The Red Centre

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Next day we drove all day again into the Northern Territory and to Ayres Rock. It was great (very red) but we couldn’t climb it because it was too windy. Mum and Dad love Ayres Rock. The aboriginies call it Uluru. They bought an aboriginal painting there. All the aboriginal stories originally come from Ayres Rock so it’s a very special place. We did a boring walk and we also saw the olgas. The walk through the Olgas was the hottest walk ever.

Then we went to some gorges in a place called the West MacDonnell ranges. Mum and Dad keep going on about how beautiful they are too. They keep saying “That is stunning” and tell me to stop reading and look at them. Dad made me go on a bushwalk with him through Ormistone Gorge. There were some spots where we had to swim which was good. Another day we went for a swim in the gorge and saw a dingo and that night another dingo came through our camp and they would howl at night. We also went on another walk and me and Dad saw a big brown snake.

Next stop Alice Springs – yay – reception at last so I can play Mooshi Monsters on the computer again. We went to a cool place called Trephina Gorge that had three rockpools for swimming in. We also went to a place called Palm Valley with a really rough road so Dad could practise his 4 wheel driving. We went with friends called Alan and Denise that Mum and Dad me in Alice Springs. We went for big hot bushwalk but then a great swim too.

Next we did a free camp at a place called Devils Marbles. This was a really cool place and mum and Dad let me climb on these big round red rocks. But mum freaked out when I climbed to the top of the biggest one all by myself. There was yet another dingo there too.

Next we went to a place called Daly Waters (a bit boring) and then we stopped at a place called Larrimah to have some tea and scones. A funny lady called Fran gave us three small bits of pie and two coffees and charged dad $35 – he was not happy. She also told James to get his feet of the chair. Then some friends that Mum and Dad met at Devils Marbles called Sue and Boyce stopped in at Fran’s shop in Larrimah and Fran told Sue to get her feet of the chair too! Boyce and Dad said she charged a lot of money but at least it was worth the entertainment.

Then we went to a town called Mataranka where we all swam in these natural springs. James kept swimming next to girl backpackers. I think he loved them. Dad had to keep getting him. We also watched a bloke feeding these massive Barramundi. They are born as boys and turn into girls (I’m glad I’m not a barramundi).Two other people that dad and mum met called Tony and Tony came for dinner. The girl Tony’s teeth kept falling out when she spoke. The boy Tony kept telling the girl Tony to behave herself.

Next we went to Katherine Gorge. We saw mum’s cousin called Tina in Katherine. We went for a boat ride through Katherine Gorge and swam in this great waterhole at the end. They made the crocodile movie “Rogue” in Katherine Gorge. You actually can’t swim in Katherine River because of crocodiles.

Next we went to Douglas Daly waters. I hired free videos and caught cherrubin shrimps with Mum and Dad and Sue and Boyce. Mum cooked them up for tea. Dad saw a big feral pig going through the rubbish.

Then we went to Litchfield Park and swam in waterholes with great big fish.











Billy.

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