The caravan park emptied out pretty quickly this morning, we were among the late departures. Maybe they know something we don't. Quite a lot of people said they were heading to Daly Waters !
We plan to top up our diesel at Renner Springs, the roadhouse where we decided not to stay and opted for Banka Banka. On arrival there we think we made a good decision. There is just the roadhouse which has seen better days, and little else.
Renner Springs Roadhouse
By the time we arrived at the town of Elliot, it was time for a cup of coffee there. The BP roadhouse there was very tidy, had cheaper fuel than Renner Springs and the coffee was good.
Arrival at Daly Waters Pub was at just after 1pm, and there was a queue of caravans down the entry road. You cannot make bookings and it is first in best dressed. There was a big line up at the bar wanting to book a powered caravan site, and fortunately for us, they have a lot of capacity. They just cram the vans in wherever there is a space. For people staying one night, the driveways are fair game.
We are parallel parked along one of the access ways with others who are only staying one night
The Daly Waters Historic Pub, as it is known, was established in 1930, has become a National Icon and is packed with history and the usual clutter
Renowned for good food and it's signature dish, the Beef and Barra BBQ, they have a massive beer garden which I won't be surprised to see full tonight.
They even have a service station, check out the new pump!
Inside the pub, walls, ceilings and any spare space is dripping with paraphernalia, with a particular emphasis on bras. Must be a QLD and NT Country pub thing.
A small part of the Beer Garden
The caravans kept arriving and the crowd kept building. They have a Happy Hour at the bar between 4 pm and 6pm. We had decided to order the Beef and Barra BBQ for dinner, one serve and an extra salad, as the meal looked enormous. You had to order by 5 pm, and we were given a 6.30pm time slot when our batch would be served. They callout all of those who have ordered for the 6.30pm time over the PA and you go up and collect your meal. We were also advised that if we wanted a seat to eat our meal, it would be best to arrive before 5.30pm. It was good advice, as we wandered over at 5.15pm, and there were only a few empty tables.
The beer garden was packed, live music and half price drinks proved a good formula to fill the seats. There were queues at the bar to get drinks and order food, that only got longer as the night went on. We were all of a sudden very grateful we had preordered our meal, and had a fixed time when it would be served.
Travellers were still arriving looking for a campsite for the night, only to be turned away as this place was booked out.
Waiting at the bar and talking to the patrons, it became clear why there was such a large crowd here today. Little known to us, the Kings Birthday Weekend is also the timing of the Finke Desert Race, an offroad, multi terrain two day race for bikes, cars and buggies from Alice Springs to Aputula (Finke) community. People coming home from this event all seem to be at Daly Waters today.
At 5.30pm, the owner of the pub, Tim Carter, gives a daily address during Happy Hour. He covers the history of the pub, which he has now owned for the past 9 years. He gave a colourful assessment of Albo's government (not favourable) and a real genuine Aussie presentation, with a lot of passion. He and his family also own some pubs in the Adelaide River area and a tourist venue in Coober Pedy.
He had a captive audience and loud applause to his criticism of the Albanese government.
He stayed around to talk to his customers and took a few kids for a ride on his exclusive vehicle.
The Barra and Beef turned up on time at 6.30 pm, bar service was almost at a standstill with people ordering food and drinks with the 4 bar staff unable to keep up with the demand. We had divided duties and I lined up at the bar 15 minutes before the food was to be ready, whilst Carole was in charge of collecting it when we were called. It took 25 minutes to get served at the bar for some wine, so it sort of worked out.
After Tim's presentation, which went on for 30 minutes, a new entertainer replaced the duo that provided the happy hour entertainment. This guy was a "piano man", a great musician with an excellent voice and repertoire, playing a wide range of music genres including some Jimmy Barnes classics. We stayed until he finished his session at 9 pm.
A few of the girls from the Finke race also made the best of it
Tomorrow we head to Mataranka, and are very pleased that we stopped here at the Daly Waters Pub, an absolute must for anyone travelling through here.
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