Alice Springs!

---

Well hello there! Seems like its been ages since I sent you guys a proper blog!

Sorry, but Im so busy I don’t even have time to make a cup of tea these days, let alone have 5 hours spare to write a travel blog!!! ;-)

So I’m going to tell you all about Alice Springs from the beginning!… it’s a peculiar place, you feel like you are in a proper town but, drive 2 minutes from the centre (yep it really is that small!!) and you’re in a desert!!!
But we’ve both settled in really well, it’s the kind of place where everyone knows everyone and gossip spreads like wildfire!! (even worse than Nailsea!!) As hardly any tourists who visit Alice stay for more than a day, two “pommie chicks” as we’re referred to, are a bit of a novelty in town!!

As I said previously, I’ve got a job in The Rock Tour, which is the main company taking groups of people to visit Uluru, and Gem is working in the Rock Bar (which is next door and owned by the same blokes).
I’ve also got a job in the Diplomat, which is a pretty swanky hotel, so I work there in the evenings, bar and waitressing. Gem also works in the Lane in the day time (…in a café called the lane, not actually in a lane!!)
So with all our hours, we hardly see each other! Although between us, we manage to blag free internet, food, coffee and alcohol wherever we go, so its not all bad!! ;-)

We’ve had some awesome nights out, St. Patricks day was a pretty cool night, I made signs for me and bec saying “kiss me, I’m almost Irish” and we spent the night drinking pints of bright green beer!!!

It was Gems birthday on the 20th so I had an exciting day planned….! I got up early doors and went to work where I borrowed the company car (a clapped out bright orange Ute!!) And drove to outskirts to pick up a cake I had previously ordered!! Now you will all probably be shocked when you see the picture, (yes nanny, it is a big willy!!) so I’ll apologise in advance… please don’t think any less of me… I just wanted a funny one!!

In fact, it wasn’t the cake which was the best bit.. it was the planning. I had numerous discussions with this poor old lady on the phone, describing what I wanted, I think she was getting as into it as me though and as we went over all the “details”!!
So when I went to pick it up, I collected the box, paid and walked out. Before I got back to the car, I decided to have a sneaky peak… only to discover that it said “happy third birthday” all in pretty pink icing and flowers!!! I walked back and told the lady, she turned as white as a sheet and said “oh no, that order went out half an hour ago!!!” it dawned on me that a poor, innocent three year old could be just about to get a very big shock!!!!!

She phoned the family the cake was going to and the woman sounded delighted and said “oooo… the delivery man has just pulled up!!!” the cake lady squealed at her to send it back and eventually we swapped cakes!!!

Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!

I dropped the cake back at the bar and gave them all the balloons I had blown up the night before, I left the girls with some banners and streamers and went back to the hostel.

I had brought a bottle of pink champagne for breakfast, so me, gem, bec and Jackie ate croissants and drunk champagne sitting by the pool! We then chilled out for the rest of the morning, and went out for lunch in one of the bars.
After a few more drinks, I made the excuse that I had to pop into work, it was great timing because just as we were there a van pulled up outside, I introduced her to the chap and told her to get inside the van… she was a bit shocked but don’t worry… it wasn’t a random man, I had organised a sunset camel ride!!

He drove a van load of us to his camel farm and we sat two to a camel. I was actually pretty scared… when the camel gets up it grunts and whines and as it has a bout 53 knees, it takes ages!!! We had a chuckle (as you do) when they seemed to be pooing constantly!!! All the camels were chained together and as we were walking along I suddenly realised that we were about twice as high as everyone else!! He had put us on the massive one, and as we were joking about it being tall, like us, and therefore must be clumsy, and as if to prove a point, the camel tripped over his own feet!!! This happened a couple of times and I was glad to get off alive!! The sunset was amazing, one of the best I have ever seen… the sky was actually pink!!

ßAfter the ride we got to feed the camels (although me and gem ended up with more of the straw in our hair than in the camels mouths!!)
And it was time to go back, I had arranged with everyone we knew to be in the Rock bar at 7 o clock, so when we pulled up outside at half past, it was packed! With all the decorations and our curly straws and crowns it was awesome!!!

Easter wasn’t as fun as I remember as a kid… largely due to the fact I worked 15 hour days for the whole weekend and had no time for an easter egg hunt!!!! But someone gave me a white chocolate bunny, and after an hour of sitting in the sun chatting, I picked it up and it melted in my hands!! (se we did have some fun making silly shapes and leaving it in the fridge for gem!!!)

Other than that, despite the smelly aboriginals, all here is cool.. (well, to be fair, its absolutely boiling!!!) Its good to have some money behind me now, and yes, the dreads have made a comeback!!!

I actually cant believe how the time here flies by so quickly!!
The only thing I miss is the sea… but never fear, me and gem have compensated for that by body boarding in the swimming pool!!!!

To be honest ive been working like a trooper since ive been in Alice, often leaving the house at 9am to go to the rock tour, working till 6pm, then going straight to the diplomat to work the evening, getting home at 12pm!! And on Saturdays I have to start work at half 5 in the morning!!! Although, I dream of a day off, I don’t think I could handle it now, im so used to being in a rush all the time!!!
But it’s the social life which is great here, there’s actually not much else to do apart from go out!! we’ve made loads of mates, and as there's only a couple of bars here, the Rock bar (where we seem to live!) and Bogangels, we all meet up together! There is also a casino we usually end up after a night out!

I went for dinner at Rob, my bosses house one night, along with Nicole, another girl I work with. I get on well with his wife Tina, and they have 2 gorgeous girls, Gemma and Bella, who I often collect from playschool and entertain in t he office! It was so nice to actually have some real home cooked food!!! Yummy!!

The tour guides at work are all awesome, Dom, Ben, Dan, Bree and Dylan who become my little gym buddy, and we went for a walk on the McDonnell ranges the other day.

On a sad note, ive been in a special relationship for a long time, we’ve travelled round the world together and he’s been in my hand through everything, he’s seen many weird and wonderful sights and helps me remember things I would have otherwise forgotten. But unfortunately, after 3 lovely years together, my camera has finally died (I dropped it!).
So these photos are the last sights he would have seen!!!

P.S…… For the few of you who are worried (and thanks so much for the emails of condolences) Gwarky’s situation is much improved, he will of course, never be able to clap or count to 10 but he is stable and he is now resting at home.
(under the bed somewhere!!)

Love you all loads x x x x x x

---

Photos

alice springs
the sunday market

alice
sunday markets!

YHA
our hostel

YHA
our swimming pool

YHA
our front door!!

ha ha!
body boarding in the swimming pool!!!!

anzac hill
me and gem took some beers up anzac hill to watch the non-existent sunset!!

gems birthday,
popping the pink champagne for breakfast!!