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This week’s B ME Bites Trivia Question:

Welcome to edition #55 of B ME Bites! This week, the road home begins—but not without a few final surprises. From hilarious mechanics and false alarms to stumbling into Crocodile Dundee’s pub, Part 6 is proof that the best travel stories often come from the bumps along the way.

Epic Aussie Van Life Road Trip - Gold Coast to Uluru and Back – Part 6

From Dash Lights to Dundee – Adventures Between Alice and Winton

From mechanical mayhem to unexpected movie magic, this leg of the journey proves the road home can be just as wild as the way there.

This part of the road trip marked the beginning of the long journey home, but there was still plenty of adventure, unexpected detours, mechanical mysteries, and good old outback Aussie charm to be experienced.

Alice Springs Surprises

We were up early to take Princess Panda into the Alice Springs Volkswagen service centre—Nuss Mechanical and Engineering—to investigate that pesky dash light. After scanning the vehicle, we found out it was simply a case of the oil ash level being too high—for European standards, not Australian ones. Seriously?! All that worry for nothing! Still, since we were about to head into some remote territory again, the mechanic (and owner), Eugen, suggested an oil change. Even though one had recently been done in the Barossa, I agreed—better to travel with peace of mind.

Thankfully, Eugen was also hilarious—his dry German humour had us giggling through the annoyance of yet another service stop. We left Princess Panda in his capable hands and took a taxi to the Royal Flying Doctor Service visitor centre. It was an inspiring and educational stop, and our taxi driver—who was originally from Africa—shared the fascinating story of how he ended up living in Alice Springs of all places.

Warning Lights and Roadhouse Legends

We departed Alice just after lunch and were feeling optimistic—until a few hours later when yet another warning light appeared on the dash! This time it was a low AdBlue warning. But how?! We had a full tank just 300km ago. If it was leaking, we had a real problem. Thankfully, we had spare AdBlue with us, but something wasn’t adding up.

We pulled into Barrow Creek Roadhouse, which turned out to be an interesting little stop. I tried calling Eugen to troubleshoot but had terrible reception, and couldn’t get through. The kind lady behind the bar let me borrow her phone (thank you!) but Eugen wasn’t able to help over the phone. Krista—who had internet but no phone signal (go figure)—managed to find a few forum posts from other drivers with the same issue. We followed the advice and it worked! It turned out the AdBlue level was fine—it just wasn’t registering correctly. Crisis averted!

Only later, during research for this edition, did I discover that Barrow Creek is the very roadhouse that Joanne Lees escaped to after surviving an attack in the outback years ago. That gave me chills!

📼 Take a quick virtual walk through this outback roadhouse with a story to tell… and some unexpected historical significance. Watch the video:

A Stop in Tennant Creek

We passed by the Karlu Karlu/Devil’s Marbles, happy to admire the formations that we could see from the road, and made it to Tennant Creek Caravan Park by evening. The easy after-hours check-in was a blessing, and we followed local recommendations to the Tennant Creek Memorial Club for dinner. It lived up to the hype—delicious food, hearty portions, and a good night's sleep back in the cabin.

Goldfields, Glitches and Great Stops

Our next day began with a sentimental moment—driving past the hospital where I was born—before heading to the Battery Hill Gold Mining and Heritage Centre. It wasn’t open yet, but Krista (a mining history buff thanks to her background in the industry) wanted to see the headframe, so we did the best we could before hitting the road.

We made a stop at Barkly Homestead, a place we’d initially planned to stay earlier in the trip. It had been recently renovated and was absolutely beautiful! Friendly staff, an impressive little shop filled with local treasures, and even a gallery with jewellery made from old silver cutlery—such a cool surprise.

A Pub Stop with Movie Magic

We had lunch in Mount Isa and kept moving, aiming to get home in time for something special. But one more magical moment was waiting. We pulled over for a toilet break at a small outback pub in McKinlay, where Krista could finally tick “have a drink at a true blue outback pub” off her bucket list.

While we sipped our drinks, I noticed a life-size Crocodile Dundee cutout and memorabilia everywhere. I joked, “Was Crocodile Dundee filmed here or something?” The bar lady looked at me like I had two heads: “Yeah… it was.” Facepalm!

Turns out we’d stumbled upon the Walkabout Creek Hotel—the actual filming location for the iconic Crocodile Dundee! There were quirky touches everywhere, including vintage photos of nude shearers (yep, you read that right!). We had a great yarn with the owner, who also served us behind the bar, before reluctantly heading back to the van. What an unexpected highlight!

Winton Welcomes

We rolled into Winton just in time for check-in at the North Gregory Hotel. After a warm meal at a nearby roadhouse, we were ready for bed. But not before noting the… memorable water situation.

Winton sits on top of the Great Artesian Basin, and signs explained that the water was perfectly safe and supposedly the “sweetest water in the world.” Maybe I followed the wrong instructions—or maybe I’m just a water snob—but I couldn’t stomach it. I usually use a water filter and rarely drink tap water, so maybe that’s why. If you're ever in Winton, give it a try and tell me what you think—I’d love to know!

Winton’s rich history is everywhere you look — even in the glass! The North Gregory Hotel sits at the heart of this outback town, famous as the birthplace of Waltzing Matilda and the founding site of Qantas. The stunning etched glass doors by renowned artist Daphne Mayo are just one of the hidden gems we found while soaking in Winton’s charm.

Road Trip Lessons So Far

• Mechanical hiccups are less stressful when you’ve got a great sense of humour (thanks, Eugen!).

• Never underestimate the power of Google and good people at remote roadhouses.

• The universe has a funny way of delivering movie magic when you least expect it.

💬 Have you ever stumbled upon a famous place by accident? What did you discover?

Next up: Part 7 - Waltzing Matilda, Flying High & Big Skies!

In Case You Missed It: B ME HQ Weekly Recap

🌿 Self-care doesn’t need to be complicated — or chemical-laden.
Last week's podcast, B ME Podcast 40: Small Changes, Big Impact – Simple Chemical-Free Swaps for Everyday Self-Care, breaks down why going chemical-free matters and how to make it easy. Learn how one swap at a time can reduce overwhelm and support your health, plus get your hands on a Chemical-Free Starter Kit Blueprint to make everyday self-care safer and more meaningful.

🎧 Listen to the episode on your preferred podcast platform.

🎥 Watch the video on YouTube:

☀️ B ME Sunrise Bites – Week 2 Highlights:

Sunrises continue to deliver beauty and life lessons — from foggy reflections to stunning Anzac Day skies. This week's standout moments included kookaburras and riverboats, moonlit mornings, and a consistency tip to keep the momentum going.

🎥 Watch the full highlight reel now on the B ME Sunrise Bites YouTube Playlist
(Don’t forget to subscribe while you're there!)

Weekly Challenge

Your mission for this week, if you choose to accept it, is to do the following:

By now, the journey you’ve been building has probably included a few detours of its own. This week, reflect on a past or current challenge that’s actually led to something good—insight, growth, or even a Crocodile Dundee pub moment.
🚗 What unexpected twist in your life has turned out better than you imagined?

If you need some help, feel free to hit reply - let’s help you get started if you’re stuck!

B ME Bites is deliberately sent on a Friday morning (Aussie time) so that where ever you are in the world, you have the weekend to give yourself the gift of implementing a small change towards a better you. What will that small change be? Is there a change that you have been trying to make and haven’t yet succeeded? Give it another go, applying the above - you can do it!

Resource Roundup

Below is a resource list that has been created with you in mind. Whenever something new that could be helpful is discovered or created, it’s added to the list, so check it out from time to time. If you’re strapped for time, once you open the page below, click on Resource List in the top menu, then click on the “Health Tools” link for a list of items that could be helpful on your path to a better you.

The answer to this week’s trivia question is:

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Hit reply and answer either 1,2 or 3, and, if the answer is 2 or 3, give the deets on what would make it a 1 for you!:

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Until next week, keep taking one S.T.E.P.S step at a time! (If you missed the issue explaining The S.T.E.P.S Formula, you can check that out here)

Warm regards,

Shari Ware Chief Encouragement Officer at B ME Bites

PS - When you unknowingly walk into the pub where Crocodile Dundee was filmed… there’s only one thing to do — lean into the moment! Here’s your Friday funny to go with this week’s wild outback ride!

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