Journey of Charity with Michael Davey

A huge thank you to Bungle Bungle Caravan Park and Kimberley Motel, Halls Creek for hosting us for free….we have been touched by ur kindness!

Tomorrow I will clock up 6 000 km….ahhhooooooo 🙂
This means I’m almost half way!

Check out these photos….

On the way to Halls Creek in WA along the Savannah Way.

A little further along the same hwy.

The above photos including this one are of the Kimberley’s which contain the world-heritage listed Bungle Bungle ranges…a stunning part of WA.

Our campsite in Purnululu NP, home to the Bungle Bungle Ranges. With the moon almost full it was v beautiful night.

We will attempt a 240 km ride tomoz to Fitroy Crossing…..
Cya
🙂

A big thank u to the Kimberleyland Tourist Park for hosting us for free….we really appreciate their help!

We managed to make it to WA yesterday, riding 514 km from Katherine in the last three days.

The W/NT border…a big ride yesterday…170 km……

Ord River mountains.

Ord River Dam overflow.

The Kimberleys.

I get a text from my good mate Hamish…it’s great to hear from a friend. He tells me he’s working on his house in SA fixing the gutters.
It must be draining work, I say.
Can’t wait to get down to where he lives near the Barossa Valley. It’s an amazing place where the towns sound exactly the same…
Let me see, there’s Kapunda, Tanuda, Goesunda, Gunnachunda.

Ord River Dam. The most spectacular dam we’ve ever seen.

Lake Argyle wich holds more water than Sydney harbour. We love the camera on our iPad. It’s take us a while to get used to it though….I took five photos of my face before we got this photo!

The lake at Kimberleyland Tourist Park where we r staying…one of the most spectacular parks we’ve stayed at so far! The lake is metres from our tent.

500 km in three days and collecting along the way……zzzzzzzz
Cya. 🙂

G’day everyone!
A huge thanks to Victoria River Roadhouse and Wirib Tourism Park at Timber Creek for putting us in cabins free of charge…amazing!
Rode 200 km yesterday from Katherine and 150 today to 60 km past Timber Creek. Will be in WA tomoz!

The escarpment surrounding Timber Creek..spectacular isn’t it?

On the road to Timber Creek near the NT/WA border.

Barbie loves trees, especially boabs! Here she is giving one a hug.

I’m partial to them as well. It’s amazing, twin Boabs…clearly, they are beside themselves!

Have raised $12 000 so far….

350 km in two days….zzzzzzzzz
Cya. 🙂

Hey hey everyone!
We have just arrived back in Katherine and got a free night again at Knotts Crossing Caravan Park…thanks again Stephen!

It was awesome riding into Darwin…I used to be an engineer in the RAN and spent some time up here when I was nineteen and again in my early twenties. I rode past the barracks at the RAAF base where I was stationed and the memories came flooding back….like the time four of my mates were in the communal showers after a night fishing and mud crabbing….they caught six or so of these gargantuan things and left them sitting in a huge fishing tray near the entrance to the showers.
What an incredibly tempting situation that I found myself in. Unable to resist, I carefully took one of the mammoth crustaceans out of the tray and undid the ropes binding its claws.
It was so big, it’s claws were bigger than my fists…wow!
I then threw the monster into the showers and quickly undid the ropes on another one. Having thrown them into the shower as well, I bolted out of the barracks downstairs and waited for the calamity, and happen it did.
Regrettably, I never found out what the mud crabs tasted like. By all accounts though, they we delicious, but it did take some time before anyone went into the showers to retrieve them for cooking!

A gorgeous sunset in Darwin.

Barbie flew home for her Dad’s 90th bday. That’s him with our family. I stayed in Darwin, taking heaps of photos, but are too large for me to upload to our site 🙁

Collecting on the street.

A big g’day to all the children following our ride at Monash Hospital in Melb. Hang in there everyone….ur are all heroes to us! We look forward to paying you a visit when we are in Melb in July/August.

Time for zzzzzzz….long ride tomoz….
Cya. 🙂

PS. If you think riding 5000 km to Darwin is a reasonable achievement you might like to make a donation in support of this milestone..or should I say kilometrestone????
Anyway, if so please go the donate now menu on this site and follow the link Thanks so much 🙂

A huge thank you to Adelaide River BP Caravan Park, Batchelor Big4 Caravan Park and Tumbling Waters Caravan Park, Berry Springs for hosting us for free. We luv u guys!

It’s absolutely stunning up here as our photos testify.

Buely Waterhole, Litchfield NP.

Tolmer Falls, Litchfield NP.

Wangi Falls, Litchfield NP.

Florence Falls, Litchfield NP.

A Cathedral termite mound, 50 years old and over 5 m high. The termites are 5 mm long and there are 5 types…alates, defenders, workers, nymphs and the queen. The mound is built so sturdily that no NT monsoon storm can tear it down/wash it away…brilliant design by a brilliant designer eh? The big man upstairs certainly knows what He’s doing….

The Water Buffalo used in Crocodile Dundee, at Adelaide River. When we stayed at Adelaide River Barbie and I went to the Anzac Day dawn service. It’s the only war cemetery in Australia and this made the service even more moving. Later, we had breakfast at the local show ground. Entering, I noticed an interesting sign on the main building, ARSS. It stands for Adelaide River Show Society. Unfortunately, it was the butt of a few bad jokes by some people.

A Magnetic termite mound, Litchfield NP.

Almost clocked up 5 000 km and having raised almost $10 000 we are getting a $2 donation every kilometre….v cool!
There is a huge thunderstorm coming and we are camping so better get off the iPad eh?
Cya….. 🙂

Wow, man, it’s very hot up here and humid! The upside is we sleep under the stars and with a full moon going across the sky every night is stunning in the NT.

A huge thank you to Stephen at Knotts Crossing Resort in Katherine, Edith Falls NP and Sharon at Pussy Cat Flats Caravan Park in Pine Creek for putting us up for free…..very generous people up here!

In Katherine we visited Katherine Gorge and its one of the most stunning places in the world that we’ve seen…that’s a big call I know, but it’s truly spectacular and on a grand scale!

Katherine Gorge, Nitmiluk NP. When we first put this photo in it was upside down and the water flooded out all over our iPad keyboard!

Katherine Gorge, Nitmiluk NP

Edith Falls, Nitmiluk NP

Edith Falls, Nitmiluk NP

Upper Edith Falls, Nitmiluk NP

Nitmiluk is an Aboriginal word meaning Cicada Country. We didn’t see or hear any cicadas but we did see heaps of bats! Literally thousands of them hanging in the trees by the banks of Katherine River at the base of the gorge. Apparently, some folk used to eat them. I dont know about you, but no matter how hungry I might get, there is no way I’m ever going to eat a bat.
Someone said they taste like chicken, but I’m wondering how many days does one have to spend in the baking, hot sun becoming delirious before bats begin to taste like chicken?
Imagine going into a fast food chain…
“Would you like fries with your Bat?”
Actually, I can’t imagine that….but if it ever did happen I think my response would be,
“Can I just have the fries?”

Some black bats, Nitmiluk NP.

Anyway, these cute looking, but foul smelling mammals, i might add, hang upside down, gently flapping one of their wings. They do this in a attempt to keep cool, I suspect. We also saw a crocodile in the river near the entrance to the Gorge, our first ever sighting of a croc in the wild. Needless to say, we made a snappy exit….

Tonight we are at the Pussycat Flats Caravan Park in Pine Creek, about 200 km south of Darwin. Going for a drive into Kakadu NP tomorrow for some photos and a look see.

We are huge AFL fans and follow Essendon closely. But up here its hard to get all the latest. Been wondering about their coach….anyone Hurd anything?

Hope u had a great Easter with family…..
Cya. 🙂

PS. Getting close to $10 000 raised so far…..ahhhoooooo

A huge thank you to the 3Ways Roadhouse, Renner Springs Caravan Park, Daly Waters Caravan Park and Territory Manor Motel & Caravan Park for hosting us for free. Like all the others, we love u guys for being so kind and generous.

Oi, Barbie, watch out for that road train!
This is the mural on the wall at 3Ways Roadhouse, just north of Tennant Creek in the NT….amazing eh?
Suzanne and Nigel shouted us breakfast and gave me a hat…very cool!

One of the many things that we get to see on the Stuart Hwy are the incredible termite mounds. The further north we go the bigger and more elaborate they become, and are often rich and red in colour.
Wow, we saw one the other day that was most unusual.
Clearly, the termites in this mound were extraordinarily creative in their building technique…..

I particularly like the contrast of colours the termites chose, and the decor…well that speaks for itself don’t u think?

Later, we visited the world famous Daly Waters Pub and I did some stand up…well actually, there was a chair on stage that i sat on, so I guess that’s what u call sit down comedy.
It seemed to go well.
At the beginning, i said if i make u laugh you have to make a donation.
Everyone agreed.
When finished, I walked around with our collection tin and raised almost two hundred…very cool and generous of the locals!

We are in Mataranka tonight.
Went to the springs down the road and man, relaxing in the thermal pool was awesome after a long ride today.
We are looking forward to church on Good Friday in Katherine. I won’t ride until Tuesday as my body needs a rest and its Easter, my fav time of the year!

We clocked up 4 000 km near Banka Banka Station earlier in the week.

Every so often we have to get off the road. The oversize rigs are just too big!

Met three amazing people at Renner Springs. A lone rider, Marica Van der Meer and an English couple riding tandem. All three are unassisted and have to fend for themselves. Marica has ridden all the way form Holland, through Europe, Russia, China and Asia, as have the couple.
How? I was pondering.
Later that night I said to myself that I will never, ever complain about my plight during our trip around Oz, esp that I have a support vehicle!

Darwin next week and one of my sponsors, BobbyD from VIP Home Maintenance Services in Nowra is flying up to Darwin to catch up. Really looking forward to seeing me old mate, BobbyD (Bob Ducie).
Ridden 600 km this week…now it’s time for zzzzzzzzzzz
Cya. 🙂

A huge thank you to the Argylla Caravan Park and Copper City Motel, both in the isa, for two nights free accom each, Camooweal BP Roadhouse (got seriously confused and called it camel wheel) and The Barkly Homestead also for three nights camping for free. It’s amazing how generous everyone has been!

Got incredibly excited last Monday, crossing the Qld/NT border. Unfortunately the bazillion or so flies that we left behind in Winton caught us up again.
I could hear them overhead,
‘Oi….there’s Mick Davey…lets get im boys!’
And down they came on Q.

Just paid 2.06 per litre for 91 unleaded. Hope that’s not a trend for the NT!

Rode almost 400 in three days and its been hot, but keeping hydrated now and riding very early, watching the sunrises and it’s amazing up here…and the stars, they are incredibly bright. Wow!
I didn’t say wow backwards this time as I’m not dehydrated and delirious…check out my last blog for a heads up on this.

This shot speaks for itself, although that’s Barbie under the fly net.

The ride has been going well, although i got run off the Hwy by a road train just before Mt Isa, going down a steep embankment and over the handlebars….me, not the truck i mean…
Incredibly, I turned turtle midair, but somehow managed to hang onto the handlebars and landed on my feet.
How? You ask.
Must be angels eh?
Had another Ray Hadley interview in the Isa and a local one as well. Got cheers and honks from so many people and we raised about a grand on the streets of Isa. We are now nearing $8 000 raised so far. Only $42 000 to go!

Check this action out…I speak at a Salvation Army Recovery Clinic in the Isa and Barbie films me…we are packing all our gear into Astro Boy (that’s what we call our Holden Astra, and we have names for everything – I call Barbie Tink cause she reminds me of Tinkerbell in Peter Pan, I call my bike Fuji Son, my WRX is called sic em and the roads in the NT…well I can’t tell you what I call them!)….anyway, this bloke walks past and asks what we are doing. He then asks where we are from.
Nowra, I say.
Stunned, he throws $100 dollars in our tin and says he’s from Albion Park, 45 mins up the road!
I call him a champion.
He calls me crazy for riding a push bike in 40 degrees heat!

The sunrises up here are amazing…just stunning!

And so are the cloud formations!
Darwin in two weeks….ahooooooo. 🙂

Hey hey everyone….a big thank you to Longreach Tourist Park, Matilda Country Tourist Park at Winton, Blue Heelers Motel at Kynuna, Walkabout Creek Hotel at Mckinlay and Gidgee Inn Motel at Cloncurry for putting us up for free…we luv u guys!

Wow, what an incredible few weeks. We have raised over $6 ooo so far thanks to the kindness and generosity of central Qld and some kind-hearted souls back home, and others….thanks so much…we love u guys as well!
A huge thank you to Karina at Contours Gym who held a raffle back in Nowra (social hub of the universe) raising almost $300 for the foundation – what a great effort!

Almost got bitten by a copperhead snake on the verandah of a pub where we were collecting…this bloke sitting to my right jumps up and as quick as a hiccup takes off his thong and runs at me.
“He’s gunna hit me around the chops with with his thong,” I was thinking, in a panic.
But no, he hit this snake on the head, millimetres from my right foot. Talk about a close call.
We are loving Qld….
We stop in Longreach, the outback capital of Qld, go to a riggy digg restaurant called the Woolshed Restaurant, but what is the only food they serve?
Thai!

On the road between Cloncurry and Mt Isa

Making lots of friends since we left Barcaldine…about 3 million in fact and they are so hopelessly devoted to us and our cause they go everywhere we go…flies. We have to get nets over our heads…makes the riding easier though – they carry me everywhere I go…the flies i mean, not the nets. 🙂

Just rode 400 km over three days in temps hovering around 40 degrees. Needed a rest day yesterday because of heat exhaustion and dehydration….I go to the local hospital and the nurse tells me I should be drinking 10 – 15 L per day.
Wow, I say.
Seriously, she says.
I’m delirious in the extreme heat and say wow backwards,
Wow!
I then tell her I’ll try to drink more water.

The owners, Frank and Debbie at the Walkabout Creek Hotel, made famous by Mick Dundee in Crocodile Dundee, can see that i am flagging in the heat and put us up for two nights and I spend the next day guzzling litres of water between naps in our air conditioned room….what lovely people they are!
It surprises me beyond belief that after drinking all that water I only stop roughly ten times to, you know…

The Isa tomozzzz…. Ahhhhoooooooo. 🙂

This is the Walkabout Creek pub made famous in Crocodile Dundee. You can’t see my face because of the fly net. The reason it’s so dark is because of the bazillion flies sitting on it! The reason u can’t see the flies is because Barbie is a kilometre away when she took the photo.
I luv her…I call my sweetheart Barbie because she’s a real doll!

A huge thank you to Geoff at the Meteor Motel in Emerald and David and Cheryl at Barcaldine Tourist Park who hosted us for free! Thanks also to the boys at the Kangaroo Country Caravan Park near Rockhampton for hosting us.

Check this action out…I rode over the Drummond Range just west of Emerald (a gem of a town) in central Qld and this huge thunderstorm starts chasing me..wow..it was amazing!
Just in front of it, I was blown along the Capricorn Hwy at 45-50 km hr…it was awesome!
It whooshed me along for 70 km.
We arrived at Alpha (for some reason I kept getting confused and continually called it alphalfa, prob because of the excitement of being chased by this amazing storm).
Alphalfa…are we there yet?
No! And it’s called Alpha, Barbie continually shouted to me form the car!

The next photo is at the local hospital in Alpha. My leg was stitched up by a lovely nurse called Lea. I’d like to say the stitches were required because of a bike accident, you know something semi heroic, but no, I walked into the towing arm of the on-site van we were staying in at the alphalfa (sorry), Alpha caravan park! (Thanks to Michael the manager for putting us up fro free!)

Longreach 2moz. Ahhhhooooo. 🙂