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Published: August 13th 2008
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Our arrival at McDonnell Range Caravan Park was most welcomming...a lovely park with a good site, what more cold we ask for?
We quickly unhooked the van and went into town to have a look around, it was nice for me to be in Alice...the town that Michelle and I had visited years ago for our Mother and Daughter holiday.
Not a lot had changed but certainly with us being there almost a week both Keith and I were beginning to feel like locals, we found a good coffee shop (always important as you know) a great hairdresser who certainly took a lot off but the haircuts turned out OK after the first week...after we got used to feeling like we didn't have too much hair left at all! He was a young fellow from London and seemed to wave his sissors about very quickly and with great ado!
Alice Springs is certainly one of those GRAND old outback towns where everybody and everything seems slow, we quickly fitted into the pace and it was lovely not having to rush about and go a long way into town...we just took our time and still had lots of each day
left to do as we pleased.
The 'Beanie Festival' was on in Alice while we were there and what a Festival it was...I could hardly beleive it!
Keith sat in the car while I popped in for a look...there were over 3000 beanies of all sorts, colours and sizes from all over the world...absolutely amazing how folks can create such spectacular Beanies...they really were unbeleivable! This Festival has gained quite a following over the past few years and from what I saw it will continue to do so...lots of ladies about town that week were sporting wonderful Beanies to keep out the early morning chill and that it was...early morning chill beleive me!
Our visit to the Alice Springs Telegraph Station was a day to remember, we were fortunate enough to have a fellow called Alec as our guide and what a guide he was...we have bought his little book about his time growing up at the Station and where he went from there.
Alec is very proud of his Aboriginal heritage, born at Mosquito Creek near Barrow Creek ,Alec is a gentleman in every sense of the word...known as a living history of the Telegraph Station
he greets visitors with 'Hello. Do you want a guided tour?'
We were delighted to meet up with Alec on Alice Springs Railway Station when we boarded The Ghan for Darwin...he introduced us to his travelling companions as his 'friends'...that is just like Alec, he is so friendly and warm to everyone he meets.
The Telegraph Station was one of 12 repeater stations constructed along the Overland Telegraph Line in the early 1870's to relay messages between Darwin and Adelaide...the completion of the line commenced a new era in Australia with communication to Britain.
36,000 poles 20' high were put up for the Telegraph line and all the holes were dug with pick, shovel and crowbar...all done within 23 months...amazing!
Our day at the Alice Springs Desert Park was really beautiful, the birds and animals were lovely as was the coffee at the Cafe'
Throughout the day we meandered through pathways admiring wildflowers in bloom and listened to the birds singing as we went along...a very lovely day!
One morning early we deceided to go for a drive to the West McDonnell Ranges...what a wonderful day of visiting different Gorges that we had only heard
about on travel shows or learnt about at school.
Ormiston, Standley Chasm, Glen Helen and Simpsons Gap did not fail to impress, we also really enjoyed our very yummy hamburger at Glen Helen...mmmh! The drive out to these special places was equally as impressive...the colours and rock formations were the start of an appreciation of rocks which will of course be interesting for our Geologist nephew Jono to hear!
The night before we boarded The Ghan we packed our bags, should we take this should we take that and on we went till well after 8pm which as 'silver explorers' is a rather late night! Finally we were packed for our forthcoming Ghan trip, APT coach trip and the cruise...did we have the right things was something that we could not think about any more...our cases were closed and that was it!
The next morning we moved our van over to the storage area, called a cab and we were on our way to the next part of this wonderful Australian Adventure...there was The Ghan all ready and waiting, it seemed like just for us but of course there were many others feeling the same way...before long
we were on board in our little cabin and anxiously waiting to pull out of the station....then we did and all of a sudden we were on our way!
After settling down we moved through the carriages to the Bar area where we met folks from everywhere (as you do) and then onto the Dining Carriage for a wonderful dinner...followed by a wondeful breakfast and wonderful lunch the following day.
We slept well and throughout the night I woke a couple of times and starting laughing...
'What are you laughing about' said Keith
'Remember when we went to Dubbo with Lana, Geoff and the kids and Geoff left the window blind up and in the morning he woke to see the school kids at a station looking in at him laughing at him in bed'...we both had a laugh as we remembered our Dubbo trip in the sleeping train with 6 kids in tow, ready made sandwiches and thermos packed for cuppateas on board...how times have changed but we did have great times way back then as well!
Back to The Ghan...we pulled into Darwin Station later in the afternoon and waiting for us were the buses
to take us all into the city to our various Hotels, we were delighted with our choice of Hotel, being just 3 weeks old it was really lovely and we enjoyed a wonderful Massaman curry in the restaurant downstairs in the Hotel that night...this was a good start to our time at Top End of Australia!
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Cheryl Armstrong
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Wonderful Travels
What a great time you have had, Australia certainly is a vast country. Looking forward to seeing you - love Cheryl