Aus Day 14 - Into "The Alice"

Sunday 3rd October Aus Day 14


Up at 07.00 and followed the usual routine of shower, and breakfast. This was followed by a quick update of my travel accounts (Yes, I know, boooorrrrring) and transmission of emails. I noticed while doing this that Ed Milliband has beaten his brother David for leadership of the Labour Party. David, not being a sore looser, immediately resigned from front line politics. Ahh, shame!!! Still, at least Ed Balls didn’t win.

Anyway, photographed the van on the site at Erldunda along with a cat which seemed to have befriended me, before I hit the road at about 09.30 after refuelling, with only the short hop of 200 kms to do to Alice Springs. Consequently, being Sunday, I was soon crawling along at a good 40 kph BELOW the speed limit. I was so excited when I got to the first rest area at 10.00 that I spent some time there videoing ants. Yes, that’s right, ants.

Van very pleasantly situated at Erldunda



Not MY Cat

Moving on from there I decided to excite you with a view of the terrain along the Stuart Highway:

Look to the future my son.

And then got so overwhelmed at seeing a rocky outcrop I had to stop and record it for posterity:

Rocky outcrop 58 kms north of Erldunda

Then at 10.50 I came across a real part of ancient history as I crossed the Finke River. Parts of this river bed date back some 350 million years and while it is often totally dry, at other times it becomes a raging torrent. However, today it just has a gentle stream running along the centre of the river bed:

Finke River where it is crossed by the Stuart Highway

Finke River - 350 Million years old?

About half an hour after moving on and just south of Stuart’s Well, I was attracted by a monument to a number of people who were killed on 24th May 1994 during the inaugural Northern Territory Cannonball Run. I feel sure that someone out there will know all about this event.

Cannonball Memorial

Just a little further was the Stuart’s Well Roadhouse which was founded by Jim Cotterill, the son of Jack Cotterill who had opened up tourism in the Kings Canyon. Parked out front is what remains of the Dodge Truck, Jack had used in his exploits in the 1960s. Oh! I also saw my first emu.

Dodge Truck Circa 1950s

Emu at Stuart's Well Roadhouse

Despite applying my very best Sunday driving techniques I was unable to prevent myself getting to Alice Springs by shortly after 13.00 so, I decided to do a bit of shopping before finding the Tourist Information Office and identifying the location of the most likely Caravan Parks. I eventually decide to go upmarket and went for the ‘Macdonnell Range Holiday Park.’ Having established location, I felt I still had plenty of time to do my first touristy bit and headed for Anzac Hill. I had been here before in February 2000 with my late wife Christine and I was keen to see if it still looked the same. Well the views over the town and surrounding hills were very familiar but unfortunately the Memorial itself was fenced off, presumably for restoration work.

View from Anzac Hill looking down Bath Street

JB on Anzac Hill

Anzac Hill looking towards Mt Gillern

Once I back at the Caravan Park which, not only had a very pleasant site for me but also a usable pool into which I felt obliged to plunge and I got some very obliging German chap to take the following photo as evidence. Following which I was compelled to relax with a beer while sunning myself outside the van.

Quick dip anyone?

How about a beer then?

Well that’s about all there is to report today apart from the usual Blog draft and the continuing infernal saga of the damned frustrating Internet, Skype connection. As you may be able to tell, it didn’t perform too well this evening. Still, I suppose one has to remember what the likes of Stuart and other pioneers had to contend with and take it all with a pinch of salt. Anyway, I am sure that I can hear that character Zebedee about to spring out with his usual cry of “and so to bed.”