บทถอดความฉบับเต็มของ Binns Track Final Stretch: Ruby Gap, Devils Marbles & Onwards to Litchfield

Ryan and Emily and get them to go back to their normal routines and also said goodbye to Nicole, William and Alyssa when they flew back to Melbourne. So a little bit emotional at the gate there when we said goodbye to everybody. But we got back onto it and it wasn't long and we were back on the dirt in start of the Bins track as we started to head west out of Ellis Springs, wasn't it? And we headed down the Ringwood Road which turned left onto the Ross River track. Eventually Yeah. That Michael: Okay. Andrew Laptop: was We did we did go to John Hayes Rockhole first. we just night. Yeah, yeah, I've jumped ahead, yeah. So that was a place where we stayed with Ryan with Mick Jefferson and yeah, Mick will fondly remember. Michael: That that was the east, wasn't it? Andrew Laptop: Yes. Yeah. So that was amazing little spot and we met TJ. An American working in Ellis Springs and Pud thinks he works for the government or someone did. Was that you? There were theories. Theories? He's just that Michael: That was my theory. Andrew Laptop: kind of guy, mate. But we taught him how to eat vegemite to the right amount of butter. We gave him a good lesson on eating vegemot on toast, which was good and he enjoyed it. Yes. That was pretty funny. He he said I'm gonna take that back, which was Pretty funny. He was so tickled by the fact that we called him a septic tank because he'd never heard that. He's been here eight months and no one's called Michael: Ha ha Andrew Laptop: him a septic tank or sepo. So he it was it was yeah, he said I'm gonna take that on board. and we then stumbled into Drafena Corgi. we saw the big ghost gum as well. That ghost gum, Mick, you would have loved it. You would have gone and hugged it. Michael: It was glorious. I saw a pot photo of it. Absolutely magnificent. And how old was it? Andrew Laptop: Yeah. Yeah, it was dunno, a couple of hundred years old I think it was. So they said it was about three hundred three and four Michael: Tri three hundred, three hundred. Andrew Laptop: hundred or something. Yeah. So and then we went on to the Drafina Gorge and wasn't that a surprise, Pud. Yeah, or was a pair of buttocks in front of me there in the river as well. It was Wow. The opportunist catch your guns. We needed a cameraman, so Yes, you were behind this. You got thrown under the bus. Yeah. It's somehow become a tradition since McKillop's bridge. But anyway, we'll we'll move on from it. But describe the gorge. I'll probably have to. What about the the gorge and everything? And that was it just got better and better. I I thought I'd seen great landscape, brilliant landscape, and it just got better and better and better. Yeah. And the week got better. It was incredible. Because we were walking in barefoot up this sandy riverbed and there's crystal water just flowing through and it's just gorgeous to walk through and lots of little tadpoles running in the water and it was just incredible. Zillions of tadpoles I'd never seen so many. Yeah. But

you could just easily just park up for the day and have a picnic there or bring a eski up. Muck around on the beach. Yeah. Beautiful. It was really nice. Such a surprise. And I think having the ra rains it recently made it special to have that water through because I can imagine people would go through there and it'd be just dry. Michael: Was that two or three hours Andrew Laptop: So we headed off Michael: from Alice Springs, boys? Andrew Laptop: two or three No, you could get there in a da in about an hour and a half from Alice. Michael: There you go, nice and close, but so pristine, Andrew Laptop: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And from there we then headed out and we made it our way to the Ruby Gap, wasn't it? Ruby Gorge. Ruby Gorge. Yeah, that was We went up past Ross River first. yeah, Ross River, yeah, I mentioned that I've sort of jumped ahead and Nadal Gorge. Mm. That was incredible too. And I think you made the comment. You've just gone, I think this is better than the Flinders Rangers. Mm. Yeah. And it's not fair Michael: But yeah, that's right. Andrew Laptop: to compare but I was surprised. Yeah. 'Cause I'm gobspect with the Flinders Rangers, but this was incredible. It's another level. And I think the other thing that was that ticks its box for it is its remoteness for as we're travelling through. We're pretty much there's only one or two other people around. It's where in you're going through the gorges in Flinders, you're following other cars and stuff. There's cars everywhere, isn't there? Yeah. People crossing you over the other way and you're bumping into people. So you didn't have that moment where you could just quietly stand there without anyone around and just soak it up. Mm-hmm. Was pretty special. Michael: And and Ross Rivers there's a station there that becomes important later on in this podcast. Andrew Laptop: Yeah, I think it's been closed for a number of years now. So it's Michael: Is it okay? Andrew Laptop: it's not a functioning resort anymore. It's Ryan's has mentioned it's been closed since I think it was COVID or something, might have killed it or something. Michael: All right. Andrew Laptop: So unfortunately, but don't fear Mickey because just a little further down the track was the Arka no, was it called Ar Arteringa? Arkar Al R Artringa? Michael: It's the pub. Andrew Laptop: I could never remember the name of the bloody pub. I wrote it down Michael: Yeah. Andrew Laptop: somewhere. Al Tunga. Altunga. Al Tunga. Al Tunga Hotel. And that was run by Belinda Michael: Fantastic. Andrew Laptop: and her husband Brad. Brad. They were awesome. Put a lot of time and effort, didn't they? Describe the pub to us. What are your thoughts on it? my god. They've collected so they bought this old pub and it was basically a tin shed. 2021 they bought it. And they put a lot of work into it and put a lot of design and they've made it look like an authentic old pub that that pulled in sheet corrugated iron from from stations, like really old hundred year old corrugated iron and clad the walls with it. They've done the ceiling in Hessian. they've got this the the old bar fridge that they've got. I don't she told us where she got it from. It's it's incredible. It's so old. And it's like this old white enamel with the old fridge handle doors. You know? I wow, they've got it working somehow. and that's the beer fridge. We had a cracking steak sandwich at the bar and chatted to it. Yeah. And the place is full of saddles and ringer memorabilia and hats and signs. Branding irons, yeah. All sorts of stuff. Yeah, there was an old R. Williams saddlebag up on the one of the saddles. That was interesting to see that. But they also had one of the Traeger radios, w one of the two that they believe is still around. And they've got one in the Crown's little museum. Raw Flying Doctors. Yep. So she was fondly talking about how her family will, you know, in the past used it to you know, school of the air. School of the air as well, yeah. Had the pedals to to motorise it and get some electricity into it. So that would have been a bit of bit of fun getting that all going. But Michael: And they they were ex Qantas employees, yeah? Andrew Laptop: Yes, they were. They she was a f hostie and he well he was actually on the land, wasn't he? Yeah, he was a an aeronautical engineer. But before that, he s grew up before that he was a ringer. He was a ringer on who did horses and describe that who was he talking to about a horse how they broke the horses in. So they'd get a wild horse was that And they take it to a beach, the beach area, 'cause the sand wears it out. they put a rock in its ear and twist the ear, to make it go nuts. And then the the other ringers would be on their horses and they wouldn't let it out of that area and it'd eventually wear itself out and they'd break it in. I did not know that. Yeah, the right interesting. The rock in the ear and twist the ear, it's an ear twitch and it That's so annoying to the horse that it forgets that there's somebody climbing on its back. Yeah. And so it's got someone on its back and it's going crazy, but it's got this ear twitch happening and eventually it just calms down. Because it's in this sand. Well, it's broken. In the river sand. Yeah. They do that a couple of times and it's done. And though also Blenda was talking about how, you know, they'd be travelling around the land if they saw a horse or a a cow unmu branded, they'd catch it and brand it and that would be theirs. Yeah. And she she would hold the cow down while Brad branded it. Yeah. And she's there's nothing of it. She's not very sure. She didn't look like she was capable of doing that, but that's what she said. She said she's got all her teeth and that she hasn't been kicked. Yeah. But after we had a good chat with Belinda, we had it a little bit further on our road and we went She shoot us out of there, didn't she? She's like you blood should get going. Get going. The long the longest forty five

minute drive of my life. We went into Ruby Gorge. Sorry, forty five K's I should say. Forty five K's. It went forty five hours. It was a two hour drive and it was a pretty br gruelling track. Gotta be the rough. So rough. Broken U bolts and chains and it I wouldn't recommend taking a camper down there. I'd leave the camper at the pub. Yeah, this would have been a bad idea. But it was an amazing drive down there to finally get to the river and the gorge. And we fossicked around for some rubies. Michael: It's a it's a what it's a one way trip, isn't it, Andrew? One way trip in and out. Andrew Laptop: Yeah, it's a dead end. Yeah. So you can go down there, you can go and look for Foxy's grave. So pick your own ruby. Yeah, grab your own rubies out of which the so the story goes that he found them and thought he'd struck it and all these people raced up there to go and find those rubies. Ruby rush, got not a gold rush, but a ruby rush. And someone said to him, these aren't worth any, they're just garnets. And so he apparently went and committed suicide up in the hills and that's where he's buried. So you can go and hunt his grave down. Michael: Are some of them gonna be available on the website? Andrew Laptop: The rubies. the rubies, yeah. We might Michael: Down it's Andrew Laptop: pop them on the on the thing. I've got a few rocks for you, Mick. Yep. We'll discount them to a hundred and ninety-nine dollars. Yeah, yeah, we'll we'll put them up in the price point with the scrub. Michael: Next to the great cotton scrub. Andrew Laptop: The grip. What what are we gonna do? What's the the the sander? Yes. For rocks? Yeah, we'll we'll polish them up. Yep. And after grind them back. After we headed out of there. 'Cause we camped the night on the track in. Remember we just pulled over. Yeah, it was sort of this sort of time of the night. Slow going, we just pulled over. Yeah. So we step we just pulled over and and I had to work in the morning, but at one point I went up and wandered up this hill and just watched the sunrise. It was just stunning, listening to the birds and yeah, it was just such a peaceful moment. It was really good. It was pretty cool. There was that little conical hill right next to where we were camped and you got to go up there. That was awesome. So then we headed further north, attract made a northerly direction. We went up Pinnacle Track up to Gem Tree Roadhouse to get some fuel, but Pud was a bit disappointed. They only had 91. And were you sweating at that point or did you you were confident that you could to it? A little bit nervous. A little bit nervous. The figures added up. Yeah. Should make it. Yeah, but we were we were on the bitumen by then as well. So we were on what's it the Plenty Highway? Is that what it was called? And we're headed east towards the Hearts Ranges. And we had the beautiful Hearts Rangers on our right and the sun was setting and we got some fuel at the Harts Rangers community centre. They had a they had ninety

ninety five for put, which was good. And then we headed up the track and found a nice little camp spot just off past a river. It was a cracking little spot. Made a little area and we patted down the grass, had some dinner. Do you remember that put? Michael: Didn't get caught in the spin effects, did you? Andrew Laptop: What w No it's all starting to become What what was that place? Remind me, where are we? So we we headed up it was called A Punga Road. And that was the one that went up north off the Plenty Highway. And we went and there we tried to drive into the riverbed to sort of camp. It was too soft. Mm. Then we pulled out, we went up the track a bit further and we found another track and we hung a right and we went out and we just backed forwards and backwards for a bit and we made a little spot. We just pulled up there. That's right. Yep. Yep. That was it that yeah, that was a good spot. Yeah, 'cause the the riverbed was a no go. Yeah. We thought it'd be nice to And It ended up that we were elevated and we were looking over this little valley. And it was beautiful. my god. It just happened again. But the next day we got up early and we headed towards the police old police station waterhole and that was an amazing spot that it's a bit of an iconic place. Everyone talks about it. Mm and it it's easy to see why. It's incredible to its point. Huge. It's a big campsite, it's got lots of spots to camp. probably could hold Maybe twenty vans easily. but we had it to ourselves. Yeah, there's no one else there. Funny. Couldn't believe it. Tony went and had a swim. It was a bit fresh, wasn't it? It was fresh. Well, it was just beautiful. It was yeah, clear water. It was freezing. Gorgeous. there was shrinkage, but you know. Good old shrinkage. But a massive water hole. Michael: So so did Tony have a swim when he was meant to be helping around the campsite set up? Was that was that was what was going on there or? Yeah. Andrew Laptop: Was Tony gonna help round the campsite? He was out just getting himself ready for the gala dinner tonight that night, which we had steak that night. So he swanned in in his tiara and sat down and had dinner. Smelling of soap. Yeah, smelling fresh. But the story takes a bit of a dark turn the next morning, doesn't it, Pud? It does. Can we tell my how it unfolds because it was bloody windy. So I follow them every day as I do and the two way message was turn right. And that's all I got. I went, Roger, no worries, had a chat about something. Meanwhile he was trying to talk back. I didn't notice. So while I'm talking, he's telling me no, sorry, I'm I should have turned left. Anyway, I kept driving. Got to about twenty five Ks Michael: The important thing from all this Andrew Laptop: down the track and I thought, I think I've lost him here. Because he has got a habit of speeding ahead. and then there was a sign saying 140 left to Stewart Highway or 140 right. So I thought, well, the two way's not working, nothing's working. I'll just drive to Stewart Highway and eventually we'll make contact. And I still had 340 kilometres by that stage of me, so I thought, keep going. fuel range. And it it worked out okay. But there was a few nervous moments for a couple hours. But you made some interesting scenery along the way. You popped into a homestead or a couple of stations to see what sort of fuel they had just in case. I was trying to top up it. They all only had ninety-one, which is a bit of a pain in the arse in the territory. Is the ninety one the pain in the arse or is the car that can't take ninety-one the never pain. And you know that. you should have one. dear. And unfortunately it takes the good stuff. Mm. Because it's a good car. But it was a lesson learned. I think we've all learned that we need to communicate a bit better on the on the radios and we're I think was it Brendan, your friend Brendan Mick that has that thing wait at the wait at the junctions when you turn, once you eyeball the driver, just keep going. Michael: Yeah, Brennan Brendan, ex ex policeman, you've got to wait at the junctions. And when I spoke to Adrian, he said, Did not did they not wait at the junctions and wait for the group to come through. I said, Well, it's a little lesson to learn that, you know, you can't be too careful Andrew Laptop: Mm. Michael: and sometimes you get a little bit blase and you know, you Andrew Laptop: Yeah. Michael: gotta rely on a number of sources, not just the C B, not just the the text message or the phone or the communication. There's Lots of other ways than just tick all the boxes and hopefully that won't happen again. Andrew Laptop: And don't make assumptions, 'cause you know, the thing is we'd driven in there the night before and this was like twelve hours later. It's like, Well, surely he'll remember we turned left into here and that we're going you turn left out of here 'cause that's the way we're going. Surely. But that's an assumption. It's it's dumb. And that's what I did. I assume he knew where we were going. That was my actual question though, when I got back on the two way is I thought we were going right. Sorry, I thought we were going left. But you were already talking. But I I said go right, but I was My right and left got mixed up mm tha at that very moment. Yeah, so I did you wrong. But anyway, lesson learned, Mickey. So what what we've taken out of this, we now understand the lesson that you learnt when you left me behind those many years ago. Wall of Shame. Yeah, and how Michael: Yeah. Andrew Laptop: you've you've learnt your lesson from that, haven't you? Solos. Michael: Well, sometimes you know, sometimes we do we just need a hard lesson to learn. But we're gonna bring a satellite up for PUD now. And Greg's gonna have his own satellite Andrew Laptop: Yeah. Sometimes we just need a hug. Michael: in the car and that'll fix everything up, we hope, provided he's got battery power. Andrew Laptop: Yeah. So yeah, it's by tree. So we're gonna bring

up another Starlink from Melbourne in our next gathering up at in Darwin. So Michael's graciously said he'll bring that up in his his business class carry-on. So that'll so that'll be lovely. Is he playing business class? Didn't he tell you? So sweet. It's the only way he flies. You and him, Jesus Christ. He's bringing he's bringing Scotch. Yeah, and a couple of boxes of wine. Michael: Ha ha ha. Andrew Laptop: I love you, Mickey. Good on you, Mickey. Michael: I'm in the international terminal. Are we allowed to do that? Andrew Laptop: Yeah. But look, it was I was a fond reunion when we met Pud at the Devil's Marble Hotel. I calmed down by then. You had calmed down. And you knew there was a beer there. And you bought us the beer, so that was lovely of you. Thank you. that was a delightful establishment. Yeah, it was good. Michael: Was that an apology to say I made a mistake from PUD or? Andrew Laptop: How did I make a mistake? Don't start that. Don't start that. Come on. And then all of a sudden Shit hit the fan. But no, look, it was good fun and we then went to Dunmara and that was a little another little caravan park we just needed a wash, I think that was the main reason we stayed there. Yeah. They were out of fuel. We we're trying to get fuel and the I'm pumping away and it's just going nothing's coming out. They had beer though. They had beer and it was cold. So we had a had a nice couple of beers there and we toddled off to cold shower when we knew. Yeah, we stayed out the back at their so called caravan park for eleven dollars each. Yeah. It was well it was good value. That's what we needed. It was cheap. Toilets and showers. It was pretty nice. Yeah, it was good. Yeah, it worked. So What about the Honda Museum? Yeah, the Honda Museum. There was a CRV there. Several. Several of them, yeah. But from there we headed north on the on back on the Stuart and made a left hand turn onto Buchanan Highway, which was rejoining the continuation of the Bins track. and that was again another bit of a surprise. Like it was a very wide part of the track and we were cruising along through there. But then We got into the national park. And wasn't that good? Wow. The things slowed down a bit too. I did it what? So it was probably two hour drive to get to the campsite, which was called Top Yard. Yeah, Top Humbert Yard. Campsite in the I'll try and get this name right, Jundabarra National Park. Or Gregory. Or the Gregory National Park. And two hours. Where are we going to? It was a war. It was pretty sure. Yeah. Hang on, Michael's talking. Sorry, Mick. Michael: Was it was that the rock was that the rock river bed that you were traveling? Was that the rock river bed you were traveling on that you took a video of that slowed you right there? Andrew Laptop: Yes. Well that was part of that. I can't remember if it was on the way in or the way out, but it was definitely that part of the track where we did a lot of river crossings, some dry, some with plenty of water

in them, some with a little bit of water. It was always very interesting and It was an adventure. It was. It and you j because you're going so slow, you're just soaking up the surroundings and looking at the scenery and remember we we were going through that gateway and I I jumped out and opened the gate and you guys went through and we could see a vehicle coming in the other direction. So I stayed and held the gate and it was a truck. yes. And it was it was one of the ringers working on the station. And he stopped and he said to me, Do you blokes know where you're going? I said, Yeah mate, no worries. Yeah we're we're going to Timber Creek the long way. He said Long way, I'll say. It was and and we found out what he meant, didn't we? And look, when you look at the map there are two options to go. There is a more open track, like a UNIDATA type style wide track to go up to Timber Creek. And then there's the other alternative which is probably on paper is only probably another twenty or thirty, maybe fifty kilometres longer. But It's a it's much more rougher and very slow. It's an incredibly slow track, very, very rough, lots and lots of crossings, yeah, really hard work. Worth worth doing though. my god. An adventure. It was yeah. Y y you could say like if you had to be somewhere, you wouldn't go that way. No. But it's the you know, the journey is the destination in things like that. It's like wow. What was your saying that we were coined there? We we made the investment of time. We did. That's what it's about, Michael. It's about an e Michael: How was the camper trailer put during all that going through all the crossings and whatnot? Andrew Laptop: He's just dodged that completely, hasn't he? that camp has been amazing. the car has scraped the bottom a couple of times. we've probably crossed the river a thousand times. But the only thing that's scraping is your hitch. It's the hitch. It's just that's the only thing that touches. Yeah, if I was gonna I probably would have had the shockers race if I had my time again. Yeah. Other than that the camp has been amazing 'cause that's built for that. Yeah. It it's soaking it up, isn't it? You know, and we we were following you this afternoon and I said, said to Andy, I didn't know you know Pud had such a nice rear end. We should follow him more often. Yeah, I wish the women would. But yeah, you should you watch it, Mickey, when it moves through the bush and the car or in the trailer. As it articulates through. It's just incredible. The articulation's Michael: Yeah. Andrew Laptop: really interesting to watch. It's fascinating to watch how it all just goes through. So yeah, it was good fun. And then we had to air up to our surprise. We hit the black stuff again. And we were on the Victoria Highway, I think it was. which we hung a left and went to Timber Creek and had a couple of beers at the Timber Creek Hotel and fueled up And there's not really much more there. We've got a couple of little grocery items. We we were sort of expecting that it would be a bit more of a town, but it's not. Or two. We've two surveys. Right next to each other. We made the mistake of going to the ampole first. Yeah. We weren't happy with them, were we? The BP was the place to be. We went to the BP. They had a restaurant, they had a bar, they had the f footy or the rugby going and Races. Serving winches. Yes, it was very nice. So we had a had a few beers. They serve winches. We had Michael: Are you Are you guys amazed at how many backpackers you've seen serving food and behind bars and whatnot? Andrew Laptop: yeah. Ever everywhere. That's how the Outback runs. It's very pleasant. It's run on it on run on the international students. So it's so interesting to chat with them. Like some of them are chatty, some of them aren't, but some of them are chatty and they you ask where they're from and what they're doing and where they've been and fantastic. How did you know about this place? So interesting. Yeah. But that was A real pinnacle moment for us the getting to that 'cause that w that marks the official end of the Bins track for us. So we we raised a glass and pat each other on the back for a job well done. So how many K's did we say? You what were the stats you were rattling off? So the Bins track goes for twenty two hundred kilometres. and how long did we do it in roughly take out Alice? That took us fourteen or fifteen days. Yep. because we yeah, we stayed for over a week in Alice. So if you take that out. Yeah, it's I think it was fifteen days. Okay. that we're on the track. That it took us. and by the time we got to the end we'd done like six thousand K's from Melbourne. Yeah. I've done six thousand three hundred So it's a it's a journey and an investment in time. We'll put that down on our gravestone, That's what it's about, Mickey. It's an investment in time. we just to mention while we were in that park, where we ran into some cattle. Well, we're in the middle of yep. Nowhere. And these cattle were massive. Well, the first one we just thought he was a lone ranger, but he had to eat at most. That was in the national park. So there shouldn't be any cows. Because everywhere we went there was bullshit everywhere, so there was more. Then we spotted a couple more and they're having the time with their life 'cause they're not getting whacked on the head. Yeah, because we'd been seeing lots lots of cows bull cows and bulls in in the stations, but this was in the national park. And they're escapies. And they w these guys were huge 'cause they were probably a few years old. Yeah. Whereas the ones we'd been saying saying were young because they Michael: What what about that donkey picture you guys took? That donkey is one of the best looking donkeys. I've shown it to a few people. Andrew Laptop: the donkeys. I think it well I think it might have been it was a station so I think it might have been private and he just breezed donkeys. 'Cause they were beautiful. really

Yeah. Well Michael: You gotta get a picture of that out, ain't you? Absolutely gordin. Andrew Laptop: we've got a few of them, got a couple of pictures of the donkeys. And then coming back when I got lost, I had a black one running in front of me. I only missed him by about four or five feet. so there's black donkeys there as well. And after he came to after dream. But no one to believe us, if we said and honestly the three of us can honestly say we've s six thousand three hundred kilometres we've seen more donkeys than kangaroos. Absolutely. That's a fact. Michael: That's incredible. Andrew Laptop: Yeah. Although just tonight, as we drove into this little spot, you probably may not have seen it, but we saw wallaby. Yeah. We saw about four. A few little ones, and I don't reckon they were kangaroos. They might have been wallaroos or something. They were tiny. Yeah. Bounty around it. Yeah, you'd think. So we've we're now pulled up stumps in the on the very edge of the Lichfield National Park. So we're not quite in the national park yet, but that's gonna be what we'll tackle tomorrow. And we're getting pretty excited because I can I can smell Mick Jefferys. He's around here somewhere, he's in the park with his lovely wife and Andrew and his wife, I think Kim. So we'll try and bump into them maybe at a water hole or somewhere in the track and See, I know he's very excited about catching up 'cause the the countdown's on, Michael, isn't it? How long how many sleeps left for you until you get into Darwin? Michael: Tonight's Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, late Friday. Five minutes to twelve. Andrew Laptop: Wow. Three more sleeves, Mickey. It's like Christmas. Getting toe? Yeah. Yep. So will Michael: Business class Can I, but I'm ready to go. Haven't packed the bag yet though. Andrew Laptop: will the Quantas porter pick your bags up at the gate and take you in to the lounge? Michael: I'm coming in virgin and they're promised delivery to the hotel. Andrew Laptop: lovely. We can't wait to get you in a warm embrace when you get up here. It's not long. Michael: It's here. It's here. Andrew Laptop: It's coming. dear Mickey, but no, it's been a an epic Michael: So are you guys currently at surprise, Craig? Andrew Laptop: What's surprise creek? We haven't been Michael: Is that we Is that is that we aren't surprised, Craig? Andrew Laptop: that's in the in the park, yeah. We we haven't been there yet. Yeah, we're on the edge Michael: Okay. Andrew Laptop: of the park, Nikki. We'll go and venture all those things, all the thousand messages you've sent us, we'll go and analyze. been unsuccessful. Yes, we've been. One of the things that's been Interesting is with the tropical landscape. Now you can sort of see the bush surrounding that we're in now. This is gorgeous sunset as we speak as well, but it's it's the palms everywhere through the bush. There's none of that bracken or small gums and all that stuff. It's all these palm trees and it's really interesting, isn't it? Yeah. It's r you really feel like you're in the top end up here. Yeah. Y you mentioned it's like Michael: Have you have you see any Jay Blake's any snakes boys? Andrew Laptop: No, you're obsessed. Everyone seems to be more obsessed than us. Well, one thing we didn't talk about was Edith Falls. We went and popped into Edith Falls. That was pretty special. I'll I'll pop a photo or two up of those. That was I made you walk up the hill. Yes. One point six kilometres I made him walk Michael. Yeah. About nine and a half thousand steps, Mickey. And they were hard steps. Michael: It's good just like Heartbreak Hillgrig at the G. Andrew Laptop: That was worse. It was in Crocs too, they did it again. A fall for it. We'll just go for a short walk and you're in crocs. I had my crocs on. I put them into four wheel drive mode. It was magical. And the swim up Michael: Tiny would have had his thumbs on? Andrew Laptop: there was fantastic. I was in the thongs and I didn't go for the walk. I just swam in the bottom pole. He was sunning himself watching the kingfishes. So there was a few prizes at the other end there. it was well worth it. Yeah, it was very wet. Yeah. So we've finally reached thirty-four degrees for the last two days, so we're We're gonna be pretty much in that for at least a month, maybe six weeks. Mm. I could get used to it. Yeah. We won't be winging about cold showers from now on. No. Absolutely none. Then we're only a hundred Ks a hundred and ten K's away from Darwin. Yep. We can taste it. We can smell it. Michael: What about the flies and the mosquitoes and the mm midjins? Andrew Laptop: The midgeys. It's so variable, you know, it depends where you are. So at the moment, th this place that we've rocked into today, there's no flies. It's beautiful. There's midgeys. There might be midgeys, but there's no flies. And the place we stopped at yesterday afternoon, there was no flies. But there seemed to be some midgeys. Now they don't worry me, but me neither. Well I was a little itchy this afternoon. So I'll have I'll have to put trackings on and I'm aerogated up. Like I'm snatched in arrogate. And Scotch. Get that scotch in the What's it what's it called? Bush Bushman's. Bushman's. No, no. It's a disease Michael: Bush fans, Bushfans. We date, a high date. Andrew Laptop: that you can get. It's called Bush something yeah. the thing I showed you today. You don't want to put that up there. Frightening. Horrible. Yeah. But we've had a fabulous Into the first segment. We've now knocked off four weeks of travel. what are we up to? 32 days? Day 32, yeah. Day 32 today. So we're well into we've broken the back of it. Can't believe it's gone so quickly. And our next phase of the trip is going to be starting very shortly. We'll be rock locking into to Darwin and catching up with all the boys on the Monday. And we'll see Michael: Go fishing. Andrew Laptop: go some fishing, yeah, down at Dundee Beach. So really looking forward to that. as that progresses.

Looking forward to being taught a thing or two by Emma. Yes, Emma's gonna teach us how to find it's a barra money for a month. that's what I'm looking forward to. Catching and eating. So we need to barrow some more of those steaks out of the freezer so that we've got room for the barrow. Yeah. Yeah. Gotta Michael: Correct. Andrew Laptop: be done. You've got you've warned me. You sure? Yeah. right, okay. I'll just check in with Michael. Michael, is you allowed to have another steak? Michael: you need to check with his doctor. Andrew Laptop: He had he had one last night and he seems to be alright. He hasn't keeled over or anything. He hasn't tripped or fallen or anything. He's been up and about. But it'd be fair to say I'm in the last half of Michael: More more kittenges away if you have the red mic. Andrew Laptop: my life I'm eating w everything I can. Yeah. Michael: It might it might help if he eats that and it might keep the midges away. Andrew Laptop: Yeah. Maybe eat some red red meat. Maybe you could rub it on. I tell you what though, Pud, you you are the happiest I've ever met you. And I've only met you, what, four weeks ago. We're having a bloody good time. We're having a good time. You were up and about. Come on. I want to do this for a living. I I said that to Andy I could do this forever. Yeah. I don't know how you like to keep your wives, but you know what? I don't care. doesn't bother me. I mean, I I I don't want to see you lose your wives. No. No, I I've actually said to Tony, this is I would love to do this trip with Nicole. yeah. If I had a choice. Do the proper trip. Yeah. I wouldn't do what Mickey Jeffers is doing and taking his little wife Anne Marie around to all the the five stars hotels. Yeah, he'll see it. Yeah. You've probably got three pillows in your rooftop. I got four. I don't Michael: I H T R H T R I Come on. Each to your own boys, Andrew Laptop: extract. Michael: come on. Andrew Laptop: What are you saying there, Michael? H T, yeah. But I'd Michael: H D your iron, okay? You do it your eye watch. Andrew Laptop: love I'd love to do it with my with with Nicole. And I'd it's it's interesting. I I don't know how you convince your wife to come and do something like this, because it is pretty rough and tumble. but but really we're in the lap lap of luxury with with the setup that we've got. Yep. We've got refrigeration, we've got power lights, you've got your electric blanket, you know super comfortable beds. You know, it like you know, you you don't get to have a shower every day, but you know, it's pretty good. Yeah, yeah. It's pretty good and it's so relaxing. I was surprised how Michael: Twenty twenty eight. Andrew Laptop: many ladies had in late seventies, even eighty even. They made all the way up that trip. That was a hard walk yesterday. Yeah, yeah, wasn't it? Were you counting their rings? I can see the the cellulite. We don't need to because you'll get the full description off me, you know. Don't set me up here. Yeah, don't set him up. Come on, we'll keep this a family show and we'll probably have to wrap it up in a minute because Pud is getting killing me. They're all flying around the little things. So Michael, we'll wrap it up. Thanks for joining us from Oakley Central. make sure you Michael: There you go, no worries. Thanks, boys. Andrew Laptop: pack some couple of t shirts and a couple of pair of shorts and some crocs. That's all you need. Michael: I'll do that. I won't need this. Andrew Laptop: You won't be needing the hoodie, no. Nah, can't wait to see you, Mickey. Looking forward to seeing you Michael: All right. Look looking forward to it. Andrew Laptop: and the boys. And And Matt Matt's in on it, so don't worry, it's all good. Yeah, Matt's Matt's in it. He'll be good. So what do we say, Tony? See you in the comments. Like and subscribe. You've stolen Michael: No sorry. Andrew Laptop: a lot. sorry. hang on, I'll take two. Like and subscribe. See you in the comments. Mickey, it's great to see you again. We'll catch you on the next one. See ya mate. Cheers. You can go