Have been sitting here for 5 minutes trying to figure out what day it is. Totally lost track… we left the west macs on Friday and headed straight into alice for a day’s shopping and to do our laundry. Sean wanted a solar panel for the batter that runs the car fridge, a new leg for the caravan (thanks to the Mareenie Loop road for busting the bolt off it) and we needed to do a grocery shop, fuel up and pick up our mail. We decided to stay the night at HeaviTree Gap caravan parak which was pretty grotty and have since decided not to go back there as someone stole my shmiko laundry basket from the top of the washing machine, much to my absolute disgust. The noise blearing from the tavern till 11:30pm was not great either.
We headed into the East Macs the next morning and have set ourselves up at Trephina. A delightful little spot in between a couple of the steep red rocky barren east mac moutnains. Apparently the gorge is meant to be beautiful. We had intended to walk down there the day we arrived but just collapsed in a heap and lazed about instead, while the boys gate crashed a birthday party in a nearby campsite. We didn’t see them for a couple of hours which was a lovely little bit of respite. I took the opportunity to read and have a nanny nap. The big day at Alice had absolutely exhausted us and the heat wave that we are experiencing at the moment (high 30’s, like 38-40) was the icing on the cake! Apparently yesterday was the hottest august day in Alice ever recorded!
The reason we wanted to head so quickly to the east macs was for the ranger campfire talk last night here at Trephina and the 2 ranger talks at Arltunga today. Last night was certainly worth racing here for. The ranger set up a couple of billys on the fire and Sean and I enjoyed a billy tea while the boys had a hot Milo. They were so excited to be drinking their own warm drink around the fire, just like us grown ups.the ranger talk was fantastic. He was a very laid back quietly spoken guyy who was the senior ranger for the East district of parks (of which there are 7 in total) and had a real passion and enthusiasm for his job. It was really contagious and sean and I left it feeling like we both wanted to work as Rangers.
Then we went to Arltunga today to see him operate an old battery which was used to crush gold bearing rocks. He had restored it himself a few years back. He also took us through an old gold mine where he told us the story behind the place and the people who lived there. A very interesting place that led to the settling of white people in the centre.
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