After limping into Alice Springs, we checked in at the northernmost caravan park we could find and, as no powered sites were available, we checked into a cabin. I was relieved we made it to Alice Springs under our own steam, however we had a lot of work to do to get Matilda back on the road again.
Early Saturday morning I hit the shops with the intention of getting our tyres repaired, and checking out the local Thule distributor to see if I could organise a replacement key and bolt for the roof rack. The tyres were soon sorted, and it just so happened the Thule distributor was also the ARB shop. I resisted the temptation to spend lots of money at the ARB shop, but did come away with a new bolt for the roof rack. The key needed to be ordered direct from Thule, so I took that in hand myself.
I then had my first stroke of luck - Red Centre Trailer Parts and Hire was open, and I decided to duck in and see what they had on offer and took my place in a queue of fellow travellers with busted trailers. It seemed the shop had all the parts I thought I would need in stock - so I asked if we could please bring our trailer in on Monday for repair. "Er, sorry - fully booked next week, perhaps the week after."
We had planned on spending a few days in Alice Springs, not a few weeks.
Then the owner said, 'let me make a few phone calls.' A couple of calls later, Dan from Hawkeye Engineering said he could fit us in on Monday. I was extremely pleased with that arrangement and returned to the family very happy that Matilda would be in good hands first thing Monday.
It was time to enjoy the weekend and check out Alice Springs.
Our first stop was the ANZAC Hill, overlooking the town. After the flat topography of the majority of the Tanami Desert, it was fantastic to have hills around us again. Alice Springs lies nestled in the MacDonnell Ranges which provide a dramatic backdrop to the town.
Alice Springs from ANZAC Hill
The settlement here was originally built to support a Telegraph Repeater Station that was part of the northern line from Port Augusta to Darwin and thence on to London. When opened in the 1870s, it represented the latest in communication technology and allowed mesages to be passed to London in a matter of hours instead of weeks. We had followed part of the Telegraph line on the Oodnadatta Track back in February, including a stop at the Strangeway Springs Repeater Station, now in ruins. The Telegraph Line and later Ghan Railway followed a line of mound springs and permanent waterholes across the otherwise arid interior.
The Telegraph Station was built at a waterhole on the Todd River called Alice Springs. The township that spung up nearby was called Stuart Town, in honor of John McDouall Stuart who surveyed the route the telegraph line and later Ghan Railway would follow. It is a matter of history that eventually Stuart Town would be renamed Alice Springs.
On Sunday we decided to head to the Alice Springs Desert Park on the edge of town. The park has a variety of different desert environments set against the foothills of the West MacDonnell Ranges showcasing the geology, flora and fauna endemic to the region. It was extremely well put together and we all enjoyed our time.
The Free Flight show was fantastic, with some incredibly beautiful birds showcasing their skills, including the Barn Owl, Brown Falcon, Brown Kite and Whistling Kite all flying around the audience.
We were particularly impressed with the Noctournal House, where we got to see many rare noctournal animals going about their nightly business. Unfortunately no photos here came out!
The setting of the Alice Springs Desert Park
Monday morning dawned, and we had a four kilometre journey to get Matilda to the workshop. I was nervous about us even making it that far, so got the jack and tools at the ready in case of an emergency stop. Thankfully none of it was needed as we ground our way across town - making horribe noises out of the remains of the left wheel bearings.
It was then time to head into town and catch up on school work at the library. We picked up mail (and a whole heap of bills) and discovered that the Roadside Assistance membership had expired a few days earlier. I wonder what their response would have been had we needed their assistance on the Tanami?
A lazy day was spent in town catching up on paperwork before we got the call to say that Matilda needed a new set of stub axles. Aussie Swag could road freight some out for $130 - but it would take a week. Air Freight was a wopping $1082 for the same axles!!! A set available in town would need to be machined - but would still be expensive. Going with the local set would mean the camper would be ready the following day. My delayed maintenace was starting to cost a lot more than I wanted...
With Matilda still at the workshop, we set up our alternate accommodation... the tent. We then rugged up for a Noctournal Tour at the Desert Park. Again no photos came out of our evening, however we spent the night walking around a 10 acre predator free enclosure. The enclosure housed rare Marla Wallabies, Greater Stick Nest Rats, Spinifex Mice, Golden Bandicoots, Brush Tailed Bettongs and Burrowing Bettongs and even a hard to catch Bilby. These animals were common in the area in the 1930's, however by the 1950's were extremely rare due to grazing competition with rabbits, as well as the new top predator in Australia, the feral cat.
This enclosure, and others like it in Australia might just be the only thing stopping these beautiful little animals from extinction. It was a sad and humbling thought.
Tuesday morning dawned and we again decided to spend the day in town. Schoolwork knocked over, we headed into town and visited the Royal Flying Doctor Visitor Centre.
A slick promotional video, small museum and odd gift shop failed to really encapsulate what the RFDS is or does. We might have also caught the staff on a bad day. Either way, it was interesting to see the broad role that the RFDS fulfills today from its humble beginnings.
The real highlight for the boys was the mock up PC12 aircraft that allowed then to see how the aircraft is configured in the RFDS role. The boys loved it, and their 'flight'.
We then headed across town to the School of the Air, Alice Springs. Being school holidays, we weren't sure what to expect, but found the centre open and manned with incredibly helpful staff.
The School of the Air has morphed from a correspondance school with a bit of static filled radio contact into a modern school. Each student is linked via high speed internet to classes with custom video conference software. Having met Will, Lachlan and Sophie at Waterloo who are enrolled via the Katherine Base, it was great to see the 'other side' of the operation.
The School of the Air was a fantastic place to visit. If the staff we saw on our visit are anything to go by, the students are in safe, enthusiastic hands.
We then went to pick up Matilda. My $2000 lesson in why you need to more frequently pack wheel bearings was finally over. We were very happy to have our 'home' back with us. Dan had done a fantastic job - at short notice. Armed with a new spare set of bearings, we were ready for action again. Just this time, we would repack the wheel bearings more often...
Alice Springs still had more surprises for us at the Araluen Cultural Centre. The precinct houses not only a theatre and art gallery, but also a natural history museum and an aviation museum. Whilst the boys loved the huge playground, we dragged them away and soon immersed them in the art of Albert Namijira and family, the weird and wacky designs from the Beanie Festival, natural histroy, and old aircraft, It was a wonderful place to spend the day.
Next up it was Rocky's turn for a service. It had been a long rough haul from Geraldton, and it was time for a grease and oil change, as well as a thorough check up. It was also time to give Mum a break, so the boys and I headed into town, dropped off Rocky and then got up to the serious business of entertaining ourselves for the day. Whilst we spent most of the day at the library, there was time for a special treat!
We then wandered down to the Reptile Centre. We were just in time for a talk and handling show. The kids soon were being wrapped up in a massive olive python, as well as a holding a goanna, bearded dragon and blue tongue lizard.
The Reptile Centre was really well put together, with a huge variety of snakes, lizards and geckos on display.
Rocky was given a clean bill of health - amazing considering the last 13 000km since the last service was pretty hard going, at more than half was on dirt roads. We were soon back at camp where Mum had been busy washing and cleaning everything... So much for her day off!
It was great to spend time checking out the art galleries, museums and information centres of Alice Springs. We referred to it as our 'palette cleanser' from the dramatic landscapes of the Kimberley. Our break in civilisation meant we are now looking forward to embarking on a trip to explore the landscape of the Red Centre. Recharged, repaired and ready to go, it is time to hit the road again and see what new adventures await us.
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