The Mayne Adventure: December 2010

We are adding stickers as we speak!

Well well well, I must say. It took us a full 1160km driving before we finally got distracted from our mission to drop down the Stuart Highway. For my last post of the year 2010, you dear friends are in for a treat (if you enjoy reading...if not, the photos should keep you entertained)

Firstly, let me start by saying we did the right thing by staying in Katherine for Christmas. We had a fabulous time, and Caleb needed the extra week for car maintenance as well as packing the van all ready to go. My last week at work was great, and I will miss the wonderful people I worked with at Roper Gulf. Check out my goodbye gift - they knew me enough to know I'm a complete sweet tooth!

Peter and Caron - Katherine
Baptist

Christmas day itself started as all Christmas Days in Australia should - presents! Yes I know, it's the birthday of our Lord and Saviour, and that should probably come first, but since there were no parents telling us 'You can't have presents until after Church' we hooked in. Thanks to family who sent stuff to Katherine - it was great to have a reminder that our families were gathering without us but we were still included. That day we had lunch with a lovely family we have met in the Katherine Baptist, as well as pastor Peter and his wife Caron. I would really like to take this opportunity to thank the Katherine Baptist for welcoming us with open arms and giving us a home away from home with our Christian brothers and sisters.

So then, on to it. The plan was this: drive down the Stuart Highway (armed with Chilli spray given to us by one of Caleb's conerned customers) until we hit cooler a cooler climate. We would stop in Daly Waters to check out the WW2 stuff, which we did. No point stopping in Alice Springs, as it is the middle of nowhere, and in the desert, and the desert on a Summer's day is NOT a place we really wanted to be, with 50 degree heat and all.

GUESS AGAIN.

Devil's Marbles - in Boom Time!

Our journey took us past the Devil's Marbles, just below Tennank Creek where we stopped for a bite and we were astounded to realise, that the landscape was pretty green for the desert. We had fun walking around the marbles and even managed to spot a god looking dingo. Caleb, always telling me off for my naivety, asked a lone German backpacker to have a bite with us - I said to check the back of his car to make sure there was no axe present while planning in my head how to get hold of the chilli spray - however, Caleb's instincs served him well, we had a great conversation with this lone German.

And back to it, we hit the road yet again. We made it to a rest stop 30km north of Alice Springs, right on the Tropic of Capricorn where we just crashed. We had driven 1135km, at 80km/hour. It kind of takes it out of you.

The next day we woke up to the most pleasant morning we have had for the past three months. Warm, a breeze blowing and no humidity. It was beautiful. After changing the oil and then getting to Alice, we figured hey, this isn't too bad, we could check out the Macdonnell Ranges if this weather keeps up! So....that's what we did. Got a touch distracted, and headed out to the West MacDonnell Ranges for a few days.

How incredible. Now, I should tell you that the nice guy in the info center informed us that the Alice region has had 7-8 times its annual rainfall this year. This means that the desert is in Boom Time - everything looks green and lush (even though its still dry as anything, and if you look closely you can see the red sand). But the spinifex is green not brown, and there are millions of birds. And, just a point we found interesting, who knew that budgies were a desert bird? There were hundreds of them, thousands that we heard and saw, it was great!

We camped at Ormiston Gorge for a few nights, absolutely beautiful. We got up early and did a 7km walk before the heat of the day (smart move). On this walk I was blown away by the awesome scenery of the ranges. We walked around some hills and came in to the gorge from the back - then we had to swim accross the river to get to the path on the other side, which was actually really refreshing. The dry bag given to Caleb came in REAL handy here! (It saved my camera)We also checked out all the other gorges and waterholes in the area, then hoofed it 219km down the Merenie Rd (I don't think that's how you spell it sorry) to Kings Canyon.

Now, I'm not a gambler, but let me tell you the story of the bet. On our way to Kings Canyon we took yet another detour to Palm Valley in the Finke River National Park. We left the van at Glen Helen because we knew this road was 4WD. Well, the sign on the road in said clearly, in bold and highlighted yellow 'SEVEAR 4WD TRACK'. The NT doesn't tend to muck around about things like that - if a sign says a road is ordinary, then it's ordinary. About, half way along the track, we hadn't even had to slow down, Caleb says:

"I bet this isn't real 4WD. I bet we don't even need 4WD!"

I look ahead and see a patch of sand. "What do you want to bet?" says I

"Ok then, what are the stakes Lisa?'

"An ice cream. If we have to use 4WD we get an ice cream in Alice Springs. If we don't, well, you're playing for bragging rights and we don't have to spend that money!"

"Ok then!" And we hit the sand, which was met with a resounding "If I hadn't made that bet, I would have put it in 4WD!" to which I responded:

"You can't not put it in 4WD to prove a point, we need to be safe! If we get stuck because your trying to prove a point, it's two ice creams!!"

Needless to say, this prodding went on for a while, with me saying, "I think you need 4WD" a couple of times, until we hit a rocky hill that while not huge, was steep and ditchy and Caleb relented. Woohoo! Ice creams today!

On the Rim of Kings Canyon

We had a great time at Palm Valley, an oasis in the desert - a valley filled with palms. We did the walk in the heat of the day (stupid idea) and had a bit of fun 4WD on the rocks.

Then, WOW. We arrived at Kings Canyon. Here, we got up at 5am (this was yesterday by the way) to do a 6km Rim walk. We had to climb to the top of the canyon and walk all the way around and it was just spectacular. I'm sure as far as canyons go, Kings is pretty tame, but the landscape is filled with domes that look like something out of Indianna Jones. We then walked up the canyon itself along the creek.

Redbank

Once this hike was completed, we hoofed it back to the MacDonnels and entered the fabled Red Bank Gorge. Now, Redbank is narrow - so narrow that the sunlight doesn't hit the water at all, meaning that water is deep and coold. We walked there, 1.2km (me stupidly in thongs) over rocks and sand and virtually no shade along the way. We did this at about 2:30pm - the heat of the day. We got to the gorge, not much shade once again, we ate and just jumped into the water. Needless to say we weren't too fussed about the coolness of the water! (being Summer, it wasn't as cold as it normally gets - we reckon we've been in colder water) We swam right to the end which was awesome.

After than nice swim, we drove back to Alice Springs and just crashed at a van park. Caleb has some maintenance he would like to do on the car and I thought I would fill you in on our latest adventures! We were so very tired last night though, and it was rather hot for most of the night - we had to resort to a wet teatowl over us during the night! This being said, however, it was much more bearable than a build up in Katherine with NO air conditioning - a wet tea towl would have done zip there!

This morning, I am in the camp kitchen, my lap top plugged into a power point here with grungy looking backpackers milling about having breakfast and speaking German. Europeans come here for the heat - idiots! (I guess, it would be pretty cold over there at the moment...) Caleb and I now call them 'butter-beans'. Europeans are everywhere! You can tell - they are the ones with the rented vehicles with logos on the side...Not to mention the FLIES everywhere...but I am maturlly ignoring them for the time being. I am about to add more photos to the blog, and I have added more to Flickr - check them out if you have time! Facebook will have some as well...eventually today!

Until next adventure comes unexpectedly out of the blue (either East MacDonnells or Uluru...) keep safe and true, and I hope your Christmas great and I'll see you soon!

Well my fellow Australians, I thought, being another lazy Saturday morning of having husband at work and me....shopping with no money....I thought I would fill you in on the weeks that have been, and the weeks that will follow, as I can feel a change in the wind, the tides are about to turn, and we are about to turn a corner (quite literally).

Straight off the point though, I may not get another opportunity, (although knowing me I probably will) to wish you all out there, ether friends who are reading this blog, a very, Merry Christmas! I hope it is not too much of a stress, and your times is well spent and you remain safe on the roads! One good thing about Katherine Christmas is that people dissappear once school ends, so there is completely no shopping stress.

So to it - the weeks that were.

We have met some terrific people at Katherine Baptist Church who have welcomed us with open arms, and allowed us to get to know them during our time in Katherine. We have had some terrific social time with RAAF families, the pastor and his wife and some of the true Katherine locals who have given us tales of the Katherine '98 floods, and life in general. We have had a tour of the Tindal RAAF base, saw some jets, been told about local fishing spots and generally been wonderfully welcomed by the people of Katherine Baptist, which has been a real blessing.

Our work has been really rewarding in Katherine. Last night, we had two Christmas parties to go to - one for Caleb's work and one for mine! Both were terrifically fun. We have both learned a lot at our workplaces in Katherine, Crowhurst Engineering and Roper Gulf Shire Council about Katherine, communities and the Northern Territory. In case you are interested, here is a link to the Roper Gulf website. It has been a terrific place to work and get to know people and communities.
However, despite our warm welcome in Katherine, we are both pretty keen to stretch the rubber on the tyres once again (although, not stretch them much, as we desperately need new ones, and a busted tyre is not something you want in the middle of no-where down the Stuart) so we have decided to take off around Christmas time. So this weekend and next weekend will be devoted to readying the car and the van for the big drop south. The Stuart is the road for us, with the goal of a Summer section of our holiday in South Australia and south-western Western Australia. Our aim is Exmouth (Ningaloo Reef) by February, and to find work in the south-western corner by late Feb in time for university to start. That's right, as if the stress of constantly being on the road wasn't enough, I am enrolling in my final year of study as well.

So forgive me if the posts begin to dwindle, but at least you won't be berated with benine chit-chat and ramblings about the weather. In the weeks to come will be a Merry Christmas...and a Happy New Adventure!