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Banka Banka Station – From $10 – NT

Banka Banka Station Northern Territory donkey

Banka Banka is 290km south of the Daly Waters Pub and 100 km north of Tennant Creek. 

Banka Banka Camp

Once at the gates of the camp the rustic charm hits you. You are greeted by a couple of vintage, rusty old vehicles.

I was met at the gate on arrival by one of the friendly hosts and sign in. I was thinking, with it being out of season the place would be empty. Was I wrong, it was going to be filling up all evening.

We settled in with a drink in the shade by a sprinkler. We were told by the manager to turn it on if we wanted to, to cool down. “This is the Banka Banka Pool” he said, jokingly 😉 we sat in our chairs and turned it on.

Not long after we were joined by others. A Banka Banka Pool Party was in full swing 🙂

Memorabilia

You will find memorabilia in one of the sheds and scattered around the place. From bottles to the kitchen sink.

Outside they have rams heads on the fence, very country.

The fire-pit is surrounded by some interesting shed’s. This area is also home to old machinery and a building surrounded by hand made seating.

You will see they have a sense of humour when you see the electric toothbrush and shaver they have for hire 😉

Camp facilities

You will find a large block of toilet and showers. This is the place you will also find a washing machine for $3 a wash.

They have a dump point which is a hole in the ground with a lid but what more do you need.

There is a camp kitchen but no gas for BBQ was seen at this time, you may have to ask.

Activities

You can see donkeys here, we had a stroke of them over the fence, very cute. They have camels over the road I am told. We also spotted a cow and horses.

You can also go for a 2km walk to the top of the hill and see the Sunset and rise.

World Solar Challenge Teams

People were still arriving at 6pm, thanks to the solar challenge mob. We had first seen them at Daly Waters with the actor Shane Jacobson.

They had many teams doing the challenge. We did spend time behind a team only doing 45km per hour in a 130 km zone on some stretches.

Part of the Istanbul and a German team’s stayed the night at Banka Banka. The cars are a stark contrast to the fantastic old cars on the station.

Aussie House Sitters have been good enough to give our members a discount. Use our Coupon Code “AHS15%off”. This will give you 15% off your regular membership

The station has no power but they do have water and it’s a great place to stay. See more on the Northern Territory camps here

More Information

  • Location : Banka Banka
  • Click for Google map location
  • State: Northern Territory
  • Pets: Yes
  • Camp type : Station
  • Price : $10 per person- Children cheaper
  • Water ? : Yes
  • Power ? : Some may have been added since we camped here
  • Will suit: All sized vehicles
  • Is it on Wikicamps ?: Yes
  • Drive time to nearby shops: 77 km to Three Ways Roadhouse
  • Amenities : Toilets, showers
  • Other : Laundry, dump point, animals, quirky, memorabilia, fire-pit, walking track
  • WIFI & Phone Reception – Tested with Boost Mobile: No and there is also no Telstra reception

Yes – We use Boost Mobile while travelling around Australia as it has 3G & 4G coverage on the Telstra Mobile network

Track your trip with this laminated handy map of the whole of Australia
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Daly Waters Pub – from $10 – Northern Territory

Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory outside

Daly Waters

After enjoying Bitter Springs in Mataranka we headed the 153 km South to Daly Waters Pub. You have to love an iconic Australian pub and this one is up there with the best.

Daly Waters Camp

At the time we were here the ground was dirt. Although you come to expect that out here.

We chose to have power and water and picked a spot away from the pub. Being the second van to arrive we had our pick.

The place filled up later but there were still plenty of spots to park.

  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory camping
  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory camping
  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory camping
  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory camping

Toilets and showers are around the camp along with rubbish bins. They have a $4 washing machine, the money from this goes to children’s cancer.

  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory laundry
  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory toilets and shower

Of course the reason you stop at Daly Waters is the pub, so to the pub we went 🙂

Daly Waters Pub

When you see photos of the pub it’s likely to be the entrance with flowers around it. Then of course there is all the memorabilia that adorn the walls, bar, ceiling and posts.

  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory outside
  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory outside garage plane
  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory memorabilia
  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory - thongs hanging up

You can leave a piece of yourself here. No body parts, although they may accept your wooden leg or glass eye 😉

Leave a hat, thongs or the shirt of your back. Stick your undies to the ceiling by the bras.

Some have left driving licences and cash. In any other part of the world that would just be wrong but not here in the outback.

  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory memorabilia
  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory memorabilia
  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory memorabilia
  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory memorabilia

If you don’t have anything to leave, have them take a photo of you for the ugly wall. For $5 you get to be on the wall and all money goes to the Leukemia foundation.

You will also find an honesty shop table with bits you can buy. All money again goes to the Leukemia foundation.

  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory
  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory

We stopped in and had lunch sharing a very nice lamb and feta toasted sandwich. Across the way are some fuel bowsers.

You may wonder if they are real as they are very random… they are real. Next to it is a shed with an old helicopter parked on top.

  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory outside garage plane
Famous pub

We headed back in that night for dinner. At the door was Shane Jacobson the Australian actor. Yep, from kenny the Dunny Man and Little Big Shots.

He was being filmed for something. We later found out there is some kind of world solar challenge going on. Shane must have something to do with it.

  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory restaurant
  • daly waters pub shane jacobson

I was wanting to get a photo but didn’t want to disturb him. I did in fact sneak a really bad photo later as we were having dinner with him.

Ok, not with him but he was having dinner in the same place so that counts, right? 😉

In the dining area as well as the pub you will find memorabilia as well as a stage and art of sorts. This is also where they cook the great beef and barra.

  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory art
  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory art
  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory pool

As the pub is famous, tour buses arrive during the day and share the pools. The pools don’t have much shade but are appreciated in the heat.

The bar also has a coffee making side to it. 

  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory bird
  • Daly Waters Pub - Northern Territory

We came out of season so the place wasn’t busy. I can imagine it being the hive of activity at other times of the year. We were glad we stopped for the night.

More Information

  • Location : Daly Waters
  • Click for Google map location
  • State: Northern Territory
  • Pets: Yes
  • Camp type : Pub
  • Price : $10 pp – un-powered – $16 pp power and water
  • Water ? : Yes
  • Power ? : Yes
  • Will suit: All sized vehicles
  • Is it on Wikicamps ?: Yes
  • Amenities : Toilets and showers
  • Other : Pub, History, fuel, memorabilia, food, pool, washing machine, free WiFi
  • WIFI & Phone Reception – Tested with Boost Mobile: One of the few places we’ve been with limited service

We use Boost Mobile while travelling around Australia as it has 3G & 4G coverage on the Telstra Mobile network

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Mataranka – Bitter Springs Caravan Park – NT

Mataranka Bitter Springs Northern Territory swimming

Mataranka is the place to visit Bitter Springs and Elsey National Park. Bitter Springs was one of those places we had heard so much about and seen amazing photos of.

After talking to Kaye and Peter at our previous stops (Timber Creek and Kathrine) we decided it sounded great.

They had been before and new the nearest place to stay and some good tips for the springs.

Bitter Springs Caravan Park

This is the closest park to the springs which is a short stroll down the road. Mataranka main street is 2.5km down the road which is also handy.

Driving in you pass lots of well placed termite hills. I say well placed as they seem very formal and look good as you enter.

The lady on reception is friendly and very chatty. At the reception you can bay basics such as frozen bread and ice creams.

Also, you can hire pool noodles to float down the springs on and they also have a small book exchange.

Once I had paid for a powered site and was given a map of the camp we headed in.

We could not really see any numbers but found a spot to spend the night. This park is full of trees of different kinds. We loved the fact they had palm trees. We hadn’t seen any in months.

The place is quite lush with greenery although you will also see lots of dry dirt and dead branches. After spending a few months in Western Australia we appreciated the abundance of trees around us.

Un-powered Site’s

If you want an unpowered site you can get one by the water.

These also have fire-pits/bbq’s and are surrounded by trees. In the cooler weather we would have gone for one of these ourselves.

The park has wallabies who seem to be quite friendly. Coming up very close to us and checking out our van.

Camp Amenities

The toilets/showers were basic but it goes with the whole bush camp look. Other new toilet blocks were closed at the time that we visited as it was end of season.

They have a laundry, consisting of some washing machines and long washing lines. One of which is almost draped in beautiful flowers.

Save $30 when you spend over $500 at Caravan RV Camping. Use the code “FULLTIME“ at the checkout to receive your discount.

The camp kitchen has a fridge, hot plate, microwave, BBQ, sink, power points, toaster and kettle.

You will also find seating for yourself and a high-chair for your little one.

A drinks machine is also here along with information leaflets on things to do in the Northern Territory.

If you are in need of any essentials for camping head in to Mataranka. The servo/store sells everything.

Bitter Springs

We headed to the springs four times during our stay in Mataranka.

Walking down the road from the park to Roper Creek took around 10 minutes. Passing through the car park which had cars as well as caravans. Then down the tree lined path to the springs.

Thought about house sitting? Aussie House sitters have given us a discount code Coupon Code “AHS15%off”

When we arrived at the steps of the water we could see clearly to the bottom, just beautiful!

The outside of the water and banks of the springs did have some algae but what the heck.

We hopped in the warm water, it was a hot day but it still felt good. We would head back a few more times bringing our rented pool noodles.

The noodles are great for floating to the end so you can just get taken along with the gentle current. Sometimes you do have to make an effort if the current stops.

Our new friends told us to attach our thongs to the ends of the noodles. This way you can walk back in your thongs and not get stones in your feet.

The walk back to the start takes two minutes so no problem if you don’t.

You may spot turtles in the water, frogs, lizards, egret’s (birds) and other birds are also in abundance.

If you have a Go-Pro or waterproof camera this is the place to bring it.

Mataranka

Mataranka has a cool little Art gallery/cafe called “The Stockyard”. It’s a little modern and a little quirky.

Rustic pieces are placed around the place to give it some character. The outside has nice foliage and seating in the shade.

The helpful and friendly guy running the place is a local and is doing a fantastic job.

It’s places like this that need our and the wider community support.

Inside you will see a small room with indigenous art to browse and to buy.

They also have a few books and the DVD “We of the never never”. The movie taken from the book about the area. If you know the story you might also like to visit the grave yard and station.

You have a choice of two fuel stations, one of which is also the store. You really can buy almost everything here.

Big rig parking and dump point

Two large parking areas are opposite the fuel stations on the main road. If your just passing through you can pull up for a rest and a shop.

The dump point is behind one of the parking areas, down a bit of a dirt track if your driving. You can also park in the large parking area and take the cassette over to it.

Elsey National Park Areas

Wabalarr

200 meters one way from the car park to the river. You can fish, relax or go for a 16km walk.

Four Mile

Bring your boat and fishing gear, just mind the crocs. This is a beautiful spot to launch your boat from and the river is so clear.

You can also do the 16 km walk from here. Or just do a shorter walk to the next location.

Mataranka is a small town that is worth spending a night or two. The springs are a must and if you have a boat check out the national park.

More Information

  • Location : Mataranka
  • Click for Google map location
  • State: Northern Territory
  • Pets: Yes
  • Camp type : Caravan Park
  • Price : $30 un-powerd – $35 power and water
  • Water ? : Yes
  • Power ? : Yes
  • Will suit: All sized vehicles
  • Is it on Wikicamps ?: Yes
  • Drive time to nearby shops: 2 minutes from park to Mataranka
  • Amenities : Toilets, shower
  • Other : BBQ, Camp kitchen, fire-pits, laundry, bins, walk to springs, swimming, rent pool noodles, sells bread and ice cream, small book exchange, lots of trees and shade, wallabies and birds
  • WIFI & Phone Reception – Tested with Boost Mobile: Yes

Yes – We use Boost Mobile while travelling around Australia as it has 3G & 4G coverage on the Telstra Mobile network

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Boab Caravan Park – Katherine – Northern Territory

Boab Caravan Park NT

Boab Caravan Park is in Katherine South and is attached to a service station. It was recommended by Kaye and Peter who we meet at Timber Creek, our first stop over near the WA/NT border.

Boab Service Station

We missed the park at first as you have to drive through the petrol station.

Once we filled up with fuel I booked us in. WikiCamps reviews say it’s one of the smaller parks in Katherine and it is.

However the parking bays are actually a good size. I asked for a large one as we didn’t want to unhook. This was just a one night stop.

The station sells hot food and has a long isle of grocery products if you need some essentials.

Boab Caravan Park

As I say, this is a smaller park but it is clean and tidy. Sprinklers were on keeping the grass nice and green.

Not to many vans were here and although it is surrounded by houses it was quiet.

We headed to the pool which was at bath temperature but was still nice under the shade.

The park has electric BBQ’s, fridge and seating which is central to all sites. This is attached to the laundry, showers and toilets.

We bumped in to our old neighbours from Timber Creek Roadhouse and caught up for Happy Hour. What a great night!

They told us about some of the spots they have travelled to over the last three years. We love to hear other travellers story’s and get some tips on places to visit.

More Information

  • Location : Katherine
  • Click for Google map location
  • State: Northern Territory
  • Pets: Yes
  • Camp type : Roadhouse
  • Price : $45
  • Water ? : Yes
  • Power ? : Yes
  • Will suit: most vehicles
  • Is it on Wikicamps ?: Yes
  • Drive time to nearby shops: On site
  • Amenities : Toilets, showers, laundry
  • Other :Swimming pool, bbq’s, food at servo, gas, bins, camp kitchen, seating
  • WIFI & Phone Reception – Tested with Boost Mobile: Yes

Yes – We use Boost Mobile while travelling around Australia as it has 3G & 4G coverage on the Telstra Mobile network

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Vehicle Accessories

What vehicle accessories if any do you need ?

It’s a interesting question that will vary greatly on your budget, your intentions on the road and your lifestyle choices. What we are listing below are the items we bought for our vehicle and whether we now consider it as being worth while or not.

On our Holden Colorado 4wd we added the following additions.

Items we now recommend

Bullbar / Roobar – Yes recommended it, So would probably most Aussies out there that have ever driven country roads.

UHF – Yes recommend it, we use it frequently to communicate to road trains that they can pass etc. Also may help us if someone is in range when we break down in a remote area.

Snorkel – Yes I recommend it. Very useful for keeping the dust out of your air cleaner during the many dusty sandy roads you’ll travel.

Brake Controller – We now use WITI (You can read about it here). Before WITI we used Ekonsha p3 brake controller. It worked flawlessly. However we were getting other WITI products so we went all in. Redarc is another good brand

K&N air filter – Expensive at first but these air filters aren’t throw away items. They are serviceable and very good at letting your engine breath whilst blocking out the dust and dirt.

Rear ute Canopy – Yes recommend – The extra “dry” space is very handy but also a good security deterrent.

Upgraded suspension – Absolutely. We got a constant 300kg upgrade kit for the front and rear of our ute and on top of that a extra leaf in the rear to make the back 350kg constant load. Our ute handles great with the load in the back and towing the caravan.

Rear view camera – I’m glad I installed this as it makes backing up to the towball very easy everytime.

Secondary fuel filter system. – We once had a Holden commodore we took for a trip through the back roads of Queensland. Filling up at a out of the way fuel station we got a load of water in the fuel and the car crawled home. Our 4wd has what is called common rail diesel injection system. If we get water through that it could be a $5000 and upwards mistake. Something I didn’t want to risk for the sake of a $350 secondary fuel filter.

Dual battery – Yes comes in very handy if trying to run an extra fridge in the back or need to jump start your main battery ( happened to us 4 times to date). For us we mainly use the dual battery for running our coffee machine and big consuming appliances via a 2000w inverter in the back of the ute.

Save $30 at Caravan RV Camping when you spend over $500. Use the code “FULLTIME“ at the checkout to receive your discount.

Solar panel – used for charging the dual battery and yes highly recommend it if you’re adding a dual battery.

Navigation unit  – Sometimes you may want to throw it out the window when told to take a street you can’t turn around in but … for the purpose of navigating around Australia I consider it a must.

Small 4wd air compressor – We have a thumper air compressor. Ideal for pumping up tyres before hitting the road or if you get a flatty and have a 4wd puncture kit with you. Also handy when needing to re inflate tyres after doing a beach drive on sand.

milenco mirrors
Milenco mirrors

Milenco Mirrors – You’ll need mirrors for legally towing a van. Milenco mirrors were definitely worth the $130 or there abouts.

They don’t move when road trains go past you, they are easy to install and remove, they are not over priced like clearviews are and don’t vibrate when driving. All round a good mirror.

Anderson weight distribution hitch

A weight distribution hitch is not something everyone needs but if you do and are deciding between a Hayman reece and a Anderson weight distribution hitch I’d personally recommended the Anderson everytime.

I did a write up on that subject here 

Items we now consider not so vital but nice to have 

Driving lights – Not vital as we personally don’t often drive at night BUT…. when we do yes I’m glad we got a KOR light bar as additional lighting.

Winch – Not important if you’re planning on staying on the bitumen. We haven’t had the need for it yet but one day the intention is to go 4wd’n and pitch a tent. Also bare in mind the additional weight that adds to your vehicle if you’re not going to use it.

Car cover – My thinking was when in the 45+C heat in the outback I could put a car cover on and protect the inside. Haven’t used it in a year other than to lie on when doing some under vehicle maintenance. I now consider it not important.

DCDC charger – Used for charging the dual battery while driving. I no longer recommend this as we discovered we don’t do enough Km’s for it to charge the battery properly. ( We average 200 – 250km each time we move from one place to the other) Preferred choice is the solar panel we mounted to the canopy roof

Dash Cam – Not vital, but certainly handy if an incident happens in front of you one day. May save you explaining it to the police or insurance company. Also nice to revert back to the dash cam for scenery shots to share with friends and family.

Rear ute draw system – For us personally I use our rear draws daily. That’s more so because I have an excess of tools but for the average person these might be more a want not a need. However bare in mind they can still weigh quite a bit even when empty.

Extra jerry cans – One or two is ok if you’re just driving on the bitumen. You’ll find that most petrol stations are only 300km distance apart so one jerry can is fine.

If however you travel the dirt tracks or off road then if you can hold three jerry cans then that’s definitely worth considering as 3 twenty litre cans is almost a full tank on some vehicles. Alternatively get a long range tank.

It just depends how much money and space and weight you have. Long range tanks which generally hold an extra 40 litres or so can be $800 and upwards. a 20 litre jerry can start at $15 🙂

A generator – In some cases a generator is a must for certain people with health issues. But for the general person, some solar panels and a extra battery is all you need.

However we do still have a generator because when stuck in the outback with no one around we use it to run the air conditioning if there is no one to disturb near by when running it. But to be honest the only time in the last year we have used it was purely just to see if it still goes.

Check out Aussie House sitters and use our discount Coupon Code “AHS15%off”

A few extra’s that I could see being handy that we don’t have are :

  • Roof rack – Any space is good space providing your not exceeding your vehicle weight limits.
  • Fridge for the back of the ute
  • Transmission cooler if you have an Automatic
  • Pull out 4wd awning  – these usually attach to the roof rack and i can see why 4wd guys would have them. Not convinced it’s really needed if you tow a van but I can see multiple uses for it.

I’m sure I could think of several more items but in general the above list has proven to be handy for our lifestyle and needs.

Caravan RV Camping is a great place to buy your accessories. We have an exclusive $30 discount code for you. Spend over $500 and use the code “FULLTIME“ at the checkout to receive your discount. Another good place to get your Accessories is Tentworld. See more here.

See all our discount codes and products here

Hope that helps.

Larry

Do you have any other items not mentioned that might benefit those wondering what to get ?  add your comments below  

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Free Camp – Mathison Rest Area- Northern Territory

Mathison rest area Northern territory

Mathison rest area is 104 km South West of Katherine.

This free camp gave us time to pull up and make a coffee. I love that we can pull up anywhere and plug in our espresso machine.

Our 2000w inverter helps with that of course. As we are full time on the road and the van is our home I like our homely comforts. Good coffee is up there with comfy bed.

Rest Area Amenities

This 24 hour free camp has a dump point, not the usual blue lid one but a dump point all the same.

Toilets are here as well as the usual undercover seating areas.

You have numerous bins to choose from and a couple of water tanks are also here.

They do say “don’t drink the water” but nice to have water available for other things. Wood BBQ/fire’s are available to keep warm in the cooler months or have a cook up.  

This was a clean and tidy free camp to either take a break and empty the dunny or stay the night.

More Information

  • Location : Mathison Rest Area
  • Click for Google map location
  • State: Northern Territory
  • Pets: Yes
  • Camp type : Free camp
  • Price : $0
  • Water ? : Yes but not for drinking
  • Power ? : No
  • Will suit: All sized vehicles
  • Is it on Wikicamps ?: Yes
  • Drive time to nearby shops: 1 hour and 30 minutes to Katherine
  • Amenities : Toilets
  • Other : Dump point, seating, bins, some shade, water tank, wood bbq’s/fire
  • WIFI & Phone Reception – Tested with Boost Mobile: No reception. Also, No reception with Telstra

Yes – We use Boost Mobile while travelling around Australia as it has 3G & 4G coverage on the Telstra Mobile network

Check out Aussie House sitters and use our discount Coupon Code “AHS15%off”

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Timber Creek Roadhouse – From $15 – Northern Territory

Timber Creek Roadhouse river

Timber Creek Roadhouse…

We had left Western Australia and were now in the Northern Territory.

Yes, we loved our six months in Western Australia, where we spent a few month’s working as we travelled.

WA’s beautiful coastline is as stunning as the Whitsundays in Queensland. Eighty mile beach and Coral Bay were highlights.

Of course my favourite being the magnificent Bungle Bungles and the free camp 😀

Timber Creek Tourism Park (roadhouse)

185 km into the NT you come across your first fuel stop and van park.

We filled up and went into pay for our stay. They had a couple of helpful and friendly girls from Liverpool in the UK.

Given all the info we needed, including where the fresh water crocs may be sunbathing, we headed in.

Passing the pool we chose a shady spot and connected to power.

Another couple, Kaye and Peter were already here. They recommended our next camp at the Boab Caravan Park and swimming at Bitter Springs.

They would join us at happy hour at our next two destination 😀

The ground around the camp site is all leaves at the moment although there are some signs of grass about the place.

You will find a couple of laundry and a couple of toilet blocks. One of which has showers. A BBQ area is also available.

Timber Creek Fuel Station

As the time had gone forward one and a half hours it was way past lunch time by the time we arrived.

Heading into the servo to see what they had, I noticed they have frozen bread. Better than none when your out bush!

They also have shelves of basic food like a small store would.

We ordered fish and chips off their lunch menu. After paying you go outside and go next door to the restaurant once they unlock the door.

Again the girls were polite and the food was ok. They do have a dinner menu and a bar if you don’t want to cook.

Shop is open 7 am – 9 pm

Bar is open 12pm to late

Restaurant is open 7 am for breakfast, Lunch all day and dinner 6 pm – 9 pm (last order at 8 pm)

Crocs and Bats

As soon as we set up we went to go look for crocs.

We checked out the banks of the river as she mentioned and also in the water, but sadly we seen nothing 🙁

They do have croc feeding in the dry season at 5 pm on Tue/Thur/Sat.

Check out Aussie House sitters and use our discount Coupon Code “AHS15%off”

Kaye and Peter did spot a croc we were told later. Bats are also in the trees above the river.

If you were anywhere but in the middle of nowhere you might not pay the price to stay here. But… if you want power and aircon it’s your choice.

Also, if it was cooler and not in the 40’s we would have stayed at the free camp. 

If your passing through for a night then check this place out.

  • Location : Timber Creek
  • Click for Google map location
  • State: Northern Territory
  • Pets: Yes
  • Camp type : Roadhouse
  • Price : $30 power and water – $15 un-powered
  • Water ? : Yes
  • Power ? : Yes
  • Will suit: All sized vehicles
  • Is it on Wikicamps ?: Yes
  • Drive time to nearby shops: on site shop
  • Amenities : Showers, toilets
  • Other :Laundry, fuel, Gas, bins, crocs, river, bbq, fire pits, swimming pool, shade, seating, meals
  • WIFI & Phone Reception – Tested with Boost Mobile: Yes

Yes – We use Boost Mobile while travelling around Australia as it has 3G & 4G coverage on the Telstra Mobile network

Track your trip with this laminated handy map of the whole of Australia
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Free Camp – Saddle Creek Rest Area – NT

Saddle Creek Rest Northern Territory

As we started to travel East we stopped at some rest areas that are also free camps.

We all need to take a break when heading to our destinations and sometimes the rest stop is the destination for the night.

Saddle Creek was our rest stop on the way to Timber Creek which was where we were heading.

Yayy… We had crossed into the Northern Territory … yippee 😀

Northern territory sign in western Australia border
Border Crossing Happy Dance

You could stop for a break or rest for the night as this camp has a lot going for it.

Toilets are always handy as are the undercover seating areas.

Being close to the border, we were offered fruit and veg from a fellow vanners. They were heading through to WA and didn’t want to take it through the checkpoint.

Leaving there goodies for others to take 🙂 We were happy to except some potatoes and veggies.

Saddle Creek Amenities

Saddle Creek Rest Area also has fire-pit BBQ’s, bins and a water tank. It states the water may not be suitable for drinking.

This camp is 68 km from the NT/WA border and is a good place to rest as well as spend the night.

  • Location : Baines
  • Click for Google map location
  • State: Western Australia
  • Pets: Yes
  • Camp type : Rest area/Free camp
  • Price : $0
  • Water ? : Yes –  but not drinking water
  • Power ? :  No
  • Will suit: All sized vehicles
  • Is it on Wikicamps ?: Yes
  • Drive time to nearby shops: 1 hour 30 minutes to either Timber Creek Roadhouse NT or Kununurra WA
  • Amenities : Toilets
  • Other : Undercover seating, fire/bbq pits, some shade, bins
  • WIFI & Phone Reception – Tested with Boost Mobile: No reception. Also no reception with Telstra

We use Boost Mobile while travelling around Australia as it has 3G & 4G coverage on the Telstra Mobile network

Save $30 when you spend over $500 on Caravan RV Camping. Use the code “FULLTIME“ at the checkout to receive your discount.

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Kununurra – Kimberlyland and surrounds – WA

Kununurra – Kimberlyland Waterfront Holiday Park lake

From the Bungle Bungles free camp we arrived in Kununurra. Choosing Kimberlyland Waterfront Holiday Park as it was on Lake Kununurra and had great reviews.

The park

The reception staff are all helpful and happy people. Letting us have a look around before we chose our spot.

It’s the end of season so the park is not that busy and they have a special on 4 nights for 3.

Having looked on WikiCamps to see what was near by, we knew there was a lot to see.

Kununurra is centrally for drives to Lake Argyle and El Questro.

You can choose between power and un-powered sites by the waterfront or by the pool. You are close to the water no matter what 😀 

The large camp kitchen has all you could need and maybe a bit more.

As well as the electric BBQ’s in the camp kitchen and you can use the gas BBQ in the pool area and water front.

You can hire canoes and enjoy the lake, maybe spot a croc or two.

If you love your coffee they have a cafe that opens at 6 am. Wifi is reachable here. The reception also sells ice and drinks.

Opposite the caravan park is celebrity tree park. You will find plaques under trees that have been planted by celebrities.

A boat ramp to launch your boat is also here as is a playground.

Kununurra Town

Two minutes drive away is the town centre. You will find a small amount of shops such as Target (country), Coles and Brumby’s bakery. Mitre 10, Auto Pro One and Tyreplus are also here.

You”ll also find a couple of garages in town, but, if you use diesel fuel you will find the one on Mills road 10c per litre cheaper.

This was a great tip from the receptionist at the caravan park.

Day trips

El Questro Station

We headed to El Questro to see what people were talking about. It’s a 102 km minute drive from the caravan park.

We drove the corrugated road and over a couple of creeks.

Ending up in the parking area next to the outdoor reception/shop/cafe. We had a drink and something to eat and had a look around.

To us it’s just another camping area. The thing that you come here for is the surrounding area.

You can pay for a pass here to drive to places like Zebedee Hot Springs and El Questro Gorge. Other springs and gorge’s are close by.

We are glad we had a drive here. The best part about El Questro as far as we can see is the surrounding area.

Lake Argyle

The infinity pool here looked great in photo’s and we wanted to see what the park looked like. I was also told by our caravan park receptionist that there was an old homestead on the way. 

Unfortunately like everything at the end of September up here in the Kimberly’s its end of season, so it was closed. So disappointed 🙁  Driving the 70 km past the caravan park we headed to the dam and then on to the picnic area at the end.

Check out Aussie House sitters use our discount Coupon Code “AHS15%off”

Driving back we checked out the boat ramp. What an amazing place to launch your boat and go fishing. A stunning place indeed.

On to the caravan park. We stopped and had a drink and snack in the cafe/bar. They had put on a video of the lakes construction, quite fascinating.

We checked out the Pool which was lovely as was the view. You can pay to use the pool should you just want to swim and not stay.

Would we stay at the Lake Argyle another time? Maybe. If we had a boat and we loved fishing then I would say 100% yes.

The Grotto

Not much water was in this grotto although in rainy season I can imagine it would be flowing. The people who made the staircase did one heck of job.

Someone had also left a painted rock. It seems there are lots of them around the country. I have read that if you see one you take it with you and drop it at a new place.

They have there own Facebook pages, how strange! but I like strange 😉  

Molly Springs

Just 27 km away from the Kununurra is Molly Springs.

We walked across one little water hole to get to the waterfall. Such a lovely spot on a hot day.

As we were leaving some locals turned up. You know when locals come somewhere its going to be a good spot.

Kununurra has lots to see when it’s not the end of season (November). Click on these links below to see what more you can do in the local area. 

The Airport is close by for tours to the Bungle Bungles (Or if you don’t want to pay that price you can stop at the 24 hr free camp just outside and drive in as we did 😉 

Kununurra is a great location as it’s central to so much. The caravan Park I believe is the best in the area. Highly recommended 🙂

  • Location : Kununurra
  • Click for Google map location
  • State: Western Australia
  • Pets: No
  • Camp type : Caravan Park
  • Price : $31.50 power and water special and end of season
  • Water ? : Yes
  • Power ? : Yes
  • Will suit: All sized vehicles
  • Is it on Wikicamps ?: Yes
  • Drive time to nearby shops: 2 minutes
  • Amenities : Toilets, showers, laundry
  • Other: Camping by the Lake, Kayak, boating, Crocodiles in the lake, Camp kitchen, Dump point, Swimming Pool, Play area, BBQ’s, Wifi, Cafe on site, Shop in reception, information center, close to town and day trips.
  • WIFI & Phone Reception – Tested with Boost Mobile: Yes

Yes – We use Boost Mobile while travelling around Australia as it has 3G & 4G coverage on the Telstra Mobile network

Track your trip with this laminated handy map of the whole of Australia
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Our Big Lap In One Year

We left the Whitsundays in Queensland in December 2016 and one year on we are passing the point where we started.

Like most full timers there were no plan’s as to how long we would take to do a lap, only that we would be on the road indefinitely.

As there was no real plan, we went with the flow. The flow took us like a river, rapidly through some spots and gently meandering through others.

Meandering Merrily

With so much to see we chose to not drive further then 200 km a day (unless we had to). Some days it was a case of leaving one free camp to drive to another less then 20 minute’s away.

Finding camps you can stay at for a week or two is fantastic if you have the right set up. Luckily our set up allowed us to stay at these places.

Caravan parks also played a part in our journey. Mostly when heading in to the top of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The prices are high but air-con was needed.

Free camps and 24 hr rest areas played a major roll and we love showgrounds. Pubs that allow camping are also a favourite as they help us and them. 

Why We Went So Rapidly At Times

The reason for going quickly through some areas and not stopping was to get to house and farm sites. Over the course of the year we had the pleasure of minding three farms and their animals.

There are some beautiful locations with houses and farms sits around the country.

Interested in living rent free? We use Aussie House Sitters and have a  Coupon Code “AHS15%off”.

Preferring farms and longer sits we looked after horses, chickens, dogs and cats.

Doing house/Farm sits gives you a free and safe place to keep your van. You also have the opportunity to check out the surrounding areas as much as you like.

Joining Aussie House Sitters is something we highly recommend!

Sunset at our farm sit

Another reason for getting to a destination quickly was for work.

When you need to top up the funds you go to where the work is. If that happens to be in another state then that’s what you do.

Learning Along The Way

Our first six months on the road was an eye opener and a learning curve, not knowing what to expect in all aspects.

Googling before you hit the road only gives you so much information. It’s not until you’re out there, that you see how easily you can live with so little.

I’m not just talking about belongings and down sizing. You can make your money go so much further than you think. 

Having no idea how to hook up a van or how to empty the toilet, I had to get in there and give it a go.

I mainly do the inside of the van when we are packing up and Larry the outside. When I finish I will go and help Larry out. We both do the toilet equally and so it should be!

Dongara - Western Australia dump point
Learning about dump points

No check list at our place but I do now have a routine when we pack up to go. Thankfully only a couple of things have been forgotten.

Leaving the TV aerial up – as we were pulling out of our first ever caravan site. Also the fridge had been closed but not so the catch was on. Food was on the floor but nothing broken.

Leaving your van at free camps while you go exploring can be a worry. See our safety tips when leaving your van here

You can never know if it’s a safe place but you do start to get a feeling once at places. Good or bad this is something only you will know and decide for yourself once you’re there. Jerry’s Plains in NSW was a great place to un-hook and check out the local wineries. 

We have left our van at numerous locations. I am a bit of a safety nut which can I’m sure be exhausting for Larry. So far we have made the right choices and the van has been safe.

Lap of Luxury

We calculated we had savings for three months without having to work. It turned out with farm sitting and free camps we had 6. Check out our first 6 months stats here 😀 

Many people live way more frugally then we do, spending much less for more people.

These are some of our facts:

  • 3 farm sits

  • Driven through all states and territories except Tassie. Update – we stayed in Tazzie for 3 beautiful months (this is not included in these stats)

  • Diesel $5,073

  • Paid sites $3,850 (most were in the NT and top end of WA for air-con)

  • Groceries $5,651

  • Alcohol $2,186

  • Km traveled 27,372

  • Our top 3 destination so far  – The Bungle Bungle, The Nullarbor and The Whitsundays

  • Work – Larry worked for 3 months on a cattle station in Western Australia.

  • We have been using “Boost” for our phone and internet.

  • What we are glad we have: Espresso coffee machine (run by our inverter when free camping), Club lounge, on-suite, lots of solar, Grey and fresh water tanks, inverter and compressor fridge.

This first lap showed us so much yet we have seen so little. The best thing we ever did was to choose to travel full time and enjoy life now.

Please feel free to check out our Products & Discounts page for savings and Ideas on what we use. You can, for instance, Save $30 when you spend over $500 at Caravan RV Camping. Use our code “FULLTIME” at the checkout to receive your discount.

The video below is a fraction of our trip so far.