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!

Alice Springs - Tess' birthday

DAY 14 – ALICE SPRINGS                                                                                     Saturday, 16th July

Tessie’s birthday!!!  We woke up our little sleeping beauty to a caravan full of balloons and birthday sign (care of the beautiful Amy!) and the smell of bacon and eggs on the barbie!!  My SECOND little baby to turn 10!!! The Parsons came over for bacon and egg muffins and then headed off on a drive.  We were very slack and did not get out of her until about 11am.  Went searching for a heater as the one we were using for the kids decided to pack it in last night.  It is still very cold here in the dessert at night.  COULD NOT FIND A DAMNED FAN HEATER IN THE WHOLE OF ALICE SPRINGS.  My poor babies have gone to sleep tonight with beanies on, wheat bags, and blankets wrapped around them in their sleeping bags!!  Hope they will be warm enough.  Otherwise, I will have three of them in my single bed at 2am (Tess doesn’t wake up for anything!)

It was a lovely day today.  We went up to the Old Alice Springs Overland Telegraph Station and had a picnic in the park.  Just beautiful – the kind of place where, if you lived in Alice, you would have a picnic every Sunday.  Tess opened her presents there and the kids thought it was very funny that David kicked the football into a gum tree and got it stuck.  He then had to spend then next ten minutes throwing a rock at it to remove it!!

Then off to the School of the Air which was just fascinating.  120 children there from as far away as almost 1000 kms from Alice.  We saw a historical documentary and then watched a video of a Grade 5/6 lesson in action.  According to NAPLAN results, most of these kids are in the top 10% of students so clearly they are doing a great job.  What an effort their tutors must be making (in most cases, their Mums).  They held up the work a Grade 2 would be expected to do in a two week period.  Of course, my strange “homework addicted” son wanted to know if he could have one to do!! 

After that we popped in to the Alice Springs Reptile Centre on the advice of the Parsons, which was fantastic.  Wish they would not keep telling us that Australia has 18 of the 20 most venomous snakes in the world, and the Top 10!!  A very informative talk on the Olive Python, the Bearded Dragon lizard and the Blue Tongue lizard ensued.  Tess was very keen to keep answering questions – must be turning 10!  Then all the kids got to hold each of the animals!!  No fear at all.  Tessie was up first, keen as mustard!!  They loved it!  We then had a quick walk up  ANZAC Hill for a beautiful view of Alice before heading home for some chill out time.

Dinner tonight was at the Bojangles Restaurant in Todd Street for Tess’ birthday.  What an experience!  One of those restaurants with so much memorabilia on the walls, you just don’t know where to look first.  Unfortunately, Rob “challenged” David to eat “the Big Bugger” – an 800g steak – with the promise that he would pay for half of it if he could do it.  Have any of you ever known David Hansen to walk away from something like this?  In fact, I was told it would be “downright un-Australian” to walk away!  So it was duly consumed.  I think we forgot to pick up the Certificate that comes with it .

The kids had an absolute ball when they realised that there were cameras all around the restaurant and they could run from room to room dancing in front of the camera.  They had the whole restaurant in hysterics.  Rob and David clearly were letting loose with the kid in them too, pretending to fistfight for the cameras.  Doesn’t sound nearly as funny on paper as it was in real life – truly!!

Need to hit the sack – this place has FREE pancakes on a Sunday morningansen to walk a!  That is worth missing Mass for!  Just joking.  It is OK, Mum, we are going Sunday night!!

Kings Canyon to Alice Springs

DAY 13 – KINGS CANYON – ALICE SPRINGS

Ok. Can’t say that I am devastated to be leaving Kings Canyon.  Beautiful place but the weather was not fantastic and the lack of bread, milk, phone etc was starting to get to me.  Up early and off by 8:30am (which is not bad for everyone to be showered and dressed and fed and van packed up).  It is a pity that the Merrinee Loop through Hermannsburg is not sealed.  Or the Ernest Giles Track.  It would have saved us a couple of hundred kilometres.  Stopped at Erldunda (back on the Stuart Highway) for lunch because we only had enough bread for sandwiches for the kids and no fruit.  So we were all starving.  My hunting and gathering husband came back from the roadhouse with one moderate bag of chips.  $8.50!!!!!  A burger was $12.00!!!  So the Hansen family starved until Alice Springs!!  The kids did quite a bit of school work in the car on the way here.  We physically could not stop Ben – even when we told him he needed a break, he told us he couldn’t stop – he was addicted!!  God help us!

It was rather exciting driving into Alice Springs – being a fan of “A Town Like Alice”.  It is reasonably big for only 28,000 people but it obviously services a much larger community.  You cannot imagine my excitement at seeing a Coles, Woolworths AND Target!!  When Beth and I caught sight of a Sushi shop we almost fainted!!  David and Ben gallantly put up the van on the most enormous van site I have even seen.  We can fit our van, annexe, tent and car all on the site.  The Big 4 in Alice Springs might be a bit more expensive, but it is certainly worth it!! Beautiful camp kitchens, clean facilities AND a jumping pillow!  What more could a girl want? 

Spend the afternoon shopping for new runners for David and Bridget and some clothes for poor little Tess.  Having been very organised and packed the van early, I then had to take Tess’ clothes OUT for school camp.  Then promptly forgot to put them back!!  The poor love has been wearing the same pair of pants for two weeks!!  Being her birthday and all, I thought I could shout her a new pair of $5.00 pants from Kmart!

Got back to the park in time for the Parsons to shout our kids pancakes, and chocolate mousse and hot chocolates etc. – all from a little shop at the caravan park!!  Sooo nice!!

Kings Canyon Rim Walk

DAY 12 – KINGS CANYON

Said goodbye to the Parsons this morning and set off on our Kings Canyon walk, hailed by my husband as the most difficult walk of the Hansen Trek!!  The most surprising thing for David and I so far has been the fantastic way the kids have walked, and walked, AND WALKED, with no whinging!!!  Especially Tess – who has often been leading the pack!!  And some of the walks we have done so far have not been easy.  This walk is promoted as “difficult” and was about 7.2kms with diversions.  The first part of the walk was extraordinarily difficult with a very steep ascent up rocks to the top of the canyon – 100m high and very steep!!  Mummy, even after six months of the gym, was really puffing!!  The walk along the top of the canyon was just stunning.  You felt like you were on top of the world and in the middle of absolutely nowhere – which of course, you are!  The red rock cliffs are extraordinarily beautiful.

The next part of the walk is descending down into the “Garden of Eden” where there is a beautiful waterhole.  The bottom of the canyon is resplendent with ghost gums, cycads (relicts from the dinosaur age) and beautiful birds.  So cool and restful.  Then up to the top of the canyon again, a big walk up steps to the plateau with stunning outlooks down through the valley to Kings Creek.  Poor Bridgie was struggling by the end but I kept her entertained by doing the last kilometre or so, whilst getting her to count in fours to 140!!   A teacher of Grade 4’s in front of us was very impressed.  We had a lazy afternoon turning the tent into a picture theatre, complete with movie and popcorn!  Of course, Mummy fell asleep in the back row.  Must be all that washing I was doing at midnight the night before!!

The kids would not hear of us not going to see “The Roadies” for the third night in a row!!  I don’t think they could believe we were back again.  But the kids are just loving it.  Off to Alice tomorrow and I am very excited.  Just one of those towns I have always wanted to see.  We are there for five nights which will be really lovely especially with Tess’ birthday on Saturday.

Kings Canyon Creek Walk

DAY 11 – KINGS CANYON

It rained ALL night last night.  Our Not-So-Waterproof-Tent” was OK but not perfect!!  A little bit of drying of sleeping bags and tent and soaking shoes was necessary!!!  Pauline managed to find some bread had arrived at the shop but noticed it had been eaten by mice!  When she went to exchange it for another, she ended up asking for her money back as all the bags were the same!!

It was a bit difficult to know what to do today.  It is very overcast and raining from time to time.  A lot of people moved out today, presumably to move on to somewhere dryer! The Parsons are only here two nights so HAD to do the big Rim Walk today.  We decided to do the two shorter walks – The Kings Creek Walk and the Kathleen Springs walk – today and hope like hell that the weather fines up for the big walk tomorrow!  Both were absolutely beautiful and so secluded.  It was amazing seeing how the stockmen used to trap the cattle in the gorge near the spring water.  Little fence building needed with the natural fence of the gorge either side.

Off to “The Roadies” again tonight.  The kids are absolutely loving them!  Bridget Parsons and Beth are particularly enjoying watching their Dads dance to the Twist (NOT!).  Ben got to sing the national anthem tonight, like Tess the previous night.  We are hoping and praying for the rain to stop so the tent will dry!!