Wow! We've been away nearly four weeks, and it's all been great. With temperatures starting to fall a bit, we enjoyed our few days at Kings Canyon (Wattarka). We briefly toyed with the idea of climbing "cardiac hill", but used the excuse of high temperatures, stiff joints and old age to avoid the challenge. We took the softer option of several walks along creek beds, and up and around the resort which gave us wonderful views of the George Gill Range. And fortunately - no dramas. And so up the track to Alice Springs. An unexpected welcome awaited us. Jenny & Rob, our neighbours from Heathmont who are currently living & working in Alice Springs invited us to put our van on the property they are renting. We were able to go with Rob on a 900km. drive (in one day) to remote aboriginal communities, as he delivered and then picked up doctors and nurses working in these out of the way places. Rob & Geoff's map reading skills were put to the test. Made a great decision to turn right at a T intersection in the middle of nowhere - & then found the upturned car bonnet which was the next clue to our turn-off into the community. Jenny co-ordinates the movement of health workers around vast areas of the Northern Territory. They come in and out all the time, and have to be transported over enormous distances, mostly along dirt roads. It was an amazing day and we felt it was a privilege to have had such an opportunity. Having seen many of the great sights to the west of Alice on previous trips, this time we headed east & south. Emily & Jessie Gaps were very pretty; Corroborree Rock worth a walk around; but the most outstanding area was Rainbow Valley. Late one afternoon we drove 80 kms south on the Stuart Hwy, then turned east along a 20 km 4WD dirt track. We were rewarded with the sight of a huge multi-coloured rock formation sitting behind a large, empty clay pan. With the warm light of the setting sun, we admired the changing colours - varying from deep reds to pale white clays. With only two other couples there, it was lovely and peaceful. We ate our BBQ dinner under the vast array of stars - bad luck I hadn't read the manual on how to photograph in the dark! Geoff had all the lights on the Terrano blazing, as we kept our eyes peeled while we drove back in the dark - but the only things that jumped across the road were three little mice (blind?). Other highlights of our stay at Alice Springs were a half day at the Desert Park - a must if you're up this way; a visit to the Reptile Centre - we were happy to be "kissed" by a blue-tongue, but let the opportunity of a hug from a python pass us by; and learnt heaps at the Araluen Centre - which includes an Art Centre, Museum of Natural History, and an Aircraft Museum. We couldn't resist a visit to Simpson's Gap - it is a beautiful place, and wonderful to see so much water around. If you ever watch the Compass program on ABC, keep your eyes out for two weather beaten travellers. They were filming at the John Flynn Memorial church while we were at the Centennial service, and we happened to sit in the front row! A cooler week weather wise, we feel as though we have seen Alice Springs & surrounds from a completely different perspective. It's still an amazing place!
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