Part 2
26th of May 2012 Evening
Suzies daughter, Emillie living in Alice Springs called over with Shane her partner, to take us out for dinner in town. On our way to the charming very authentic Italian restaurant in town Casa Nostra, they showed us the sites of Alice Springs, the places not to go or park ect! Very interesting evening for sure, many many stories later, not sure this is a town I’m to keen to explore! Shane showed us his amazing photos he takes, super talented, the photos of the Alice springs airport in covid times are ridiculous, many many planes being stored out here, due to the perfect conditions. His photos of the night sky and his camel he sees daily are beautiful! Thank you Emillie and Shane for a fun night in Alice!
27th of May 2021
Today was a big adventure day! Out to the West MacDonald ranges leaving at 9-am.
First stop Ormiston Gorge wow 😯 Stunning all to ourselves, very tranquil and now see the places my parents art work was from. We did the many stairs up to the lookout well worth the trek up the hill!
Second stop today a quick look at Serpentine gorge but in a hurry kept going to Ellery Creek Big Hole, here we lucked up to be the only ones at the gorge for an hour or so, enough time to have a picnic on our own amongst the sounds of the birds, magical moment in time!
Next! Standley Chasm a little commercial or landscaped pathway into a very spectacular chasm. Worth the stop for sure!
Beautiful scenery along the drive out here today, blue skies along the mountain ranges!
Last stop today was the Simpson Gap, a little cool here by mid afternoon, but could see what a fun place to be here on a hot day this would be, let alone again stunning. I need to find more words to express how beautiful these places really are!
Note – Stopped on the way home at an IGA for some groceries, thought it was in a nicer area, nice school, houses nearby. Peter stayed in the car, I went in and did the quickest shop of my life! Almost ran back to the car, Peter was on the phone to Carole, I was quick get the F out of here, few dodgy looking people around! Next morning we drove past, the IGA had police crime scene tape around it and closed! Emillie told us there had been a stabbing the night before, not surprised!
Our new mates, Jen and Allan called over for dinner, as the caravan park has a pancakes and strawberries truck nightly, so we had them for desert, very yummy! We made plans for the next day for a four wheel trek to Palm Valley.
28th of May 2021
This morning we met Jen and Allan, out on the highway at 8:30am for the drive out to Hermmansburg, to purchase our permit to go out to Palm Valley, Aboriginal land.
A permit is required to visit any Aboriginal land in the Northern Territory. The permit system helps to protect and preserve the privacy and culture of Aboriginal communities, look after the natural environment and keep visitors safe. In some cases, multiple permits are required when travelling one road that passes through more than one council region. You must carry your permit at all times when on Aboriginal land. So off on our adventure to Palm Valley, with out Permits!
Onto the start of the track into Palm Valley to let the tyres down. The track in wasn’t to bad just a few challenging potholes, Peter had a ball as did Allan who hadn’t ever taken his car four wheel driving.
Palm valley was definitely worth the long drive from Alice Springs. We did the longer walk and was not disappointed, the views up high picture postcard! Really happy we got to venture out here, as again we only passed one other couple on the track!
After our walk around Palm Valley we had a really nice picnic, bbq lunch and all really happy with the adventure out here!
Back in Alice Springs, we stocked up at Woolworths and BWS – police guard at the bottle shop for ID! Peter bought two slabs of Carlton draught in a shopping centre in the middle of town, so I was his security guard to the car! Back at our van we had a couple of drinks with Jen and Allan to go over the day we had at Palm Valley, said our goodbyes til the next time we may meet again on the road.
29th of May 2021
Off today early, as Carole gave us a wake up text at 6:30am, on our way to Devils Marbles. Fuelled up and on the road by 8am, stopped along the way first at Ti-Tree. We heard at the Standley’s Chasm, In Ti-tree you could buy freshly made mango amazing ice cream, we sailed by the mango farm, so missed it. Tried in town first at the petrol station, then a little shop to no luck. We did get to see a funny site, a commodore car with the back window out of it, every bumper off, no trimming left in the car, some guy asleep in the back seat, pulled up at the shop with a bunch of people jump out! Peter so wished he could of got a photo, classic sight!
Another stop on the Amazing Nomad Race today was the once was worth a stop, until United Petrol stations bought it, Wycliffe Well Holiday park, has seen better days! Funny thing here is we all stop do a loop hoping for all we’ve read about, then take off like no tomorrow for the golden ticket to a site at the Devils Marbles Camping ground!!!!!!
We arrived just in time for a camp spot (golden Ticket) at Devils Marbles, only four sites left at the ridiculous price of $6:50 for the night! Straight away we spotted Fi and Pat whom we had met at kings Creek. Set up and straight out the door for a hike around Devil Marbles, crazy sight to see these huge marble shape rocks in the middle of nothing land. Saturday night here and Peter had his drinking boots on for sure, and had a mate to play up with, amongst the serious Grey Nomad set. Lights where well and truly out round the camp, which upsets Peter beyond belief! Pat and Peter where like naughty school boys drinking behind the vans. I went back to our van to cook dinner, Peter stayed on and came home with a yummy noodle dish from Fi, with a note from Pat!
30th of May 2021.
Now I’m really starting to feel like I’m in the Grey Nomad Society Amazing Race! After leaving Alice Springs to secure a site at Devils Marbles, today is quick leave early for either Banka Banka, or Daley Waters! With Pat and Fi staying at Banka Banka, we stopped to check the station out. It’s really a nice station stop over and yes I failed here, should of allowed a night for here.
Saying our goodbyes to a couple of fun people, on our way to Daley Waters Pub, with all the other mob on the road. Amazing Race Moment – we are nice people we take our turn, not a grey Nomad but a young Cool family fly into Daley Waters pass us and wifeee jumps out of the car as fast as she can run, into secure a spot ahead of me! Rude rude rude – Peter was fuming at the shear rudeness! But suffer to her us Grey not so Grey nomads have $$$$ we got primo spot as we saw the shit unpowered spots out the back bumper to bumper, paid the extra!!!!!!! Lucky to get a decent spot here by mid afternoon, our longest drive for a while. A look around the eclectic town, at the collections everywhere, and funny sites to see. The big guy who drives a scooter thing around with his beautifully trained horse following him without any lead. He introduces his horse to children and the horse bows, and is known to walk through the bar. The bar was as I expected full of bras, old t-shirts, cards anything really! We later went into the pub for a drink. But outside the septic tank was struggling, it stank! So we sat by our van for a while, then went back into the pub for dinner, Barra and Steak night! Apparently legendary! We sat with a couple from south Australia, Verity and Adam who where set up in their van beside us, another nice couple. There was a band playing, the girl had a fantastic voice, as they sang Australian songs only. As we left while she was in between songs, she yelled out “are you guys going off for a foursome?” Not impressed with that comment in front of everyone!
31st May 2021
Amazing Race day three! The race to secure a spot at Mataranka as no bookings can be made! We’re getting earlier leaving now 7am!
Stop off at the so called Larrimah pub, no one around for a cup of coffee. (Again this place has seen better days!) no Coffee here!, So back on the road to Mataranka by 9am and we scored our best caravan site yet beside the river at Bitter Springs Cabins and Camping Park. No mucking around here, set up and we went straight down to the Bitter Springs with a nice bunch of kids from the caravan park to show us the ropes! Noodles in hand and it was sooooooooo relaxing 😎 happy days!!! We did 4 circuits and be back for more later. Bitter springs is a natural swimming hole.
We went for a drive to check out Mataranka resort,springs! So happy we made a great decision. Bitter Springs kills Mataranka man made pool!!!
Peter had to get the new Milwake battery chain saw out, it’s been killing him he hadn’t had a fire yet! So tonight a fire by the river with dinner cooked on the coals!
We have had a really lovely restful day here floating in the Bitter Springs, feeling like we need another night here, it’s so good!
So I will post part 2 with photos to come of the springs taken on my go pro! Good night and Tina we are thinking of you, wishing you a speedy recovery! And hope the lockdown is over ASAP so everyone can fill their holiday plans! Xx 😘
