...from the top end of Darwin, to the red center Alice Springs.
At long last it felt as though a final piece of our Australian puzzle was fitting snugly into place. Throughout the bulk of our travels we have resigned ourselves to a well-worn doughnut mentality; touring extensively along the coasts while neglecting the continent's vast and relatively uninhabited center. Before even getting off the plane in Darwin, I viewed the Northern Territory as a sort of promised land. So much of our trip had been a shocking contrast to the typical Australian stereotype, and we were eager to discover something a little more rustic.
Outwardly, the city of Darwin embodies much of the rugged charm of its secluded tropical surroundings while at the same time clearly aspiring to project itself as a modern capital city. Having been bombed into nothingness by the Japanese during the Second World War, the city retains an oddly patchwork look to its buildings. Maybe this is more a result of Darwin's isolation from the rest of the country, but for better or worse corrugated steel is the undisputed building material of choice.
As with every one of our trips so far we made very slow progress on our first day. Our first stop took us only a few kilometers off of the main road to visit a collection of 14 foot termite mounds in the Litchfield National Park. These massive pillars look 
to be more likely the result of a very targeted seismic eruption rather than the diligent work of ants. The area is also famous for the mounds created by 'magnetic termites' who angle the construction of their colonies in a north-south fashion in order to minimize exposure to the sun. Another short drive down the road took us to an absolutely fantastic freshwater stream called the "Buley Rockhole" that runs down a series of connected granite pools via several vibrant little waterfalls. Although this spot was relatively busy with other bathing tourists, we did manage to catch a glimpse of a very cool looking water lizard who very kindly posed for pictures while sunning himself on the hot rocks. Afterward we took a short hike up to Florence Falls to snap some photos and take in the view before having another quick dip in the water at the base of the falls. We arrived in Katherine a little after 8 in the evening and after being surprised by a small Kangaroo on the road outside of town, we were both eager to stop and take a breather before seeking out the caravan park. The experience in Katherine was truly surreal as we both felt remarkably out of place. The streets were full of groups of local aborigines who appeared to have descended upon the town from all directions without any specific plans. I can think of no suitable words to describe the bizarre way that these congregated groups of people were randomly interacting with one-another. Driving through the streets was a particularly uneasy task as the locals would wander heedlessly in and out of the road without so much as a look over their shoulder.
The next day we visited part of the Nitmiluk national park and spent some time walking around the rocky hills that surround the Katherine river. Although we were prepared to do some more swimming, recent flooding had caused the park to close access to the river for fear of crocodile attacks. Heading further south, we eventually came upon the town of Mataranka. Known as the capital of the 'Never Never', this town of only a few hundred people located a short distance from the Mataranka hot springs and the reconstructed homestead of one of the area's early settlers (Jeannie Gunn, the author of We of the Never Never). The homestead was currently occupied by two very feisty looking birds that looked like something between a turkey and a peacock. The water at the hot springs was really fantastic and even though it began to rain shortly after we arrived, the 34 degree temperature of the water kept us very comfortable.
After washing up we drove on until we hit the very famous and very isolated Daly Waters Pub. 
Once we had finished languishing and just before the sun began to set, we headed back to the truck and were very surprised to find free showering facilities. On the way I managed to plow through a family of ducks that were crossing the road, and I got to pick the remains out of the grill the next day. This pub was fantastic and I will let the photos speak for themselves. Needless to say, but we were both very happy to stop and enjoy a cold beer before heading off to find a place to camp by the side of the road.
In the morning we made our way back to the Pub to grab breakfast before taking off to the abandoned airport. Back during the Second World War Daly Waters acted as a key jumping off point for supplies and troops as they moved about the country. Although it has been abandoned for over two decades the airstrip still seemed totally serviceable as we drove at top speed from one end to the other. Several hundred km down the road we hit the abandoned town of Newcastle Waters. 
Although there is still a school used by the nearby small Aboriginal community and a few occupied houses, the majority of the buildings are uninhabited and open to be explored. Originally established as a 'droving station' for moving cattle across the country, with the advent of long-haul trucking the town eventually all but shut down. After spending close to two hours poking around the town we decided to try and get a few more km in before the sun set. Close to the end of the day we took a detour off of the main highway to explore what had been marked as an object of unspecified historic significance. Driving for about forty-five minutes along an overgrown and single lane road, we got to see what turned out to be an original section of the Stuart Highway (known simply as The Track) that had been left open after renovations in the mid '80s cleared a more direct path. Interestingly, up until January first 2007, there was no speed limit on the highway, and now motorists are forced to keep under 130 km/h. At various points along the road there are clearly marked signs indicating that Alcohol and Pornography are not permitted.
For much of the rest of the journey the majority of our stops were made at historic markers placed just to the side of the highway. Presumably, they had been installed for the unique purpose of providing an excuse to interrupt the inevitable highway hypnosis. 
For the most part they indicate the date of some significant advance in the laying of telegraph wire. Some of the better spots offer free camping, running water and well maintained fire-pits. We were only too happy to take advantage of these comfortable (and FREE) campsights that offered a surprisingly private respite from the long days of driving. Although these spots were well marked, we didn't run into another traveler and eventually were comfortable enough to shower freely under the stars. After spending the early morning swimming in a manmade lake attached to the Mary Ann Dam, we left Tennant Creek and drove about 100 km south to the Devil's Marbles conservation area. The aborigine name for these giant granite stones is Karlu Karlu and they are believed to be eggs laid by The Rainbow Serpent; a figure of prominence within their creation stories. Although we spend close to an hour at the Marbles, we could have easily continued to explore further into the park if we hadn't been so pressed for time. Not far from the Marbles we stopped at Wycliffe Well, another former droving site that has now become associated with UFO sightings and an extra-terrestrial themed servo station cum caravan park. Although we didn't see any UFOs, the road out of town was littered with unclaimed and burned-out cars; it was a worthy photo-op in its own right.
Our plan for Alice Springs was somewhat misguided since it wasn't until a few days into the drive that we actually realized that 
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