Standley Chasm



Glen Helen Gorge



Claire & Vicki at Glen Helen Gorge



The Devils Marbles


Friday 4th June
Having stayed an extra day at Alice Springs we packed up and had an early start for one of the longest days driving on the trip. Our destination was Tennant Creek some 510km up the Stuart Highway. We had several stops along the way. First break was Renner Springs for a cuppa, then onto Elliot for Lunch. We arrived at the Caravan Park around 5.00pm and booked in for the night. The Manager couldn’t be any more layed back than he was. “You can pick your own site, drive around til you see something you like” We did just that and had a site with Bougainvillea plants around us. We set up the Motorhome just in time for our happy hour at 5,30pm we had an executive meeting that night on discussion of our destination the next day. The Choices were Daly Waters or Mataranka. The unanimous decision was Mataranka which was a further 100km north.

Saturday 5th June
Another early start. We departed Tennant Creek around 8.15am. Today is a travel day, with some scheduled stops along the way! Reg drove the 1st leg to Dunmarra Roadhouse, while Alan stacked a few zzzZZZZZ in the back. At Dunmarra Alan took the wheel and took us to the Pink Panther non descript menagerie at Larrimah, including an 8' Salt water Crocodile, saw us arrive in Mataranka around 4.30pm.

Huge Grasshopper (Could this be a Locust?)


Baby Tawny Frogmouth Owl

Monday June 1st
Alice Springs - Lazy morning, cleaning, washing and rearranging items in the van. The McDonnell Ranges Big 4 caravan park here is just fantastic. The surrounds are beautiful, situated just before you go through Heavitree Gap into Alice. The park has organised events on each day. We missed the free pancake breakfast on Sunday morning (Rats). I’m going to the Star Gazing tomorrow night and on Wednesday there is a chap reciting bush ballads.Vicki and I did some retail therapy while Alan and Reg did the supermarket shopping in the afternoon.
Tuesday June 2nd
Alice Springs - Having hired a car we drove out along the West McDonnell Ranges. Our first stop was to walk in to see Standley Chasm. The walk,classed as easy, was along a dry river bed complete with large and small rocks. The chasm is amazing especially as we were there at midday and saw the sun shining right through the middle of it. We then drove another hour to Glen Helen Gorge which is where the Finke river forms a deep pool as it goes through the gorge. Alan saw the most wildlife for the day and night, i.e. Striped Grunter (fish), Tawny frog-mouthed owl (baby one), a huge grasshopper and later that night a kangaroo hopping through the caravan park.
The Star Gazing evening was terrific. Andrew, the astronomer, had his telescope set up so we could view Saturn. He pointed out the planets of Venus, Mars and Saturn, as well as the stars in the Zodiac signs.
Wednesday June 3rd
Alice Springs - after a little deliberation we decided that we will stay another day here because our spot in the park is just so beautiful and peaceful. Today we visited The Royal Flying Doctor’s Service and The School of the Air. For people living in the outback these two services are a vital part of everyday life and survival. They both offered a short film followed by a talk from a tour guide. We felt they were both worth the visit with us seeing a School of the Air lesson in progress. Our last tourist spot was to go to the highest point (Anzac Hill) in Alice Springs for a view over the city. From there you can really see how the city is nestled in the middle of the range.

Alice Springs

Sunday 30th May
We left Yulara resort around 8.30 a.m. on another beautiful Northern Territory morning en route for Alice Springs. We stopped for fuel and lunch at Erldunda and also a rest break and an ice cream at Stuart’s Well, then continued on to Alice and arrived at 4.00 p.m. then did a quick tour of the town when I spotted the Ghan moving through the station, so we zoomed down there and were were able to get great pictures of the Ghan and we watched it pull out heading for Adelaide. Monday morning saw Claire making pancakes for breakfast, and then we got up and sat outside in the sun and did nothing, which we had started doing yesterday but hadn’t finished. After an early lunch we took the bus into town which was the equivalent of the scenic railway at Luna Park ,the way the driver went round the corners and kept doubling back ( a real cook’s tour ).Vicki and Claire went off for some retail therapy while Reg and I were left to do the supermarket shopping. We were unfortunate enough to have the same bus and driver on our return so the experience began again.Reg and I had just got back to the park and sat down to enjoy a cup of coffee and continue our doing nothing task ,when we received a message from the girls to come and pick them up. They had finished their shopping and the bus was not due for another hour and a half so we had to pack up the van and drive into town to get them, which was why we had taken the bus in the first place. So after a beautiful barbeque tea we are heading to bed at 10.p.m on a beautifully clear night in Alice Springs.