they didn’t have any relocates and then stopped and looked at us and said “I don’t normally do this but I’m heading to Darwin next Friday driving there in one day for the Darwin Cup (major horse races) and you guys look okay would you like to catch a ride with me.” Well Casey and I said we would take her phone number and give her a call. Talking together after Casey shared with me that he knew she was going to ask us before she asked and I felt a confirmation in my heart from God also. So we chatted with her and now had our ride to Darwin. Thank you Lord! So we checked into our hostel (Annie’s Place) & booked our tour to Ayers Rock.

Road Trip Part 2 (Darwin to Alice Springs)

On the road again we had a bit more time to make a few stops along the way. Our first stop was at Adelaide River where we check out a war memorial that really made us stop and thank God for the blessings we have. After lunch we stopped at Edith Falls which was a beautiful lake with a waterfall and a sign that read swim at your own risk as crocodiles may or may not be in the water at any given time. Casey was tempted to take a dip but wisely choose not to. After that we headed to Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk National Park) to camp out for the night. Our campsite was full of wallabies that would get very close to you and at night were wondering around everywhere. The next morning Casey & I had a half day canoe trip booked to head down the Katherine River Gorge. I saw a sign about crocodiles and asked Casey if we should cancel as it looked crocodile infested. He replied if it was dangerous they wouldn’t let you go. As we got our canoe equipment the lady working there warned us not to dock on the beaches where the signs read “Do not enter crocodile nesting area”! Well Casey smiled and headed for the canoe. What did I get myself into!! We got a boat ride to the end of the first Gorge where Casey & I walked to the second gorge and jump into a canoe. It was absolutely breathtaking. After canoeing the second Gorge we headed back down the first Gorge where we saw a crocodile trap and then a baby crocodile. Well I kind of panicked as my first thought was;” baby... ...where’s the mama”. Then Casey reminded me that they were not Equestrian Croc’s but Fresh water and they are less aggressive.......still didn’t make me feel better. After surviving our nice canoe ride we headed back to our campervan for lunch then onto the road again. We got as far as Tennant Creek and had great night sleeps in a very cozy campground. The next morning we headed to Alice and on the way stopped at Devil’s Marbles or as I call them God’s Rocks, drove by a town which is known for its UFO sightings called Wycliffe Well (the only UFO’s we saw were the ones painted on all the buildings), then stopped at a town that had a big man with a spear on a hill called Aileron (we did realize it was a statue as we got closer). Aileron also had a kangaroo in a big outdoor cage that we stopped to see which was actually was very friendly. As we were about to drive away Casey saw an enormous Wedge Tail Eagle in another outdoor cage. These birds are so amazing and have such a huge wing span. Back on the road we were watching the sunset as we saw two camels randomly on the side of the road. We pulled over and there was a guy with his dog that Casey started chatting with. He was a German gentleman named Claus who has been walking around outback with his two camels for 5 years camping under the stars every night. We chatted for a bit and then head back on the road before the sun set completely. That evening we arrived in Alice with that being the end of our road trip.

Arriving in Darwin

Well after a wonderful time in Litchfield we arrived in Darwin Friday (July 20th) late afternoon in time to relax before we headed out to the famous Darwin night markets. Arriving at the markets we realize it was a lot bigger than expected as there was no parking for blocks. The markets are in the parking lot at Mindil Beach. They had great live music in more than one place from the didgeridoo to the Spanish guitar. The food vendors gave you such a wide variety of food that many people go just to grab a bite and watch the sunset. Our favourite vendor was one called the Road Kill Cafe with the slogan “you kill it we grill it”, they had everything from crocodile to wombat. Casey & I grabbed some food and wandered around the numerous vendors. The next day we did some laundry etc., dropped off our vehicle and picked up our next one for the next part of our trip. We felt like this one was the luxury model as it was a 2007 loaded RV with full bathroom and kitchen. It was nice!! Sunday we went through some WW II storage tunnels and the government house which was having an open house is where the Queen & princes of Wales stay. In the evening we headed to Mindil Beach to enjoy dinner and the sunset over the ocean. It was absolutely breathtaking. Monday we were off again onto the road