The final haul into the Alice

Saturday 30th May
Alice Springs NT.

An early start today with 700 km to get under our belts to reach the Territory and the Alice. Fred walked at 6: 30 a.m. and by 7 we were breakfasting at the Ampol roadhouse and then onto the highway north once again. The ominous low cloud produced a light rain fairly soon after departure and it hasn’t let up since! It was a fairly uneventful run up the Stuart. A stop here and there to take the odd photo or have a coffee. Lunch at Kulgera and then on. The number of crazily driven Britz campers ever increasing in number once we passed the Erldunda (Lassiter Hwy) turnoff. Rain has become constant which does not bode well for departure.

Arriving in Alice at 3.45 pm we did a quick circuit of the almost abandoned town centre before returning back out to the McDonald Ranges Caravan Resort and checking in to the ensuited unit. They truly are the only way to camp in inclement weather. Met up with a few of the other trip participants at the G’Day Mate van park later in the afternoon. Peter was having a few mechanical issues with the Hummer having burnt out some electrical component essential to his lights. As it was getting towards dark, we all opted to have dinner at the Windmill Restaurant next to the park. Pizza and an interesting desert of Apple Calzone with Ice cream. It’s damp and bloody cold. How unseasonable and how unfair.