Day 17 to Tennant Creek

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We had camped at Connors Well overnight (just north of Alice Springs) and decided to drive the 400 odd kms to Tennant Creek to visit Georgi's cousin, Fiona.

This stretch of the Stuart Highway is ideally set up for fast long driving, with 1000 plus km days but we took our time stopping to look at the cairns, monuments etc that told the story of the early exploration of this part of the world.

Of course, there is plenty of information about John McDouall Stuart who made six trips north from Adelaide, seeking the inland sea, minerals and farming land. His last trip, in 1862, was when he reached an area close to Darwin. His exploration of central and northern Australia made possible the construction of the Overland Telegraph Line, a vital communication link back in those days.

Less is known of men like Ned Ryan who dug water wells and was also responsible for helping to open up this vast continent.

We continued north, stopping at the Devils Marbles for a lunch break and to explore the area. There are many interesting stories about these "marbles" but the one I found most interesting wasn't mentioned. The grave of John Flynn originally had a "marble" affixed to the top of the tomb. The local people weren't happy that one of their spiritual stones had been removed without their permission. They lobbied hard for its return. An Alice Springs tribe provided another symbolic stone to replace the one that eventually was returned.

We had an excellent piece of steak at Fiona's and she and Georgi swapped stories from their earlier days. We also caught up on the latest family news.

We stayed at the Caravan Park as we had arranged to have an early meeting with a plumber to discuss the non-performance of our hot water system.

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Photos

Water well site
To explore the inland required guaranteed water supplies. People like Ned Ryan dug these wells by hand (and because he was a stonemason) he then built the tank stand.

A huge windmill under a blue sky
But previously, a trained horse or camel would provide the power to lift the water from the bottom of the well.

Devils Marbles walk
Luckily it was only 400 metres or so. Little shade and scorching hot.

Easter Egg?
Ask us how they get split....

Balancing act
Not sure how they balance there....

Shade Hopping
Not sure how hot - just very hot! I even drink water!

Devils Marbles
There are a few different locations within a small park