The weird and wonderful in the Northern Territory

Stopping off at Larrimah on the fringe of the Stuart Highway in the remote Northern Territory reignited my fascination with a story about Paddy Moriarty’s disappearance from the town over a year ago. Pasted on a post adjacent to the sparsely populated town (a pub and probably only five houses to call themselves neighbours) is a poster advertising the disappearance of Paddy and his dog. I quietly recounted the story to my three other travel companions as we parked our vans outside the Pink Panther Hotel. “If it was in the press, and the story is well known, why the whispering?” one companion asked. I quickly told her that every resident in the town was a contender for homicide.

We had stopped here as a sign on the approach to town promoted Fran’s delicious pies and home made cakes. We found Fran’s house fortunately some distance from the Pink Panther pub as the town was clearly divided on whether to support the publican who makes his own pies or Fran who had set up in opposition. Division was apparently rampant based on the pie issue and linked to Paddy’s disappearance as he had supported the publican and his pies.

We didn’t stay long as the publican of the “Pink Panther Hotel” was a man of few words who seemed resentful of the tourists who come into his pub which hosts the highest bar in the Territory and other eclectic paraphernalia. A weird place (the nomenclature and whopping big pink panther stature outside are both certainly incongruous with the surroundings) – and we prudently decided not to check out Fran’s baked goods.

On the wonderful side, the homestead and pub camping locations are so surprising. Barkly Station Homestead is a working station and a camping oasis on the harsh Barkly Tableland. Green grass, a swimming pool and the ever present 5 o’clock happy hour provide relief from long dusty roads. Places like the Daly Waters Pub which offers wild caught barra on its menu is abuzz with travellers who donate their caps and bank notes for posting on the walls of the decrepit hotel interior.

At Mataranka in the Elsey National Park and Bitter Springs just down the road, the thermal pools are refreshingly tepid and shaded by towering palms and lush, green bushland. All travellers gasp in admiration and surprise.

Back to weird – dotted all along the highways are dressed termite mounds, decked out by travellers with shirts, scarves, caps etc. These make the long straight stretches interesting.

The distances are long but the stories and sights are sometimes weird and more often than not, wonderful. (See instagram for photographs!)