Henbury Meteorite Conservation Reserve

I thought there was only one crater but there are twelve, caused when a meteorite travelling at 40 000 kms/hr broke up as it entered the earth's atmosphere about 4000 years ago. We drove in to the Henbury Meteorite Conservation Reserve on the Giles Highway, which is corrugated gravel, and discovered a well-designed trail through the crater reserve, with information boards along the way. The craters are slightly eroded by wind and rain but still clearly defined.

The largest crater is actually two craters caused by the larger fragments of the meteorite.

Vegetation in the bottom of the main crater.

Water Crater - the grasses are present because a small creek drains into this crater.

We were the only visitors and only five other cars had been there that day (if the visitor book is any guide). Why? It's not that far off the highway. The facilities are good - toilets, picnic tables, information boards - and you can freecamp (in a designated area) there for a small fee. The track is a 1.5 km easy walk. The signboards are interesting.

Just before the turnoff on the Stuart Highway we stopped to have a look at the flowers that are carpeting previously bare sand. Spring has sprung.

Desert Tryptomene Aluta (Thryptomene) maisonneuvei

Desert Thryptomene under Desert Oaks on red sand dunes.

Two-spotted Line-blue butterfly

Karlu Karlu, Devils Marbles

This is just bunch of photos of parts of the Devils Marbles, or Karlu Karlu as it is now known. The huge granite boulders are visually stunning. And how do those rocks stay balanced as they do? The truth is, they don't. Eventually they'll all tumble down.

Tablelands Highway, Northern Territory

We filled up at Cape Crawford and set off for Barkly Homestead, 380 kms south on the Tablelands Highway. We were towing a 21' caravan with a Pajero and there was a head wind. We were on tenterhooks because there are no service facilities (or indeed any buildings at all) for the length of the highway and we didn't know whether we would make it on one tank full plus a 10 litre jerry can. It turns out we didn't need to use the spare diesel because we arrived with 12 litres left in the tank, and one of the reasons was that it's almost impossible to speed on the highway. It's sealed but single lane so if there is passing traffic each vehicle pulls to the side and slows down, and although the bitumen is in good condition the road itself is very wavy.

We freecamped one night in the scrub (not a designated wayside stop) thinking we had the place to ourselves and set off on a walk to explore the area around the campsite when, to our mutual astonishment, we came face to face with a man on a horse. He was with a group riding from Victoria to Darwin and there had been some mechanical problems with a support vehicle so he was riding between the two camps right on dusk. Unfortunately he couldn't stop to chat because it was getting dark so we don't know the full story. The rest of the night was uneventful. There's nothing quite like a night in the outback - the quiet, the stars, the big sky, the birds singing, the low scrub, the colour of the sand. The wattles were flowering and some other shrub with red flowers that the babblers were finding very attractive.

The environment beside the highway was fascinating. The northern end passes through rocky sandstone country that is very pretty and then we went through large areas of very flat grassy plains, so wide that you lose perspective. One of the big cattle stations there is called 'Brunette Downs' so I'm guessing the locals call these plains 'downs'. 

In the grassy plains I was checking the whole time for Bustards but didn't see any. But I did see Australian Praticoles. First there was one, then a three standing together on the road. Then a group of twenty! So I started recording the numbers and my final total was about 500! Some of the flocks had about 80 birds. It was an amazing sight because they  are beautiful and graceful birds. They didn't fly far from the road when disturbed, just flew away a few metres and then landed again on the track. At one stage we were passed by a B-Double truck and I was impressed to see that the driver slowed down when he saw a flock of the birds on the road ahead. Prior to this trip I had only ever seen one Australian Pratincole, in the Queensland outback.

Australian Pratincole [Source: Creative Commons]

Caranbirini Conservation Reserve

It would be so easy to overlook this small reserve. The entrance gives you no idea of the delights within.

We left Borroloola, drove west towards Cape Crawford and called in to the Caranbirini reserve which is half way, about 50 kms. The first surprise was a deep waterhole complete with bird hide, waterlilies and bee-eaters, finches, pygmy-geese, honeyeaters, pigeons and doves. It's an absolute delight and would be well worth spending more time there at various times of the day. If I'd known about it the day before I would have gone out there in the evening as it's only half an hour from Borroloola where we were staying.

Bird hide at Caranbirini Waterhole

Caranbirini Waterhole

Caranbirini Waterhole

The second surprise was a walk at the reserve, the Barrawulla Loop. It's about 2 km and takes you through impressive sandstone pillars up to 25 metres high. Every bend in the path opens up more beautiful formations. There are excellent information boards along the walk as well.

The reserve is also home to Gouldian Finch, Carpentaria Grasswren and various reptiles and mammals. Of course I looked carefully at the spinifex as we walked through the woodland but no Gouldians, no grasswrens. Oh well, just as I expected, so I wasn't too disappointed. A good reason to go back :)

It's a magic place. Don't miss it if you're ever in the vicinity.