Reismee English. Back to, the comfy world.

From Kings Canyon we drove in one straight line to Alice Springs. We had some thoughts about going up there or not, because we could only go up and down on the same road. If we wanted to go on a different road we had to go to Tennant Creek and from there to Katherine up north via Queensland towards Sydney. This would take months or driving every day between 300 till 400 kilometers and no time to enjoy the surroundings.

Alice is for just like Adelaide one of the towns where we started our trip in 2010, and were they took us on a tour. We wanted to see Alice and the area at our own pace time. So we drove the 700 km to the Family Park campsite just on the outskirts of town. During the trip we stopped over a big Shell servo with roadhouse where they are breeding Emu’s as well. It is very noticeable because there must have been a million flies.

In Alice we booked five nights so we had plenty of time to roam around. The next day we court up with Rhys & Amy again who spent one of the days with us. Early in the morning we drove to a meteorite crater “Namatjira” who hit the planet about 300 till 400 million years ago and left a lot of evidence behind. It is a wonder we can still see these after all those years. Up to Glen Helen, a Gorge and waterhole with lots of green. When we drove in to the parking lot a Gala came out of the trees and landed on the hood of the car, then jumped on the mirror and with a piece of cookie she came to sit on my hand and shoulder. She was tame it was unbelievable and just fun to have her with you. During our entire stay in the Gorge, along the river and in the pub she stayed with me and asked for attention from me. She even tried to drink my iced coffee. The owner of the pub said I could take her with me if I wanted he did not like her at all.

Just before we got into the car she took off into the trees and when we drove of she‘d already found another victim. (on the Facebook page from Els there is a movie about this to see).

The Ormiston Gorge was next. This is a big waterhole between the rocks and mountains were we went to very briefly in 2010, now with plenty of time we went swimming there for a while. Even dough it was cloudy all day already and it stated to drip a bit, but we had fun.

Up to the “Ochre Pits”, which belong to the local Aboriginals. Here they fetch the colors they need for the paintings. We are not allowed to take anything from here so we just going to have to live with the photos we took from the cliff with all the colors from white to purple at the edge of a dry river bed.

“Ellery Creek Big Hole”, is the next stop for us. It looks like this spot would look terrific in the full sunshine and you are allowed to swim here as well because they have no problems here with the green flat snout teckels.

After tis long break and lots of photos we moved back to Alice to end the day.

On other day we went to the Capricorn just like we did in Rockhampton. We gave the Royal Flying Doctors a visit, the grave of Ref Flynn who stared up de RFD. We also went to one of the last parts of road without a speed limit for a couple of hundred kilometers.

In Alice we bought some paintings direct from the artist and we bought some in a gallery. After a rainy night we moved on to Coober Pedy, this is were the bad weather caught us up and we got stuck for four nights. (read the story about “news Flash Flush”)

Via Coober Pedy to Port Augusta and in one straight line and drive to Broken Hill to get out of this bad weather spell. It took a lot of km but besides one little bit of rain it seems to be stabilized now. It is sunny, nice and warm but no more 40 degrees like the last weeks.

After a couple of night at the campsite there, a service on the wheel bearing and brakes from the van, we went out with Joannah and Donny. They took us to Mundi Mundi for a sunset and picnic with their lovely two daughters, Jezebel & Jaidelyn. Unluckily there was a slight overcast so no sunset but it was just so good to be with them at Mundi Mundi. On our trip, back to town in the pitch dark of the night, the roe’s where jumping all over the place and over the road as well. I managed to miss about ten of them in the beginning until one Big Grey of 1,80mtr jumped in from of the bullbar which I could not avoid any more, he fell down and I made my first casualty this trip. Just imagen we travelled more than 41.000 km with only hitting a bird so far I managed to miss out on all those big things on the road, this time, well bad luck.

Next day we wanted to visit Silverton and a bit further was the hit, so we went to have a look at the road kill, yes he died on the spot.

We spent some lovely day / nights with Donny & Joannah and kids and slept in the bed of Jaidelyn. We laughed, we ate leek, we sink a couple and we talked till late at night. Thanks guys we enjoyed every minute with you. We will be back!

Silverton has still some population but not much, it is very photo genetic and has a lot of memories from the past but also from the movie Mad Max which was partly made up there.

The old pub has the atmosphere from the past a long, long, time ago. The photos on the walls show you the past till the present and even the crew from the movie stayed there as well.

On Sunday the 20^th of March we hit the road again and ended up in Mildura where we are booked in for four nights to straighten tings out a bit. Because, between Broken Hill and here we run twice into a swarm big grasshoppers, and they made a mess out of the car and the van. The swarm both lasted for at least ten minutes each.

I would like to get even with the stories on the blog and still have to process about 10.000 photos on the hard disk.

We also going to meet up with some friends the coming days, Lynn and John (from the beginning of our trip) and Rhys & Amy who are on the road to Mildura and are likely to get here this week.

The Holden Rodeo is sold since last night and is going to Canberra after our trip, bit funny if you think about it, we bought it in Fyshwick just next to Canberra drove more than 41.000 km with it and it ends up back where it started.

Dear follower, this is it for a while, the next story will most probable come from Canberra.

Cheers, The Downunders.