Don’t show me a desert

We are in central Australia. This is supposed to be a desert isn’t it? Wherever we look there are trees, grasses, fat cattle even fat horses. Haven’t seen camels, few kangaroos, some dingoes but this could be any part of coastal country Australia. Alice even had hail last Saturday while we were having rain out on the west MacDonnell Ranges. Also had rain back in Alice today (Tuesday). Everything is green. Whilst the rivers aren’t actually flowing the Todd River has water in parts of it today.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. After leaving Kings Canyon thinking that it was pretty special we overnighted at Erldunda  at the intersection of the Stuart and Lassiter Highways cos the Finke Desert  Rally was on over the Queens Birthday weekend and there wasn’t a space to be had in Alice at the time. So on to Alice Springs on Tuesday to stop at the cheapest caravan park we could get into. Pretty ordinary it was  but we only really slept there. Alice has a population of around 27000 but it seems bigger. Non reflective people wander the streets at all times of the night and day in large numbers. It makes the place seem busy all the time. Nontheless it is a nice enough little country village with all of the best amenities.

There are lots of things to see here abouts. First was the old Ghan…….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is not really the “old” Ghan, its perhaps 50 years old and this lot was parked up here following its last run in about 1980. The station building is earlier and a lot of the display material inside is good history. The model train is the “current” Ghan, the real one is below…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Couldn’t convince the gals that the National Transport Museum would be of interest to them so took myself off in the afternoon to it. I suppose in terms of vehicles on display it wasn’t exemplary but it is different. One of the major features is the “hall of Fame”, a gallery of transport personalities…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t read them all but amongst them were some recognisable names, all contributors to road transport in Oz. Kenworth has its own pavilion….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

displaying the oldest to the newest. Very impressive. A staff photo of 2005 has a familiar face (in pink far right)….

 

 

 

 

 

(yes, its a Dore).

There are a lot of interesting old trucks John but some of them won’t fit in the shed……

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is so much to see they give you a pass-out to come back a second day. I haven’t had the chance. For George here’s a couple…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and more generally…….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next day took us to the Old Telegraph Station north of town. A fabulous piece of history…….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

beautiful buildings built from local stone about 135 years ago to house a small community centred around the telegraph repeater station. Bloody Morse Code – try deciphering it! Extraordinary old technology – tell me how a battery of the time works….. there should be a photograph of a diagram here but it didn’t come out – ahh, digital technology.

Up Anzac Hill lookout for a look out …..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and you get a great overview of “the Alice”, once upon a time named Stuart.

Now Robyn has done all of this before so she knows some of the sights. So, off to the east MacDonnell ranges for a look at gaps and chasms. Its easy to be complacent about the Australian “desert” but it continues to surprise. Some of the scenery is nothing short of spectacular…….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and that was Jesse, if you’ll pardon the expression, Gap, the first one out of Alice if you don’t count Heavitree Gap

Then to Corroboree Rock…….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then Trephina Gorge…….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

note how the trees hang in there and, yes, we did the walk. Bloody hard work too.

On to Ross River “resort” for a spot of lunch. Ahh no, lunch is off after 2.30 and its now 2.40, we’re starving from all this exercise. We must have hit the right note though ( maybe it was that famished half starved waif like look I managed to muster) cos the cook rustled up some hot pies and fresh chippies and it was like a feast. As a resort it probably fails the luxury test usually associated with such a title but as an interesting dalliance it was worth a visit if for nothing but its environment….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I s’pose it could be exotic for having a peacock in the paddock and dogs on the couch.

Before lunch Robyn tested her off-road capabilities with a drive into the John Hayes Rockhole. Just 8km off the beaten track but……

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

note the level of concentration. It certainly was a testing track.

Then we found a tree…..

 

 

 

 

a very special ghost gum (or so the sign read) and I couldn’t resist a picture or two or three or so.

After lunch the day was pretty well shot with a 100 or so ks back to Alice, so night fell with a bang and we packed up to head out next morning (Saturday) assuming that the weather forecast for storms and rain didn’t eventuate. Saturday started out fine so off we went west. As it turned out we left the hail behind.

Next post gets us to the west MacDonnell ranges and Hermannsburg. After losing interwebbythingy connection whilst trying to post this post I’m stuffed from trying to generate enough power so its beddybyes time now. If I don’t post it right now it might get lost.