Sunday

Sunday

My little holiday within a holiday is over! A little sad I must tell you. It has been a really great trip camping and seeing parts of this country I have not seen before, but a few nights in a kings size bed with big screen TV and a toilet and shower inside has been very very nice indeed. I have been of course spending a few nights with Patrick while he has been in Alice for work. We had lunch together today before heading north again. 

We got into Alice on Thursday, mum and dad checked into the caravan park and finally met Patrick after 12 months. Friday he worked and mum and I did the shopping while dad went and found a barber. He really needed a trim having not seeing a pair of clippers since Easter. Once we finally finished the shopping dad sent mum the the same barber for her trim! Mum bangs where worse than dads, and given she'd given herself a little home trim in Adelaide it was also looking like it needed a good trim. 

Anyway Friday did not see much more exciting stuff happen. We cooked (ok dad cooked) corned beef for dinner and Patrick came round to the caravan park after work. We taught Patrick how to play Quiddler! I don't think this was a wise move... Four games over two nights and he won by lots in each game. We will try take two when we get to Darwin and see how he goes with that. 

Saturday mum and dad packed lunch and we headed out to East Mcdonnell Rangers, we went to Corroboree rock first, we had all been here apart from dad. Then out to The Rock Hole (John Hayes Rock Hole) then out to Trephina Gorge  these where both amazing places. Mum and I did the lookout walk at The Rock Hole and the rim walk at the Gorge. The boys minded the camp! Then we drove out to the Ross River Homestead. Can't really say I've seen it, we drove in the front gate and did a U turn and drove back to Alice Springs. Dad did have to do a good bit of 4WDing to get to the rock hole. 

AND the sun finally came out!!!

Yes after three (almost three full weeks of no sunshine) it's finally sunny. Still cold but sunny. 

Had dinner at Vietnamese place on Saturday night which was really good. We wanted to go to a different place but it was full, but so glad we found this place as it was really good. 

Sunday, did the Todd Mall markets this morning not much has changed here. Then lunch with Patrick before dropping him at the airport before we headed north. We are about 150km from Alice. This is the third camp spot we have tried and this is it for the night! Prowse Gap. The first stop was a bit early, the second stop was really dirty (I don't mind you shitting in the bush but there is a right and a wrong way to do this!) so we drove the extra 14km here. It's just a small rest stop but it has a real (long drop) toilet. Dad found us a spot off the main road behind a fence... We set us and a few others have found the same track but thankfully so far have not set us close to us. There is a million and one flys here so mum has set us for the first time since buying a new one in Adelaide her fly net tent. Not really a tent but cable tied to the annexe its big enough for us to sit under and not be bothered. (Apart from the few that got in)

Mums off for a walk, dads pottering around and I'm sitting here with no real plans to move until I really have to. There is no mobile coverage here tonight. So this is being posted at a later date and time. But before I go a bit more on the sun... It's 5.15pm and I am sitting at camp outside with my shoes and socks off my jeans rolled up as far as I can and wait for it... Just a t-shirt on... Yep no jumper, no thermal... Just the t-shirt!!!!! This is the first time since I landed in Adelaide that I've had just a T-shirt on!

A town called Alice

Alice Springs

Before I start with today I guess I should go back and tell you all how much of a great day I had yesterday. 

I did not tell you much about the Kings Canon rim walk, how rude of me. 

It was fantastic! After making the decision not to climb the rock and having spoken to Patrick and him saying that there is a steep bit and it will be slippery if wet... I was not sure if I wanted to do it. But I put my brave face on and set out to climb the side of a hill in the rain. 

It is a very good track actually. You don't mind paying national park fees if they actually maintain the parks. (Mind you, some of the toilets could be looked after better. But this might also be dirty tourists) the park fee into the rock and the Olgas was $25 each, kind of a rip off I thought. But Kings Canon on the other hand I could have spent much more time there. 

The walk up however steep was not too bad at all, just lots of steps (my poor knees) there was some rock hopping to be done at the top and some more steps but for the views that you get... It was well worth it. There are a few places where you can do extra bits of walking to look outs and down to the garden of Eden. One of the lookouts we did not venture up... With my mild fear of heights and it being wet, we didn't want to try it. 

We did venture down into the garden of Eden, this was more than worth sore knees. We'd stopped just before and said this would be a great spot to have our morning tea, and it was a nice spot but just around the bend was the steps down to the garden... This was an even nicer spot to stop, we did sit and have a few minutes of silence. I found a gecko! I was very excited and mum jumped up and come to have a look but she couldn't see it right away, I had to point it out to her. Formed in the rock was the put line of a gecko! I have a great picture of it. Will post soon. 

I know I know I keep saying ill post pictures. I just need the time to sit down and get them all ready for you. I promise you will enjoy them once I have posted them. 

Anyway, I would totally go back to Kings Canon. 

Today we had a bit of a sleep in. 6.15... Yeah right body clock! I did lay around for a bit dreaming. But decided it was time to get up when I could hear mum and dad up and about in the van. Mind you I got up dressed and packed my bed up before dad was out of his stunning flannel PJ's purchased at some vinnies on the way down. 

We did have a slow start to the day, it was after 9am when we left the camp site. Down the road and turned back onto the Stuart Highway for the rest of the trip north. I don't think we will spend too much time off this highway in the next week (seen it takes us right into Darwin!)

Anyway we got to Alice and have checked into the McDonnell Range caravan park, mum and I stayed here 2 years ago when we did the beanie festival. So we knew it would be a good place to stay. (Free pancake breakfast on Sunday)  It also has a something else free to do every night. But I think best of all from June to August it has a strawberry van come up from SA and you can buy a fresh pot of strawberries and cream! YUM! 

Tonight I get to see Patrick as he is down here for work, well that was well timed (planned) wasn't it. Mum and I will head out for a bike ride tomorrow as I have now fixed the third flat tyre for this holiday. Not bad seen two of them have happened when the bike has been up on the back of the car for transport. 

Not sure what else Alice holds for us, we are here until Sunday. I'm sure ill update you soon. 

Tuesday

Tuesday

I stepped back in time tonight. (Ill come back to this)

CLOSED! Yep it (the rock) was closed again this morning, so decently no walking for us. Yes yes I know I'd already decided that I wasn't going to climb it, but mum made me check just in case I changed my mind... I hadn't and it didn't matter anyway.

We packed up and hit the road, not before getting ripped off with fuel 2.11c this morning. Oh well we have to get around this country I guess and when there is only one fuel stop for 200+km what choose do you have really.

We headed back along the Lasster Highway, (every time I looked at the GPS the last few days the Neighbours theme music popped into me head) saw Mount Connor one last time before turning onto the road for Kings Canon. About 1/2 way down we pulled in at a freebie stop for lunch.

It really shits us and this includes dad, that people are such dirty pigs when travelling the Australian outback. Yes you have to pee... And yes there is not always a toilet... BUT I'm sorry "pick up your paper you dirty shits") this really nice place we pulled into for lunch was littered with toilet paper, not just under the trees but all over the place. Gives us the shits that people are so dirty that they don't put it in the bin. On the two week bike ride mum and I had lots of 'pee trees' not once did we leave paper behind, it went into a snap lock bag and into our bags to be put in the bin at night. GIVES US THE SHITS!!!!!

Ok rant over.

After lunch we headed for the last 100km or so down to Kings Canon, just like the Olgas it's so much nicer than the rock. I mean I get why the rock is special but for the beauty the Olgas and Kings Canon win hands down. And I haven't even finished seeing Kings Canon yet.

We just did a quick walk out there this afternoon and will head back for the rim walk in the morning. We came into the Kings Canon Resort... POSH! I know... But we are still in the van (me in the car) but I must have smiled the right way at the guy behind the counter, because he asked how many people and I said 3 and he only charged me for two! #winning!

I picked up some park (resort) information and after we set up and mum and dad had a coffee we had a look and found another walk around the resort, so mum and I head out to do that while dad guards the van. It doesn't take long about an hour. Back in time for happy hour and hot oh so nice HOT showers dinner and now bed. Up early again tomorrow for the rim walk.

We will head back to the nice but dirty toilet paper laden freebie camp tomorrow night and then into Alice on Thursday.

Stepping back in time...
I have no mobile reception out here, so this post will be later when in range again. But I wanted to ring Patrick to tell him I won't have coverage until Thursday when on way to Alice. So a pay phone it was.... Talk about stepping back in time... I don't think I have used a pay phone since I got a mobile phone back in 1995... Talk about flash backs to bad hair and hand me down clothes.... Although it was fun for a few minutes to step back in time... I am back with my iPad now even tho it has no reception.... Come to think of it... I don't know that last time (besides work) I used a land line phone.

Wednesday

Wednesday 
Kings Canon (Watarrka National Park) 

Though the night it rained! Not much but still enough for me to think the rim walk might be closed today. (Turns out mum was up thinking the same thing) Got up super early with the alarm again and packed up. We were ready and on the road at 8.10am. Got down to the start of the walk and mum and I where walking by 8.40am. The rim walk is 6.6km and said to allow 3.5 to 4 hours. Dad very patiently sat and waited for us to return. It took us 3 hours 40 minutes.... this taking into account I took 171 pictures on the big camera, I only took it and the iPhone! The other day for the base walk I took 3... I thought at some of the spots today 'I wish I'd brought the GoPro up' oh well, I'm sure I might have at least a few good pictures in what I have taken! 

Dad went back and filled up the car @2.33... OUCH!!

There was a promise of pikelets at the end of my walk.... This turned into a tuna sandwich I had to make myself... Dad found bread when he went for fuel and thought we'd like a sandwich better. Not really happy but mum then said she would make them for afternoon tea.... That was more than 170km down the road... I waited and got the for afternoon tea! YUMMY!!!! 

We are set up again in a freebie camp for the night, back on the road that leads us to the Stuart Highway. Tomorrow we will be in Alice Springs. 

People are funny you know, we pulled into this camp spot and not another person was here so we set up. By this time another van had pulled in and set up. While eating afternoon tea three more vans pull in... No problems yet. Then a motor home pulls in, not an issue right! .... Well not when they pull up within 5 meters of us parked here at the very back of a massive area. Strange people.... And we have not seen them out of there van yet! Even more strange! 

There is an old couple who when they set up put a massive satellite dish out and the two couples in the vans traveling together walked over to have a check out (I would more think to see if he got reception... It is the first State of Origen tonight) dad will have to get his little transistor out and see if he can get it on the wireless. Mum and I could care less, we've had a few games and my little body is telling me (more like the knees screaming at me) to go to bed! 

Mum mentioned a sleep in tomorrow, but I would think with 300km to drive tomorrow it might still be an early start. 

It's pretty much rain (all be it lightly) since we set up tonight, but tonight it's just rain drops I can hear not a thud echoing the entire roof. 

Also again no reception here tonight o this will be posted later when back in range. 

Where we are at!

Where are we at?

Tonight as I am tucked up in bed, we are still at Ayers Rock Resort (very posh) not really, it's the only place you are aloud to stay with in cooee of the rock so this is where we are at. 

Yesterday we drove in from the nice little free camp dad found for us. I was after morning tea bundled into the front seat and told it was my turn. I've been happy in the back seat, but I took my seat and shut up like the good daughter I am. 

Not much to report from the early part of the drive yesterday, it rained! And was still raining by the time we got to the SA/NT boarder so stopping was not going to happen, it would not have been nice getting out of the car so dad slowed down so I could have a look. Not much to report there. 

So morning tea was at the next road house... Mum and dad had been saying all the way down and in some parts of SA how cheap the fuel was compared to North Queensland! Yep not today my friend. $2 a litre. Yep I bet a buck 60 is looking pretty good about now, anyway we had to fill up so they had us! 

This brings us back to the front seat... Driving along and all of a sudden out of the  horizon pops Mount Connor. WOW!!!! What an amazing thing to see popping out of the flat country. To myself I thought that can't be Ayers Rock! Nope it wasn't. We stopped at the look out for Mount Connor, it was going to be the stop for the night but it was right on the highway and we would have been right in the wind. So we moved onto here. While stopped at the look out dad said 'keep your camera out and follow me!' So across the highway we go and up what I like to call a real desert hill. Real red RED dirt... But on the other side of this hill was Lake Amadeus.... WOW! 1032km square of salt lake, pretty amazing stuff to see. 

So after seeing this amazing stuff I am shoved back into the back seat (just kidding) for the rest of the day. Coming along to Ayers Rock popping out of the desert like Connor was not as amazing, but still worth the drive. Anyway we get to the (resort) set up and make plans for Monday. The rock was closed on Sunday due to weather so we decided to get up early and see what the rock was doing and if it was open go for the walk up it, but if it was closed head for The Olgas and plan B. 

So onto Monday. 

Setting an alarm while on holidays is something one should not have to do. But I set it anyway. (Side note) did you know the sunrise time for Ayers Rock this morning was 7.26am.... So setting alarm for 7am in the pitch black to make a phone call about walking a rock in the freezing cold!!! Yep remember I'm on holidays. Anyway I get up, (roll over and get phone and make call from sleeping bag) "The rock is closed to winds, check back at 8am" oh well we have a plan B so I get up anyway fill mum and dad in on the plans and we have Breslin and put some washing on and head out for the Olgas. 

We do the first lookout walk with dad before he heads back to the car while mum and I walk to second lookout. Both amazing sights, can't wait to post some pics for you. We want to do the loop walk but we didn't tell dad of our plans so we head back the was we came. Had morning tea out there and drove back here for lunch. 

After lunch dad stayed to guard the washing and make stew and dumplings for dinner (I'm getting pretty spoilt this holiday) mum and I went out and did the base walk around the rock. 10km or a bit more. Funny they graded the walk this morning as (grade 3) which was ok, that base walk which was all and I mean ALL FLAT! Was also graded a 3.... Oh well! It was a great walk. 

Mum was very patient with me and stopping all the time to take pictures. Not sure how long we took to walk it, but we did not get a chance to get back to the gorge walk at the Olgas that we missed this morning. Guess that means I will have to come back at some stage. 

Tomorrow we are off to Kings Canon. We have looked at the weather and it looks like another rainy day so we are pretty sure the rock will be closed again and I have decided I am not as keen as i thought i was to climb it. Maybe another time. 

Anyways looking forward to Kings Canon. Hope to get a bike ride in soon, but need to fix flat tyre on bike first... Can you believe I went 14 days without any flats or any drama with my bike and I've had two flats (while bike had been on bike rack on back of car) since the bike ride finished. 

We carry on! 

.20c

.20c for two minutes... 

I think I might not have told you of the water in Coober Pedy. (Correct spelling this time I think I'd been spelling it with an A) anyway, you have to pay to stay at the caravan park and also pay for a shower! 

.20c for two minutes... You would think two minutes waiting for something's is a long time. Two minutes waiting for a toilet seems like a life time if you really have to go! Two minutes on hot sand at the beach, ouch! Two minutes of hold music with any telco... such a long time! Not when you are 1/2 way through your shower all soaped up and the water cuts out cos your .20c ran out. 

Lucky I had another .20c ready to go. 

Drinking water was also .20c for 30liters. This was ok, dad filled up the tanks with just one .20c. 

It rained all night at Coober Pedy, the rain it self did not both me it was the dripping from the broken shade cloth above where the van was parked that drove me crackers. So much crackers I had to get up at 3am find the head phones and put some Babs on to try and drown out the noise. The top of my spelling quarters is tin... So it drip echoed and just died off by the time the next drip hit. 

Anyway, not too much sleep was had last night at Coober Pedy. 

Tonight with no mobile reception we are parked in a free camp north of Marla. Don't ask which one cos have no idea, the plan when we left Marla the plan was to do another 100km but not far up the road dad saw a spot that looked nice so he pulled in and we set up and that was it for the night. 

It's cold again tonight but no rain. It was cloudy all day today, we can handle this as long as its not rain and as long as it clears before we get to Ayres Rock, I'd like to climb it. 

Mum made a dinner at my request tonight. She'd put mince out but did not know what to do with it. I suggested porkiepine balls and I got them... YUM! Just as I remembered them. 

Not much to report from the road today, just another day (one of many) on the Stuart Highway. 

I'll report again tomorrow from the NT, we will cross from SA to the NT before morning tea I think. 

Friday update

Rain..... There is not much else to say but RAIN!!!!

We woke up to clouds but by the time we packed up it was drizzle rain and it has been like that all day. We left Pimba and pretty much all we have done is drive to Coober Peady. Stopped for a snack along the way. 

We missed the turn off to the first caravan park we wanted to stay at so we are closer to the town. Still a nice little walk into town tho. We did walk in the rain and had a look around. The op shop was closed so that was a miss. We checked out the price of fuel for the morning and what time the bakery opens, so we are set for tomorrow. I think we are going up to Marla. Not sure yet. Weather will be a factor. 

Mum found a nice opal in a shop (we went into have a look for fun!) she had very good taste.... 5 thousand dollars.... Lucky dad stayed outside with the credit cards!! 

It cost to have a shower here, .20c for 2 minutes... Didn't mind paying it was hot! Water to fill the tanks tomorrow is also for a fee. .20c for 40 litres of water. Guess its all part of living in the desert. 

Not much else to report.