No room at The Devil's Marbles, Aliens - then a watery Paradise

After making our fortune in the Zircon Fields just off the Plenty Highway we re-traced our route back on to the Stuart Highway to continue our way north to Darwin. Our plan was to head to the Devil's Marbles and stay the night in the small campground there, just as we had done four years previously.

Iconic windmill on the road out from the gem fields

On that trip we had become increasingly aware that we were not alone – we were part of an enormous seasonal convoy of mainly caravans and campervans streaming northwards to the warmer climes of the Northern Territory and the north of Western Australia to escape the winter weather of Victoria. This migratory exodus obviously continues and when we arrived at the Devil's Marbles late in the afternoon we were horrified – we couldn't even get into the campsite. The caravans were there en masse. Lined up side by side with just a few feet between each they were jammed in so tightly there was just no room for our little tent, nor for all the late arriving caravans who also found no room at the inn. Rather than go on we back-tracked about 20k to stay the night at Wycliffe Well also known as the “UFO Centre of Australia”.

The Devil's Marbles - before we discovered there was no room in the inn

The Wycliffe Well Tourist Park had obviously seen better days and was looking a bit tired and threadbare. This impression was probably not helped by all the buildings having been painted with pictures of alien beings, spacecraft, stars, planets and other extra-terrestrial scenes. We were greeted by a statue of green aliens standing by their spaceship and other space/alien paraphernalia was strewn throughout the site including, oddly enough, a full-size Elvis Presley giving it big licks on his guitar. Weird or what?



Welcoming Aliens at Wycliffe Well

It really was this crass

Apparently there have been more UFO sightings and alien abductions in Wycliffe Well than anywhere else in Australia. The walls of the restaurant-cum-greasy-spoon-cafe where we had dinner were festooned with newspaper clippings of stories about local alien activity – and we could also have bought T-shirts, polo shirts, hats and stubby coolers with pictures of little green aliens – we didn't.

However the camping area was very pleasant with well-watered green lawns and plenty of shade. Sandra even found two donkeys who were very appreciative of a couple of spare carrots.

Sandra feeding a carrot to her friend

The road north from Wycliffe Well was long and boring despite a 20k detour to visit “Churchill's Head” which turned out to be a very vaguely head shaped rock with a stick stuck in a crack to look like a cigar – absolutely nothing like Churchill or any other human being. We were underwhelmed.

And then we discovered paradise! Looking for somewhere to camp for the night we arrived at the small, unprepossessing town of Elliott and, at the northern edge of town, came across a small dirt road signposted to Longreach Waterhole – and three days later we are still here.

Longreach Waterhole

“Waterhole” hardly does it justice – it is a small lake probably about 2k long and half a k across with gently sloping grassy banks and surrounded by plenty of shady trees. The 12k rough and sandy road serves to keep out all but the hardiest of caravanners and we have a gorgeous spot with no sight or sound of any other human being – perfect. Sandra, who is quite keen on bird-life, is in raptures as the place is teeming with avian life, particularly of the watery variety. Literally hundreds of pelicans keep us amused with what I assume are their fishing techniques. Paddling round in comically stately flotillas of up to 100 birds they, all on cue, plunge their long beaks under the water then, in a second movement, throw their rear ends and feet up in the air – looking like a team of synchronised swimmers, which I suppose is exactly what they are. Then it's back to stately paddling for a minute or two whilst the lucky ones throw their bills up in the air and swallow their catch.

Pelicans .......

....... Pelicans .....

....Hundreds of Pelicans

Birds of prey abound. Osprey-type birds (sorry I'm no ornithologist) swoop down on the water and catch fish with their talons. Those that are not so hot on fishing themselves wait for one of the variety of wading birds to catch something then swoop down to mug it of its dinner – all very watchable stuff. There is a nest behind us on which a eagle (allegedly) is either sitting on eggs or has a brood of chicks on the go – isn't nature wonderful!?

Don't know when I'll be able to drag Sandra away.