Just did three days on the Tanami Track going from Alice Springs to Halls Creek, so three driving days, 1233 kms including 821 on rough, corrugated roads (used to call these washboard roads in Canada).  Not much traffic but a few road trains.  Lots of red dust everywhere but overall the van was pretty airtight except for one small leak under the stove.  On the first day we stayed in a deserted bush camp south of Rabbit Flat and we crossed the Tropic of Capricorn – Dick is very happy as he likes being in the tropics.  Saw six wild camels crossing the road in front of us and saw lots of dead cows and kangaroos beside the road.  Have been on a big campaign to eat all our fruit and veg since we are crossing into WA and they have strict quarantine laws.  Had a ‘border lunch’ of Thai beef salad and freshly squeezed lemonade to use up the last of our fruit and veg. No one at the border but we are following the rules on this.

Thanks to a suggestion from Paul and Margaret (one of their many tips we are following), we camped at Stretch Lagoon on the Canning Stock Route near Billiluna.  Peaceful beautiful lagoon, lots of birds and no one else there.  Only casualty from a full day of corrugations was one bottle of beer that leaked over everything in the fridge, and meant the fridge got an unplanned wash.

Needed to get fuel in Billiluna, an aboriginal town, on Monday morning and there was an interesting hive of activity around the store and pump – lots of kids, dogs, cars and people just hanging around and shopping.  A sign on the pump said “Beware of the camel – he will get you cornered and kick and bite you!”  Fortunately we didn’t see the camel.  Diesel was $2.60 per litre (the highest we have paid) which compares to the price in Alice Springs of $1.28 per litre.

Back on the Tanami to drive to Wolfe Creek to see the meteorite crater.  Took lots of pictures for my sister Eileen who didn’t want us to go there and made us promise not to camp there (because of the movie).  Dreadful road to get there and we lost the aerial for our CB – it just broke off.  Only had a look at the crater as we didn’t have time to do the rim walk.  Not a particularly inspiring place, even without having seen the movie.

Did a quick supply stop in Halls Creek –  fuel, fruit & veg, low alcohol beer (thats all they sell as its a restricted community), and water (which cost 20 cents/litre); and drove to the van park near the road to the Bungle Bungle.  Drove in the last hour of daylight along a highway where the Brahman cattle roam freely, and we saw lots along the side and on the road.  Difficult driving but we got to the van park just on dark.

 

 

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After we left Palm Valley we visited Hermannsberg, the first aboriginal mission in NT(Norther Territory), which was established by the Lutherans in 1877.  It is known for being the home of Albert Namatjura, the first famous aboriginal painter, and contained more interesting history of the region.  Back in Alice we got internet, got news, got mail, got groceries, got LPG, got money, voted and saw a doctor about my knee (busy afternoon).  The next day we got our diesel heater fixed and washed the van, which was very dirty!  The time in Alice seemed to go on jobs but we also saw the Beanie exhibition (from the Beanie Festival) and some galleries and the Centre Museum.  Family news-Amy’s Woman’s Masters Ultimate Frisbee team just got Bronze in the World Championships in London (behind USA  & Canada) and Helen and Alex are now in Spain starting their year long European trip.

Leaving Alice we headed for the East MacDonnell Ranges, the lesser known side of the ranges.  Another sunny day and we stopped for a look at  Emily and Jessie Gaps, both special aboriginal places with some rock paintings.  On the way to our camping spot, Trephina Gorge, we saw the largest ghost gum in the country.  Camping at an NT nature park in a beautiful gorge with lovely walks is not too hard to take.  We did the  Panorama walk up to the top of the gorge from 4pm so we got more lovely afternoon light as well as some sprinkles of rain.  Did another lovely walk in the morning around the rim and through the bottom of the gorge.  Then we drove, mostly gravel roads, to Hale River Resort at Old Ambulindum.  It took about 2 hours to do 55k’s.  Fabulous drive and our sense is that in the East MacDonnell Ranges one drives right through them whereas in the West Macs the road is further away from the Ranges.  Hardly anyone in the East Macs also.  Visited Arltunga Historical Reserve, the site of Central Australia’s first town, following the first gold discovery in 1887.  We were the only attendees for a ranger talk about gold mining, given by two gold prospectors, who knew their stuff and talked us through the stages of prospecting and mining gold (a complicated and arduous process).

Did one last visit to the West MacDonnells, camped at Glen Helen Gorge as we hadn’t seen that gorge, and got some lovely end of day photos there.  Got up and did a small walk on part of the Larapinta to the red rock arch, a nice way to end our time there.

Thank you to all who’ve made comments and sent emails in response to our blog.  We appreciate the feedback and its nice to keep in touch.  I have to confess to really, really missing internet/communication when we are in the bush camps.  We’re about to say ‘goodbye’ to the Centre and head north.