northern territory: bitter springs to elliot, devil's pebbles

It was a very long day in the car, one of our longest from Bitter Springs to Elliot, a small town halfway between Darwin and Alice Springs. The Longreach Waterhole free camp, on a dirt road out of town, had the red tick in Camps 8 so we were eager to see how it measured up. Our friends, Fifty Toes Walkabout, had planned to stay overnight there too and we were pleased that there was space to pull up near them. This family are virtually our neighbours in Sydney and there we were by a remote billabong in NT, catching up.

There were loads of sites along the water. A grassy outlook (not dusty) is always a preferable floor at the entrance to a van too. 

Longreach Waterhole was home to many bird species including terns, pelicans, kites. It was teaming with wildlife! 

We got dinner together as the kids played and the two families sat down together to share experiences we'd had since leaving Sydney. We slept well that night after a fire and chat once the kids were in bed. The stars were endless and the quiet such a comfort. It reminded us of nights on the family farm near Bega. 

Elliot to Kunjarra (Devil's Pebbles)

Devil's Pebbles or Kunjarra is a beautiful free camp just south of Three Ways off the Stuart Highway. While we aren't snobby about free camps it is so wonderful to stay in an impressive one. 

Devil's Pebbles, I imagine, are the smaller version of the Marbles. There's a short loop walk through the pebbles and visitors are asked to remain on the path so as to avoid trampling this sacred site.