The Stuart Highway

.. links the northern capital Darwin with the southern capital Adelaide and is named in memory of the explorer, John McDouall Stuart. He linked the top with the bottom without the advantages of 4WD, GPS, heavy machinery to name but a few. The 1862 expedition paved the way for the development of the Northern Territory but at a cost. It was the 6th and final expedition that finally created the link. The Highway allowed the mobilisation and expansion of NT during the war years with troops and vehicles ready for a possible invasion. The resurfacing of 'The Track' took many years and was constantly disrupted by Japanese raiders.

Nowadays, troops and tanks have been replaced by caravans and road trains relying on the vital 2,834km link to get from top to bottom. Towns like Adelaide River, Pine Creek, Katherine and the smaller settlements of Mataranka also rely on this passing trade to maintain their economies. We helped out by visiting each of these locations.

Batchelor
A small settlement just outside the Litchfield National Park is home to the Batchelor Butterfly Park, a welcome comprimise after the disappointment for the Lost City. Amber was in her element in the retreat that would have been lovely to spend a few days there. Enclosed spaces houses all manner of butterflies from very common species to the Blue Ulysses, a majestic and beautiful specimen. Each enclosure has table and chairs for visitors to sit and relax in the naturally heated tropical spaces.

  

Adelaide River
Another small settlement that held massive importance to the military buildup and command functions during the mobilisation of the NT. American and Australian HQs were located here and took advantage of the pre-war attempts at cultivation of rural areas around here to build farms to feed the increasing numbers of personnel. R&R facilities utilised the river and logically a hospital, armanents and fuel supply depots became stationed here. Nowadays, the only real demonstration of AR's role in the war is the presence of the primary war cemetary that was used to bury the Australian and other nation's dead from the bombings of Darwin.

An ad-hoc Heritage Railway Museum is located here that is full of various items of railway focussed memorabilia but definitely worth a visit. The emergence of the Ghan and the freight railway maintains a presence in AR but in no-way on the war levels.

Pine Creek
One of the larger settlements on the Stuart Highway, Pine Creek is home to the first site of mining in the NT, the Enterprise Mine that is now a large recreational lake. Other references to the mining of the area can be found here but is mainly a stopoff for travellers along the Highway.

Katherine
Our second trip to Katherine was much better than the first. Although a large town, the scale of Australia became very apparent. Somewhere along the route the Merrell shoes ran away so needed to get them replaced. You'd think that a pair of walking shoes could be found somewhere where bushwalking is very popular but no! A big thanks to Becky for arranging a replacement pair to be sent on to Broome..

  

Katherine, this time around, showed its real colours with a great Aboriginal painting and cultural experience learning the 'dot-art' technique and creating our own bookmarks.

Amber's attempts at throwing a boomerang once again made me chuckle and let's not even talk about spear-throwing!!! The local Musuem was of the best demonstrating the massive history in such a small period of time.

 

Local history is given much more prevalence in the remote areas and considering the role of Aboriginal people, stock management, Katherine flooding and the significance of the nearby Nitmulik National Park, was truely an interesting place. We could have done with more time!

Edith Falls, a part of Nitmulik was a special place. Along the lines of Litchfield albeit with a 40km drive to get there, the freshwater swim in the swimming hole towards the waterfalls was lovely. It's always a bit daunting whether people will pinch your clothes, keys and camera but its always been there when we return..

More about Nitmulik will follow as will about Mataranka….