Alice Springs Part 1

The first day at Alice was spent stocking up on everything that we needed.  It feels like it has been ages since we were in a town of substantial size.  Well...I guess that I class a town as substantial if it has a McDonalds.  I know right?  Strange...but that's how I roll.  

Ebony enjoyed a play on the playground and a dip in the pool with mum and dad.  The mercury reached a balmy 25 degrees here in the afternoon, (I can feel the hatred from my fellow Victorians) so we felt that was enough.  It sure felt a lot warmer due to the fact that we are accustomed to Ballarat weather.  A quick visit to the information centre for some local tourist knowledge and paraphernalia followed by a much needed bath for the Prado finished off a rather uneventful but restful day.  

The following morning after some delicious bacon and eggs for breakfast we drove a short distance to the Alice Springs Desert Park. Ebony just loves animals and this place offered her a world of excitement and wonder.  The park is set up to emulate different types of natural desert habitats and each showcases various forms of flora and fauna that inhabit them.  

Ebony enjoyed walking around and seeing all of the different desert dwelling animals including kangaroos, lizards, perenties, bats, bandicoots and bilbies to name a few.  One particularly memorable part of the visit was the 45 minute Birds of Prey show where a local ranger showcased a number of native raptors and their fascinating lifestyles.  The way that these birds circled and flew around the crowd of onlookers was just amazing.  

After a further look around the park we returned to the van for lunch.

Now picture this:  

The year is 1970.  Two Aussie mates; Noel Fullerton and Keith Mooney-Smith had a particular feud that had lasted some time.  To settle this feud once and for all, Noel challenges Keith to a duel...with the weapons being....huh??? Camels?  Yes, you read that right...camels!  Noel wrote to the local press inviting them to attend. Thus began the inaugural Alice Springs Camel Cup. Since then the event has attracted a range of sponsors including XXXX Beer, Southern Cross Australia and Apex Group Australia.  The event attracts thousands of locals and tourists each year.  This year, the 46th  Camel Cup, had three Victorian tourists visit; Sarah, Ebony and Ryan.  

I didn't really know what to expect, but the trip to this extraordinary event was well worth it.  You see, camels have a reputation for being temperamental, fussy, disobedient and unpredictable.  (Kinda like Ebony at times...)  To see them being ridden by semi-serious "jockeys" around the track was nothing short of hilarious.  Some of the camels flat out refused to race and just sat, while others went in the wrong direction while the crowd cheered, laughed and generally enjoyed themselves.  It just so happened that this annual event coincided with our visit.  

The following morning the alarm sounded at 6:00am and then again 10 minutes later...

We had dedicated this day to exploring the West MacDonnell Ranges National Park and we were justly rewarded with more of Mother Nature's splendour.  

First stop was Serpentine Gorge where we got the hearts going with a 40 minute trek to the top of the lookout there.  It was a fresh morning, but great to see the sun rising over the mountain tops. 

The next stop was the Ellery Creek Big Hole and the Dolomite Walk.  This walk gets its name from the dolomite riddled peak of the mountain range that you traverse during the walk.  It is really interesting to note that the opposing mountains that you walk between are composed of very different materials even though they are so close together.  On one side there is the dolomite peak and the other, the red quartz that you see so often through the West MacDonnell Ranges.  The mixture of both of these mineral rich mountain areas has created the perfect soil composition for plant and therefore animal life in the area.  

Once we had finished convincing Ebony that it was too cold for a swim we headed off to Standley Chasm, which we had been informed that it was best to see between the hours of 11:00am and 1:00pm when the sun's position engulfs the sides of the chasm in different shades of red and orange.  Glad we made it too!  It was fascinating to see although a touch cold.  It did cost us $10 per adult to make the trek there, which I really hope the majority of goes to preserving the site.  

A quick lunch and we drove to Ormiston Gorge.  This was our second visit to the gorge, but we wanted to complete the Ghost Gum walk here as it is rated in one of the top 10 lookouts in Australia.  (I am unsure as to who actually rated it, so the validity of its rank may be questionable)

It turns out that, much to our delight, the walk was nothing short of spectacular.  The familiar feeling of awe and inspiration returned as we marvelled at yet another magnificent view.  The walk continued along the ridge and eventually returns through the centre rock bed of the gorge. Sarah rates Ormiston as her favourite so far, whereas I am thinking a close second to Kings Canyon.  Still, the trip was certainly worth it.  

The final stop before returning to the van was Simpsons Gap.  Thank goodness this walk was only about half a kilometre.  By this time both Sarah's and my legs were a little fatigued.  The gap is exactly that; a gap in the mountain.  Simple, but stunning.  The 50 - 60 metre high exposed faces of red rock make for a nice photo.  

We returned to the van at about 6pm.  All three of us tired, but elated.  Ebony had again impressed us with her interest in bushwalking and nature and also her behaviour all day.  Only a couple of complaints, but nothing major.  Go Eb!!! 

Tomorrow we are off to explore the Eastern counterpart of the MacDonnell Ranges and Central Australia's first town. 

To all teachers returning to work today - I hope today went well.  

More soon!