Adelaide to Darwin Part 2

Uluru

 

Ayers Rock Resort is one large town area with motels, hotels and expensive hotels to stay and a one posh restaurant called “Sails”. On arrival at the campground we were given a pitch number 218 and a few other important papers the main one being our ID if we wanted to buy alcohol in the resort it told the seller who we were and where we were staying!  We drove down to our designated pitch and as we looked at the narrowness of it we realised we would have out bedroom slide out in our neighbours canopy, this was not ideal, so Helen telephoned reception as it was about 500m to walk back!! We chose another pitch number 215 that seemed to have more room and once settled we drove to the National Park, Uluru-Kata Tjuta where we paid $25 each for a 3 day pass, we would use it every day. The Cultural Centre was very interesting, with long videos explaining Aboriginal Culture and how the Traditional Owners gained back their sacred Rock, specifically asking visitors not to take photographs in certain areas around Uluru and especially asking people not to climb Uluru as the Traditional Owners felt responsible for any accidents that may occur. We found these requests understandable but, unfortunately, many people didn’t. We left the Cultural Centre and had a drive all the way around Uluru and we would probably walk the 10.6km over the next two days.

The evening view from the campground

Some cave artwork at the base of Uluru. AMAZING to see



Shot taken whilst walking the perimeter

The chain to the right of the photo that people pull themselves
up when climbing the Rock




The four of us donned our hats and fly nets and off we walked into Walpa Gorge it was classed as a moderate walk of 2.6km return and it was.  Richard and Helen decided to have a look at “Valley of the Winds” walk which was a drive further around the rocks.



Once there we decided against it as there was three AAT coaches full of tourists (from who knows where) all going to start the walk.

We noted that a lot of these walking tracks are closed once the temperature hits 36°C. We headed back to our campground and on the way stopped at Kata-Tjuta Dune viewing area as we had spotted a Motorhome that we knew yes Jackie and Bob’s. This is a 600metre walk on a fantastic boardwalk, taking in the views of Uluru and Kata-Tjuta we had at least 45 mins here.

Once back at Ayers Rock resort we visited the local supermarket to get a few supplies. We found the only “Bottle shop” too, where, Richard refused to pay the price of the beer, unheard of….he will have to ration himself. 


We left a chuck cooking on the BBQ and rode our bikes once again to the other end of the campground to our friends and see the sunset (again) lots and lots of photographs taken over the last two nights and we will probably take a hundred more tomorrow too! We had a drink with J and B and after chatting about lots of mundane things Jackie informed Helen that she likes and has the ingredients for making “Margaritas” well Richard told Bob “this is not a good thing”….Mothers Day is when we will drink a “Margarita”

We did the 10.6km walk all the way around Uluru it was amazing we loved it! We met up with a few people on route and even saw a young lady chanting whilst facing a certain part of the rock!

We valued our time here and would recommend everyone to visit this sacred place.

Our next stop will be Kings Canyon but once again after discussions with fellow travellers to the price of the only caravan park, we decided to go to a free camp stay the night. Up early and take the van with us to the parking area at the Canyon then do the Canyon Rim Walk of 6km, then head back to the free camp for the night! I hope this makes sense to the reader!!

Salt Creek free camp

 

Our quick cook up

 

Helen taking a look at the food!!

 

All set ready to leave for Kings Canyon

We arrived, parked up the Ute and caravan and started the Rim Walk at 9.15a.m. Kings Canyon was just amazing, it was a long steep climb at the beginning but once we hit the rim the views and land formation at the top was something we have never experienced. It was very different from Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

We met up with a really nice couple, they had the same caravan as we have (so Richard had a male to talk to about certain things on the caravan) but they had gone to the Resort for two nights whereas we did the free camp. We walked down steep wooden stairs and up steeper wooden stairs that had been installed for the ease of the walker.

Bridge across the chasm after the steep descent

Looking up to the platform after the steep ascent

On the path back down to the car park.

We had made another excellent decision to head off the track to see this wonderful area. We got back to the car park at around 1.20 p.m. and took the caravan back to the free camp where we could use our shower and relax before having our evening meal. Richard decided we need to use our spare 20ltrs of diesel so he filled the Ute tank ready for tomorrow’s tow. This free camp has no facilities but is the quietest rest area we have been on and we both slept like logs!

 

  

 

ALICE SPRINGS

We were up and off at 8.15 a.m. we headed to the Lasseter Highway then on to the Stuart Highway where we filled the Ute again with diesel at the Desert Oaks Motel at Eridunda, it would be an easy run up to Alice. Helen had to move the rig out of the petrol area and so carried on the tow for the next 100km or so, a stop for lunch was taken beside a dried up riverbed, we were the only van but soon finished lunch and off we went before 3 other vans positioned themselves which would stop us from leaving…all very complicated stuff when towing an manoeuvring a large caravan. I digress… Alice Springs was on our mind and Richard towing at 88km an hour spied a Ute and caravan coming up behind us at some speed. The road was empty and the driver overtook us with the inhabitants of the Ute waving enthusiastically as they past. It was Nola, Andy and Jason!! Helen immediately tried to contact them on the 2 way radio but had no luck, they probably didn’t have one. Well, they left us behind as Andy must have been travelling at 95km an hour! On approaching Alice we heard our names being used on the 2 way and lo and behold it was our friends who had past us earlier, they had stopped to retrieve their 2 way radio from the caravan! We managed to tell them which campsite we were heading to and that we would be at the RSL for dinner tonight and also swap phone numbers. They were heading to a different campground to meet up with some friends. We will try and catch up with them later.




Anzac Hill in Alice Springs








 

One of Helen’s favourite old time films is “A Town like Alice” the first film with Virginia McKenna and Peter Finch, based on the novel by Nevil Shute, she first saw this film a long, long time ago as a teenager back in Yorkshire and had often wondered what Alice Springs would be like never believing that one day she would be actually staying here.

The various published paperbacks over the
years of the book "A Town like Alice"

A Poster

 

We had booked into the Wintersun Tourist Park for a week as we needed to refresh ourselves from all the driving and also enabling us to see everything Alice had to offer. Helen immediately recognised the camp manager when he came walking towards the rig to ask Richard to move further into the park. He was Gary and his wife Debbie was behind the desk in the office, they had been the managers at the Hervey Bay Tourist Park that we stayed at last June. We had a good catch up and Gary took Rich to our pitch, which was very nice and had a very long concrete slab. Once again we met up with our friends Jackie and Bob and Chris and Paul who were here too!! Chris and Paul said they would come with us to the RSL and a very nice evening we had too. Helen, later this afternoon found out that the film “A Town like Alice” is being shown somewhere in the town, but we didn’t have tickets! There was lots of fireworks too tonight Saturday we think the celebrations or commemorations coincided with the VE commemorations back in England.

Sunday, which was is Mother’s Day, we rode our bikes into town to the local market where there was lots to see. We bumped into the couple that we walked some of Kings Canyon Rim with and had a lovely chat.  Still strolling along we were approached by Jason and his parents Andy and Nola what a laugh talking to them. Alice Springs boasts, Woolworths, Coles, BWS, Liquorland and a Target!! WOW! Well it is a city and even has a Casino that no doubt we will be visiting at some time. Again the Bottle Shop was being screened by the local police officers who, once we had purchased alcohol, asked where we would be drinking the said purchase. Richard still cannot get over the laws here. The police officers did tell us though that 99% of all crime is alcohol related and this is why it is policed accordingly. Arriving back at the caravan we were asked by Jackie if it was time for the Margaritas of course it was! she and Bob arrived at our van, arms ladened with the ingredients for the said drinks and Helen hurriedly made some bruschetta whilst Jackie did her mixing and beautiful the drinks were too.

There is so much to see and do in Alice Springs and it seemed our feet never stopped, every day we had something to see or do. We extended our stay a day to enable us to try and see it all. We visited the School of the Air (the children were in Alice this week for Naplan tests) Old Telegraph Station (with amazing history, we learned that Alice was called Stuart and that the name changed being named Alice after a Chief Telegraphist’s wife who was based in Adelaide, she never set foot in Stuart/Alice -- a full afternoon here) Standley Chasm, Anzac Hill, Truck Hall of Fame (where you can spend a full day) and probably our favourite place was Alice Springs Desert Park where we spent a full day.

Photographs below all Alice Springs Desert Park



Above is what I would call an organisational marriage
flow chart shown to us by Doug an Aboriginal Ranger. He
explained how men and women had to marry outside of
their own "SKIN". Difficult for me to explain but amazingly
this worked an kept their race going for 40,000 years.
We were blown away by this and the other information
given to us by Doug!!!


 

Road Transport Hall of Fame

Richard could spend a week in this museum!

The Kenworth company send a new truck everytime they
release a new model and display it here.

This vehicle is driven by GAS that is
generated from the back by burning charcoal

Front view of GAS driven car

Old Telegraph Station photographs.

This Station had quite an aura about it as we walked around. We went into the Bungalow and here it was! The information as to how it was used as an orphanage for the half caste children of the area. We had been told by Doug in the Desert Park that even their own Aboriginal families didn't recognise these children as their own! something that we learnt over again at the Telegraph station.

All the information on the orphanage!

Standley Chasm

 

 

 

 

We didn’t have time to see the Royal Flying Doctors, Pioneering Women and the Araluen Cultural Precinct.

Richard did organised a get together at another local club The Gillen club for our friends an ourselves, the clubs courtesy bus picked all 8 of us up we a good meal, lots of laughter and a great time was had by all.

Our friends J & B left the next day and we were up and about saying our goodbyes they were heading to a campground called Gemtree, to do some fossicking for Garnets. We may call in there as it looks very interesting. J & B have our small itinerary, so they know where to find us over the next 4-6 weeks, hopefully they won’t lose it.  We also said goodbye to Chris and Paul they were heading up to Three Ways which is a little way past Tennant Creek, where they will turn right and head for Queensland and home to see their family…so a little sad.

 

Leaving Alice Springs

Sunday we said farewell to Gary and Debbie the managers and set off to Gemtree Caravan Park 140km. It was an easy tow, we had booked in for 2 nights and have stayed 4, it is so quiet and peaceful enabling us to just chill out after so much sightseeing and walking. Gem Tree is a wonderful bush camp that the owners have developed over the years. They specialise in Garnet and Zircon fossicking tag on tours. This mean you take your own 4wd following the expert to an area that they pay a fossicking lease on! They will provide all the equipment you need for $75. Rich wasn’t interested, he has never taken to the idea of digging up stones!!

Photographs of Gem Tree Camping ground

Our first night here we chose to have fish and chips cooked by the camp owners. Back at our caravan and the obligatory campfire was lit the sunset was amazing and the stars looked like you could touch them. A little after 8p.m. we could hear howling and decided it was Dingoes in the outback, it was a very strange sound. The Park has its own 3km nature walk which we took advantage of to get some exercise. On this walk we discovered an overgrown golf course, very strange! We extended to 3 nights after enjoying the quietness and being able to write up the blog and get on with some all important knitting.



Another Huntsman Spider





The Huntsman




Today is Wednesday 20 May, we had a 20km drive today out to nowhere and managed to spot a pair of Dingoes eating from what looked and smelled like very old road kill, we managed to get a few photographs but as usual we didn’t have our better camera with us. It was a wonderful sight and we thought we were very lucky to see these amazing animals in the wild. 

Best pic of the Dingoes

Dingoes in the bush

Tonight, we ate down near the camp Billabong having our evening meal cooked for us at the Campground’s amazing outdoor kitchen. Our evening comprised of a super talk by Kate on how her family set up this amazing place and how her father built her the most sophisticated outdoor kitchen. We had one of the best cooked roast beef dinners ever consisting of roast pumpkin, roast potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower cheese. After the meal we were all treated to an old film/movie possibly a newsreel about Kate’s (the owner) uncle Charlie as an eight year old growing up in the outback, it was something quite amazing to see. We met some lovely people this evening and as usual will probably catch up with them heading north.



Wednesday night campground feed

Once again we were so pleased we detoured down the Plenty Highway to Gem Tree and we may even call in again.

Leaving Gem Tree behind we decided to head for the Devils Marbles free camp but its quite far away. A decision was made to use another free camp along the way.

Sights along the way: the following photographs were taken whilst filling up with fuel at Aeileron.

We only just managed to fit into the John McDouall Stuart Memorial free camp as people were already settled for the day and evening.

Another amazing sunset! at our free camp

Richard went off looking for firewood as it was evident we could light a fire. Richard went off and took a few photographs and spent 20mins talking to a couple who had stopped to take photos also. The couple were travelling in a car and using motels as their accommodation, but where the motels were I have no idea!! The female told Richard that just further north on our route is the area where the Yorkshire Backpackers Peter Falconio (was murdered) and Joanne Lees were abducted and that we should look our for plaque that she thought had been put up somewhere. Our neighbours were very nice there were three motorhomes travelling together and instead of lighting our own fire we joined with them for a drink and then after dinner we all gathered around their fire. These lovely people left very early the next morning.

We also left earlier than we would normally and we did lookout all along the Stuart Highway but never saw any sort of plaque to the above mentioned. The Ute needed fuel again and we managed to stop at Barrow Creek Roadhouse, this is one strange looking place/pub but the man behind the bar and the pub itself was a sight that everyone should see, there was thousands of different denominations of paper money all over the walls and peoples signatures too.


Barrow Creek Roadhouse and pub

Barrow Creek pub

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barrow Creek Pub

 

 

 

 

 








Outside we found an old but renovated Telegraph Station and a two person cemetery where the Stationmaster and a linesman had been murdered by the locals in 1874.

 

I supposed we should have asked the man at Barrow Creek about the Falconio/Lees episode as we had googled and found out that it was this pub that Joanne Lees was taken to after being found by a truck driver, but, we forgot!! We travelled on and on reaching the Devils Marbles in reasonable time as we were told once again that the ground gets full by lunchtime.
This again is another strange spot photos will show you why, we watched the sunset on the rocks and saw once again the changing of colours. We had a fantastic evening here and met some lovely Nomads again!





Devils Marbles at Sunset

Devils Marbles



Weird rock formation

 

The view from our caravan

We decided that we maybe ought to get on electricity for a few nights so the nearest town on route is Tennant Creek, now, lots of people had told us to drive in and then drive straight out but no we stayed at the caravan park. Gary the manager (a Kiwi) was great he put us on to the local RSL club and we were picked up that evening to go out for dinner and very nice too. The club was visited by the local constabulary who walked around and made sure no one was drunk or misbehaving this seems very common in the Northern Territory….but we have not see any police patrolling the roads!!

Tennant Creek campground

One of our neighbours at TC with a Ford Popular
which the owner slept in!



Another neighbour who was travelling and sleeping
in this converted Ford Popular

The camp laundry was used for our big laundry wash and we dealt some emails but, had to wait until Monday morning to do some printing at the Library and then post forms off to the UK. All in all TC was OK.