Around Alice Springs

We have a few days in the East Macdonnells - more natural beauty and my favourite campground so far. Large, spread out spots, a non-smelly long drop, communal fire pit and convivial fellow campers, and plenty of walking. $3.30 each a night…

Back in Alice we ride to Simpsons Gap 

And then it's the beanie festival - the reason we're doing this trip 😀. 5 days of volunteering, workshops and fun

Uluru to Alice

We are so lucky to see the rock while it's raining 

 

The colours really do change during sunset

The Field of Lights is 5 football fields and 500km of optic fibre cable, a year long installation

 

No, we didn't climb it, but chose to respect the owners' wishes not too. It was a great ride around instead

Lots of rock art

Kata Tjuta is equally impressive

Kings Canyon rim walk is our favourite so far, up steep rock steps to start, then past amazing scenery and permanent waterholes

It's about 150 km of corrugated dirt to the West Macdonell Ranges. There's a few holes for dust to get inside the van, nothing that tape and silicon won't fix…

More amazing sights at Redbank Gorge, we survive the Mt Sonder walk ok, with just a few sore muscles the next day

A swim in the very cold water at the bottom is very welcome!

 Ormiston Gorge has more beautiful scenery, walks and waterholes. 

We have thunder storms for 2 nights, which makes for a few river crossings on the way to Alice Springs. Only 400mm deep but flowing strongly.  

We don't know till we arrive just how bad the storms are - lots of hail damage and a flowing Todd River. 

Melbourne to Uluru

The house sitters are in, and we're off!

First day of winter: 20* in Port Augusta

The inland lakes have water

There's lots of nothing, and plenty of places to enjoy it

Dinner by firelight

Coober Pedy

Yay!