Alice Springs Trip

The long awaited trip to Alice Springs approached and we finally set off on Saturday morning for the big haul north. We had decided to break the trip into two days and stay at Coober Pedy for the first night then get into Alice in the evening of the second day.
We left Adelaide at 6 AM and made our way to Port Augusta at 10:30AM. It was a pleasant drive and the Colt drove very well, considering the load of gear we had packed in.
A brief stop at Maccas for morning tea had us on the road and stopping for a couple of photos on the road to Pimba.




Just north of Port Augusta











A passing northern freight to Darwin or Perth






We didn't stop at Spuds roadhouse but pushed on to Lake Hart and had a walk around and explore for 40 minutes. The salt lake proved very interesting close up. There is a large outcrop of salt encrusted rock that looks like something off another planet.







Lake Hart Salt Lake






We arrived at Glendambo at 3:20PM and filled up for $1.52. This was 40c more than Port Augusta, but they have you around the short and curlys I'm afraid.
Two and a half hours later we arrived at Coober Pedy in the twilight of dusk. We had a bit of trouble finding the dug out motel, but with a bit of help from the owner over the mobile, we finally found it tucked around the back of the town.
The motel ended up being a series of apartments that were well furnished and quite comfortable. We had tea at the local pizza restaurant and had a fantastic meal of fresh pizza and cold Pale Ale.
A fairly good nights sleep ensued and we hit the road at 6:15AM.
Rolled into Marla Bore at 9 AM and were ready for a good breakfast. The friendly Maori lass in the kitchen served us up a fantastic breakfast of bacon, sausages and eggs. A meal fit for a king. We definately put it down for a stop over on the way home.



Marla Bore




The trip north from Marla was fairly uneventful. Kulgera is a toilet and food stop period. Erldunda was a stretch stop, then onto Stuarts Wells for a pie and coke before the short haul to Alice. That last stretch, seems to take forever, but eventually you are greeted by the sight of the MacDonald Ranges and the infamous gap.
Alice Springs has certainly changed. From the huge roundabout at the gap to the height of the buildings in town. The suburbs stretch out along the west road for a few more kilometers than the 80's but it still holds onto that small town feel-but only just.
It was good to arrive and be greeted by our son. We unpacked the car and settled down for the night.
We spend the next few days exploring town, window shopping and visited the local sites such as the Telegraph station and Anzac Hill.


Anzac Hill











The Telegraph Station





Mid week saw us head out on the eastern Ross River highway to vist the gaps and rocks toward the Ross River homestead. The only change I spotted was the improved facilities at the sites. New seats, sheds and fencing plus improved walking paths and tracks.
Here is a few shots of Emily Gap, Jesse Gap and Corroboree Rock.






Emily Gap







Jesse Gap






Corroboree Rock



We headed out to Ross River Homestead, but to be brutally honest, there is not much to see. I wouldn't recommend wasting your time unless your staying out there. Their accomodation looks okay but the night life would be pretty dull.

The next day was on a drive along the western road on the way to Glen Helen. There is a lot to see on the road and you want a whole day to do it as some of the features require a bit of walking. Our first stop was Flynns Grave. After that is Simpsons Gap.




Flynns Grave







Simpsons Gap





We made it down to Glen Helen for lunch and had an enjoyable meal and a couple of beers. The hotel itself has had massive improvements to the interior and looks like it can cater for a large crowd. There is a helicopter available for flights over the surrounding country side if your inclined. There is talk of building a ring road that will pass Glen Helen and link up with the highway to the south. It will open up a lot of country to people with small road cars. Currently, the road turns to dirt shortly after passing Glen Helen.
I am looking forward to be able to drive the route on our next vehicular visit.

Other sites that we took in were the Ghan railway Museum and the Desert Park.
The Desert park is awesome and well worth a visit. It takes 4 hours to see everything but may take longer if you stop at all the bird display aviaries and the Raptor presentation. Below are a few shots of the park.


























That's all I'll mention in this post. We left for the drive home after ten days and drove straight through on the return journey. It was a fantastic trip that we'll have to do again one day.

*As a side note for those interested. Our Mitsubishi Colt consumed 90 liters of fuel each way at a cost of $134.00. We averaged 49 mpg sitting at highway speed most of the way.
Accommodation was $100 for a double at the Desert View hotel in Coober Pedy. On road drive time was 18.5 hrs.