It was very difficult to get out of bed again this morning. Partly for the cold, but mostly for the aches and pains of the big day yesterday. We knew that we had to follow a strict timeline to get to Yulara today, so we were up and into breakfast without much ado. I had some fun with the kids, as we had visitors last night. Dingo tracks all around the caravan. There is a very real threat now that if they misbehave, they can stay outside with dingoes...MWAHAHAHA!
Seriously though, we hitched up and had planned to do both Ormiston Gorge, and Stanly Chasm today on the way back into Alice Springs. I checked our thermometer and we again had a 1 Deg C morning at 0700, so it was going to be another bracing day. Beanie in place and jacket on, we got underway.
Ormiston Gorge was quite pretty in the morning light. We walked painfully up the 246 steps to the lookout where we lingered for a while. Unfortunately most of the gorge was still in the shadow of morning, and the colours didn't really come to life. Lisa was excited at the prospect of seeing wild budgies, but I think they were all fluffed up in their hidey holes. The only wildlife that we saw was our mate By Jingo Dingo who the kids howled at. He walked up and down the riverbank looking for the source of the howling, until we left him to his peace and quiet for the day.
We saw a lot of beautiful ghostly gums all around the Ormiston Gorge, and I couldn't help but think of the Seekers Song "I am Australian." Yesterday we Drove on Namitjira Drive and dined in the Namitjira gallery, and then there was also the thought of Midnight Oil, as we saw the Bloodwood, the Desert Oak, Holden Wrecks but no boiling diesel, and no 45 Degrees, but 3 out of 5 aint bad.
We went on to Stanley Chasm, and noticed the smoke from the highway, but it was too late after I had turned onto the access road to return to the highway, so we drove like morons into a bushfire. At least I thought we were stupid until we got to the parking lot to turn around and hightail it out of there.
The car park was full of cars, tour buses and more stupid people than us with their cameras out photographing the flames as they came over the hill being fanned by strong winds. I was still shaking my head in disbelief when I almost plowed into the back of some complete idiot who had parked just around a blind corner, blocking the road over a hill crest so he could also take photos of the raging bushfire that was only 20m away. What's wrong with some people?
We gave up on Stanley Chasm and went into Alice Springs for Fuel, supplies, food etc...and managed to drive out of town at 1230 munching on some delicious pies from Wicked Kneads Pie Purveyors.
The drive out to Yulara was fairly uneventful, and we managed to snap some photos of Mt Conner on the way in...This is the fake Ayers Rock (obviously). Finally the monolith rose from the ground in front of us and was changing colours magnificently in the evening light as we arrived at the camp ground. We have all had a good feed, and will be eager to make a tilt at climbing the rock tomorrow. I hope the winds stay calm. The kids all want to try including Rowan. So luck to as all I say.
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