Wycliffe Well - Daly Waters

The Devil playing with her marbles!!

DAY 21 – WYCLIFFE WELL – DALY WATERS                                                           Saturday, 23^rd July

Man!  My hubby is a taskmaster!  I thought holidays meant sleep-ins.  Clearly I am on the wrong holiday!  Up at 6am this morning to pack up so that we could get to the Devil’s Marbles (about 100kms south of Tennant Creek) for sunrise.  Absolutely spectacular.  The kids loved running through the rocks and discovering different angles for Mummy’s photos.  I had no idea they were so extensive.  I thought it was just a few rocks clumped together but it is spread over a number of acres.  So we had a great discussion led by our “frustrated-geologist-Daddy” about sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks, because all the boulders are granite.  Am sure some of this will infiltrate the kids’ brains and magically come out in Year 9!

We were very glad that we did not stay at Tennant Creek for the night.  Although we did go and visit the Christ the King Catholic Church which was moved here from Pine Creek in 1936.  It was brought on three trucks, unfortunately during the wet season.  The first made it through, the second upturned in a creek near Daly Waters and the third waited in Pine Creek for the dry season to commence.  It was known as the “longest church in Australia” because its front door was in Tennant Creek, its back door in Pine Creek and its side wall scattered over Daly Waters!!  We prayed for all of you there.  Except for the Gordons.  Another unsuccessful geocache.

Of course we dawdled a little too long in Tennant Creek so did not make it to Daly Waters in time to get a powered site.  This little city chick was not happy.  Hubby did manage to sneak a hose to some vacant tap somewhere but no electricity which meant no microwave, no kettle, no toaster, and no lights!!  But we did go and listen to some music in the pub for a while, while the kids did their journals (plied with promises of a softdrink).  The Daly Waters pub is a sight to behold, with ladies underwear displayed all around, notes of all currencies stapled around the bar and a sign saying that it was the shortest lived and most remote McDonald’s outlet in Australia – lasted only for a day.  (I think it was for some charity event).  After putting the kids to bed we went back to listen to “Chilli” the comedian who was very funny.  And also very moving.  He sang and explained about Paul Kelly’s song “From Little Things, Big Things Grow” about Vincent Lingari and the Vestey’s.  It somehow meant a whole lot more when you are sitting out there in the middle of very large Northern Territory cattle stations and on Aboriginal land.  He also sung “I am Australian” which he said “was a song about every single one of us”.  It was beautiful.

Glen Helen Gorge to Wycliffe Well

DAY 20 – GLEN HELEN GORGE TO WYCLIFFE WELL                                            Friday, 22^nd July

Let me paint you a picture…  I am sitting here with my Jameson’s Run Cab Sav and some blue cheese, as the sun is quietly setting, watching the husband and children kick the football on the grass beside me.  Of course, we are in some weird town called Wycliffe Well which believes that aliens visit them from time to time and the park is full of statues of the Incredible Hulk, Elvis and other assorted weirdos!!  You are right … I need to fill up the glass! 

We were up early this morning and driving out of Glen Helen Gorge by 8am.  A long day in the car – 8 hours including stops to get to Wycliffe Well, driving back through Alice, passing through Aileron with the giant Aborigine and his wife and child, then on to Ti-Tree, Barrow Creek to Wycliffe Well.  All children need a really good shower and wash of the hair tonight!!  Things were grim at Glen Helen.  Hubby wants us up early to see sunrise at the Devil’s Marbles about 100 kms away.  Good luck with your project, I say!!!  J

Glen Helen Gorge (Ormiston Gorge & Redbank Gorge)

DAY 19 – GLEN HELEN GORGE (ORMISTON GORGE & RED BANK GORGE)              Thursday, 21^st July

Ormiston Gorge

Our babies at Ormiston Gorge

Sarah, the artiste!

Glen Helen Gorge

A relaxing morning with pancakes in bed for Mum (cooked by Chef David)!  We then went to Ormiston Gorge, where David worked in 1982.  He said it was very interesting to see the effect of tourism on the Gorge.  Many more made roads and walking tracks.  The walk down to Ormiston Gorge was just beautiful.  Magnificent River Red Gums everywhere and a beautiful sandy, rocky river bed.  The photos just don’t do it justice.  The beautiful gums against the red rock were just stunning. 

Out to Redbank Gorge for lunch!  This was a more difficult walk over the boulders in the river bed down to the waterhole at the end and the gorge itself.   Redbank Gorge is a very narrow gorge and David can remember being here in summer and swimming all the way down to the end and back again.  The kids have been amazing with their ability to keep walking each day for long periods of time.  The promise of a chocolate frog every now and then helps too!!

We came back for some “R and R” at the “resort” and to do some schoolwork.  Before dinner, we strolled down to Glen Helen Gorge itself.  With the setting sun on the red rock, it was absolutely spectacular.  A pair of Heron were sitting on the water as well as a flock of wild ducks, which stunned us.  We haven’t seen many water birds in Central Australia. 

Entertainment tonight in the bar was from Peter Skipson who played the guitar, singing some of his own compositions as well as some Eric Bogle and other assorted.  He is a photographer in his spare time and his photographs of Central Australia are nothing short of stunning.  Hard to explain but there is something special about listening to “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda” and a song about Bogabilla (being a Queensland girl) as you sit quite literally in the middle of Australia.

Alice Springs to Glen Helen Gorge

DAY 18 – ALICE SPRINGS TO GLEN HELEN GORGE                              Wednesday, 20^th July

We were able to have everyone fed and dressed and the entire van packed up including annexe and tent by 8:40 this morning which I think is a new record for packing up everything!!  Off to the Royal Flying Doctor Service Base in Alice Springs first, with the kids all laughing at Mum during the movie of the premature babies being flown through the outback!! What an amazing job they do!!  They do not get any government assistance for capital investment.  Each plane costs $6m and need to be replaced every 10 -15 years.  They currently have 40 planes and 940 staff.  They do such an amazing job with the help of many volunteers.  The kids were really interested in the pedal radio which revolutionised emergency calls as well as simple communication, especially for women isolated on remote stations in the 1930s.

From there we experienced a few disappointing “geocaching moments” – the Gordons will know what we mean – along the road to Glen Helen which did slow us down a bit.  My hubby just loves getting his family all scratched up on spinifex in the name of Geocaching!!!  We did stop at the Ochre Pits where the Aborigines collected and then traded different coloured ochre, some of which are used in women’s ceremonies and some in men’s ceremonies. 

My beautiful husband really wanted to come out to Glen Helen Gorge because this is also where he worked “all those years ago” with the Northern Territory Conservation Commission.  Well, you would think that he would know his wife a little better…  Glen Helen Resort – in the words of The Princess Bride “I do not think it means what you think it means”!!  Hardly a resort!!  Pretty basic.  No bread or milk.  VERY average amenities.  Bridget decided that she could do some Aboriginal drumming with a stick on a rock and put out a ring of stones saying “money”.  We didn’t really think that this was a great place for successful busking, but you have to admire her persistence! Despite it all, it was stunning going to the clothes line at 9pm and seeing the gorge rising up before us, with the beautiful star-filled sky behind it!

Alice Springs (Trephina Gorge and Arltunga)

DAY 17 – ALICE SPRINGS (TREPHINA GORGE AND ARLTUNGA)                   Tuesday, 19^th July

Again, a cold morning, but an absolutely stunning cloudless day with brilliant sunshine.  Off to Trephina Gorge this morning where David worked with the Northern Territory Conservation Commission back in the summer of 1981/82.  (Yes, I think I was just finishing Grade 4!!)  He is very excited about returning and seeing how much it has changed. 

Trephina Gorge was just stunning.  Just a short walk of a couple of kilometres on the plateau above the gorge with just stunning views out to the East.  We saw beautiful crested pigeons and many signs of other wildlife (lots of different poo!).  We then went down the gorge to the riverbed and there was enough water that we needed to take off our shoes and walk in the river back to the carpark.  The kids just had so much fun tying their shoes together and throwing them over their shoulders, walking through the sand and water, laughing at Mummy squealing with the cold!!  The River Red Gums along this sandy river bed are just stunning, especially set against the red rocky gorge.  The photos and my descriptions just won’t do it justice, I’m afraid.  Just so peaceful.  It was also the scene of our very first Geocaching experience (without the help of the Gordons, that is!). 

We then had to go into 4WD again for the trip out to Arltunga.  Although nothing like the 4WD driving we did yesterday the kids still loved driving through the creek beds and “Go Faster, Dad” was the chant from the petrol heads in the back!  Arltunga was the home of a minor gold rush in the 1880s.  It was amazing to hear of the men who pushed their wheelbarrows from Oodnadatta in South Australia all the way to Alice Springs and then out to Arltunga in pursuit of gold – a distance of more than 600kms.  Arltunga has virtually no water and so all goods brought into the settlement were transported from quite a distance away which made them very expensive.  The enormous difficulty of the lives of these, primarily, men was just stunning.  The crude houses built and the difficulty just surviving, let alone making a living, makes us all look a bit soft these days!

The caravan park has a “star talk” on Tuesday nights so the kids were able to hear from an astronomer and look through a big telescope at Saturn and its rings.

Alice Springs (Hermannsburg and Palm Valley)

DAY 16 – ALICE SPRINGS (HERMANNSBURG AND PALM VALLEY)              Monday, 18^th July

Up early and off to catch the ranger talk at Palm Valley by 10am.  The days are absolutely beautiful now and the kids are all in shorts and t-shirts for the first time today.  Very cold in the mornings and at night but stunning days with temperatures of about 20-22 degrees.  The drive from Hermannsburg to Palm Valley was absolutely amazing.  It was signposted as “Severe 4WD” which excited my husband no end!!  At first we were confused when it said 18kms to Palm Valley, allow three hours”.  Three hours to where we kept thinking?  The track was really four wheel drive!!  The kids bounced around the back of the car and squealed with delight when we went through the creek crossings!  Lots of testosterone!  Even had to go into LL gear!  Through creeks, along river beds, over huge rocks!  Occasionally, we were travelling at only 10kmph.  No wonder it was a three hour return trip.  Unfortunately, we realised there was no way we were going to make the Ranger Talk at 10am despite leaving at 8am.  When we arrived, it had been cancelled anyway!

We took the 2km walk around the plateau and valley which was absolutely stunning.  I think what we enjoyed most was the fact that there were so few tourists compared to Uluru and Kings Canyon.  It was only serious 4WD and walkers that go all the way out there.  The view from the plateau was absolutely stunning.  We saw two geckos, sunning themselves.  They were not at all concerned about us!  The valley is full of Red-Cabbage Palm Trees and Cycads.   The Palms are left over from the time when Australia was Gondwana and covered in rainforest.  These are the only palms to survive in central Australia, because they have been able to adapt to the semi-arid conditions.  The cycads are stunning also and the kids love hearing how they were around in the time of the dinosaurs.  The valley and the river, which did have some water in it, were absolutely beautiful and a lovely, cool place to sit and have our lunch. 

It was a very exciting trip out of the valley again, with lots of creek crossings where Daddy attempted to make the water splash right up over the windscreen, to the enormous delight of his children and the increasing concern of his wife.  At least Daddy was having fun!!  Actually it was definitely one of our best days so far.

We went home via Hermannsburg, a Lutheran Aboriginal Mission about 125kms west of Alice.  It was a big eye-opener for me.  We had a great chat to the General Store operator.  Despite a lot of money being pumped into communities such as this, there is still enormous poverty, domestic violence and alcoholism.  His view was that most of the women are trying very hard to raise their families and are quite genuine, good natured people.  He believes the problem is still the fact that these communities are caught between two worlds:  wanting to partake in the old culture and beliefs but still having access to modern Western cultural amenities.  The situation with domestic violence is still huge and, in his view, men don’t take any part or responsibility in the raising of the children.  It is such an enormous problem in our country.  After many, many decades of governments and NGOs trying to solve this problem, I don’t think we are any closer to a solution.  It worries me that perhaps it will not even be our generation that will find an answer.  No quick fixes.

Exhausted the kids on the jumping pillow before dinner and bed!

Ailce Springs (Simpson's Gap and Owen Springs)

DAY 15 – ALICE SPRINGS                                                                               Sunday, 17^th July

Sunday morning pancakes!!  Beautiful!!  The kids loved it!  They cook up about 700 pancakes every Sunday morning as an encouragement for everyone to “meet and greet”.  It is so nice to meet people from all over Australia and hear their stories and especially pick up any hints on where to go, or more importantly, where not to go!!

We said farewell to the Parsons (they have damn well hidden the “bad luck charm” somewhere in our van or car and we can’t find it!).  We will miss them.  It has been great being able to share good times with them and the kids have just loved the Parsons kids!  They are off up north to Darwin and we probably won’t catch up again as they are doing the trip slightly quicker than us.

Off to Simpsons Gap for us which was a short ranger guided walk – very interesting.  Then we meandered around the Gap ourselves, trying to find rock wallabies.  The River Red Gums are absolutely stunning, arising out of the dry river bed.  The colour of the rock in central Australia is so interesting.  It is actually a grey colour but what you see on the outside is a magnificent red colour which comes because of the high iron content in the rock, mixed with the water and oxygen, forms a rust-like exterior.  I don’t think my photos are going to do the colour justice at all!

After Simpson’s Gap, we went down to Owen Springs where the very first cattle station lease was granted in the 1870s.  There is not much left of the original homestead now, but my husband was so excited to do his first bit of four-wheel driving.  We did about 50 kms through the West MacDonnell Ranges including creek crossings (OK, so there wasn’t much water – but we still didn’t get bogged in the sand!!).  Hubby was in his element.  He even let the wife drive for some of the way – I think it was a bit of a turn on!!

After coming back to Alice we had a walk through the Todd Mall and then the caravan park had a man playing and teaching the didgeridoo which was fantastic.  Off to the Youth Mass at 5:30pm where we saw Fr. Elio Capra!  Such a small world.  Kids were absolutely exhausted today.  Too much partying with the Parsons, I suspect!  We need to have about a week of early nights!!  Off to Hermannsburg tomorrow!