We had a nice fire, glowing just perfectly... and eerie sounds emerged from the darkness. In the morning we went on over good Gravel Road all the way to the legendary Heartbreak Hotel. A really sad place. From there on the road was tarred in one lane - a comfortable change. Here and there we saw good places for an overnight stand - well, yeah, when you don´t need any...As we were later on looking for one... a tarred Rest-Area with no shade. But then we found a sidetrack that led to an even bigger place with wood and hence another nice fire.

Now we´re back in Katherine, we did our errands at the Fresh Food People. Their motto at the moment: "Italy in an instant"!
Now Dorat Rd - open parking lot with heaps of Blowies.

This morning we start off and after ca. 100 m we see... a sheltered place for the night & then again and again...

4WD only 'til Surprise Creek - sadly everything burned down & is not nice nor shady. Since the road is closed, we went all the 17 km back again, partially over difficult terrain, locking and unlocking the 4WD manually. On the Daly River Rd we also found some places to stay over night, but they were either burned down or, well by the river, which means Mossies. We saw the Florence Falls & took a refreshing bath in the Buley. And stayed there for the night. It was still dark when the Park Management came to take $5 fee. What do you get in return? Road closed: 22/05/99, and there aren´t new maps available, either...
After breakfast we went to The Lost City:

A difficult track and I was happy not being the driver this time! No rivers to cross, but many big eluviations. And then we saw those formations that really look like a forgotten city. Theoretically we could have gone through to Blyth Homestead (Ruins), but... Road closed. So we went all the way back again, had a look at the Tolmer Falls & saw ghost-bats - cannibals! At the Wang Falls people took a sun-bath. Bamber Creek wasn´t spectecular, but then there were the Termite-Mounds, aligned north/south & contrarily they stood there from 1/2m to very thin. That way the occupants get the temperature needed very quickly. Anyhow looked like a deserted graveyard:

& then we left the these days rather expensive Litchfield NP, via Gravel Rd to Mandorah. Ca 15 km before Mandorah we saw a surprisingly coloful Aboriginie-Community.
The view onto Darwin 8 km away was clouded from the bushfires. We went back again through suddenly lush and green vegetation. In a sidetrack we found a place to stay and are now sitting invisible in the shadow of some palms, "playing" with the Blowies... Even though it´s beautiful here, never, never go - without H2O.. .& and we are out of that.