LARRIMAH TO DUNMARRA - NT < Aussie Caravanning Lifestyle

Yay we are back online in the centre of Australia – Alice Springs.🤗 It’s been bloody hot 🔥 all the way down from Darwin and once we left Katherine Telstra reception was patchy to zero 📵. So here we are to bring you up to speed with our travels.

This post is as the heading says our trip from Katherine to Dunmara Wayside Inn approximately 300 kms south of Katherine. We took our time leaving the Katherine area as we are travelling in ‘Territory Time’ and really did not feel the need to rush.

If you are travelling this way don’t forget to stop in at Mataranka and also Daly Waters Pub. We did both of them last year and you can check out the links below on those stories.

👉Mataranka – https://tinyurl.com/y5wc6at7
👉Daly Waters Pub – https://tinyurl.com/y4kwacup

Brent from Frans Devonshire Teahouse – Larramah

When we hit the town of Larrimah we decided it was time for lunch and noticed signs advertising ‘homemade pies’…….Ok now it may have been 36 degrees but we decided to give it a go. So glad we did. It’s called Fran’s Devonshire Teahouse 🥧😋and is right on the highway – just look out for the signs. The young man who served us is Fran’s grandson who is running the business due to Fran being taken ill. He is trying his very best to keep Grandma’s legacy of serving homemade pies and more to passing travelers. Check out the photos for more info.

The Pink Panther Pub – Larrimah

We had also heard about the Larrimah Pink Panther Pub and couldn’t leave town without checking it out. Not to have a beer, as we were still driving and just as well as the locals had bought out all the beer the night before. We called in to see what all the hype of the Pink Panther Pub was all about. They also advertise homemade pies etc., but just as well we had eaten as another drawback was that the hotel’s cook had taken ill and food was not being served.

After we left Larrimah our intention was to stop at one of the great little free camps that we stayed at last year. When we arrived at our intended overnight camp we realised the flies were really friendly and the air temp was still rising and had soared to just over 40 by 4pm. We quickly decided to indulge in a powered site to enjoy some air conditioning. Dixie’s logic was to avoid overheating her broken arm that was in its new cast hahaha.

So we headed for the next best place Dunmarra Wayside Inn. OMG this place has a sad history. Today you will only find the roadhouse and caravan park. The areas name is believed to be the Aboriginal pronunciation of Dan O’Mara, an overland telegraph linesman who was lost in the bush and perished. His remains were found by Noel Healy who established a cattle station in the area of the Hotel in the 1930’s.

Then there is the sad story of ‘The Lost Boy’ Clinton Liebelt who in October 1993 at the age of eight went off on his motorbike to pursue his father to help find an escaped horse. He was always told “to follow the sun” and never cross the Stuart Highway. Unfortunately he did both and this led to the biggest manhunt in the Territory. 1200 people joined the search in the searing heat and 9 days later it ended in tragedy when his body was found.

Dunmarra Wayside Inn

After the above this is still a great little overnighter and we were quite surprised to park in shade and green grass.

🔌🚰2A water and power – $29
🔥‘Fork n View’ BBQ area
🏊‍♀️Swimming pool but swim at your own risk
🍻Bar/restaurant
🐶Pet friendly
👕Laundry
👫Unisex amenities – are not too bad
❌No TV
📵No phone reception

But if you’re looking for free camping then check out these:
Warloch Rest Area, Alexander Forrest Rest Area and Sir Charles Todd Memorial Rest Area – https://tinyurl.com/yy9esvjv

These rest areas have basic needs such as:

🚽Long drop toilets – some good some very bad
🔥Fire pits
🐶Pet Friendly
🚮Bins

Below are a list of others places we have visited that may be of interest to you:

Alice Springs to Broken Hill

Broken Hill to Sawtell – NSW

Free Camps – Broken Hill to Cobar -NSW

NSW – Free camps, Donation camps, Showgrounds and Caravan Parks 2019

Victoria 2017/2018

South Australia to Western Australia 2019

South Australia trip 2017/2018

Crossing the Nullarbor

Western Australia Coastal Trip 2018