DARWIN 2019 Day 18 - Friday 1st November

ALICE SPRINGS

A lazy day in Alice Springs - up late, a leisurely breakfast, a drive around the residential area near "The Palms" and a wander around the Todd Mall, especially some of the numerous galleries featuring indigenous art. We especially wanted to visit the newly opened "Megafauna Central"Museum.

Some of the residences near "The Palms".

Looking across part of the golf course.

The Todd River near "The Palms"

Memories and changes from when we were at Amata, with Alice Springs our closest town.

Flynn Memorial Uniting Church. We sometimes attended church here when we were in "Alice" and were visited at Amata by the minister - Rev.Jim Downing.

The radio hut from which one of the first bush radio contacts was made by Traeger and Flynn to the Hermannsburg Mission.

A variety of accommodation from Youth Hostel to expensive motels and hotels - a bit different from "Griffiths House" where we stayed a few times - now demolished to make way for Woolworths supermarket.

The new Supreme Court building.

 Megafauna Central.

DARWIN 2019 Day 17 - Thursday 31st October

TENNANT CREEK TO ALICE SPRINGS

 Along the road. 

We travelled without stopping anywhere in particular.

Devil's Marbles.

 
Anmatjere man, woman and child at Aileron.

Camels at Aileron.

Alice Springs.

 Our cabin at "The Palms".

DARWIN 2019 Day 16 - Wednesday 30th October

DALY WATERS TO TENNANT CREEK

The cat was still with us in the morning and joined Beth at breakfast.

The "Stuart Tree" and old WW2 airstrip were on the way out of Daly Waters.

Newcastle Waters is a rewarding short diversion from the highway with a heritage park and buildings preserving the stories of the township.

"Jones Store" had examples of how life was ...

and a delightful story from the time of WW2.

 

The oven where the  cake was baked.

Renner Springs ...

 The Pebbles ...

 and the old Telegraph Station .

Our cabin at the Outback Camping Ground in Tennant creek.

DARWIN 2019 Day 15 - Tuesday 29th October

DARWIN TO DALY WATERS

An early start for a long day ahead. We had selected Daly Waters and Tennant Creek for stopovers on our trip to Alice Springs.

Retracing our journey north gave an opportunity to deliberately seek out things that we have not seen previously. At Pine Creek we investigated the eastern side of the town across the old railway line. These striking boab trees are the only ones that we have seen along the Stuart Highway.

We had noticed a lot of termite mounds reminiscent of human forms intertwined or embracing, rather than the usual form that appear almost like stalagmites.

 

Mataranka had some impressive pioneer statues previously missed.

 

At Larimah we diverted briefly to check out the old town of Birdum - the southern terminus of the old northern railway to Darwin.

Daly Waters is a quirky old town, mostly centred on the hotel and camp grounds.

Our cabin came with a friendly cat.