Day 9 & 10 - A Town Like Alice

Sunday in Tennant Creek was spent as quiet family time with dancing practice, baking a banana cake, helping wire up the lights on the truck and a science experiment of making lava lamps. The girls were most impressed and took the experiment to school today to show their classmates. Dinner on Sunday night consisted of salt water Barramundi caught by helicopter by Thomas' sister and her partner. A unique dinner which was fantastic - thanks Thomas. 

We also had a great dinner on Saturday night at Woks Up - the local Chinese restaurant with Alison, Thomas and the girls and their friends the Flannagan's. The food was great and the restaurant along with Laundromat and some other assorted operations are all run by Dee the resident Chinese Triad boss (or so he would appear - he is the stereotypical Chinese gold town restaurant owner and is an absolute scream). Most importantly the food was some of the best Chinese we have ever had and he was tremendous in arranging for Elizabeth's dietary needs. 

Devils Marbles 

 Monday saw us leave Tennant Creek after dropping the girls to school for the start of Term 2 and head south to Alice Springs. Our first stop along the way was at the Devils Marbles which are right on the highway about 115km south of Tennant. They certainly made 'The Pebbles' outside Tennant seem puny by comparison.

Someone had a very large cleaver!

Feeling very small!

The only other stop made on the way to Alice was at Connor Well to have some lunch. We quickly passed through Wycliffe Well (lest we be abducted by Aliens as it is the UFO capital of Australia). According to the promotional material Wycliffe Well is one of the top 5 UFO hotspots in the world that can guarantee a sighting every couple of days. (Must have been yesterday, or perhaps just as well we did not stay the night). 

We also passed quickly through Barrow Creek (which took about 9 seconds) so that we did not meet an untimely demise. For those unaware that was where Peter Falconio went missing and his girlfriend Joanne Lees was abducted but escaped.  

Overlooking Alice Springs from ANZAC Hill near sunset

Sunset over West MacDonnell Ranges from ANZAC Hill in Alice Springs

On getting to Alice Springs we hit the supermarket to restock the larder before we head out to the desert. We thought we had been transported back to Bundaberg with the shopping centre having Sanity, Lenard's, Brumbies, Millers, Just Jeans - in fact the only different shop was a homewares shop called "A Home Like Alice".
We finished the shopping and headed up ANZAC Hill to watch the sunset with the hundred other tourists (including the APT tour bus) and it was certainly spectacular.
We will spend tomorrow in Alice Springs and then start the journey out through the West MacDonnell Ranges.
Love to all
S & E