8:30am, Saturday the 14th July
On the road again, here we go on the road again, just can wait to get back on the road again….. We are heading into Alice Springs today, which unfortunately means we need to back track slightly as we are not willing to cross on unsealed roads – oh well.
Heading into Alice Springs we made a quick stop to the Cannonball Run memorial site, continuing on our journey Danger Dan sent us a text telling us that the Camel Cup was still on – we made a quick stop at the Camel Cup and even bumped into What’s Up Down Under star “Macca”. The camel cup was a very interesting event, no betting on the camels but you could take your chance on the Racing Ducks – which was more like a raffle but still very unique and animal friendly (DuckCup YouTube). The evening was enjoyed as we had our first outdoor camp kitchen BBQ together :-).
Sunday, we were informed that the Todd Mall Markets were on today, of course this is where we then spent the next 4 hours! Walking up and down the mall several times looking at the same stuff but always seeing something different, Belinda scored a very nice traditional piece of art, hand painted of course by a local lady (grandmother I think). We headed up to ANZAC Hill memorial that overlooks Alice Springs and is a great memorial for our ANZACs past and present. I captured a great sunset overlooking Alice Springs from this advantage point using my DJISpark, please remember that you must have a permit to fly a Drone anywhere in the Northern Territory. #AliceSpringsSunSet
The next day we had decided to go and check out the animals at Alice Springs Desert Park. The park was setup so you could wander around the park and every (approx.) 30 minutes a ranger would meet you at the next station to discuss and teach you about the subject – I say subject as it varies with Animals or traditional stories of the Desert Park. We learnt so much about the wildlife, Belinda and I really enjoyed learning about the traditional dreamtime of the land, how they hunted, ate and lived. It was the experience I was waiting for and this lead to Belinda and I deciding to stay an extra day to see if we could learn more. Unfortunately what we ended up finding out is that this is all still declared as Sacred Men’s or Women’s Business and is not discussed, the Aboriginals still annually partake in their traditions and culture but something we would not be able to see or learn about. Finishing off the desert park was our up close encounter with a Wedge Tail Eagle, such a fascinating bird of prey, well worth the $40 for the family. This was a very long day and we headed back to Mumma Bear’s campsite for our second BBQ meal. #DesertParkAnimals
Tuesday would see us travel out to Ormiston Gorge, Ochre Pits and Ellery Creek Big Hole all located in Tjoritja (West MacDonnell National Park). Click the links to view photos and raw drone footage :-). #PermitApproved
- Ormiston Gorge is important for plants and animals, many of which are only found in this location and are thought to be of a bygone era of tropical forests. This landscape is a significant culture of Aranda Aboriginals.
- Ochre Pits were mined for its different colours of ochre which was used for ointment, decoration for ceremonies, cave paintings and painted onto weapons to protect them from termites, but it was also traded with other aboriginal groups based on the rare colours found here.
- Ellery Creek Big Hole is a spectacular waterhole in the mighty Ellery Creek which cuts through a gorge in the West MacDonnell Ranges. Swimming is a popular thing to do at Ellery Creek as it has a sand like beach with clear water. Be warned though the water is very cold.
The day finished at Overlanders Steakhouse as a last supper with Danger Dan & Josh The Pilot leaving in the morning. Mumma Bear, Josh The Pilot and I treated ourselves and went for the Drovers Blowout menu. This allowed us to enjoy the tastes of Crocodile, Kangaroo, Buffalo and Wallaby (smoked).
As mentioned above, Belinda and I decided to stay an extra day but this meant we had to move parks, so we packed up the caravan and headed 5 minutes up the road to setup again at the Alice Springs showgrounds. Even though we had since learned we would not be able to experience a more traditional cultural experience it would be good to have a rest day before the drive home. Emily and I joined Mummar Bear & Papu heading out to Australia’s Largest Truck Museum, this was a great day and was well worth the drive and entry fee, if you like trucks. #TruckPhotos
In the end it was a fairly quiet day which is just what we needed for the journey home.
Our Aussie Family 