Leaving Litchfield and heading south was always going to feel like we were coming to the end of something. It had to happen and we knew this adventure was coming to an end. We started having conversations about what that felt like, and tried hard to stay present and soak up every moment.
I think I have mentioned before that Andy and I were very conscious about pulling together the end of this trip so it didn't just feel like we were rushing, or just going, home. We still had some big distances to cover and there is lots to see and do.
When you break it down, this huge trip is really a series of smaller trips.
Sandy Creek (Litchfield NP) campground to Elsey NP near Mataranka was a 420km/~5hr drive via Katherine (again) for a quick stock up.
As we approached Katherine from the north, heading up a big hill, a new sound emerged from the Patrol. What now?! On acceleration the AC started to blow really hard and make a lot of noise. It was a bit disconcerting on top of the other electrical glitches we had been experiencing. It didn't seem to be affecting the performance of the car so we resigned ourselves to the likely outcome that the AC was about to kack itself, which wasn't ideal, but not the end of the world.
Camp set up in Elsey National Park near Mataranka. It was really getting hot now with the days hitting the mid to high 30s each day and the nights being mild and warm. This was a 2 night stop to allow us to regroup before the next big days drive, and to enjoy the thermal pools nearby. And the donkeys! There are feral donkeys in the park and they hee-haw all night long.
First stop was Bitter Springs. This is in the National Park and such a pretty spot. The water is a delightful 34C all year round. You just pop in with your noodle and float a couple of hundred metres down the warm creek to the exit. Aside from entry and exits the riverbank is in its natural state with palm trees and pandanus hanging over the water creating shade. 
We spent the morning at Bitter Springs floating around and taking the waters. 
The Andy-meter says good-to-go. The water was only slightly cooler than the air temperature.
Getting in and out simplified by stairs and ladders. We lunched in the carpark before heading to the other thermal pool, out the other side of Mataranka.
Elsey Homestead replica in Elsey National Park, built for the film We of the Never Never in the 1980s.
Mataranka Thermal pool is more like a swimming pool with concrete walls and steps. Like Bitter Springs the water is crystal clear and warm. 
Mucking around in the thermal pool.We spent a good part of a very warm day at the two thermal pools before heading back to camp for a hot shower (yes!) and campfire.
Our two nights in Elsey passed quickly and before we knew it was time to pack up again and head a bit further south, with some stops along the way. We always have a departure window in mind to work towards. And we try and get the majority of the packing done before it gets too hot and the flies get too friendly.
Our stops along the Stuart Highway as we headed south. There really wasn't much of a plan, we stopped when it was convenient or we needed to.Mataranka to Banka Banka ( our next overnight stop) was about a 5hr drive, not including stops. This can quickly blow out to 7+ hours with driver swaps, toilet stops, lunch and snack stops, and tourist stops.
{I don' know why the map says it would take 16+ hours to drive that distance, most likely fire and smoke hazards. It was about 12 hours in reality}
First stop, Larrimah. 
Larrimah has been made infamous by a documentary that Andy and I watched a few years ago about the disappearance, and presumed death, of 70 year old Paddy Moriarty. The mystery still endures. He left the pub one night in 2017 with his dog, and neither were ever seen again.
The open stretches on the Stuart Highway. There was very little traffic in either direction as we hurtled south.
Renner Springs - a roadhouse stop. This place was pretty run down. The roadhouses along these highways are welcome respite from pretty monotonous driving. Don't get me wrong, I love the wide open spaces and there are things to see, but fanging it down the highway for hours and hours is a bit tiresome. When you start seeing the road signs for the next roadhouse it's hard not to get a bit excited. It must be tough living and working here. Logistically and socially it is very isolated. Every now and then you find a gem, where some clever people have created niche markets, and must-visit vibes. This was not one of them, sadly. They did cover the basics and we opted for ice cream treats on a hot and sunny day!
From Renner Springs we only had a further 59km to Banka Banka West Station.
Banka Banka West Station was established in 1895 and has been a working cattle station since. In 2010 it was purchased by the Australian Government's Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation on behalf of the Aboriginal people, and in 2020 it was recognised that local indigenous groups hold Native Title to Banka Banka West Station.
It has great camping facilities just off the highway.
Banka Banka 
Unpowered set up at Banka Banka. All that grass!
We walked up the hill behind the campground for another beautiful territory sunset.
The view from the lookout over the campground and towards the highway (East).
More donkeys!
The original homestead, Banka Banka.Although there really wasn't much to do here, we opted for a 2 night stay as we were finding one night set-up/pack-ups hard to face. A full day would mean I could get the washing done and we could do some schoolwork and general tidying up. It was hot so the washing dried in no time at all. We passed the day in the communal kitchen sheltering from the sun.
A real surprise was that we could get good drinking water here due to a spring on the property. Filling up here would pay dividends in the days to come.
Even I had to duck under the low awning. 
Happy hour at Banka Banka - they open the bar for a couple of hours every evening, giving campers a chance to mingle.
Nachos - always a winner with this crew.We had wind overnight and the forecast was for a northerly as we continued south. At least we wouldn't be driving into the wind! The next leg was 610km to Alice Springs.
This was a late change to the itinerary, as we hadn't planned on staying in Alice this go around. The thinking was - if we were only going to stay the one night in Alice after a BIG drive, let's splash out and stay in a cabin for the night. A trade-off, if you will. The original plan (we had even booked) was to camp at one of the roadhouse campgrounds about 100km north of Alice Springs. The other factors in the decision making process were that we would need to stock up in Alice (food, water and fuel), which takes time, before heading to our next destination; Palm Valley, which would include a 20km 4WD track.
We told the kids about the change of plan but the cabin was a surprise.
Oh, and the forecast had taken a serious and rapid downturn with our time in the red centre coinciding with a string of sub zero nights.
But first a quick stop at Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles) south of Banka Banka. We did stop here on our previous trip. 
The cabin in Alice Springs was fun. It was just around the corner from Alice Springs Brewing Co where we had sheltered from the cold when we were here in Winter 2022.
Off we went for dinner.
Yes! It was cold! The cabin had a fairly normal kitchenette and we were thrilled to have toast for breakfast. You do miss the little things like this on a prolonged camping trip. I had to specially purchase bread and jam for this special breakfast!
Enjoying a bed off the ground.Stopping at a cabin in Alice Springs softened the drive to Palm Valley a bit, as it was another two and half hours away, the last bit slow going. We felt like we had made a good choice to simplify things for ourselves somewhat. We were able to shower, dine out and have a pretty good nights sleep.
We were NOT able to get free drinking water in Alice Springs and felt pretty happy with ourselves having topped up at Banka Banka.
The AC in the Patrol continues to work, albeit noisily. We are grateful for that!
We were all pretty excited to be heading out of Alice Springs for Palm Valley, where we would have 4 nights. And one birthday.
