It's More Than Just a Rock

Escape from Alice

 



Serpentine Gorge

The sooner someone comes up with a credible alternative to Telstra the better. After being bent over and flogged by those morons, I then had to buy a new camera lens as the old one had seized completely. Significantly poorer, we left Alice only to fill up with diesel without using our 8c off coupon. We needed to save some money somewhere, things were looking dire.

 

Jo and Pete had told us of a free camp spot on the Serpentine River they’d been to with the best fireplace setup you could imagine. We found the place, but a weedy looking gent in a blue singlet had parked his van in it. Turned out the weedy gent (Roland) was leaving on a two day hike and had no problem with sharing his spot. The kids found Summer’s rock paintings and started working on an art shop of their own. We completed our Leonard homage by cooking Jo’s world famous Japanese pancakes (no bacon) on the hotplate.  Not a bad start.

 

 

Kids rock art

Redbank Gorge

 

When we found out we were only halfway up the fourth highest mountain in the northern territory, we almost turned back. I mean fourth, why bother? But we’d told Sara and Ivy that we’d be back in six hours, so we dithered on. Stopping regularly to take in the view, and eat something. Lunch at the top, bang on schedule, was shared with a group of mates from Perth, all turning 50. One of them looked like Liam Neeson.  Liam showed Oli and Ned the bird identification app on his iPhone, then we headed back down the hill.

 

On top of Mt Sonder

Fifteen minutes later, as we came over a crest, a little pink thing followed by a sleek black thing appeared like mirages in the desert. Ivy and Sara had decided they weren’t going to just sit, chat, and drink tea. They were climbing Mt Sonder too. And could they climb. It took the boys three hours, the girls did it in two. Smashed it. As Sara walked past a school group she overheard one girl saying, “Oh my God, I was like dying, and like, this little like, four year old with like, pigtails, like totally ran past me up the mountain... “

Ned working on his circus tricks

 

Palm Valley

 

The idea was that this would be a two week trip. The only written in stone thing was that we had to have a fire for Ned’s birthday on the 24^th and that he didn’t want to drive on that day. He got half his wish granted. We had presents in the morning, followed by Nutrigrain, and Nutella on crumpets then we got into the car.

The best birthday cake ever

The Palm Valley campsite was pretty full, but we managed to grab a site next to the least popular communal camp fire. Ned had a cake Sara created out of three dozen jam and cinnamon donuts. We still had time for a hike to temporarily dampen the cumulative effects of a day of junkfood. Gnocchi with pesto for dinner followed by more donuts and soft drink. Not sure how Neddy got to sleep, but he seemed pretty happy.

 

Kings Canyon

 

Palm Valley

The 4WD trip into Palm Valley was pretty rugged, but worth it. We packed, ate more donuts, and headed off to Kings Canyon. A dusty, overpriced site awaited. After dinner, we listened to Dave from Armadale’s story. Not much that bloke hasn’t done. Currently he’s taking his precocious 6 year old on a two week trip living out the back of his carpeting truck. She and Oli played a lot of soccer.

 

Kings Canyon

We also met up with Tracey, Wilhelm and Daniel from Dandenong. Oli had met Daniel at a pancake breakfast, and subsequently lost all the apps on his iPod due to the failure of some software app scam that Daniel said would get free stuff. Now Daniel is friends with Ned. We ended up hiking around King’s Canyon with them, and I would have to say it was one of the best walks I have done ever.

 

Us and a bloddy big rock

Uluru

 

The moon sliding down the rock

It’s a bloody big rock. It is very impressive. It invites you to climb it, with a chain that goes up its most accessible face. I climbed it when I was 13, Sara did too. The local’s wishes weren’t considered then. Now they are to a point; they’d prefer you didn’t climb. We didn’t, but plenty of others did and I can’t blame them while the chain remains. It is still there only because it brings in money to the tour companies and they have strong lobbyists. Remove the chain and you remove the dilemma. Simple.

 

Instead I ran around the rock a couple of times in the morning; that was really special. We all did various hikes, and also went out to Kata Djuta where I bumped into my American surfing buddy from Margaret River! There was plenty for the kids to do; they painted and danced and learnt a lot. Calling Uluru Australia’s Mecca is wrong, however it certainly is a place of great power that demands respect. You can only understand that if you stop and give yourself time to soak the place in. We were lucky to have that time.

 

 

In the middle of Australia

Simpson Desert

 

The further we go off track, the more we’d like to do. Only a distaste for driving long distances on bumpy roads gets in our way. It is highly unlikely Sara will ever cross the Simpson. We did get close however. We stopped at Lambert’s Corner in the absolute geographical centre of Australia. We met Don and Leonie from Lake Boga via Richmond, and yes Wayne, they know Jules. From there it’s not far to Dalhousie Springs. I couldn’t tolerate the 40 degree water for more than 5 minutes, but the kids looked like albino prunes when they eventually came out.

 



We had planned to go back to Alice via Chambers Pillar, but the drive was wearing a little thin and the car’s suspension had started to play up, with one of those dreaded amber lights accompanied by a “ping” popping up too regularly. We walked through an abandoned homestead, viewed a stand of Australia’s rarest trees, made a coffee, and barrelled back to Kimmy and Hawks vs Eagles on the telly.

 

Landrover Discovery’s

 

Back to Alice and its Big 4 caravan park, home of the Sunday pancake feast. It looked like we were going to make our fourth one of these too, and if so, I was going to have a serious crack at the record of 14 in one sitting. Luckilly for the pancake makers, Neil the mechanic turned out to be honest and really good at what he does. Usually not ideal for a mechanic in a semi-remote location, but happily so for us.

 

Fancy schmancy airbag computer sensor issues sorted, we returned the very ordinary Mitsubishi Outlander, numberplate iDud, and left the Big 4 for the last time, sending the bill to our dear friends at RACV insurance. We were leaving the centre, and heading north into the sun. First stop was to be Australia’s UFO capital, Wyecliffe Wells. Beam us up Scotty!!

 

H